Author: Tim

Joe Slater

A city slicker bought a farm and moved into the farmhouse. He went to his new neighbor and asked if he might purchase a milk cow. The neighbor sold him his prize milk cow, and the city slicker happily took the cow to the barn on his farm.

Within three weeks the cow went dry. The city slicker returned to his neighbor and complained: “That milk cow you sold me is no good!” The astonished neighbor replied, What do you mean?” The city slicker explained: «She has gone dry! I can’t understand it, either. If ever a person was kind and considerate to an animal, I was to that cow.
If I didn’t need any milk, I didn’t milk her. If I needed only a quart, I took only a quart.” The neighbor then explained that the way to keep milk flowing wasn’t to take as little as possible from the cow, but to take as much as possible.

Isn’t that true of the life of a Christian? Like milk cows, we must keep giving on order to keep the flow of Christianity alive. We are to give of our time, our talent, and our treasure. If we give of these things only when an extraordinary need arises, we miss the opportunities and joys of day-to-day service.

In the case of the milk cow, there is always a need for more milk. Not everyone has a full stomach. All over the world there are hungry people. Besides, the “use it or lose it” factor is obvious. Likewise, there is always more to do in the Lord’s kingdom. There are classes to be taught, discouraged people to be encouraged, sick and homebound people to be visited or called or written to, missionaries to be supported and encouraged, lost friends, relatives, co-workers, and neighbors to be contacted, and a world full of people to be prayed for. If we are content to do only a tiny bit., we may end up doing nothing at all. On the other hand, if we will give and give of our time, talent, and treasure, God will supply every need and give us additional opportunities to glorify Him and bless other people’s lives.

Joe Slater

How could a Christian possibly oppose equal rights? Gód doesn’t show favoritism (partiality, “respect of persons'”) and neither should His children.

That being said, corrupt people have redefined “rights” to suit their own purposes. When Christians reject those new definitions, we are tarred as bigots who supposedly support inequality. This holds true in both spiritual and earthly concerns. In religion, many have equated equal rights with identical functions. Thus, Christian women supposedly have the “right” to be elders in the church. Biblical teaching that an elder must be “the husband of one wife” is written off as a mere vestige of an outmoded patriarchal society. Redefined “equality” surpasses plain Scripture.

Now, what about secular issues? Fifty years ago Americans were debating the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution (ERA). It reads: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” Though the time for it to be adopted has long since expired, the President is pressuring Congress to adopt it since more states have subsequently ratified it.

The amendment sounds simple enough. However, even half a century ago we knew that politicians, judges, and lawyers would “spin” it to mandate abortion on demand and who knows what else, despite the fact that an average person wouldn’t make such absurd applications. Today the secular progressives would see special accommodations for so-called transgender persons being not only legal but mandated by the Constitution! Biblical equal rights” ought to be recognized and respect by all. But what the world means by equal rights'” and what God means are two different things!

Joe Slater

How would you like to be remembered only for the worst things you ever did? It doesn’t matter that you changed your mind and your behavior later. Who cares if you did good things too? We’ll just bypass all that and erase you from existence! The current “Cancel Culture” craze has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. From Elmer Fudd to famous historical figures, vilification and removal from public view have become the order of the day. Is this really the way to deal with things we find offensive? I’m thankful God doesn’t subscribe to Cancel Culture. If He did, we would know nothing of people like Noah (remember, he got drunk and exposed himself shamefully). Abraham would be written off as nothing but a deceiver (Pharaoh didn’t appreciate it when Abraham said Sarah was his sister). Who can forget David’s adultery and murder? Should we remove his psalms from our Bible? And then there’s Peter, who denied three times that he even knew Jesus! One of many great things about the Bible is that it portrays its heroes “warts and all.” We ought to understand Noah’s drunkenness, Abraham’s deceit, David’s adultery and murder, and Peter’s panic. We ought to learn from these things, as well as from those men’s great demonstrations of faith. Wisdom would dictate the same course for historical figures with less than stellar behaviors. I hope you never find out about the evil things I’ve done and said. You might want to cancel me! As to hitting the panic button over Elmer Fudd’s use of a gun to hunt that wascally wabbit, Ill leave you to use your boundless wisdom to work that out!

Eddie Lewis

“Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law and observe it with mny whole heart” (Psalm 119:34, ESV). A Bible class teacher told his class the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-3 1 ). He highlighted the plight ofLazarus and the blatant neglect of the rich man. One was privileged in this world while the other found peace in Heaven. After sharing these truths, the teacher posed this question to his class: “Which would you rather be – the rich man or Lazarus?” One boy raised his hand and replied, Id like to be the rich man while I’m living and Lazarus when I die.” The young boy expressed what many feel about this life and eternal life. We have to decide in which kingdom we will serve because God has not given us the option of serving in both kingdoms simultaneously. Commitment involves choosing to be faithful to one while forsaking the other. The Psalmist encourages us to choose the path of light.

He cries out, Teach me, O Lord Give me understanding. .. Turn my eyes . Establish Your word to Your servant.” We must long for the teachings of God. They are the path that leads to His eternal blessings.

via Power for Today

David Bragg

February fourteenth is one of American’s favorite holidays as they spend about twenty billion dollars as an expression of love towards “that special someone.” According to IBISWorld, $866 million will be spent on cards, $2.9 billion on candy, S1.8 billion on flowers and nearly $10 billion on romantic dinners. But what is so special about Valentine’s Day?

Like many modern holidays, Valentine’s Day has deep roots in religious and secular history. Many secular scholars trace it back to pagan religious observances called Lupercalia. Among Roman Catholic scholars the roots of Valentine’s Day are often traced to religious leaders martyred in the third Christian century (498 A.D.).

According to History.com, while imprisoned just for being a Christian, Valentine is said to have fallen in love with a young maiden (some accounts identify her as the jailer’s daughter). Just prior to his death on February fourteenth, Valentine sent a letter to his beloved confirming his affection for her. The note concluded with the words, “From your Valentine. 9In reality, there is much confusion about the specific identification of this man named Valentine, with many opposing and contradictory legends surrounding his imprisonment and death. Once recognized as the patron saint of love and marriagen February fourteenth began to flourish as St. Valentine’s Day. Today Valentine’s Day is a completely secular holiday observed with long standing traditions. Its history reveals roots in religion, but not in the Bible, which is sad, because our modern world REALLY needs to understand true Biblical love.

Via Bulletin Gold

Edd Sterchi

Have you ever had anyone sarcastically say those words to you? Usually you are trying to pass on some information to them or are asking them to respond to a question, and they sharply retort, “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

Sad to say, but this is what many people do concerning their religion. They may be in a religious organization that is not truly or totally following God’s will. By serving and worshiping at such a place, they are proclaiming concerming the truth of God’s Word, “I don’t know it and/or I don’t care what it says.” They are either ignorant of the Bible’s teachings (and don’t care to learn it) or they know what it says, but choose to ignore it or simply explain it away.

Many are like the ones Paul lamented for in Rom. 10:2-3, “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.”. As a result of this type of thinking and practice, they are lost (see Rom. 10:1). Many others know what the Scriptures teach, they simply choose not to follow them. They, as Peter describes in his second epistle, “willingly are ignorant” (2 Pet. 3:5, KJV). Or they twist” the teachings of the Bible to fit their own desires, but it is “to their destruction” (2 Pet. 3:16).

Pertaining to religious matters, how arrogant (and foolish) is the phrase I don’t know and I don’t care!” How tragic it is to see so many who will be destroyed for their lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). How sad it is to see so many thumb their nose at God’s plan of salvation, pattern for worship, purpose of church work, etc. How “excuseless” will those be who knew God’s will and chose to disregard it. (Continued on inside) (Continued from back cover) Let each of us endeavor to be people who want to know and always care about what the Bible says! “This I say, therefore, and testifjy in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles ualle in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them…” (Eph. 4:17-18)

Via Bulletin Gold

Ron Batanen

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups-porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive, and some exquisite telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

After all the former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and then began eyeing each other’s cups.” Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, houses, cars, things, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Enjoy your coffee.

Being happy doesn’t mean everything’s perfect. It means you’ve decided to see beyond the imperfections.

Via Bulletin Gold

Rob Albright

The subject of baptism is often misunderstood. We know it is an important subject because Peter tells us baptism saves (1 Peter 3:21). It is not the water that saves, but it is our obedient faith in God’s power that brings the result of salvation (forgiveness of sins). Despite the false theology of today, the Bible teaches us that baptism is essential for one to be saved.

Yes, we must recognize our sinful condition – die to it- and begin the new life in Christ. Paul explains how this new life comes about in Romans 6:3-5. Baptism is at the beginning of our commitment to Christ. What follows after baptism is spiritual growth and development, but salvation comes after one is baptized before.

Baptism is the place God goes to work and remits sin. In baptism we are cleansed of our sin (Colossians 2:12- 13; Acts 22:16) and brought into a spiritual union with Jesus (Rom. 3:5). Think about it: Salvation (2 Tim. 2:10); No condemnation (Rom. 8:1); All spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3) – All found after one is baptized into Christ.

Do we believe God has the power to do what He says? (Mark 16:16).

Via Bulletin Gold

Ron Bartanen

Politicians promise changes. In all of our lives we find constant change. We never know from one day to the next what to expect. James wrote, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’: whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow….” (James 4:13-14a).

Some changes may be for the good, while others for the worse. Some things, however, never change. The laws of nature, for instance, are constant and unchanging. From creation, a stone dislodged from a cliff would fall 96 feet per second. That has not changed, nor will it. Water boils at 180, that thousands of years ago would degrees at sea level, will do the same today.

Some seem to think that God is changeable. Otherwise they would not think to make His word obsolete. However, the psalmist prayed, “You are the same, and your years will have no end” (Psa. 102:27), Moses declared, “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).

Cultures change. Men are not long satisfied with the statutes of God, and set their own standards of morality and religion, but they have not consulted with God. Men may even redefine marriage, but we needn’t expect God to rewrite His own “dictionary.”

It is as true today as it was almost 2000 years ago, that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life”, the one way to the Father (John 14:6). It is as true today as it was in the early days of the church that a response to the gospel by obedient faith will secure the forgiveness of sins and acceptance into the Lord’s spiritual body, the church (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38, 47). Men change, as do their words. But God does not change, and His word will stand firm forever.

From Bulletin Gold

By Bill Brandstatter

Now that 2022 is here, we are looking at “new” items. The Bible uses the word new'” in a number of very important ways.

A New Name — Isa. 62:2 indicates that God’s people would be called by “a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” This new name obviously is not Jew since that was an old namne. Rather the new name is Christian (Acts 11:26). Isaiah also says God’s servants would be called by “another name.” So no longer is the Old Testament name authorized. Spiritual Israel today is the church (Gal. 6:16).

A New Covenant – God gave us a new covenant. The Hebrews ption writer indicates that in using the word “new” to describe his covenant, the first covenant (Old Testament) was ready to vanish away. (Heb. 8:13). We are, therefore, not subject to the Old Testament and its ordinances since they were nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14).

A New Birth — Jesus spoke in John 3:3, 5 of the “new birth.” This new birth is a spiritual one, not a physical birth. This new birth is required for a person to be identified with Christ. Jesus mentions two elements of the new birth, spirit and water. Many commentators agree the *water here includes the water of baptism.

A New Way — The old way to God included a priest who made sacrifices once a year for the people. (Heb. 9:7) Now individuals can approach the Father directly in prayer. (Matt. 6:9) Christianity, therefore, is a new way of approaching God as compared to the old way of Judaism.

With all the new events that are taking place this year, don’t forget the old ways of God. Remember to read and study the Bible, attend worship services, and obey God as the Bible directs.

Via Bulletin Gold