IF SINNERS ENTICE THEE, CONSENT THOU NOT (Prov. 1:10)

There is a certain kind of alligator which seldom hurts its food; rather he sits back and waits for the multitude of victims to gather in his mouth. Being a lazy beast, this particular alligator just lies near the bank with an open mouth, apparently dead. Soon, bugs light on his moist tongue, then flies, and several other insects gather. By and by, the "crowd" attracts bigger game. A lizard crawls up to the alligater to feed on the bugs, only to have a frog join him. Soon a whole menagerie is there, and then it happens! Like a sudden earthquake the giant jaws come together and the party is over. The Devil's subtle traps are laid in the same manner - namely to attract the multitude.

Don't listen to Satan or trust his false smile, nor think for a moment that sin is worthwhile, resist the "old serpent" before it's too late, the "broad way" is easy, but leads to hell's gate.

Beward of the destruction of the multitude.

PONDERINGS OF A GROUCH

A Grouch has the inborn ability to find something, even in the most pleasant circumstances, about which to complain.

On the children's program "Sesame Street" there is a character with whom many of us can sometimes identify. His name is Oscar. Oscar lives in a garbage can - not because he is forced to, but because he prefers to! You see, that's because he's a fantasy creature called a Grouch. Oscar just loves to complain. It occupies a major part of his time and energy.

Oscar the Grouch must be a popular fellow for he has a number of imitators. I do not mean to appear boastful, but there are times when I do a pretty good impression of old Oscar.

"Johnny, isn't this unbelievably beautiful weather for November?"

"Yes, it is, but it just can't last. When the temperature is this pleasant in November, you can just count on a deathly cold and icy late winter. And besides, this is ideal flu weather. I remember a November like this about five years ago and ... (grumble, grumble)..."

Sound familiar? Why, I'll bet your impression of Oscar is almost as skilful as mine. Come on - be honest now, am I right? We are all guilty at times. And we know that this attitude and action are opposed to the spirit of thankfulness. This knowledge combined with what God's Word teaches places us in quite a dilemma. The Holy Spirit instructs...(I Thes. 5:18; Col. 3:15).

It is apparent that we must do something about this destructive predisposition to nag, complain and grumble so often and vehemently. Let me share with you a true account that should help you, as it has helped me, to fill yourself with true thanksgiving.

Some time ago Janie Russell was interviewed by an NBS newswoman. Janie is a very special person. At the time of the interview she was painting. The beauty of her masterpiece was even more striking as it became obvious that Janie was blind. Her sense of touch was so highly developed that she could literally feel each stroke. Amazing! But wait - there's more. This beautiful woman had experienced many other hardships in addition to becoming sightless. She had never known even nominal good health. Janie has had two mastectomies and is an epileptic. She has been married three times. Her first two husbands died while still young, and the third one left her because he was "embarrassed to lead around a blind wife." Janie has borne 11 children, including two sets of twins. Out of the 11, only two survived!

There I sat in front of the television watching this woman who had seen so much of the ugliness of life. And there she sat creating beauty.

"Aren't you depressed?" she was asked. Her reply stunned me and made me ashamed.

"Why should I be? You can't live in the past; you have to life today!" Beautiful!

I thank God for allowing me to see and hear Janie Russell. Oh, how our loving Father has blessed us! How ungrateful we sometimes are!

(Psa. 100)

Fill up today, and every day, with true thanksgiving to our generous Father in heaven.
[by Johnny Hester reprinted from Gospel Advocate Nov. 1989 via Greerton, Tauranga bulletin, vol. 31, no. 13, 1 Apr. 1990, p. 1-2]

A PRAYER FOR OUR ELDERS

Our Father, let me be a pillar of strength to them, not a thorn in the flesh to sap their strength not a burden on their backs to pull them down.

Let me support them without striving to possess them. Let me lift their hands without placing shackles on them. Let me give them help that they may devote time to saving others and less time gratifying my vanity.

Let me work with them as minister of the whole flock and not compel them to spend precious time bragging on me. Let me be unselfish in what I do for them and not selfish in demanding that they do more for me. Help me to serve the church more and be happy that they serve me less.

Help me to receive not an accusation against them except at the mouth of two or three witnesses. Help me to be a good member in judgment upon them - for I have never walked in their shoes. Help me, Lord, to be a Christian at all times, that their work will be made easier for them and my soul be closer to You. Amen.

WHY ATTEND BIBLE CLASS

(Prov. 3:13; I Tim. 4:13). This advice was not merely based on experience but given as directed by the Holy Spirit. So we know that reading has a place in the life of a Christian who wishes to please the Lord. What this young man was to read is not directly stated, but we know that Paul was not talking of daily papers, fiction, love stories, and such like.

Timothy was reminded that...(II Tim. 3:15-17).

We should be in Bible class to hear the Word read. (Isa. 34:16; Matt. 21:42; Matt. 24:15; Luke 4:16; Acts 8:30; Rev. 1:3; Exo. 24:7; II Cor. 3:2; II Cor. 3:15; Col. 4:16; I Thes. 5:27).

(James 1:21.) We are surely forced to accept the fact that if Timothy was to spend time reading, searching the scriptures, surely we should do so. The people of Berea were commended for examining the scriptures daily to see whether the apostles were preaching the truth. It is a good thing to do; it is a needful thing, it is our duty.

We should attend Bible class to come to a "knowlege of God" (John 17:3; John 6:45) From these verses, we learn that a knowledge of God is essential to coming to Jesus Christ for salvation. Paul says that the...(Rom. 2:4). But no one can know God without learning of Him from the Bible (I Cor. 1:21). So today we need to read and study.

You should attend Bible class for we are to be judged by the Bible. (John 12:48; Rev. 20:12).

We should attend Bible class to be wise. The Saints at Ephesus were told...(Eph. 5:17). That does not sound like it was impossible for them to understand, does it? Not only could they understand it, but they were told to undertsand it. (Eph. 3:3-4). The Bible is the perfect will of God. James 1:25; study it to be wise. II Tim. 2:15; obey it to be saved.

We should attend Bible classes because the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God. He alone is able to keep us from stumbling and falling. The books says, "For I give you good doctrine forsake ye not my law." Jesus would overcome temptation because He had the Word of God laid up in His heart so He could use it in time of temptation. He could say, "It is written."

We should attend Bible class to know the mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:16; Phili. 2:5). If we have the mind of Christ, our minds will run in the same channel with Christ. Whatever He wished, we would wish. His chief mission will be our mission. His pleasure will be our pleasure, and His sense of value will be our sense of value. We will become spiritually minded rather than carnally minded (Rom. 8:6). We will set our affections on things above - we will come to hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matt. 5:6).
[by Joe R. Barnhill from Christian Bible Teacher, Nov. 1985 via Greerton, Tauranga bulletin, vol. 31, no. 14, 8 Apr. 1990, p. 1-2]

REFLECTIONS OF JUDAS

I was quite proud when I was selected to be in the inner circle surrounding this man Jesus, for everywhere we go people cheer us and sometimes open their homes to us with great hospitality.

Sometimes we have to scrounge for food and lodging, and as keeper of the purse, this often falls my lot to provide. This is fine with me because often I eat a sumptuous meal at the inn and then take the others whatever I can find. They never count the money so they never know what is going on. There's a lot I could have done with that bottle of perfume that Mary just wasted on Jesus a while back, but He wouldn't hear of it, and I didn't want to press too far. Sometimes He looks at me as if He can see right down into my very soul. Sometimes, too, the others say He's the Son of God - but I'm not convinced.

Members of the Sanhedrin have asked me to report to them about Jesus' movements and teachings from time to time, and have offered money if I'll arrange for Him to be arrested. That might be a good thing because then He'd be brought to trial and it would be proved once and for all if He really is the Messiah or just another of the many imposters who come on the scene from time to time.

Well, Jesus has just washed my feet. I wonder, if He really is the Son of God, how He feels down there on His knees on the dusty floor.

I'm hungry. I wish we could get through with this long and involved ceremony and get down to some real eating for a change.

What's that Jesus is saying? "Someone is going to betray me?" I wonder how He knows!

Uh oh, Old Babbly Tongue Peter just told Goody-Goody John Boy to ask Him who it's to be. He won't say it's Me. I'm sure He couldn't know.

What did He say? That it's the one HE's going to give the bread to when He dips it in the sop? Well, I'll just lean over in the other direction and look disinterested.

Oh! His hand is on my arm and although He whispered, I heard Him plainly say - "Go quickly and do what you have to do."

This bread is choking me! I've got to get out of here! This meal will probably go on for ages yet, but I'm sure the Council members are still up and awake. I could go see them now. Maybe I could complete the deal tonight - if the price is right.

It is almost dawn now, and I have watched all that's happening through this long and terrible night. Those trials Jesus was subjected to were mockeries, but they convinced me of one thing. Jesus truly is the Messiah, the Son of God! And I, Judas Iscariot, thief, glutton, have betrayed Him, an innocent man. Now I am a murderer! I never dreamed I'd sink so low.

I also returned those miserable thirty pieces of silver to the Council, but they laughed at me. They used me; and here I thought I was so clever.

I've been walking the streets of the city for some time now and I know there's only one thing for me to do. I see that big strong tree ahead with one branch hanging over the wall. I'll just remove my sash and suspend myself from it. There, it's in place now; I'll just climb up on the wall....

Oh, God in Heaven. I beg You to forgive me for what I've already done and what I am about to do. Forgive, Lord. Please forgive....
[by Pauline Long, reprinted from UpReach]

The real tragedy of this story is the fact that we, like Judas, often refuse to turn to Christ and allow Him to rule our lives until it is too late. However, the good news is that it is not too late now, if you will just not let this moment, this opportunity pass by. Have you taken advantage of God's gift of forgiveness of your sins? Don't, like Judas, wait until it's too late for you!
[by Lester Bagley from Greerton, Tauranga bulletin, vol. 31, no. 18, 6 May 1990, p. 1-2]

HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Christianity, far from being a philosophy or a mere ethical system, is pre-eminently a redemptive system. It is belief in Jesus as the Son of God with power to save souls, raise the dead, and judge the world. This belief rests squarely on Christ's own historical life and resurrection as recorded in the New Testament. It is necessary, then to view the New Testament as a totally reliable record of history if we would have an unshakable ground for our faith.

The single link between 20th century man and the true picture of the historical Christ is the New Testament. Without its testimony it is impossible to reproduce the life and teachings of Christ. From the total amount of information coming to us from first century Greek, Roman and Jewish writers we can know precious little about Jesus other than the fact that He lived and was crucified by Pilate on a charge of sedition.

What that means, in terms of an authentic representation of what Jesus actually said and did, is that neither historian nor theologian can say with any authority whatsoever that Jesus said or did anything without appealing to the New Testament as source material. One may reject the New Testament as inspired, or even reliable, but any claim that Jesus said or did otherwise is purely conjectural and without evidence.

Mankind has an inclination to place subjective interpretations upon his experiences and emotions in an effort to draw from them some extraordinary meaning, usually religious in nature. The Lord cautioned Israel, and us, against setting aside God's Word for such subjectivism (Num. 15:37-40). He warns against the folly of trusting our hearts (Prov. 28:26), explaining they are deceptively corrupt (Jer. 17:9), and can actually lead to destruction (Prov. 14:12).

Religous testimony based on modern subjective experience has no legitimate place as an evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith. No 20th century feeling or existential experience can verify a first century event. We cannot know that 2,000 years ago Jesus was resurrected simply because He is in our hearts today. One might as well claim that he knows Wellington defeated Napolean at Waterloo because it is in his heart.

These are matters of history and can be known only by objective historical testimony. Neither a personal testimony that Jesus helped someone kick the drug habit, nor a claim that someone was healed by Christ is legitimate testimony of the truth of Christianity. Could not the Hindu or the Moslem use the same type of reasoning that his religion is true? If Christianity is superior to other religions, should it not have superior evidence?

Christianity is an historical religion. It is grounded in the actual events of the historical life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and these events are recorded in reliable historical documents. The New Testament writers made no arguments from philosophy or science for the deity of Christ. Neither was their approach one of emotional subjectivism. But in the calm and objective style of men who knew from either eyewitness experience, like the apostles, or from painstaking historical research, like Luke, that what they were writing were the facts in the case, they wrote their accounts in the verifiable context of history so that men could check them out.

We know of the claims and deeds of Christ the same way we know anything which happened in the past. They are matters of historical testimony. The New Testament is not merely doctrine. It is testimony to the facts surrounding Christ and the church.

Jesus Himself addressed this very matter as the ground of faith for all believers...(John 17:20). Jesus clearly stated that the ground of belief in Him is the apostles' word.

It is their eyewitness testimony, preserved in the New Testament, which offers the evidence and produces faith in Christ. When Christ offered to Thomas the marks of His crucifixion as proof of His resurrection, Thomas responded...(John 20:28). Then Jesus observed...(John 20:29).

That statement reaches to the 20th century. We have not seen or heard Christ. But we have a reliable testimony from eyewitnesses.

Louis Cassels wrote that "Mark's record had to survive the acid test of any journalistic or historical writing - being published at a time when it could be read, criticized, and if inauthentic denounced by thousands of Jews, Christians, Romans and Greeks who were living in Palestine at the time of Jesus' ministry" (UPI, Nashville Banner, 1966).

What Cassels said of Mark can be said of all the New Testament writings. They were written in the very generation in which the events took place, were circulated among that generation of contemporaries who stood to deny them if they were not true. But thousands believed and stood up to the persecution which followed. This is a very strong test of the truth of Christianity and of the reliability of the New Testament, inasmuch as it is just not in the nature of man to suffer for a fabrication.

John wrote his eyewitness account (John 19:35), immersing it in the historical context as he had seen it taking place (John 20:30-31). This way it could be checked out against what men knew to be true. Luke used the historical approach to confirm the Gospel to Theophilus. He researched his material from eyewitnesses and so wrote his account that Theophilus could check it out against the facts. By this means Luke was confident that Theophilus could "know the certainty concerning the things" he had been taught (Luke 1:1-4).

It is this kind of objective historical truth in which the New Testament has been written. Every New Testament book, even the letters, and especially the Gospels and Acts, are couched in a context which seems to say, "Check it out!"

Christians must not be intimidated by unbelievers to lay their New Testaments aside as if unbelief renders them immune to the power of its testimony. It is not necessary to believe the Bible is the Word of God in order to be convinced by it that Jesus is the Son of God. Explain that it is history.

Whether one believes it is the Word of God or not, it still stands as an historical record of the actual claims and deeds of Christ. When, then, it records the claims of Christ to be the Son of God (John 10:36), to be the resurrection and the life (John 11:25), etc., it is a fact that the historical Jesus actually made those claims.

Whether one believes the inspiration of scripture or not, it is still a fact of history that Jesus walked on the water (Matt. 14:25), that He raised the dead (John 11:43-44). When such facts are weighed against the claims, reason begins to conclude that Jesus is what He claimed to be. This was Christ's own reasoning in John 10:37-38.

So, then, belief comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). The unbeliever hears and may be converted.

History is written in a space-time dimension specifying those persons, times, events, and places which offer themselves for verification. This is how the New Testament is written. Other writers contemporary with New Testament writers (e.g. Tacitus, Josephus, Suetonius, Pliny the younger) corroborate the accuracy of the New Testament in such areas as morals, customs, climate, politics, cultural characteristics, religions, economics, law, etc.

Archaeology offers a generous testimony to the New Testament's historical accuracy. A collection of writings composed about A.D. 90 to 160, written by reputable men of the church, makes reference to nearly every New Testament book, quoting or paraphrasing most of it. The early date of these writings together with the great respect these apostolic fathers had for them in a time of persecution, shows their confidence in the New Testament as history, as the very Word of God.

Christianity became a system of life amid the Jewish and Roman societies of the first century of such momentous consequences to those cultures that they reacted with great anxiety toward both its teachings and its adherents. Every historian who deals with those forces which he supposes contributed to the shape of civilization, and especially of the western world, must deal with the facts of Chrsitianity which gave it its power to make such a far-reaching impact upon the world for 20 centuries. To accomplish this the historian must decide what ancient sources offer the most reliable information. Without exception the New Tesatment is called upon to offer its invaluable history.

The New Testament is certainly not myth. It is not written is a "once-upon-a-time-in-a-far-away-place" kind of context which disallows space-time check points. It is written in the verifiable context of history. It continues to stand the same tests of historical verification to which the classical histories are subjected. When all is considered, the New Testament is the most reliable historic document in the world.

John states that the eyewitness testimony of the apostles is essential to faith and eternal life (I John 1:1-4). Ours is not to "testify" to some experience which we subjectively attribute to Christ or the Holy Spirit. Since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, it becomes our duty to point men to the contents of the New Testament. Ours is to preach the Word.
[by Ed Wharton, reprinted from Gospel Advocate, Feb. 1990 via Greerton, Tauranga bulletin, vol. 31, no. 19, 13 May 1990, p. 1-4]

EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY

An esteemed brother, Hollis Miller, of Murray, Kentucky, recently wrote the following in the College Street Bulletin: "When one denies the faith, after all Biblical efforts of brotherly love to retain him have failed, Christians need to stop blaming the church, and start recognizing the existence of a force known in the Bible as sin. Christians, whoever they are and whatever age they may be, do not drop out of the kingdom of heaven because the church has let them down. They drop out because Satan has devoured them (I Pet. 5:8)."

It is a warped concept that tries to shift all blame for spiritual failings in the individual to the only institution on the face of the earth that is solely dedicated to the spiritual upbuilding of mankind. Once I was teaching a class for teenagers on Sundays before the evening worship hour. It became obvious that one girl was being delivered to the building by her parents, but she was not coming to the class. I thought her parents would want to know that she was both deceiving them and missing what might be gained from the class. The mother's reaction? "If you would make the class interesting she would come." It did not seem to occur to the woman that her girl just might not be interested in the right things!

Granted, those who teach and preach are subject to inadequacies and failures. We who are teachers must labor to make our lessons as interesting as possible. We who preach should work at preaching with all the power and effectiveness we can develop. God will judge us for doing less than our best!

But pardon me if I do not take too kindly to the idea that it is always the teacher's fault if the class is "uninteresting." Nor do I admit that it is always the fault of a "dull" sermon when someone falls asleep in the pew! It is strange how many experts there are on preaching and teaching who have never done any of either one. As some would have it, it was all Paul's fault (a dry, dull lengthy sermon, no doubt) that a fine teenager like Eutychus went to sleep in the assembly (Acts 20:9)! Until proof to the contrary is shown, I will insist that the hearer has equal responsibility with the speaker when the gospel is presented.
[by Dub McLish (or McClish) from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Feb. 5, 1995, p. 2 and Feb. 18, 1996, p. 2-3]

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR TEEN

1. Make time for your teen. Find an activity you enjoy doing together and pursue it. If your invitations are declined, keep asking.
2. Listen, really listen. Don't try to listen while doing something else. Put your chores aside so your teen knows you're really paying attention.
3. Take the long view. Don't treat minor mishaps as major catastrophes. Choose the important issues.
4. Tolerate differences. View your teenager as an individual distinct from you. But this doesn't mean you can't state your opinion if you disaagree.
5. Respect your teenager's privacy. But if a behavior is worrying you, speak up.
6. Never imply that your teenager's feelings don't matter or that they will change. Teens live in the present. It doesn't help them to know they'll soon feel differently.
7. Don't judge. State facts instead of opinions when you praise or criticize.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Jan. 28, 1996, p. 3]

Wisdom is nothing more than common sense refined by learning and experience.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Feb. 11, 1996, p. 4]

When it comes to spotting the faults of others, we all seem to have 20-20 vision.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, April 18, 1993, p. 3]

Management is getting things done through other people.

Don't argue with a fool or else no one will be able to tell the difference.

Many a man who loves the front seat at a ball game gets the back seat at church.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Sept 4, 1994, p. 3]

Envy has no rest.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Aug. 21, 1994, p. 3]

Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Aug. 7, 1994, p. 3]

We must live with people to know their problems and live with God to solve them.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Aug. 7, 1994, p. 2]

Apply thyself wholly to the scriptures and the scriptures wholly to thyself.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Dec. 4, 1994, p. 3]

Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Sept. 25, 1994, p. 2]

What do you do on Sunday night that is more important than worshipping God?
[from Savannah, Ga. Church of Christ bulletin]

Let a smile be your umbrella on a rainy, rainy day.
[from Savannah, Ga. Church of Christ bulletin]

If you work for the thing you believe in, you are rich though the way is rough.
If you work only for money, you can never make quite enough.
[from Mary C. Crowley]

True peace is the deliberate adjustment of your life to the will of God.
[from The Messenger (Nelson), vol. 1, no. 14, 8 Apr. 1990, p. 1]

Consciousness of ignorance is no small part of knowledge.
[from The Messenger (Nelson), vol. 1, no. 17, 29 Apr. 1990, p. 1]

Holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness.
[from The Capital Letter, vol. 19, no. 29, 22 July 1990, p. 2]

His heart cannot be pure whose tongue is not clean.
[from The Messenger (Nelson), vol. 1, no. 19, 13 May 1990, p. 1]

You have only one life, 'twill soon be passed.
Only what's done for God will last.

Whichever way the wind doth blow,
some heart is glad to have it so.
So blow it east or blow it west.
The way it blows, that way is best.

While the church is preparing for heaven - heaven is preparing for the church.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Dec. 25, 1994, p. 3]

SOUND THE ALARM!

Did you know that in America...There are over 3 million teenage alcoholics. Over 7,000 youth die each year in alcohol related accidents. 1,370 youth will take an illegal drug in the next hour. 57 percent of all illegal drugs are sold on school campuses. A teenage girl gets pregnant every 31 seconds: 80 percent drop out of school; 70 percent go on welfare. Half of the 1 million teenage pregnancies this year will end in abortion. More than 5,000 teenagers die from suicide each year.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Jan. 29, 1995, p. 4]

Truth loses some battles, but never a war.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Feb. 12, 1995, p. 3]

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you"?
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Feb. 12, 1995, p. 4]

What a tragedy: so many have so much to live with and so little to live for.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Feb. 19, 1995, p. 3]

Today is a GIFT - that is why we call it the PRESENT.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Feb. 26, 1995, p. 4]

It isn't your position that makes you happy or unhappy. It's your DISPOSITION.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, May 7, 1995, p. 3]

Home is the place where we're treated the best and grumble the most.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, May 14, 1995, p. 3]

Wealth is not only what we have, but what we are.
[from Savannah bulletin]

Happiness is the art of making a bouquet of those flowers within reach.
[from Savannah bulletin]

It takes some people a long time to get nothing done.
[from Savannah bulletin]

Communication between God and man goes two ways. The Bible is God's communication to man. Prayer is man communicating with God. Have you and God communicated today?
[from Savannah bulletin]

Open the door and let the Sun in. Open you heart and let the Son in! (Acts 13:9-11)
[by James Butler from Savannah bulletin]

When we love God truly, we also love our neighbor.
[from Savannah bulletin]

It is vain to call Jesus "Master" unless we obey him.
[from Savannah bulletin]

Don't worry about tomorrow; you may die before night.
[from Savannah bulletin]

The most difficult translation of the Bible is that which must be translated into Christlike living.
[from Savannah bulletin]

It seemed a little odd when the local cemetery raised the prices of its burial lots, and blamed it on the cost of living.
[from Savannah bulletin]

An optimist sees windows as something to let light shine through; a pessimist sees them as something that gets dirty.
[from Savannah bulletin]

If you cannot preach, hold up the hands of the preacher.
[from Savannah bulletin]

Good apples can be told by the number of sticks in the trees.
[from Savannah bulletin]

Convictions that are not expressed in action are worthless.
[from Savannah bulletin]

How poorly we understand the necessities of our friends!
[from Savannah bulletin]

Money does not give happiness.
[from the bulletin for Church of Christ, 2010 Louisiana Ave. Savannah, Georgia 31404]

God's blessings even reach to the possessions of the ungodly.
[from Savannah bulletin]

Anxiety is wicked, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof".
[from Savannah bulletin]

Selfishness and godliness are not handmaidens.
[from Savannah bulletin]

Many people have right views with a wrong practice.
[from Savannah bulletin]

Too many say "Our Father" on Sunday - and act like an orphan the rest of the week.
[from Savannah bulletin]

WHERE IS LIFE?

Not in unbelief - Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."

Not in pleasure - Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure, if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and the grief are mine alone."

Not in money - Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."

Not in position and fame - Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote, "Youth is a mistake; manhood, a struggle; old age, a regret."

Not in military glory - Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, because, he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."

Where, then, is happiness found? The answer is simple: In Christ alone. He said, "I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."
[from The Light of Life]

Silence is sometimes the best answer to slander.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Sept. 10, 1995, p. 3]

Get right church and let's go home!
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Sept. 10, 1995, p. 4]

Too often man handles life as he does the bad weather. He whiles away the time as he waits for it to stop.
[by Alfred Polgar]

Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.
[by Winston Churchill]

So much is a man worth as he esteems himself.
[by Francois Rabelais]

You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.
[by Oliver Goldsmith]

The time to repair the roof is when the sun in shining.
[by John F. Kennedy]

Experience teaches you that the man who looks you straight in the eye, particularly if he adds a firm handshake, is hiding something.
[by Clifton Fadiman]

If you don't like what you're doing, you can always pick up your needle and move to another groove.
[by Timothy Leary]

If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.
[by Epicurus]

Sweet are the uses of adversity; which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.
[by William Shakespeare]

Your seat in eternity, will it be smoking or non-smoking?
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Nov. 12, 1995, p. 4]

We're not Dairy Queen, but our Sundays are GREAT!!!
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 29, 1995, p. 4]

True happiness is a condition of the mind, and not an accumulation of surplus cash.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Oct. 29, 1995, p. 2]

If you think you can do a thing, or think you can't do a thing; you're right.
[by Henry Ford]

The only reason I always try to meet and know the parents better is because it helps me to forgive their children.
[by Louis Johannot]

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
[by Hayden]

How things look on the outside of us depends on how things are on the inside of us.
[by Parks Cousins]

A coward dies a hundred deaths, a brave man only once...But then, once is enough, isn't it?
[by Judge Harry Stone]

When you make a mistake, admit it, if you don't, you only make matters worse.
[by Ward Cleaver]

Life is far too important a thing ever to talk about.
[by Oscar Wilde]

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
[by Thoreau]

Life at any time can become difficult. Life at any time can become easy. It all depends upon how one adjusts oneself to life.
[by Morarji Desai]

While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.
[by Henry C. Link]

Imagination is more important than knowledge.
[by Albert Einstein]

When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.
[by Confucius]

There is always an easy solution to every human problem - neat, plausible, and wrong.
[by H.L. Mencken]

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.
[by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)]

We are drowning in information and starving for knowledge.

It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
[by Alfred Adler]

All sin tends to be addictive, and the terminal point of addiction is what is called damnation.
[by Wystan Hugh Auden]

No one on earth can hurt you, unless you accept the hurt in your own mind.... The problem is not other people; it is your reaction.
[by Vernon Howard]

Democracy means government by discussion but it is only effective if you can stop people talking.
[by Earl Clement Attlee]

Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered.
[by Wystan Hugh Auden]

The principles of logic and metaphysics are true simply because we never allow them to be anything else.
[by Sir Alfred Jules Ayer]

It is natural to die as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as the other.
[by Francis Bacon]

The people who live in the past must yield to the people who live in the future. Otherwise the world would begin to turn the other way around.
[by Arnold Bennett]

Business, you know, may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does.
[by Jane Austen]

Travel, in the younger son, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.
[by Francis Bacon]

Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.
[by Minna Antrim]

The marvellous thing about a joke with a double meaning is that it can only mean one thing.
[by Ronnie Barker]

How can one fool make another wise.

The wise man avoids evil by anticipating it.
[by Publilius Syrus]

What's a cult? It just means not enough people to make a minority.
[by Robert Altman]

Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.
[by Josh Billings]

In the theatre the audience want to be surprised - but by the things that they expect.
[by Tristan Bernard]

Experience isn't interesting till it begins to repeat itself - in fact, till it does that, it hardly is experience.
[by Elizabeth Bowen]

One of the joys of computers is how they're great at wasting time that might otherwise be difficult to waste.
[by Clifford Stoll]

The weak have one weapon; the errors of those who think they are strong.
[by Georges Bidault]

Lawyers are the only persons in whom ignorance of the law is not punished.
[by Jeremy Bentham]

The way to win an atomic war is to make certain it never starts.
[by Omar Nelson Bradley]

An actor is a guy who, if you ain't talking about him, ain't listening.
[by Marlon Brando]

Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it inflames the great.
[by Bussy-Rabutin]

He who despairs over an event is a coward, but he who holds hopes for the human condition is a fool.
[by Albert Camus]

Life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises.
[by Samuel Butler]

No man can justly censure or condemn another, because indeed no man truly knows another.
[by Sir Thomas Browne]

It is the common wonder of all men, how among so many million of faces, there should be none alike.
[by Sir Thomas Browne]

Every animal leaves traces of what it was; man alone leaves traces of what he created.
[by Jacob Bronowski]

Somebody has said, that a king may make a nobleman, but he cannot make a gentleman.
[by Edmund Burke]

The pleasure is momentary, the position ridiculous, and the expense damnable.
[by Lord Chesterfield]

You must be the change you want to see in the world.
[by Ghandi]

If I won't be myself, who will be?
[by Thoreau]

Baby boomers as grandparents are dangerous animals.

An intellectual is someone whose mind watches over itself.
[by Albert Camus]

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all.
[by Samuel Butler]

The birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life but a new way of living it.
[by Frederick Buechner]

Mary and Joseph, along with both the simple shepherds and the learned Wise Men, show us that communication with the Lord needs two partners: God sends a message, but we must be willing to receive the news.
[by Christopher M. Belitto]

The gift to me. When He comes at midnight, He does not ask a tree; a creche, a star, a candle - only me.
[by Sallie Chesham]

To perceive Christmas through its wrappings become more difficult with every year.
[by E.B. White]

The Christmas season has come to mean the period when the public plays Santa Claus to the merchants.
[by John Haynes Holmes]

The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that he sunk himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding.
[by Martin Luther]

There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the ass understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today.
[by Thomas Merton]

In the super-miracle of the incarnation, our very creator, preserver, judge, becomes our kinsman, sinbearer, redeemer! Of all miracles and mysteries, this is the most staggering.
[by J. Sidlow Baxter]

It never hurts one to do a kindness to another, even a very small one; but it often helps an awful lot.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Dec. 3, 1995, p. 2]

Corruption is never compulsory.
[by Sheldon Vanuaken]

I love mankind - it's people I can't stand.
[by Charles M. Schultz]

Philosophy is a path of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.
[by Bierce]

God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I'm so far behind I will never die.

Life is a jest and all things show it.
I thought so once, but now I know it.
[by John Gay]

As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.
[by Andrew Carnegie]

The best sauce in the world is hunger.
[by Miguel de Cervantes]

Idleness is only the refuge of weak minds.
[by Philip Dormer Stanhope]

There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person.
[by Gilbert Keith Chesterton]

Someone said of a very great egotist, "He would burn your house down to cook himself a couple of eggs."
[by Nicolas Chamfort]

No man who has once heartily and wholly laughed can be altogether irreclaimably bad.
[by Thomas Carlyle]

A GOOD WORD

Mark Twain once said, "I can live for two months on one good complement." We all know what he meant by that. It lifts your spirits to have someone say something genuinely nice to you or about you.

Solomon noted this human truth when he wrote...(Prov. 12:25).

Haven't you experienced those days when the morning began just right? Someone in your family noted something special about you that was meaningful to them. Your boss gave you a complement when you walked through the door. And, then, there was a note in the mail or a phone call from someone you love, and words of cheer entered your heart and carried you through the day.

Since we know how good it feels to receive such expressions from people, shouldn't we spread the same joy to others? We ought to take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to us (Eph. 5:15-16; Col. 4:5-6; Gal. 6:10).

A good word. You don't have to be rich to give them away. You don't even have to be well known for it to have an effect on others. Even complete strangers reap the benefit of receiving a good word from you.

We hear so many bad words in our world, don't we? Let's start a campaign to balance what people hear. It all begins with...a good word!
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Dec. 31, 1995, p. 2]

It's easier to patch a garment than a quarrel.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Dec. 24, 1995, p. 3]

A man may make money, but money can never make the man.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Dec. 17, 1995, p. 3]

If one sticks too rigidly to one's principles one would hardly see anybody.
[by Dame Agatha Christie]

A good prince will tax as lightly as possible those commodities which are used by the poorest members of society: e.g. grain, bread, beer, wine, clothing and all other staples without which human life could not exist.
[by Erasmus 1466-1536]

Be wiser than other people if you can, but do not tell them so.
[by Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield]

Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that carry them far apart.
[by Confusius]

Everything has changed but our way of thinking.
[by Einstein]

Men will confess to treason, murder, arson, false teeth, or a wig. How many of them will own up to a lack of humour?
[by Frank More Colby]

There is no greater sorrow than to recall a time of happiness when in misery.
[by Alighien Dante]

Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise.
[by Samuel Johnson]

The only tyrant I accept in this world is the "still small voice" within.
[by Gandhi]

An author who speaks about his own books is almost as bad as a mother who talks about her own children.
[by Benjamin Disraeli]

Genius is one per cent inspiration and nintynine percent perspiration.
[by Thomas Alva Edison]

A theory can be proved by experiment; but no path leads from experiment to the birth of a theory.
[by Albert Einstein]

Whenever two good people argue over principles, they are both right.
[by Marie Ebner von Eschenbach]

The average middle class person worships at his work, works at his play, and plays at his worship.

It hath been said, that it is not death, but dying, which is terrible.
[by Henry Fielding]

Unhappiness is best defined as the difference between our talents and our expectations.
[by Edward de Bono]

Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home.
[by David Frost]

The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest till it has gained a hearing.
[by Sigmund Freud]

If you accept his assumptions, even a madman sounds reasonable.
[a Russian proverb]

Failure is not the falling down, it's the not getting up again.

Much of the world's work, it has been said, is done by men who do not feel quite well. Marx is a case in point.
[by John Kenneth Galbraith]

Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.
[by Nathan Bedford Forrest]

There exists no politician in India daring enough to attempt to explain to the masses that cows can be eaten.
[by Indira Gandhi]

A nickname is the heaviest stone that the devil can throw at a man.
[by William Hazlitt]

A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away.
[by Barry Goldwater]

An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that can be made in his subject, and how to avoid them.
[by Werner Heisenberg]

It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.
[by Oliver Wendell Holmes]

Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.
[by Sir Arthur Helps]

Never compose anything unless the not composing of it becomes a positive nuisance to you.
[by Gustav Holst]

The formation of right habits is essential to your permanent security. They diminish your chances of falling when assailed, they augment your chances of recovery when overthrown.
[by John Tyndall from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Mar. 3, 1996, p. 3]

Creative thinking may simply mean the realization that there's no particular virtue in doing things the way they have always been done.
[by Rudolph Flesch from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Mar. 3, 1996, p. 4]

Wise men learn by the mistakes of others; fools insist on learning by their own.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Feb. 18, 1996, p. 3]

THE BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN

Though we cannot fathom the intricacies of heaven from our current vantage point, surely we can appreciate some of the blessings of that state as set forth in the Bible.
(1) Heaven is place of rest from earthly hardships. (Rev. 14:13; Heb. 4:11)
(2) Heaven is a place of reaping. This earth is a place of obedient activity wherein one lays up treasures to be finally enjoyed in heaven (Matt. 6:19). There will be a tremendous "reward" of satisfaction in knowing that we have helped to increase the population of heaven (I Cor. 3:14).
(3) Heaven will be a place of rejoicing. Those who remain loyal to Christ will hear the Master say...(Matt. 25:21). All who enter heaven will rejoice for the great victory they have won over the forces of evil (Rev. 12:12; Rev. 19:7).
(4) Heaven will be a place of righteousness (Rev. 21:27; Rev. 22:15).
(5) Heaven will be a place of responsibility. The celestial realm will not be a domain of idle inactivity. There "his servants shall serve him" (Rev. 22:3). In one of His parables, Jesus told of ten servants who were each entrusted by their master with money to invest in trading. When they were finally called to account, each was rewarded with responsibility in direct proportion to the way in which he had used his ability (Luke 19:17-19).
(6) Heaven will be a place of reunion and recognition. When the patriarchs died, they were "gathered to (their) people" (Gen. 25:8; Gen. 35:29). Both Jacob and David expected to be reunited with loved ones after death (Gen. 37:35; II Sam. 12:23). The Lord taught that we shall...(Matt. 8:11). Paul affirmed that those whom he had helped in their heavenward journey would be a source of joy at the time of the Lord's return (I Thes. 2:19-20). This clearly implies future recognition.

Surely with these great blessings ever before us, we will constantly renew our diligence to obtain this magnificent destiny.
[by Wayne Jackson from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, April 14, 1996, p. 2]

THE TRUTH ABOUT EVIL

The world has gone tragically astray in its understanding of good and evil. It indulges in evil and calls it good; it avoids good as if it were evil. How mixed up we are!

Many accuse God for our failings and insist we are victims of circumstance. "Did he not make us as we are? Did he not place us in an environment filled with temptation?" Such thoughts give evidence of a depravity unable to distinguish between good and evil.

James gives us the truth about evil, reminding us that God is our Father, that he stands by not to trip us but to lift us into the realm of love and freedom (James 1:13-16). James gives two reasons why accusing God is erroneous.

God cannot be tempted. Nothing in his nature responds favorably to evil.
God tempts no man to evil. He cannot delight in undoing what he created in his image.
The truth is...(James 1:14-15).

James also gives the truth about good. He tells us that God is the great giver, the source of all moral and spiritual light, and all that is good comes from God (James 1:16-18).

It is easy to have a misconception of God's relationship to evil. We need to appreciate his goodness and grace and recognize our own weaknesses and failings.
[by Darrel G. Rickard from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, April 7, 1996, p. 2]

PREACHING THE LOVE OF GOD

We preach the love of God when we preach God's commandments. God does not forbid us anything that would be good for us. He gave us his Son. What would he withhold that we should want? He commands us to do nothing except what is best for us to do. He forbids nothing except what would harm us. His law is a law of love. His revelation of it to us is a manifestation of His love.

We preach the love of God when we preach the cross. God so loved that he gave the only gift that could really cost him anything. In the outstretched arms of Jesus we see the breadth of God's love. In the Son's nail-pierced hands and feet we see the pain the Father willingly suffered for us. The cross proclaims the horror of sin, the depth of God's wrath against iniquity, and the depravity to which man can sink. But above all else it trumpets the love of God. God demonstrated his love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

We preach the love of God when we preach his mercy and forbearance. His gift of love was given so we could be saved from our sins. He does not deal with us according to our sins or reward us according to our iniquities. He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. Unrepentant sinners need to hear of the wrath of God, lest they suppose that God can be mocked and they can reap some crop other then the corruption they have sown. But terrified sinners, despairing sinners, men and women who have reached the end of their rope, need to hear of the mercy of God lest they continue to sin because they have no hope of redemption or of the possibility of change. God is not willing that any should perish. That is the good news that makes the gospel gospel.

We preach the love of God when we preach God's nature and attributes. "God made the world and everything." God is great, God is good." The smallest child learns these things, and also early learns, "God is love." If we do not believe in God's love, it is not God in whom we believe. If our understanding of God does not make us love, it is not God we understand. If we say we know God, whom we have not seen, yet have not love for people, whom we have seen, we lie. It is not God we know.

We preach the love of God when we do good to those in need. God chose our hands to be his hands to minister his love to others, just as he chose our mouths to be his mouth to tell his love to others. We are the light of the world, and the light of the world is to see in us is God's light as we reflect it, as the moon reflects the sun. We are to be holy as God is holy to show his holiness to the world. When our holiness is sullied by open sin, the name of God is blasphemed among the pagans because of us. We are to be merciful as God is merciful. If the world does not see his mercy in us, in whom may they see it? We are to love as God loves. When we do, people see our good works and glorify God. When they cry to God for help, and we help them because of God, they learn that God is love.

Let us not neglect any means of preaching the love of God.
[by Cecil May, Jr. from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Mar. 31, 1996, p. 2]

IS THIS YOUR EXAMPLE?

What a sight was seen this past Friday night! During our Teacher Appreciation Dinner at a local restaurant an interesting thing happened.

As the evening meal was being completed, a group came in from the main dining room into the areas where our group was sitting. This group seemed to be an AAU or other basketball group, as many young ladies were still wearing numbered jerseys with t-shirts under them. There were also a number of adult couples who were evidently chaperoning and transporting the team to a school for a game.

As the group entered, I noticed that one of the men in the group had a paper bag with him. I thought this must be some sort of award presentation or something similar. But that's not what was brought in. When the man opened the bag, he brought out a twelve pack of beer. He then proceeded to pass the beer to the other adults of the group.

I couldn't help thinking, "What kind of example is this for these young ladies?" I was a little surprised that the beer was allowed in the restaurant to begin with. What made things worse was this more or less caused our group to end our evening and leave. We were just beginning to socialize and really enjoy the fellowship when this happened. I know I was not the only one astonished and offended by the actions of these adults.

It's this kind of adult behavior that makes me see why teens have such a hard time respecting adults. I also understand why we have so many teens with alcohol and drug problems today. When all kids see is adults partaking in such, they more easily they accept the same behavior when they are forced to make their own decision to partake.

It's a shame that our evening had to be cut short by this behavior. I hope that no one had too much to drink Friday and all returned home safely from their ball game. I also hope that the parents who did not come with the group are aware of the actions of these adults that evening.

What kind of example are we adults for the children? I hope we can all say that we strive to show them the advantages of having God in their lives each day. If you cannot say that, then you need to evaluate your priorities and your life to be sure that it's what God would have it to be.
[by Norman from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Mar. 31, 1996, p. 2]

PRECIOUS PROMISES

Life is hard at best. It is very difficult to jump over every obstacle in our daily life. Everyone needs the help that God has promised he would give to all in the midst of life's struggles. Take time to consider some of God's great promises to some very difficult life situations.

When I am tempted he has promised...(I Cor. 10:13).
When I am afraid God has said...(Isa. 41:10).
When I need strength to live the day as God would have me to live he says...(Isa. 41:29-31).
When I need the assurance and comfort of God's protection in my life I can take assurance in God's promise...(Psa. 23:4).
When I have sinned God promises...(I John 1:9).
When I am lonely I am assured...(Rev. 3:20).

Just think, these are but a few of the many promises that God has made to those that follow him. These assurances are very comforting especially when you remember that every promise God has made he will and must keep (Titus 1:2). Let us thank God for his countless and great promises to help us in our life's struggles.
[by Paul Darety from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Mar. 24, 1996, p. 2]

HIS JOY IS THE FULL JOY

The supper was over. Judas had departed. Jesus spoke of many things. He talked to them about His Father's house, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the peace which He would leave with them, about the vine and the branches, fruitfulness, and then He said something which many people have never taken time to understand. He said...(John 15:11). Shortly before the supper He spoke of "the joy of your master" (Matt. 25:21-23).

What is His joy? How is it different from the joy of the world? The world finds its joy in a soccer game, or maybe a football or basketball game. Others in the world find their joy in a movie, a song, or money! But with the Lord it is different. His joy revolves about such things as He had just spoken to His disciples. He had the power to make His joy their joy as well.

Some people are afraid to enjoy what the Lord enjoyed. They have been brainwashed by Satan until they think the world's joy is better. It isn't. Nothing can compare to the joy of the Lord. It is not shallow, and does not come from emotion whipped up by high-pressure hilarity. It is not the exhilaration caused by favorable happenings and circumstances. Because of our shallow living we are afraid to seek the joy of our Lord. We even want our religious life to run on the same stimulus that a cheerleader works up before a ball game. It is a poor substitute for the joy that our Lord wants all of us to have. Make His joy your joy! We don't even have to wait until the judgment to "enter into the joy of your master." Make His joy yours today!
[by Pat Stephenson from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Mar. 24, 1996, p. 2-3]

HAS SPRING SPRUNG???

I left my house in my overcoat yesterday, as usual. The sky was overcast, and a few flakes of snow began to fall. After scraping the ice from my windshield, I drove along streets lined with trees as barren as they had been all winter. The man on the radio kept saying, "It's the first day of spring!" He repeated that announcement between every song, as though he were trying to convince someone.

Of course, we know he's right. Appearances notwithstanding, we know that there are hidden realities at work, bringing new life out of the deadness of winter. From experience, we have become sure of God's faithfulness in managing natural life on earth. No matter how bleak and gray the first day of spring, we are confident that He is working, according to schedule.

We can have the same confidence with regard to His management of our own lives, especially in relation to our spiritual development. Nature tells us that we have a God who brings life out of death. Calvary invites us to make daring applications of that truth.

We may suffer through days without sunshine. We feel the coldness of some experiences all the way to our bones. At times, our total physical view of things is bleak and discouraging. But those who know anything at all about God know that in all this, He is working! In every trial, He is promoting our welfare, bringing life out of death.

Therefore, while we may bundle up against the late chill, the present feel and appearance of things does not cause the believer to despair.

Habakkuk was told...(Hab. 2:3).

Whatever the temperature and external conditions of your life at this moment, God is bringing springtime according to His unfailing schedule.
[by Ruel D. Catlett from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Mar. 17, 1996, p. 2]

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

When Johnny was six, he was with his father when they were caught speeding. He saw his father hand the officer a twenty dollar bill and his driver's license. There was no ticket.

When Johnny was 10, he broke his glasses on the way to school. He heard his mother tell the insurance company that they had been stolen and they collected $50.00.

When Johnny was 15, he made right guard on the high school football team. His coach taught him to block and, at the same time, grab the opposing guard by the shirt so the official couldn't see.

When he was 16, John took a summer job at a large market. His job was to put the overripe fruit on the bottom and the good fruit on top.

When John went off to college, he was approached by an upper classman who offered him the answers to an English exam for ten dollars. "It's OK, kid," he was told, "everybody does it."

John was caught and sent home in disgrace. "How could you do this to your mother and me?" his father asked. "You never learned anything like that at home!" If there is one thing the adult world can't stand, it's a kid who cheats - and gets caught!
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Mar. 17, 1996, p. 2-3]

SEIZE THEM

The apostle Paul, seemingly inexhaustible in his vigorous work for the Lord, wrote the following admonition to the Ephesian church. (Eph. 5:14-16). The phrase "redeeming the time" literally means "buying up the opportunity." In the ancient Greco-Roman culture the phrase had reference to those who were first in the marketplace in order to obtain the best bargains. In our terminology, Paul is saying, "seize your opportunities."

Many opportunities are not seized because of laziness. Legion are those who, like the shirking Israelites, are "at ease in Zion." (Amos 6:1). The dictionary says laziness is "unwillingness to work." Such unwillingness, both in the physical realm and in the spiritual is condemned throughout the word of God.

Other opportunities are not seized because of neglect. Benjamin Franklin said, "A little neglect may breed mischief: for want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost."

Still other opportunities are not seized because of procrastination. The old Latins had a saying: "Opportunity has hair on front, behind she is bald; if you seize her by the forelock, you may hold her, but, if suffered to escape, not Jupiter himself can catch her again." The Bible teaches...(II Cor. 6:2).
[by Dalton Key from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Mar. 10, 1996, p. 2-3]

HAPPY FAMILIES

Happy families are those in which partners genuinely love one another. The relationship between a husband and wife is so unique that the world's first husband, upon viewing his new wife, exclaimed...(Gen. 2:23). How better to depict it! Paul insisted that men ought...(Eph. 5:28; Eph. 5:25).

No other relationship on earth compares to that of a family. As one author expressed it, "All of us are we and everybody else in the world is they." Marital love should be giving, forgiving, giving in, and never giving up. I should be kind and generous, thinking no evil, rejoicing not in iniquity, bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things (I Cor. 13). I should be the kind of love that, though the whole world turns out, welcomes us in.

The word love is spelled only one way and that is not L-U-S-T. Love is one thing and lust is another. There is, of course, a strong sexual attraction and Paul goes so far as to say that a wife does not have "power of her own body" nor the husband "power of his" (I Cor. 7:4). And to deprive your mate sexually is to sin against Almighty God. Yet if all you bring to a wedding is your body and the only definition of love you understand is lust, then your marriage cannot and will not survive or succeed. What is love? It is active concern and goodwill. When the satisfaction and security of another person is as important as your own satisfaction and security, then you are in love. But not until.
[by Paul Rogers from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, May 19, 1996, p. 2]

THE PARENTS' BEATITUDES

Blessed are the parents who make their peace with spilled milk and mud, for of such is the kingdom of childhood.
Blessed are the parents who refuse to compare their children with others, for precious unto each is the rhythm of his own growth.
Blessed are the fathers and mothers who have learned to laugh, for it is the music of the child's world.
Blessed are those parents who understand the goodness of time, for they make it not a sword that kills growth but a shield to protect and guide their children.
Blessed are those parents who can say without anger, for comforting to the child is the security of a firm decision.
Blessed are the parents who treat their children consistently, for this makes children secure.
Blessed are those parents who accept the awkwardness of their growing children, letting each grow at his own speed.
Blessed are the parents who are teachable, for knowledge brings understanding and understanding brings love.
Blessed are the parents who love their children in the midst of a hostile world, for love is the greatest of all gifts.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, May 19, 1996, p. 2-3]

ATTENTION SPORADIC ATTENDERS

My absence from the church service did this:
1. It caused some people to question my conversion...my faith.
2. It made some to think I was a pretender.
3. It weakened the effect of church services.
4. It discouraged other church members; it weakened their faith.
5. It made it more difficult for the preacher to preach.
6. It made it harder for me to resist the temptation of the devil.
7. It gave the devil more power and influence over lost people.
8. It made it harder to teach my children - my example spoke louder than the precepts I had spoken.
9. It encouraged me to become irregular in church attendance.
10. It will certainly have to be dealt with - here and now or in eternity.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, May 19, 1996, p. 3]

TIMELY QUOTES ON WORSHIP

"Worship is more than being at the right place at the right time. It is more than just the right form and motion. It is entering wholeheartedly into an experience that God wants us to have."

"Worship is not performance-oriented with the worshipper being thrilled or entertained. It is giving, not getting. The person who says, 'I just don't get anything from it' needs to examine his motive."

"Worship ascribes worth to God and involves both attitudes (awe, reverence and respect) and actions (bowing, praising and serving)."

"Worship is to the Christian what a mainspring is to a watch - the core of his response to God."

"True worship and true worshippers imply false worship and false worshippers. We must examine the scriptures for not only what we do, but how we do it."

"You can't live apart from God all week and then go to church on Sunday and expect to turn on worship as though nothing ever happened."

"The church is too occupied with man - our felt needs, our problems, our programs, our methods, our efforts. If we could get the emphasis where it ought to be - ON GOD, then perhaps we could see ourselves and our fellowman in a different light."

"True worship is balanced between spirit and truth. Spirit keeps us from cold formalism, and truth keeps us from frenzied emotionalism."

"While worship does not center upon the worshipper, when it is entered into properly, the worshipper is enriched and blessed."
[by Clarence DeLoach, Jr. from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, May 12, 1996, p. 2]

HOLY LIVING
(Heb. 12:14)

Sanctification. An imposing word. It is a meaningless word to those outside the church and unclear to more than a few inside as well. But for an imposing word it carries with it a simple idea.

Right living. That is what sanctification is. Holy living. Doing what the Lord wants. Following his commands. The word our mothers used was behave.

Sanctification is God's job and my job. Perhaps in the past we've stressed man's side too much, leaving people with the impression that God saves us at baptism, and then we're on our own. Such an emphasis simply isn't true.

Salvation is by grace. Sanctification is by grace as well. I'll never become what God wants on my own. I know. I've tried it. The result was either complete failure or smug, legalistic superiority.

This admission of dependence on God does not free me from personal responsiblity. On the contrary it gives me the motivation to fulfill my duty. God has declared me holy, and now I strive to live up to that ideal.

A youngster was struggling mightily to move a rock in the backyard. After several minutes Dad asked, "Have you done everything you know to do?"
The son grunted, "Yes, sir. I've done everything."
Dad answered, "No, son. You've not done everything. You haven't asked me to help."

Sanctification is God's job and my job.
[by Chris Smith from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, May 12, 1996, p. 2-3]

NEEDED: OVERLOOKING CHRISTIANS

The church is made up of imperfect people. All of us have our faults. The amazing thing is that God has been able to work through imperfect Christians. He has never had an opportunity to work with any other kind.

The Christian who becomes preoccupied with criticizing others loses sight of the major cause. He gets wrapped up in details and misses the supreme design. His eyes wander from the crucified Christ to focus on the faults of those for whom Christ died. This causes his spiritual life to dry up.

What we need are Christians who overlook the faults of others as easily as they do their own.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, May 12, 1996, p. 3]

THROUGH THICK AND THIN

Solomon had much to say about the relationships of life. He wrote of our relationship with God, with family, and with neighbors and friends. Nine hundred years before Christ he wrote...(Prov. 17:17).

Our world moves at a fast pace. Everyone is busy. We often do not have time for family, our children, our friends, the church. It seems to me that long-term friendships are fewer than they used to be. Many of us grew up in small towns where we formed friendships with those we knew in grade school and on up. They were always there. We knew them well; they knew us well. We moved away to a new place, new congregation, new neighbors and new friends at work and at play, and we made new friends. But in a way, it was not the same, for it takes time for deep friendships to develop. You have to weep together and enjoy together. This is the principle Solomon was speaking about: "There is a friend who loves at all times."

Steadfast love is needed at all of our relationships - marriage, parents and children, the church and with friends in general.

Do we stay together as husband and wife only as long as he/she pleases me? Do children stay home and obey parents only as long as parents comply with the child's wishes? Do we remain a member of a congregation only as long as everything meets with our approval? Where is that moral fiber and spiritual devotion that will cause us to say, "I am a friend who loves at all times." We will love when we are discouraged, when we have been misunderstood, even when we have been wronged.

Marriage, parent-children relationships, the church and individual friendships are worth fighting to preserve. What would you pay for a good friend? No price is too great. Money cannot buy the things we are speaking of here. Why then are we not willing to swallow a little pride or even be defrauded (take the short end of the deal) to preserve a friendship?

Solomon completed the couplet with "and a brother is born of adversity." "Born for adversity" means that adversity is his purpose for existing. We don't regard frienships or relationships that way. We look instead at what someone can do for us, not what we can do for him. We want others to stand by to help us, not impose on us and our time and money. But Solomon said that a friend is for adversity. When everything is going wrong, the friend does not leave. He or she is there for that.

Apply this to all the areas of our lives and you have the real spirit of Christianity. We stick, we stay, we serve, we give, we weep together and laugh together. Real friends are there through thick and thin!
[by Harvey Porter from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, May 4, 1996, p. 2]

KINFOLK AND CHRISTIANITY

Many souls have been traded for "harmony with kinfolks"! No human relationship is worth that.

The scriptures tell us...(Col. 1:18). Since He is to have preeminence in the church, He must also have preeminence in our lives since we individually make up His church. Anyone given preeminence in our lives over Jesus takes us out of His company.

Jesus taught...(Matt. 10:37). Preeminence is the key! We must love parents and children, but not more than we do the Son of God. The best thing is to bring kinfolk to Christ - never to follow them away from Christ.

The apostle John wrote...(II John 9-11). I John 2:4 ties down the need for knowing and obeying to gain fellowship. To trade one's eternal life to appease kinfolk who do not either believe or obey God's will to high a price for any to pay. We must avoid doing such!
[by Harold Sneed from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, April 28, 1996, p. 2-3]

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die...Life is no "brief candle" to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
[by George Bernard Shaw]

Do not cry. Don't stand by my grave and weep.
I am not here. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am a diamond glint on the snow.
I am the sunlight on the ripened grain.
I am a gentle autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning hush,
I am the sweet uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starshine at night.
Do not stand by my grave and cry.
I am not there. I did not die.

I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE

Someone told the story about a man in rumpled clothing, needing a shave, and with bloodshot eyes, who came into a certain preacher's study and announced, "Preacher, I'm going to kill myself. I just can't take it any longer."

The preacher asked the man to sit down, handed him a sheet of paper and a pencil, and said, "Draw a line down tthe center fo the page. Up at the top of the left column write the words, "Things that are wrong." At the top of the right column write, "Things that are not wrong."

The man looked puzzled, but did as directed. "Now," continued the preacher, "In the first column write "I have neither food, clothing or shelter." "But, I have all of these," the man confided.

"Wonderful!" replied the preacher. "Then you can write it in the right-hand column. Now, put down in the left column, "My children are in reform school," "That's ridiculous," the man shouted. "My boy and girl are fine youngsters. I will match them against anyone's children!" "That's great," answered the preacher. "Write it down in the right column."

They had not gone very far until the man began to smile at himself, at how foolish he had been. Life had not been a day without some disappointment; but he had forgotten the sunshine while searching the heavens for possible clouds.

The Christian is not promised a life free from heartache and disappointment, but we are promised strength sufficient to withstand. Paul assured the Corinthians...(I Cor. 10:13).
[by Edsel Burleson from Sycamore Chapel Bulletin, June 23, 1996, p. 2]

LIVING IN TWO WORLDS
(Eccl. 12:7)

The hope of immortality is instinctive in every human heart. In a vague sort of way such a hope is even implied in all pagan religions.

Although this truth is sometimes difficult for us to comprehend, every person possesses a distinct soul, separate and independent from the physical body, and when death comes to that body, the soul is transplanted to a spiritual body to live eternally with God or in eternal punishment away from God. All may have hope of eternal life, but only the Christian has assurance. Jesus said...(John 11:25). Jesus assured his disciples...(John 14:2-3).

Jesus is able to fulfill all His promises. But the promise is limited to those who believe and accept Him - (Mark 16:16). It is the privilege of all to live in two worlds. In this beautiful world where we spend only a few years, the Creator has supplied all our needs. How much greater and more beautiful must be the world where the Creator is and where we can spend eternity.

We should be thankful for the assurance of immortality and the simple plan of salvation. Let us be obedient to His will on this earth that we might be assured of eternal life.
[from Sycamore Chapel Bulletin, June 23, 1996, p. 2-3]

DICKEY WAS 'RICH' BEFORE DRAFT

The following was copied from Friday's Nashville Tennessean Sports Section.

Editor's note: UT Baseball standout R.A. Dickey, who starred at Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy, will be relaying his experiences as a Team USA member to Tennessean readers.

Today, he related what was going through his mind as he waited in Millington, TN, site of the Olympic Trials, to be selected in this week's amateur baseball draft.

It was 1:15 AM Tuesday, the morning of the draft, and all the probably first-round picks had assembled themselves, me included, in one of the vacant rooms in our housing facility here at the Olympic Trials.

Everyone was talking about what team they might be picked by, how much money that they would get, among myriads of other things. It was quite an exciting time to say the least.

I found myself caught up in the same game of naming all the possibilities that I might have if I were chosen in the first round.

At 12:35 PM draft day, the list was faxed to the general manager of the USA team. It's a list of the first-rounders and their respective teams. It was posted on our team bulletin board for all to see. Guys gathered around like they were looking to see if their final exam grade was good as they had hoped.

As I perused the list, searching for my name, I began to notice some heads drop and people walk away. Several people who had hoped to be in the first round had slid to the second and third rounds - some of the same people who were in that room the night before the draft.

I began to think - what if I weren't drafted at all?

All of a sudden my mind turned to something different. I started to remember my little baby niece, and the times that I have gotten to spend with her. I remembered times in the front yards of my memaw and grandaddy's house playing football with my uncle Ricky. I began to be aware of all the time recently that I have been able to spend with my granddad. I remembered Chrismas and all the times that came with it.

It seemed that in those 30 seconds, I was reminded of all the things that no amount of money can buy. I was given a gift in those 30 seconds - a divine understanding of the things that really mattered in this world - my faith, my family, my friends, my relationships, and the list goes on.

What can I buy with the money that I'm going to receive for being the first-round pick of the Texas Rangers? No amount of money can purchase the things that I already have. It's not money that makes a person truly rich.
[by R.A. Dickey from Sycamore Chapel Bulletin, June 9, 1996, p. 2]

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

This week several young people, whom we love dearly, will receive their High School diplomas. Parents will witness their children's graduation with pride and gratitude. The ceremony always looks back sentimentally to years of tender and treasured memories.

But this is not a conclusion; it is a commencement. "Graduation" is a degree of measurement. It suggests a measuring of forward progress. A diploma isn't the goal. It signifies an outstanding achievement on the way to goals of living which stretch before us continually.

Before summer is ended many of those we honor this week will be leaving us. They will be "on their own"...not completely, or course. Parents, college, or employers will continue to exert some influence. But they will have more personal responsibility for their conduct and development of potential than in the past. Home, church, and school have contributed to their preparation. We hope the past will provide a stable foundation for future growth; that spiritual and moral guidelines supplied thus far will be sufficient to give them a positive direction for living.

So graduation causes us to think of both past and future; yet there is a way in which past experiences and future hopes may come together to strengthen the present. Joseph Sizoo was a U.S. Army Chaplain during World War II. He offered words of wisdom and encouragement to young men leaving on a new and challenging adventure. We commend his advice to our graduates:

"This is a time of parting. Many are going away, and we are all saying farewells these days. How many times have we said goodbye to be admonished with the parting word, "Don't forget me. Write me. Keep me in your thoughts." Nobody wants to be forgotten. The most paralyzing experience which can come to anyone is the feeling that no one cares whether they make good or fail; whether they live or die. On the other hand, the most enabling influence which can come is the assurance that others are watching your career and feel deep concern for you. For their sake, remember who you are."
[by Ruel D. Catlett from Sycamore Chapel Bulletin, June 2, 1996, p. 2]

NON-ATTENDANCE A SIN

If one member of the local church can ignore that church and treat it as if the devil, refuse to assemble and work with the members for its edification and good, and not be guilty of willful and fatal sin, which if not repented of, confessed and forgiven, could lead to destruction, then all members of that congregation could abandon such a church and its work and worship, destroy it off the face of the earth and not sin in doing so.

And if all the members of one local church would so abandon and neglect the work and workship of that one church and not sin, then all members of all "the churches of Christ" on earth could abandon all of them, destroy all churches of Christ and not sin, and this would destroy CHRISTIANITY off the face of the earth.

Therefore it is a willful sin, which if not confessed and forgiven, will cause one to lose his soul in eternal perdition, to willfully ignore and abandon the work and worship of the church for one year: and if not for one year, then for one month, etc. For if one member could ignore that church and still be a Christian, then all could, and the doors would be closed for a year.

Therefore, all members who have quit attending the service and worship of the church, have quit the church, unless the absence is unavoidable. Such backsliders should be restored if at all possible. They are God's children, but sure to be disinherited and lost if they die in their sins. (James 4:17; Heb. 2:3)

Those who cannot be taught and restored should be excluded from the fellowship of the church (II Thes. 3:6; I Cor. 5:1-13). No one can be a Christian while ignoring the church which cost the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). A fish could as easily live out of water as a child of God can live the Christian life apart from the worship and service of the church. Almost all apostasy and backsliding begins in a neglect of the worship of the church. (Heb. 10:25-26)
[by Gus Nichols from Sycamore Chapel Bulletin, June 2, 1996, p. 2-3]

TRUST IN GOD

A pilot was experiencing difficulty landing his aircraft because of fog. The controller at the airport decided to bring him in by using the radar. As he began to receive instructions from the control tower, the pilot suddenly remembered a tall pole that would be somewhere in his flight path and, panic-stricken, radioed to the tower about it. He received a blunt reply: "You obey instructions and we'll take care of the obstructions."

How often do we hesitate to obey the commands of God because of potential problems and difficulties, or because of personal fears? If we only obey, He is capable of taking care of the difficulties. In Prov. 3 the writer says, simply "trust in the Lord." Put your faith, your confidence, in Him and He will direct you. In Prov. 3:6, the literal translation of the word "direct" is "to make smooth or straight." A blind man must place his full confidence in the one who leads him over unfamiliar ground. A person caught in a life-or-death situation must place his or her complete trust in those who seek to rescue them. So, we must rely upon God to lead us. He can make the pathway smoother if we trust Him.

Everyone is in their own, spiritual, life-or-death situation and God is the only One Who can save us. But that can be true only if we let His power work in us, only if we completely obey His instructions. Place yourself in His almighty and merciful hands, and He will take care of you.
[from Sycamore Chapel Bulletin, May 26, 1996, p. 2]

GOD'S PATIENCE

Robert Ingersoll was one of the world's most renowned atheists in the 19th century. He was famous of his powerful and persuasive speaking and writing. It was his custom, at the close of one of his lectures, to "prove" the non-existence of God by taking his watch from his pocket and arrogantly saying: "If there is a God, I defy Him to strike me dead within the next five minutes!" Standing before the audience, watch in hand, he would then count off the minutes: "One minute...two minutes...three minutes...four minutes...five minutes!" Then, with a smirk of self-satisfaction upon his face, he would proclaim in triumph, "There, I told you, there is no God!" Hearing of Ingersoll's blatant blasphemy, one man was led to observe, "Does the gentleman think he can exhaust God's patience in five minutes?"

We still have those individuals who loudly shout to the world: "There is no God!" The same God whose very existaence they deny allows them the freedom to do so and to reject Him. But, make no mistake, He does not desire it to be so. God is patient with those who are foolish for, as the Psalmist said...(Psa. 14:1). Long ago the apostle Peter explained why Ingerslal was not struck dead the very first time he challenged God...(II Pet. 3:9).

God will not fail to follow through on any of His promises, including the punishment of the unrighteous. Don't confuse His goodness and mercy for acceptance of sin. There will be just recompanse for all people, both good and evil. God stays his hand to allow time for repentance. He does not want a single precious soul lost eternally and has done His part to see that all may have eternal life. Now, it's up to us to do our part and to respond to His great love and mercy.
[from Sycamore Chapel Bulletin, May 26, 1996, p. 2-3]

MOTHERS: THINK-A-MINUTE!!!

1. The most difficult thing for a mother to remember is that other people have perfect children too!
2. A mother is a woman who decorates her life with babies.
3. We are told that "AUTOMATION" is a process that gets all the work done while you just stand there. When we were younger, this process was called "MOTHER".
4. Rejecting things because they are old-fashioned would rule out the sun and the moon - and a mother's love.
5. It took the old-time mother less than a minute to dress for dinner - all she had to do was take off her apron.
6. All mothers are physically handicapped: they have only two hands.
7. A man is seldom as smart as his mother thinks, or as dumb as his mother-in-law says he is!
8. A typical mother, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.
9. Simply having children does NOT necessarily make a woman a mother.
10. Mothers need a few minutes by themselves at night - so they do the dishes!
[from Sycamore Chapel Bulletin, May 26, 1996, p. 3]

THE HEART OF STONE

There are times when I've cried out, "God, give me back my heart of stone and a ladder so that I can climb up to my head and live there with doors and windows shut on feeling. God, God, I'm tired of all the hurt. For a little while, let me live a second-hand life. Let me tread the safe path of other people's ideas. Just let me drop this awesome responsibility you have given me, to grow through love and pain."

Then I remember what it's like to exist with a heart of stone. How cold and dead I felt inside, and how divided the world was when viewed without love in my heart.

Remembering, I pour myself before God and whisper into His waiting, "My God, there is no going back. It has to be a soft heart, one that is always vulnerable to the love and wounding which is life, which growth, which is You."

Keep within me, my God, the heart of flesh.

WHEN DISASTER COMES

I had a professor in college who loved to repeat, "Cheer up! The worst is yet to come." He was speaking a part of what is now called Murphey's Law. It says that if anything can go wrong, it will. The Christian should not accept this pessimistic conclusion.

Dreadful fear hangs over many people like a permanent cloud. They are uneasy at what may take place. And when disaster strikes, it is no surprise to them; they have been expecting it a long time. The future to them has always been foreboding. The Lord has warned against this somber view...(Prov. 3:25).

We should not live with such a helpless fatalism. (II Tim. 1:7). The Creator and Sustainer of our very being has promised to be with us in all the occurrences of life. He will not desert us. He has said...(Heb. 13:5-6).

When disaster strikes, we should look upon it in the light of the real truths which God has taught about it.

The Bible teaches that God's own children are not exempt from the common calamities of life. God's laws of nature are applicable to all men alike. He is no respector of persons (Acts 10:34-35). Jesus said...(Matt. 5:45). In like way, he allows the common disasters to come upon all without regard to their spiritual status. Jesus said...(Luke 13:1-5). A tornado can destroy a faithful Christian's home as readily as anyone else's. A church building can collapse the same way in which an office building can.

When disaster comes, the Christian has a different outlook. He knows that whatever happens for the moment, or in this life, there is an eternity beyond, and in it, for the faithful, everything is going to be alright. Meanwhile, he has God's assurance...(Matt. 28:20). He does not need to know how God will work it all out; it is enough for him to know His promise to make all things work together (Rom. 8:28).
[by Hardeman Nichols from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Aug. 18, 1996, p. 2]

AFTER HEARING, WHAT?

Hearing the gospel is essential, for the gospel is the power which God uses (Rom. 1:16). Paul stresses that "every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." But then he asks some questions...(Rom. 10:13-14).

It's obvious that you can't have salvatyion without the preaching of the gospel. That's where the whole matter begins.

But what about those who hear the gospel? Do they just believe the message and nothing more? That's not what I read in my New Testament.

Those in Jerusalem heard a sermon about how Jesus had been made both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:41).

Over in Samaria you have Philip preaching the gospel. What happened? (Acts 8:12).

It's the same story with Simon who had practiced magic. (Acts 8:13).

Follow the road which leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza. There you will find Philip telling the good news to an Ethiopian (Acts 8:36). Nothing, if he had faith. So Philip baptized him.

At Philippi a woman by the name of Lydia gave...(Acts 16:14-15).

What comes after hearing the gospel? Baptism! Didn't Jesus say...(Mark 16:16).
[by John Gipson from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, Aug. 18, 1996, p. 2-3]

TEACHERS

Teaching is vital to the life and growth of the community of faith. Teaching the truths of God's word is not an option, it is a necessity. Two of the strongest statements concerning this are found in Hebrews and James

James points out the seriousness of the teacher's role...(James 3:1).

Hebrews points out the importance of being taught in order to teach...(Heb. 5:11-12).

These two passages emphasize the seriousness, importance and necessity of teaching. Teaching is needed to produce teachers and righteousness. Dedicated teachers are needed to teach. There are many resources from which to be taught; workshops, seminars and most importantly Sunday and Wednesday classes. There are many resources from which to get material as well.

There are those who are taking the responsibility of teaching. We have need of teachers willing and ready to teach. Encourage those who teach and those who would be good teachers. Think about it yourself also.

Thank a teacher of the truth of God's word, the Church depends on them.
[by Rick Cobb from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, July 28, 1996, p. 2]

LUKEWARM (THE CONDITION I FEAR MOST)[Rev. 3:15-16]

Of all the unacceptable conditions a church might fall into, lukewarmness and ignorance thereof, frightens me most.

Being lukewarm is making a half-hearted effort in God's cause. "I know your works." What did He know about their works? That they were neither cold nor hot but lukewarm. Tragically, they had no idea they were lukewarm. They were ignorant of their condition, and ignorant as to their ignornace. Their's was a double deception.

Every church has its lukewarm members, but at Laodicea it seems that everyone was lukewarm - preacher, elders, Bible teachers, leading women, etc. There were a few at Sardis (a dead church) who were still alive, but no such thing is said about Laodicea.

How in the world did such a thing happen? Why didn't the preacher and elders see this condition developing and take corrective action? What were they hearing from the pulpit? Where was the warning from the watchman on the wall? All of the Lord's warning systems failed. This short letter was the Lord's last-ditch-effort to save Laodicea.

Laodicea is a message from the Lord to the so-called "pillars" in the church - the "movers and shakers." They, for the most part, decide the work to be done and to what degree. They lead the church in the Lord's cause. They set the standard. The other members will not rise above them.

So, what about our works? On the scale of cold, lukewarm or hot, where do you rate us? Even more crucial, where does the Lord rate us?

"He who has ears, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches."
[by Jack Harriman from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, July 28, 1996, p. 2-3]

THE TWELVE RULES OF HAPPINESS

Rule #1: Live a simple life. Do not plan too many things each day. Be temperate and moderate in your life-style.
Rule #2: Spend less than you earn. This may be difficult to do, but it pays big dividends in contentment and peace of mind.
Rule #3: Think constructively. Store useful thoughts in your mind. As one thinks in his heart, so is he.
Rule #4: Cultivate a flexible disposition. Resist the tendency to want your own way. Try to see another person's point of view. Listen.
Rule #5: Be grateful. Begin each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for all your blessings. Let God know you are grateful.
Rule #6: Rule your moods. Your mental attitude is all-important in living at peace with others.
Rule #7: Give generously. Intelligent giving of your time, talents, personality, and money will bring great joy.
Rule #8: Work with right motives. Seek to grow in favor with God and man, seeking His will first in your life.
Rule #9: Be interested in others. As we serve others, we reap happiness as a by-product of a life of self-giving.
Rule #10: Make the most of today. Use it wisely as you may look back on it without regret.
Rule #11: Take time for a hobby. Time spent on leisure interests should bring you diversion and relaxation.
Rule #12: Stay close to God. Enduring happiness depends on continuing spiritual nourishment. As God's children, we have His promise of constant love and care.
[from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, July 21, 1996, p. 2]

INVITATION TO WORSHIP

The worship assembly of the church is for the primary purpose of honoring and glorfying God. In this gathering of His people together, Jehovah is recognized and praised as the great Creator of all things. Hearts are bowed before Him in acknowledgment of the fact He has always been, He is now, and will always be the Supreme Sovereign of the universe. The songs that we sing, the prayers we offer, the preaching from God's word that is done, our giving to support the promulgation of the gospel, and our remembrance of His Son, Jesus, in the observance of the Lord's supper, are all designed for the expressing of our love and appreciation to Him.

In essence, each assembly of the church affords an opportunity for us to say to God and to the world that we are indeed believers, and we recognize the greatness of our Creator, and we offer Him the praise and adoration of our hearts, our love and gratitude. The fact that God wants His children to worship Him, and that they should want to do so, is clearly seen over and again throughout the Bible.

Too, we should see an important benefit of Christians gathering together for the worship of God, is the strength and encouragement afforded and another from being with others kindred mind and spirit. In reverent worship of God, we share with one another in beautiful fellowship our deepest convictions and sentiments. Warmth of kinsmanship and comradeship flows from heart to heart as voices are blended together in praise of Him from whom all blessings flow. There is mutual edification, exhortation, and encouragement given to one another in the acts (expressions) of worship to the Almighty. There is a profound sense of "belonging" to God's family, and our love for one another as brothers and sisters in Christ is greatly enhanced by our being together in worship.

May these brief thoughts help us to see why we should want to assemble with our brethren for worship at every opportunity we have. Let us say with David...(Psa. 122:1). We know that today the church itself is the "house of the Lord" (I Tim. 3:15), so perhaps we should say, "Let the house of the Lord be glad to assemble to worship the one true and living God!"
[by M. Boren from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, July 21, 1996, p. 2-3]

WHEN GOD IS FIRST

What does it mean to have something first in your life? What attention do you give to it? How do other things affect your attention to it? What does it take to get you to neglect whatever this most important thing in your life is?

When it comes to women, the most important woman in my life is my wife. There is no other woman in the world who even comes close to being as important to me as she is. Even when my mother was alive, my wife was still the most important woman in the world as far as I was concerned. You see, God said I was to leave my mother and father to take a wife. Because of the important place my wife holds in my life, there is a relationship with her which is not had with any other person in the world.

I know that you can think of people and things in your life which you would said, "In a certain area, this person or thing is most important to me." This is the way it should be.

Now, let us turn our attention to our relationship with God. Be honest. Is God really first in your life? Does your relationship with God mean more to you than any other relationship you have? Jesus said this is the the way it must be. (Matt. 6:33).

Just what does it mean to put God first in our lives? What affect will this have on our lives? How will it make us act? How will we conduct ourselves because of this? How will it make us different people than what we were before God became MOST IMPORTANT to us?

There is no question that placing God first will greatly affect our lives. It will make us different people. It will have a great affect upon the way we act. It will cause us to stop doing certain things and it will cause us to begin doing other things. It will affect the way we talk. It will cause us to stop using certain words and cause us to start using other words. It will stop gossip and cause us to begin to talk positively about poeple. It will cause us to begin to talk to people about God and the salvation of their souls through the blood of Jesus Christ. Putting God first will change our attitudes. It will cause us to stop thinking of ourselves first and begin to think of others first. It will get rid of the ME mentality and cause me to start thinking of what I can do for others. It will cause me to become a SERVANT rather than wanting others to serve me all the time. It will cause me to be a GIVING individual.

All through time, a relationship with God will cause changes in lives. In 1996, a true relationship with God will change lives. If the Lord's church is ever going to make the progress He wants it to make, GOD MUST BE FIRST IN THE LIVES OF HIS PEOPLE!

Let each of us look within. It is not up to me to examine your life and you to examine me. It is a very personal relationship. It matters not how much I want you to put God first, I can not do it for you nor you for me. WHEN GOD IS FIRST there will be a difference you can notice, in you and in me.
[by Bill Craddock from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, July 7, 1996, p. 2-3]

THE STATION

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving from a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring out from the stacks of a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, or city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there our dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, impatient in the loitering - waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

"When we reach the station, that will be it!" We cry.
"When I'm 18."
"When I buy my Mercedes Benz."
"When I put the last kid through college."
"When I have paid off the mortgage."
"When I get a promotion."
"When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after."

Sooner or later, we must realize that there is no station, no one place at which to arrive once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only the dream. It constantly outdistances us.

"Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psa. 118:24. It isn't the burdens of today that drive us mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and fears of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twins that rob us of today. So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough. You should enjoy the ride, not wait for the station.
[by Robert J. Hastings from Sycamore Chapel bulletin, July 14, 1996, p. 2]

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