Can cows predict the weather?

Someone asked me about all of the "predictions" that people are beginning to
make, so here are some thoughts on the matter. You see, in the midst of all
of the holiday preparation and celebration we often forget one of the annual
happenings at this time of the year. As we near the beginning of a new year
we begin to see in the grocery store check out lanes, papers which boldly
proclaim someone's predictions for the coming year. I never buy these
papers, but do enjoy reading the covers and often laugh at what is predicted
for the coming year. I view these predictions like the farmer I read about.

It seems that a farmer was describing his lifestyle to a touring group of
city folks who were visiting his farm. "One of the benefits of this
profession," he explained, "is that we have built-in weather predictors."
"What do you mean by that?" asked one inquisitive visitor. "Well when the
cows are standing," the farmer explained, "it means no rain is likely for
the next twenty-four hours. When they're lying down, it means it's going to
rain."

On our bus trip, "another visitor said, "I noticed that half your herd were
standing and the other half were lying down. What does this mean?" The
farmer smiled and answered, "That means half of them are wrong."

Today, people feel free to make predictions or prophecies about almost
anything. Most don't claim that they are guided by God, but a few do. Some
predict coming events of a religious nature or a judgment from God. We need
to understand that without God's help there is no real or trustworthy way to
predict what is going to happen in the future. In fact God gives us a way to
tell whether those who predict the future are speaking the truth or not. In
Deuteronomy 28:18-22, God gives some instructions regarding prophets and how
to tell if they are real. Notice what God says:

"I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I
will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I
command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the
messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. But any prophet who falsely
claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must
die. But you may wonder, how will we know whether or not a prophecy is from
the LORD? If the prophet speaks in the LORD's name but his prediction does
not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that
message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be
feared." (NLT)

God makes it simple for us doesn't he? If someone claims to bring a prophecy
from God and it doesn't happen, then they are not from God and we shouldn't
listen to anything they have to say. I guess they should be thankful they
are not living under the Old Testament law as it says they also were to be
put to death.

So as you see the predictions (prophecies) begin to roll out in the next few
weeks, think about how accurate they have been in the past. That will give
you an idea of whether or not to pay any heed to them or not. After all,
even half of the cows are right sometimes!

Russ Lawson

Wife plans to divorce her husband as soon as she can find a way to do so without making him happy

A Big Commitment

Dan Erickson reported in an online sermon that Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "I read where one wife plans to divorce her husband as soon as she can find a way to do so without making him happy." In spite of the fact that the Bible says whoever finds a wife finds a good thing (Proverbs 18:22), millions of people find themselves under a mountain of marriage misery. Their experience mirrors what the late great Minnie Pearl once said about marriage — "Gettin' married's like taking a bath in a tub of hot water. After awhile, it ain't so hot." So it would seem for many. The fire has fizzled and the love didn't last. These past fifty years have seen America become the most divorce-prone nation on earth. Many who said "I do" really didn't, at least not "until death do us part." More like, "until debt do us part." Instead of "so long as we both shall live" the real truth for many is "until one of us is tired of it." In spite of the fact that God is on record as saying He hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), large numbers of people now view divorce as being morally neutral, a liberating and life-enhancing option to be exercised if/when the marriage magic disappears. Rock star Rod Stewart, himself twice divorced, verbalized the casual attitude toward marriage he and millions of others have acted out. He said, "I think marriage vows should be changed, because they've been in existence for 600 years, when people used to live until they were only 35. So they only had to be with each other for 12 years, then they would die anyway. But now, it's a big commitment because you're going to be with someone for 50 years. It's impossible. The vows should be written like a dog's license that has to be renewed every year." (http://archivestcm.ie/irisheminer/2001/05/01/story1794.asp).

Stewart's statement reminds us that millions have simply lost their way as regards marriage and God's will for it. Men have by and large rejected what the Lord has to say about marriage and divorce. Many criticize the Bible's teaching on this subject as hard and unfair. While I would never accuse Rod Stewart of being a Bible scholar, he is right about one thing – marriage is a big commitment. Three verses from 1 Corinthians 7 remind us just how big — "Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: a wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. . . .A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord" (verses 10-11, 39). The point in this article is not to deny that marriage is rough, tough work, sometimes more sour than it is sweet, more hurt than it is happiness, more give than it is receive. Anybody who says it isn't has never been married. But none of that changes the fact that a marriage must be based on commitment, not convenience, if it is to last. A good marriage is not easy but neither is it impossible. What is required is a deep-seated commitment to the will of God and one's mate.

Dan Gulley

 

First reference to Murphy's Law

Do You Know Murphy?

One of the icons of American society is Murphy. Murphy who you might ask,
well, Ed Murphy (as near as I can find out)! You may not actually know him,
but he has exerted a big influence in our society! What this particular
fictitious character is known for is his "law." I would almost bet you can
recite it from memory: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

The first reference to Murphy's Law was in the April 1956 issue of
Scientific American in the "Amateur Scientist" column. In part the column
read: "Dr. Schaefer's observation confirms this department's sad experience
that editors as well as laboratory workers are subject to Murphy's Laws, to
wit: (1) If something can go wrong, it will. (2) When left to themselves,
things always go from bad to worse. (3) Nature always sides with the hidden
flaw."

Believe it or not, the government is actually credited with the creation of
Murphy. In Navy educational cartoons of the 1950s there was an aircraft
mechanic named Captain Ed Murphy who bungled everything he touched and of
whom they repeatedly said: "If there is any way to do it wrong, he will."

There was a revision of Murphy's First Law added shortly thereafter: "If
anything can go wrong (with a mechanical system), it will, and generally at
the moment the system becomes indispensable."

We who try (and more often than we would like, fail) to live godly lives
have adapted the saying in this way: "No good deed goes unpunished." I
believe I have said that on more than one occasion myself. It's generally
said with humor about some situation, but sometimes in the utmost sincerity.

The problem with believing Murphy's law, is that it breeds a spirit of
pessimism! It kills the spirit of one trying to do some good deed and for
one reason or another fails or is misunderstood. Many people in the time of
Jesus actually thought Jesus had tried and failed to restore God's kingdom.
They didn't understand that it was a Spiritual kingdom he had been sent to
establish. They discounted God's working and God's plan for this world.

Today, how many things have you or the church tried, which seem to have
ended in failure? It often makes us want to give up and causes people to
say, "We tried that and it didn't work". To think like that breeds pessimism
and kills the spirit of God's people. For God's People, Murphy's Law is a
lie! When we believe we have failed at something we discount God's working,
His power and His plan for us and this world!

In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read: "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says
the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just
as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your
ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Maybe it's time we forget
about Murphy and begin to realize that God really is in charge of this world
and trust him to do the right thing!

Russ Lawson

Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live?

            Some has said, "It is not science nor atheism that will quench the light of the Gospel in our day and age; rather it will be the proud, sensuous, selfish, hollow-hearted church-goer who professes to be a Christian who will quench it."  I believe that this is a truthful analysis.

            In the parable of the Sower (Luke 8:5-15), Jesus mentions four kinds of "soils" (heart-soils). He mentions the hard hearted; the shallow hearted; the heart that is choked with the riches and pleasures of this world; and, the good hearted.  Ironically enough, when people hear this parable, most "assume" they are "good soil."  Why? Well, because we like ourselves -- we think we are a pretty good person -- and we don't want to think that we might be lost!  How about you? You do fit into the parable somewhere.  Do you assume your hear is "good soil?"

            It's been my observation over the past 40 years (even before I was a Christian and still looking for the Truth), that many (if not most) American church-goers are on "thorny ground."  Thorns are anything that distracts us from God.  When we pile the things of the world on top of our commitment to God, our spiritual life suffocates.  A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, secret sins, social activities, and recreation are piled on top of it.

            Let me ask this: Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live? Do you see evidence of God's Kingdom (God's Rule), in your life? or are you slowly choking it out by spending too much time, energy, money, and thought on the things of this world?  Are you satisfied that you are "godly enough" to sneak into Heaven on Judgment Day, especially when comparing yourself with others you know? (Which is not a wise thing to do - 2Corinthians 10:12).

            In Revelation 3:14-19, Jesus addresses the church in Laodicea. He accuses the church of being "lukewarm," and encourages them to repent so that He is not forced to disown them.  Physically, the church had need of nothing, but spiritually Jesus Himself said they were "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked -- and didn't even know it!  Now, I'm forced to wonder why God recorded such a negative thing about one of His congregations --- shouldn't He have just left it out of His Book?! --- shouldn't He have been more positive and upbeat?! How in the world does God expect His church to grow when He says things like that?!

            We need to understand that "The eyes of God do NOT go to and fro throughout the whole earth searching for big, physically rich, congregations!"  "His eyes go to and fro throughout the whole earth searching for those who hearts are faithful to Him (2Chronicles 16:9).

            Do you truly hate sin? (Psalm 119:128). Are you truly sorry for your own sin, or are you merely sorry because of the penalty God has placed on sin (Romans 6:23)?  The mind-set of the lukewarm goes something like this: "My buddy has cheated on his wife 10 times! and I've only cheated on my wife 5 times -- so I'm not nearly as bad as he is!"

            To put it plainly, the term "lukewarm Christian" is an oxymoron, i.e., there is no such thing. The thought of a person calling himself a Christian without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd. Only "disciples" are called Christians (Acts 11:26)!

            Were these "church-goers" at Laodicea saved? Well, Jesus Himself said that spiritually they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked -- does that sound like they were saved?  They COULD be saved, but before they could do that, they had to "repent."  God's grace is available, but He will not force it on you, you have to come and get it (Matthew 11:28-30). If you want to be saved, you have to LIVE like you want to be saved.        

 

--Toby Miller

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken, Psalm 17:22

The other day Bro. Russ Lawson and I were exchanging e-mails about things said by children that were both humorous and profound at the same time. Funny and yet great lessons seen in their statements. Perhaps I should say, their way of seeing things. Since those e-mails I've been thinking about this lesson so I'm going to try and use "children" and their views and ways of assessing things to teach us "old folks" some, what I hope turns out to be, valuable lessons.

Yes, I feel that humor and laughter is good for us, not only health-wise, as Solomon says, but also soul-wise. And, in my humble opinion, children are masters at saying things that are humorous, that make us laugh, but also make us think. The reason that I feel they are "masters" at this is because they do it so innocently. They are just inherently honest (sometimes brutally so) in their statements or questions.

And that's because they haven't acquired "grown-up" tendencies like "guile" yet. They don't have any "malice" (evil intent) in their hearts. Those detrimental things of man have to be learned simply because they haven't lived long enough to acquire them. With their guileless ways, and with their humor, they can teach us great lessons. Let me provide you with some of these and see if you don't agree.

A little girl was sitting on her father's lap looking at a mirror. She asked, "Daddy, did God make you?" "Certainly, my dear," said her father. "And did He make me, too?" she asked. He answered, "Certainly, my dear, what makes you ask?" "Well," she answered, "it seems to me He's doing much better work lately."

Another little girl came home from Church and her sick mother asked her how the service went and what the lesson was about. The little girl replied, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt." Perplexed, the mother called the preacher, told him what her daughter had said and asked him what she meant. The preacher said that his lesson was entitled: "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."

I've got to be politically correct and not just cite "girls" so here's a couple from little boys. Little James was listening to his Sunday school teacher read them the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and read the part where Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and turned to salt. The little boy raised his hand and asked, "What happened to the flea?"

One little boy was visiting at his grandmother's house and was looking through the big family Bible on the coffee table when something fell out of it onto the floor. He picked it up and saw that it was an old leaf. "Grandma, look what I found," he called out. "What have you got there, dear?" she replied. With great wonder in his voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear."

Now I've got to revert to some personal experiences for more lessons delivered by children. In telling this one I have to admit to you that I hate going to the dentist, but several years ago I had to knuckle-down, buckle-down and go have a tooth problem taken care of. This was one of those clinics where patients are worked on in little open cubicles. You know the type.

Well, I was seated in my torture chamber and had gotten my "needle" when here came two little girls about 6 years old and their mother. They put one of the girls in the chair next to mine and the other girl a few cubicles away. The mother kept moving back and forth between her two daughters, trying to keep them calm and unafraid. She probably should have concentrated on me because the two little girls were doing just fine. I was the nervous wreck.

About the time she was to get her "needle" I turned towards the one next to me with the idea of maybe reassuring her that it would be alright, but I think she realized that I was the one needing the reassurance because she looked over at me, smiled the brightest smile anyone ever saw and waved to me. But it was her sister that provided the real strength and assurance.

Just about the time the dentist was ready to start drilling on me, from the cubicle down the way came the voice of the little girl singing, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world..." For a moment you could hear a pin drop. You could hear sighs coming from other cubicles and then one of the assistants started singing with her. I don't possess the words nor the ability to adequately describe the feeling and the atmosphere that came over that whole clinic right then. I thought of the words of David, repeated by Christ in Matt. 21:16, "...out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise." And I remembered the words of Isaiah, "...and a little child shall lead them." (Isa. 11:6)

Mary Howitt, an English author, penned these words about children and I'd like to share them with you here. "God sends children for another purpose than merely to keep up the race - to enlarge our hearts; and to make us unselfish; and full of kindly sympathies and affections; to give our souls higher aims; to call out all our faculties to extended enterprise and exertion; and to bring round our firesides bright faces, happy smiles and loving, tender hearts. My soul blesses the great Father, every day, that He has gladdened the earth with little children." AMEN!

A preacher and his family were once traveling in route to another town where he was to preach in a Gospel meeting. He hadn't told his children exactly where they were headed so, after some time on the road, his six-year old daughter asked him a question and it's in this question that we find one of our closing thoughts. She asked, "Dad, when we get to where we're going, where will we be?"

The other portion of our close is a phone conversation I once had with my 3 ½ year old granddaughter. She was very upset because her "baby rabbits" had died. They were really just wild rabbits that lived in a hole in their back yard, but she considered them "hers." Her dad had buried them and her mother (my daughter) had told her that they had "gone to heaven." With all the innocence to be found in the thinking of children, she asked me, "But Papa, how can they go to heaven when they don't know the way?

I don't think that I need to elaborate or speak any further to those two last questions. I think that you can fill in the answers to them. I will say this though, isn't it a great lesson seen in the question of "...when we get there (our final and eternal destination) where will we be?" And, if we want that destination to be "heaven," then we had better "know the way."

Ron Covey

　

　

　

　

Freed-Hardeman College

"When You Think About It ..."

 

As a student at Freed-Hardeman College (now a university), I struggled to please my professors. One in particular was quite demanding. At the time I looked forward to escaping his lectures and (especially) his exams. Years later I view those times differently as I realize I learned much under his tutelage. When I stop to think about it, I'm thankful to have been one of his students.

 

"Think" is, in fact, the basis of the word "thank", authorities on word origins tell us. And that makes perfect sense. A young child assumes it is the parents' responsibility to provide food, clothing and shelter. Later in life they understand the sacrifices their parents had to make. As they think more about what was involved, they're thankful (if they're honest and reasonable souls).

 

In 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation to a nation embroiled in a painful and impoverishing civil war. Few families on either side of the conflict could say they had not been affected. Yet Lincoln urged all to set aside a day - the last Thursday of November - to remember how richly they had all been blessed.

 

As Lincoln reviewed some of the blessings the nation had enjoyed, he added this: "No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God." He then called upon every citizen to take time to give thanksgiving and praise to God, and to also repent for sins committed against one another during the warfare.

 

147 years later we face far different situations as a nation. We are more abundantly blessed than then, generally speaking, but more seem to be forsaking and forgetting God. To turn away from the source of our blessings would be a major mistake for an individual or for a nation.

 

These words of Psalm 33:12 are universally true: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance." Other "gods" have been tried and found completely powerless throughout history. Only the one true and living God can provide what any people need.

 

Bad things happen when people choose not to think about God. Paul wrote about a dark downward spiral of values and behavior in Romans 1. What led to such a deterioration of these people? The answer is found in verse 21: "Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful ..." Is it such a big deal to give thanks to God? Paul clearly thought so!

 

In another place the apostle gave this admonition: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Today, a national day of Thanksgiving, is an opportunity to revive within each of us what needs to be a daily practice.

 

Enjoy the feasting you'll likely see today. Spend time with loved ones and catch a football game or two. But please don't overlook the importance of the main focus - a day to give thanks.

 

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!" (Psalm 68:19). Think about the load He has given you. And while you're thinking about it, take a few moments to give Him thanks.

 

Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss these ideas further.

 

Timothy D. Hall

Bing Crosby movie Holiday Inn

There is an old Bing Crosby movie titled, "Holiday Inn." It's one of those,
boy meets girl, they fall in love and then something comes between them
movie. Eventually they are reunited, but in the middle of the separation
part Bing sings a song titled" I've got nothing to be thankful for."

I believe that there are many people (maybe you), who today are singing that
same song. We tend to look at our lives and focus only upon the
difficulties, not on the blessings. I know what it's like to be down and
discouraged, to look at your live and wonder how you are ever going to get
past this last round of bad luck.

I can encourage you to count your blessings, to remember all the Lord has
done for you. I can encourage you to focus upon the good stuff in your life
and upon God, but that's probably something you already know and most likely
don't want to hear again.

So, what do you do or what have I done? Well, Jesus gives some instructions
to his disciples in Matthew 26:41 at a time when he is facing his death. He
tells them: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The
spirit is willing, but the body is weak." It may seem overly simple to hear
the words, but you (and I) need to pray more because we can't overcome our
difficulties by our own power. We want very much to handle our problems all
by ourselves, but even though "The spirit is willing, the body is weak."

Think about it, even Jesus, when faced with a terrible death, found his
strength through prayer, (read the whole text). We plan and plot and make
lists and talk to friends, counsel with those we thing might have some
special knowledge to impart to us, when what we really need to do is talk to
God about it.

You may be dealing with very difficult problems right now. Some folks are
really struggling with physical ailments. Some are struggling with problems
with children (both young and old). Some are struggling to keep their
marriages together. While some are struggling because of the economy or lost
jobs. Some are struggling to make their house payments and some are facing
foreclosure.

Some of these people are members of our church family or our physical family
or friends or neighbors. So, pray! Pray for yourself, but also pray for
those around you, because though you may never know it, they might be
struggling, just like you! (1Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing.")

Russ Lawson

Wabush, a town in Labrador, Canada

Wabush, a town in a remote portion of Labrador, Canada, was completely
isolated for some time. But recently a road was cut through the wilderness
to reach it. Wabush now has one road leading into it, and thus, only one
road leading out. If someone were to travel the unpaved road for six to
eight hours to get into Wabush, there is only way he or she could leave: by
turning around. *

Each of us, through our wrong choices, arrives in a town called Sin. Once in
Sin, we are trapped and doomed to destruction (Romans 6:23), unless we find
a way out. As in Wabush, there is only one way out: a road built by God
himself. Jesus said,

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me."
-- John 14:6

Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins (Ephesians 1:7). Through His
atoning sacrifice, we find the way out of Sin and into the Heavenly City
(cf. Hebrews 11:16), where there is eternal life and eternal joy. Through
the "curtain" of His flesh and His blood shed for our sins, Jesus has opened
up a "new and living way" out of Sin into the Most Holy Place (Hebrews
10:19-20).

But in order to take that road, one must first turn around. That complete
about-face is what the Bible calls REPENTANCE, and without it, there's no
way out of town.

Here is the complete way out of sin: place your faith and trust in Jesus
Christ (Acts 16:30-31), turn from your sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31),
confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into
Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Then, we must continue to
follow Jesus by seeking to follow Him faithfully (1 John 1:7).

Jesus said: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the
way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because
narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there
are few who find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

There is only One way out of Sin and that is His Way!

Won't YOU turn away from the road that leads to destruction and, through
your trusting obedience, turn to Jesus, the Way that leads to eternal life?

David A. Sargent

Needless worry

                "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will

                    be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

                                                                                    Matthew 6:34 (ESV)

                    "Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble."

                                                                    George Washington Lyon

You've probable suspected, by the reading of the above quotations, that our topic of consideration today is going to be a few thoughts regarding "worry" and/or "anxiety." Well, your suspicions are correct so let's sally forth.

What inspired my thoughts on this subject today is a TV commercial I've seen many times recently that shows a cute little dog worrying about his bone. He can't sleep, can't be content or at peace because of his worrying whether his bone is safe and the musical background is a song with the words "worry, worry, worry" and "trouble, trouble, trouble" being repeated. I think it's advertising some insurance company, but regardless of who's paying for the spot, I like the commercial and it helps me introduce my thoughts today.

Yep, one of the things we humans seem to do an excessive amount of at times is "worry." Some worry more than others do, but we all do so to some extent. We worry about things like "health," or we worry about "business'" (or lack thereof). We worry about "family problems" and, in keeping with the hot topic of today, we worry about "traveling," especially the flying kind of traveling. We even worry about the "weather," don't we?

Now here's what's sad to me, and I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to this phenomenon, sometimes we worry about things we have no business worrying about. What I'm saying is, that we sometimes worry "needlessly." And, in so doing, we put stress on ourselves that needn't be there.

Maybe I'm being too simplistic here, but here's a solution that I see: if we're facing a situation that we can do something about - do it! If we can't - then pray that God will give us strength to get through it. But, worry isn't going to help the situation.

As I see it, here's the problem regarding worry and anxiety. It can compound whatever the problem is by bringing on physical health problems. It's like adding fuel to an already burning fire. By "health problems" I mean things like "intestinal illnesses, skin problems and nerve problems." Now I'm not the only one who has noticed this, look at something said by Dr. Charles H. Mayo, of the Mayo Clinic. "Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system. I have never known a man who died from overwork, but many who died from doubt."

While we're talking about "needless worry," here's another good example. We tend to worry about things that we think "might" happen. When we engage in this kind of worrying it's not very long before we've projected it on out to it's "worst-case scenario." To the extreme possibility, however remote that possibility might be. It's then that we find ourselves in a full-blown anxiety attack and it's all in our mind!

Here's a humorous little illustration of what I'm saying about "projecting" our worries. It seems that a man was worried over something to the point that he couldn't sleep. He said, "I counted sheep and after reaching 10,000 of them, I sheared 'em, combed the wool, had it spun into cloth, made into suits, took them to town - and lost $21.00 apiece on them. I haven't slept for a week."

I just thought that to be an amusing way of making this point; that we sometimes mentally magnify things that "might possibly" occur in the future, but most probably will not. What's going on here is, that our minds are dwelling on something in the future while we are living in the present. I ask you, isn't this what Christ is warning us about in Matt. 6:34? Doesn't it also fit with the quote by George W. Lyon about the "interest on borrowed trouble?"

Another venue I've noticed about what many people worry about is that they worry over what they "DON'T" have - materially speaking. They're not content with what they "DO" have and contentedness is the antitheses of worry. Here's my opinion, paraphrased from Christ's words in Matthew: be thankful for the material blessings that you do have and don't be anxious and worry because someone else has more. When Christ said for us to "not be anxious," or worry, in Matt. 6, He was talking about being anxious about material things. (Read verses 25-34)

Trust me, you have more than lots of other people and to worry about what you "DON'T" have is to NOT be grateful and thankful for what you do. With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up next Thursday, let's use this occasion to remind ourselves to be grateful and thankful for what we've been materially blessed with.

Now for a closing thought. In the context of our lesson today, "worry" is not the same as "concern." Preparation for the future is not worry, it's concern and that's different. The word "concern" means things like: "care about" and "consider" or "have regard" or even to "take heed." With those definitions in mind, let's see if we can't close our lesson with a thought appropriate to the occasion.

Wouldn't you agree that we should "consider" our future existence and make preparations for it? In looking at the temporal aspects of our future, we have to keep in mind and understand that we're not guaranteed "tomorrow" (James 4:14) but, it's the eternal future that we should be more concerned with. That we should "care about" and when we do have that care and concern, we make the right preparations for our eternal future according to the Gospel of Christ.

By exercising this care and concern, thus making our future preparations "sure" (2Pet. 1:10), we eliminate any and all anxiousness and worry about our soul's salvation. It's the one thing a true Christian would have no reason to worry about. When we're prepared for the future that God has prepared for His people, I think we can echo the sentiments of Robert J. Burdette who said:

"There are two days in the week about which and upon which I never worry. Two carefree days, kept sacredly free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday, and the other day I do not worry about is Tomorrow."

Ron Covey

Edgar Renteria World Series MVP

            It is dumbfounding how often professional athletes are hailed as heroes. Most of the time this is unfounded and for shallow reasons.  Usually these athletes soak it all in and even egg it on.  Despite these marks of arrogance, there are occasional selfless acts which deserve praise.

            When the World Series came to an end this year, shortstop Edgar Renteria was named the World Series MVP.  Renteria is a native of Colombia and has been idolized there for some time.  With this being the case and his recent MVP award, his home country was going to plan celebrations and parades in his honor.  However, Renteria humbly asked that they cancel any parties or parades for him.

            Why would he do something like this?  Why not just soak in all of this praise and adoration as a hero?  As it turns out, northern Colombia has been devastated by floods lately.  It is estimated that 900,000 people are currently homeless.  With this in mind, Renteria asked that any available money that would have been spent in his honor instead be used to help out those in need.  In fact, the whole reason Renteria even said this publically was to raise awareness of Colombia's situation and hopefully encourage others to help as well.

            I do not know much else about Renteria's character, but this was an incredibly selfless act.  It is so easy in this life to become centered on ourselves.  It is all about what "I want," what "I need," and what "you can do for me."  It is nice to see someone putting himself aside for others.

            As we know, this is a biblical concept.  We are told to put God first (Matthew 22:37; Deuteronomy 6:5) and others above ourselves (Mathew 22:38; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8; etc).  Now, you probably will not have to turn down a massive celebration thrown by an entire country in your honor.  If you do, I would like to have your autograph.  However, there are little acts we can do everyday to put others before self.  We know ways to do this, but many times we fail to do them.

            It is easy to get caught up in ourselves.  We do live in a very self-centered society.  It can be hard to put our own wants and desires aside to help someone else.  But this is exactly what God wants us to do.  Whether it is as big as turning down a country's celebration, or just helping out our family and friends, let's look for those opportunities where we can do something good for others and put them above ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4).  -- Brett Petrillo