Saturday, June 27, 2009

Tagging The Church

Well, my faith and trust in humanity slipped another notch this past week. For the life of me, I cannot understand the wanton destructive nature of some people. For example, the application of graffiti and the “tagging” of private and public properties has nothing to do with “art” and more to do with needing attention. This is a major problem in the “big city” and rears its ugly head around our little town every once in awhile. A not yet occupied, new hospital building was “tagged” inside and out last week with a clean-up cost that will take thousands of dollars. Not long ago some individuals decided to run around town breaking store-front windows, I guess just for something to do. They theorize that that is why business owners have insurance and it won’t cost them anything to repair or repaint. Yeh, right. Needless to say, I was cyber attacked last week through my email. What had all the appearances of a legitimate computer update turned out to be a destructive, malicious application, that rendered my hard drive useless. It was designed so well it even got around all the programs designed to protect my computer from this very thing. With the aide of another computer, I did recover most of what was on the disabled hard drive, but the time and property loss has been a burden this past week. I thought I knew better, I had a bad feeling, but I got suckered in, and lost. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I’m on guard, but I’m also a fool, at times.
One payday an employee received an unusually large pay-check. She decided to not say anything about it. The following week her check was for less than the normal amount of her weekly salary and decided to confront her boss about it. Already knowing about the mistake of the previous week, the supervisor inquired, “How come you didn’t say anything when you were overpaid?” Unruffled, the employee replied, “Well, I can overlook one mistake, but not two in a row!”
John’s mother ran into the bedroom when she heard him screaming. She found John’s two-year-old sister pulling the boy’s hair. She worked at gently relaxing the little girl’s grip and said to John, “There, there. She didn’t mean it. She doesn’t know it hurts to pull hair.” Mother was barely out of the room when she heard the little girl screaming. Rushing back in she asked, “What happened?” “Now she knows it hurts!” said John.
[1 Corinthians 3: 1-17 & 2 Corinthians 11: 1-15] The church is not exempt from the wanton destruction of men, both physically and spiritually. Satan is a very crafty being and is able to design programs that look very legitimate on the surface, but when used they can render the truth of God useless. When men enter the church for the sole purpose of bolstering their own name with creeds and edicts of how they think the church ought to be, God is no longer in the church. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act accordingly to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2: 12-13) The world is listening to worldly men about salvation of the soul and are being misled. God’s word says we should be listening to God, for only He can save the sinful soul. “...work out your salvation with fear and trembling”. Should I fear the preacher or God? I must study God’s word to verify what the preacher is teaching me is from God. It’s my salvation.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Lambs Follow Sheep

When it comes to fatherhood, I can’t do much boasting. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the best example to follow, but like him, I worked with what I had. I don’t feel to be a total failure as I see children that are wise and productive in the world, and one generation advanced to being better parents to their children. Parenting is one of those things one wishes they could do over, instead, parents have to admit their mistakes to their children and help them to not repeat those same mistakes. Some listen, some don’t, but still, grandchildren are the best. I don’t want to get off on a rant here getting you to feel sorry for me, so whether or not I did right or wrong, father’s, lets take an objective look at fatherhood.
You’re home is “bugged”! Eyes are watching what you do, and ears are listing to everything you say. No dad is perfect. Most of us are far from it. But, in doing our work as father’s, we can be helped if we will honestly answer practical questions like these: If my child treats his or her spouse the same as I treat mine, will they have a good marriage? If my son, someday, prioritizes his fathering responsibilities the same as I do, will my grandchildren have the father they need? If my son or daughter gives spiritual life habits the same attention I do, will his or her spirituality be vital to their family? If my daughter handles debt the same way I do, will her finances be well managed? If my son takes care of his fitness and health just like I do, will he have the energy to be a good dad? Remember: There are no perfect fathers. But, every one of us can be a progressing father ...and humble about our failures. Grandfathers, pass it on, for better fathers .
Not long after putting his son to bed, the father heard a voice coming from his room, “Dad? I need a drink of water.” Not moving from his chair the father replied, “No water after bedtime. Now go to sleep.” A short time latter, “Daaad? Can I please have a drink of water?” Calmly the father answered, “I said no and I mean it, now go to sleep.” Again the little one let his wishes known, “Daaaad? I want a drink of water.” The father went to the bedroom door and sternly spoke to his son, “I told you no. If you drink water now, you’ll have to get out of bed in a little while to go to the bathroom. Now go to sleep or you could end up with a spanking!” The father returned to his chair and his book. A good time had passed and the father felt confident that the spanking warning had settled the matter. Just then a familiar voice rang through the night air, “Daaaaaad? When you come in to spank me, could you pleeeeease bring me a drink of water?”
[Ephesians 6: 4] ‘Twas a sheep not a lamb that strayed away, in the parable that Jesus told, a grown up sheep that had gone astray, from the ninety and nine in the fold. Out on the hillside, out in the cold, ‘twas the sheep the Good Sheppard sought and back to the flock, safe into the fold ‘twas a sheep the Good Sheppard brought. And why for the sheep should we earnestly long, and as earnestly hope and pray? Because there is danger if they go wrong, they will lead the lambs astray. For the lambs will follow the sheep, you know, wherever the sheep may stray. When the sheep go wrong, it won’t be long, till the lambs are as wrong as they. And so with the sheep we earnestly plead, for the sake of the lambs today, if a sheep is lost, what a terrible cost some little lamb will have to pay. The Lamb of God paid a great price, because we don’t listen to our Father.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

1905-2009

We’re told the economy is making a slow but steady recovery and I have to believe it because the price of gas is on the rise. Let it be known the American consumer has an extra dime in his pocket and someone will do their best to get twelve cents from you for something you can’t do without. It seems we’re sort of under that proverbial barrel when it comes to vehicle fuels, electricity, telephone service and several other “necessities” of life simply because we have to accept it from the “only game in town”. Well, we can complain all we want, but let’s be honest here, the greed is on both sides of the fence; “I’ve got it if you want it” and “I don’t care what it costs, I want it, now”.
Being a census year I wonder what our nation statistics will reveal about U.S. This is somewhat of a snapshot of who we were in 1905: The average life expectancy was 47 years. Only 14% of homes in the U.S. had a bathtub and only 8% had a telephone. A three minute phone-call from Denver to New York City cost $11.00. There were only 8,000 cars and 144 miles of paved roadways. The population was 1.4 million people and California was ranked 21st in populous. The average wage was 22 cents an hour and the average worker made between $200 and $400 dollars per year. More than 95% of all births in the U.S. took place at home. Ninety percent of U.S. physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools deemed substandard by our own government. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower. Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound. Most women washed their hair once a month using either borax or egg yolks for shampoo. The five leading causes of death in the U.S. at the time were: 1) Pneumonia and influenza, 2) Tuberculosis, 3) Diarrhea, 4) Heart disease, 5) Stroke. The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska were not yet states. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30!! Crossword puzzles, canned beverages and iced tea had yet to be invented. There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Two out of ten U.S. adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6% of all Americans had graduated high school (10th grade). Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available OTC at the corner drugstore. There were only 230 reported murders in the entire U.S. that year.
Two fellows opened a butcher shop and prospered. Then an evangelist came to town and one of the two butchers was converted. The now Christian butcher tried to convert the other, but to no avail. Then one day he asked, “Why won’t you Charlie?” To which he replied, “Listen Lester, if I get religion also, who’s going to weigh the meat?”
[1 Timothy 6: 3-10] Please, don’t get me wrong here. I’d never turn down a Lottery winning. There’s nothing wrong with being rich. Paul says be careful how you get there and what your doing with your riches. People seem to forget a basic consumer rule. The consumer rules. The consumer is the one who drives the price of goods. Supply and demand still works. Paul continues to teach, in verses 17-19 of this same chapter, that wealthy persons should not put their faith in their money to supply everything, but in God, who will supply their every need. Wealth should be used for good deeds and the wealthy should be generous and willing to share. You can’t take it with you and you’ll leave it to someone, some day. Put it to good use now and God will bless you in the end.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Moving On Up

I went to High School Graduation Friday night, having a grandson in the Class of 2009. It doesn’t seem possible he’s old enough to be taking that next big step in life, but here it is. He has plans to continue his education and nowadays that’s a very wise decision for a young person to make. The business and general employment world is getting harder and harder to negotiate without education beyond High School. Moreover, as fast as the world is progressing technologically, people do well to continue educating themselves, if only becoming familiar with new terms and applications of advanced products, even if you don’t plan on using them in the near future. I don’t very well practice what I preach though. I’ve become totally lost in the whirling regenerative progress of the personal handheld computer/communication devices on the market today. I see no need for them in my life, so I’ve sort of let the technology slip past me. What ever happened to the wall phone? The costs of a simple “land-line” and “snail-mail” keeps going up due to the decline of users making them candidates for a future listing on the endangered species list. Don’t laugh! Take a look at the automakers that outsourced themselves. Next we’ll be teleporting our packages putting UPS & FedEx out of business. I’m still shopping for a used electric flying car, as I was told we would all have by the year 2000. There must be a used one out there somewhere. What?!, You say that’s still comic book fantasy? Well, maybe next year’s model.
A young girl watched, fascinated, as her mother smoothed cold cream on her face. “Why do you do that”, she asked her mother. “To make myself beautiful”, replied the mother. In a minute or two the little girl observed her mother removing the layer of cream from her face with a soft tissue. “What’s the matter?” she asked. “Giving up?”
With graduation over with I guess you know summer is just around the corner and if you plan on traveling anywhere outside the continental U.S. new documentation is mandatory to get back home, without a lot of hassle. Have you ever thought about traveling out of this world? No, not as an astronaut, into space, then returning. I mean moving into the spiritual realm of forever. Let me help you out here with, “A Traveler’s Guide To Heaven”. Accommodations: Arrangements must be made in advance. (John 14:2-4) Passports: Persons will not be permitted entry without proper credentials and having their name already registered with the ruling authority. (Revelation 20:12-14) Departure Time: The exact date of departure has not been announced. Travelers are advised to be prepared to leave at short notice. (1 Corinthians 15:52) Tickets: Your ticket has already been purchased by a friend, Jesus. It should be claimed as soon as possible and it’s promises kept firmly in hand. (John 5:24; Hebrews 5:8-9) Luggage: No luggage what-so-ever can be taken. (1 Timothy 6:7) Air Passage: Everyone will travel by air. (1Thessalonians 4:16-17) Vaccinations/Inoculations: None required. (Revelation 21:1-4) Currency: None will be needed. Your deposited works of love will be redeemed with eternal rewards. (Revelation 22:12) Clothing: A complete and appropriate new wardrobe will be supplied for every traveler. (1 Corinthians 15:50-54) Reservations: Booking is now open. Apply at once before it’s too late. (2 Corinthians 6:2) To learn more, acquire and consult the travelers guide book entitled, “The BIBLE”.