Saturday, October 31, 2009

Typhoid Mary

I guess by now everyone has heard about the H1N1 “Swine Flu”, and if you haven’t you need to get out from under the rock you’re living. Anyway, I pray you’re taking this illness seriously because you could be spreading it around without even knowing it. Everyone needs to be very hygiene conscience during this flu season, not only in an attempt to avoid contracting this stuff, but also, to help contain the spreading of germs. The very young and the older members of the human race are at high risk, so wash hands and disinfect commonly handled surfaces often. If you don’t feel well, stay home!
In the summer of 1906, New York banker, Charles Henry Warren rented a summer home on Long Island for a family vacation. On August 27th, one of the Warren daughters became ill, diagnosed, typhoid fever. Soon, Mrs. Warren and two maids became ill, followed by the gardener and another Warren daughter. In total, six of the eleven people in the house came down with typhoid fever. Commonly spread through water and/or food sources, the owners of the house feared they would not be able to rent the property again without first discovering the source of the outbreak. After several investigators had failed, the Thompson’s hired George Soper, a civil engineer with experience in typhoid fever outbreaks. To make a long story short, Soper discovered, a hired cook, Mary Mallon, history records her to be “Typhoid Mary”, had a trail of typhoid outbreaks following her from job to job as a cook. In the wake of her past seven jobs were 22 people infected with the fever, including one young girl who died. Avoiding authorities, insisting she had done nothing wrong, she was finally detained and isolated as a “healthy carrier” of the disease. After two years of isolation and court hearings, demanding her rights, maintaining she was being unfairly held against her will, Mary was released from custody on the promise she would not return to her former employment trade as a domestic cook. She did so promise, but not satisfied with the pay she was receiving as a housekeeper, Mary began cooking again. Five years after Mallon’s release, a hospital in Manhattan suffered a typhoid outbreak. Twenty-five people became ill, two of whom died. Soon, evidence pointed to a newly hired cook, Mrs. Brown, who turned out to be the infamous Mary Mallon. She was confined the rest of her life on North Brother Island, New York. It is known she worked in the hospital there, in a disease laboratory.
[Matthew 18: 1-7] Mary Mallon, aka; Mrs. Brown, knew the facts of her health problem, yet willingly caused pain and death to those around her. We are all spiritually contagious with sin. Our disobedience toward the will of God has made us a “healthy carrier” of eternal death. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Are you one who is knowingly going about through life, infecting others with thought, word and deed that is conflicting to God’s truths, bringing pain and death to those around you? Oh, they may also look as healthy as you, but spiritually, you’re both dead. The risk of death due to sinful infection can be avoided through washing and repentance. Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) And daily, we must help contain the spread of sin by doing the will of God. (1 John 1:5-10) Are you doing all you can to avoid eternal death? If you died this very day, are you sure you’ll go to heaven?

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Titanic Endeavor

I’m afraid the U.S. Financial Titanic, originally christened the U.S. Tax Payer Bailout, has set sail “all ahead, full” into the same waters that crippled it not to long ago. The same financial firms that couldn’t seem to be able to control themselves with their own money have been shoveling your tax dollar into their own pockets as fast as they can, all the while telling the politicians this is good for the economy. President Obama, the designer of this ship, publicized it as “unsinkable” and assigned a crew to manage it with no guidelines of operation. From the minute it was being built in Washington, New York Wall Street “experts”, very much like White Star Lines executives did the Titanic, began promoting the “bail out” as the greatest and grandest thing that could happen to the country in its time of economic stress. All I can say is watch out! Greedy maniacs are piloting this “recovery ship” and there’s not enough lifeboats for everybody, Congress saw to that. I think Wall Street needs to do what the home office of the White Star Lines did. On either side of the front door of their building, big bulletin boards need to be erected, one labeled, “KNOWN TO BE SAVED” and the other, “KNOWN TO BE LOST”, announcing the fate of the companies on board. I hope and pray I’m wrong.
Kids learn early about life. Patrick, age 10 says, “Never trust a dog to watch your food”. Matt, age 12 says, “When you want something expensive, ask your grandma”. Andrew, age 9 warns, “Never smart off to a teacher whose eyes and ears are twitching”. Rosemary, age 7 discovered, “Never try to hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.” Jen, age 8 advises, “Sleep in your clothes so you’ll be dressed in the morning.” Lamar, age 10 warns, “Never flush the toilet when your dad is in the shower.” Carol, age 9 says, “Never ask for anything that costs over five dollars when your parents are doing their income taxes.” Kelly, age 10 concludes, “Never be too full for dessert.” And, Heather, age 16 warns, “Whenever your dad asks, ‘Do you think I’m stupid?’ don’t answer him.”
An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, “How do you expect to get into heaven?” The boy thought it over and said, “Well, I’ll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, ‘For Heaven’s sake, Jimmy, come in or stay out!’” (Were it that easy.)
[1 Peter 2: 11-12] Wouldn’t it be great if we could go online to an internet website that posted, SPIRITUALLY KNOWN TO BE SAVED and SPIRITUALLY KNOWN TO BE LOST? First of all, who’s going to be the judge? The only way I can even come close to judging someone else is to judge myself first. How, you ask? I must measure the thoughts and attitudes of my heart against the Word of God, because that is what will save me or convict me in the end. (Hebrews 4: 12-13) How can I possibly know if I’m in the saved column? If I have been baptized for the forgiveness of my sins (Acts 2:38) I have also received the promised gift of the Holy Spirit to guide me into full Christian maturity. (Romans 8: 1-17) How do I arrive to Christian maturity? Peter tells in 2 Peter 1: 2-11, how every believer must grow in the spirit. Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7: 13-14) Careful; Your voyage through life could be doomed for eternity.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Lord Over Master?

It’s very discouraging of late to hear some of the conflicting reports we receive form news reporters and commentators. The H1N1 flu (swine flu) is looming at our door and all the promises of “in time” vaccine inoculations are waning in the gloom of impending disaster. By the time enough vaccine to go around arrives, the flu season will be in full bloom and not much good to anyone. (Just my opinion.) I heard the other day taxpayers might be able to claim their pets and receive a $1500 deduction next year. I guess the money to cover that will come from the farmers and ranchers possibly being taxed for the methane emissions leaking from their cows. The state wants to raise the gasoline tax again to improve and construct more roads. The current tax is more than ample, except the money is being diverted to other pet projects. The country is in deep financial crisis yet the fed has spent three times more money this year than last year at this time. Well, I could rant for ages, but it just seems to me that the responsibilities we have shouldered on our elected “servants” are simply being brushed off onto the floor to be ignored and trampled over. Our politicians are listening to less than 20% of the population because they’re screaming the loudest and the proverbial squeaky wheel gets the grease, right or wrong. American’s better wake up because the world already owns you, monetarily.
Did you hear about the hospital patient who accidently spilled a half-empty glass of water at his bedside? Fearing he might slip on the spill, he asked a nurse’s aide to clean it up for him. The patient didn’t know it, but while hospital policy states that small spills are the responsibility of nurse’s aides, large spills were to be mopped up by the hospital’s housekeeping group. Well, the nurse’s aide decided the spill was a large one, so called the housekeeping department. A housekeeper arrived and declared the spill a small one. An argument ensued. Each claimed it was not their responsibility. The patient listened for a time, then took a pitcher of water from his bed table and poured its contents on the floor. “Is that a big enough puddle for the two of you to decide?” he asked. It was, and that was the end of the argument. How long are you going to sit around and listen to all the petty fussing and feuding before you start acting?
Three old men were in the doctor’s office at the same time for memory testing. The doctor said to the first, “What is three times three?” The old man replied, “274.” The doctor said to the second man, “It’s your turn. What is three times three?” “Tuesday!” replied the man. The doctor says to the third man, “OK, your turn. What’s three times three?” “Nine” says the third man. “That’s great,” says the doctor. “How did you get that?” “Simply” says the third man. “I subtracted 274 from Tuesday.” I’ll bet this is a basic level entry question for a Federal Accounting position. The third answer is correct.
[Philippians 2: 1-11] During the birth of our nation, most of the newly formed states constitutions declared that men running for, or appointed to, state government positions had to be believers of the New Testament of the Bible and living a life worthy of following its principles. Just think, if our elected officials all had the attitude of Christ Jesus, willing to come down off their self-built pedestals to become a servant to the people, how much different this country would be today. How is it that the servant lives better than the master? How can the servant Lord over the Master? Something’s wrong!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Throwing Bricks

Oh no, not again! Our first real north’er blew in the other day, early in the morning, with some hefty wind, followed by some heavy rain. Well, anyway, I’m having coffee with my friends when my cell rings and the screen announcing it’s my wife calling. I know she’s at work where phone calls are prohibited, so right away I think, “This can’t be good”. Sure enough, the wind had caught something and hurled at her car in the parking lot creasing a big dent in the front fender. Now this parking lot and my wife’s automobiles never have mixed well. It seems no matter where she parks, something happens. One time she started parking way out away from the rest of the traffic, getting tired of door dings and people parking so close she could barely get in the car, and low and behold, an eighteen-wheeler turned too sharp and hit it. Oh well, its days like this I’m happy to have the new attitude of “stuff happens” and getting all upset won’t fix it.
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids that might dart out from between parked cars when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared, instead, a brick hit the side of his car. He slammed on the brakes and backed his Jag to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver jumped from his car, grabbed the kid standing there, pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “Just what do you think you’re doing? That’s a brand new car and the brick you threw is going to cost me a lot of money! Why did you do that?” The boy was apologetic, “Please, mister …please, I’m sorry, but I didn’t know what else to do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop.” With tears rolling down his cheek the boy pointed to a spot on the other side of the parked car and said, “It’s my brother. He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his chair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.” Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into his wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. “Thank you and may God bless you”, the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook-up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the car. He kept the dent to remind him of this day.
[Romans 8: 18-35] Are you going through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention? You say no, but take a minute and think about the actions of your spouse, your children, your friends. Are they throwing signals your way trying to get your attention? We all need to get the focus off “me” a little more and start using what we’ve learned in life to benefit others as well as our self. Are you listening when God whispers to your soul or speaks to your heart? When life throws a brick at you, and it hurts real bad, do you blame God or do you go to God for comfort? God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow or sun without rain. He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears and light for the way. God loves you!

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Bible Survival

Well, if you get up early in the mornings, and have any perception of what’s going on around you just as the sun is lightening the sky, you’ll discover where all that bird-do on your car is coming from. Yes, it’s bird migration time again and if you have a tree in your yard it’s probably full of roosting noisy traveling birds spending the night at your house. Early mornings and evenings, downtown Floresville sounds like a political convention arena or at best the trading floor at Wall Street when somebody is trying to jack up the price of gasoline again. One good thing is that the birds will move on in quick and orderly fashion just as they have done for thousands of years. But, be forewarned, they’ll be back in the spring, heading north for he summer like some of us wish we could do knowing those 100 degree temperatures are sure to following the birds. Yeh, we’ve got a good six months before we have to think about that again, right?
A traveler one night found himself obliged to remain in a small town because of a washout on the railroad caused by heavy rains. He entered a cafĂ© and said to the waitress, “Looks like the flood out there, doesn’t it?” “The what?” she asked. “The flood”, he replied. Surely you’ve read about Noah and the flood and the ark.” Sternly she said, “Mister, with all this rain, I haven’t seen a newspaper in over three days!”
A young man came to a congregation to try out for the open preacher’s position. He preached a dynamic lesson before the eldership. As soon as it was over the elders talked among themselves, then one of them asked the young man, “Son, where did you get that sermon?” “Out of the Bible”, he replied. “Oh, that’s for sure”, the elder injected “for most of that lesson certainly isn’t in the Bible!”
Francois- Marie Arouet (1694 – 1778) author and philosopher, pen name Voltaire, once stated, “The Bible will be a short lived book.” The years proved Voltaire wrong and the very house in which he lived became a depository for newly printed Bibles awaiting shipping. The Communist dictionary issued by the Soviet State Publishing House describes the Bible as a “collection fantastic legends without scientific support.” Lenin once declared, “I expect to live long enough to attend the funeral of all religion.” Lenin has long since been dead, the Bible and religion has never been more alive. Author and philosopher Thomas Paine (1737 – 1809) stated, “Within fifty years the Bible will be a forgotten book.” But, years later, the very press he used to print this statement was being used to print Bibles. No other book has survived the centuries unaltered, as has the Bible. It has been hated and hounded as no other book down through the ages. It has successfully withstood the attacks of atheism, skepticism, rationalism, pantheism, modernism and its many other enemies.
[Matthew 24:35] Yes, the Bible has had many enemies and will undoubtedly face many more between now and the return of Jesus. The Bible will survive! The message of salvation will never be lost between its covers. It is guarded by the Spirit of God to remain accurate and true to the will of God. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” God has said it and that’s it. God will not change his mind and alter his own word. To change in any way would warrant a “do over” on God’s part. I guess you know it ain’t gonna happen. Believe His Word and live.