July Newsletter
Edward Gibbon, author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, has attributed the fall of the Empire to:
1. The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.
2. Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public monies for free bread and circuses for the populace.
3. The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within, the decadence of the people.
5. The decay of religion--faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life and becoming impotent to warn and guide the people. Edward Gibbon.
200 Years?
Ancient democracies wane under the selfishness of human hearts. "The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
from spiritual faith to great courage;
from courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
from abundance to selfishness;
from selfishness to complacency;
from complacency to apathy;
from apathy to dependency;
from dependency back to bondage.
General Quote. Alexander Fraser Tytler is said to be the author of this quote and lived at the end of the eighteenth century. "The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic" is said to be the book he never wrote a book with this title.
THE BIBLE EXPLAINED BY KIDS
In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one,' but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.
Then God made the world. He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars
Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.
One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.
After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.
Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then He gave them His top ten commandments. These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's bottom (the Bible uses a bad word for bottom that I'm not supposed to say. But my Dad uses it sometimes when he talks about the President). Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.
One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua, who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.
After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.
After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.
After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of the New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn.(I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, Close the door! Were you born in a barn' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')
During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him
Jesus was a great man He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.
Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven, but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.
There! Now you understand !
Going Where God's Going (By Ron Hutchcraft)
I was visiting Rome, and I encountered this archway along the Via Appia. It's one of the many such structures that are still there 2,000 years after they were built. But what caught my eye about this one was the three-word Latin question carved in the archway as an inscription. It simply says, "Domine, quo vadis?" At last, those two years of high school Latin were going to be useful! It means, "Lord, where are You going?" It goes back to a legend about the Apostle Peter as he was feeling led by God to go to Rome. Knowing it was going to be dangerous, even life-threatening to go there, Peter needed to be sure that's where God wanted Him. The legend says that he encountered the risen Christ there on the Via Appia, and he wanted to know only one thing from his Lord - "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" Jesus was going to Rome. Then that's where Peter was going!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Going Where God's Going."
The question on that Roman archway is the question that should be governing every day in the life of one who claims to be a follower of Jesus: "Lord, where are You going?" That's the way He meant for us to set our course to make our decisions.
He made that clear in our word for today from the Word of God in John 12:26. He simply said: "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be." I don't ask Jesus to follow me, to go with me where I want to go. I find out where my Master's going, and that's where I go.
The central action word of the Jesus-life is that word "follow." I got a new understanding of what that means the day I watched my wife follow the driver I was riding with. I had just spoken for a pre-Billy Graham Crusade event in Philadelphia, and they had to rush me to a suburban church immediately afterward to speak for a companion event there. My driver really knew the area. My wife, who was driving our car, didn't. He just said, "Follow me." When he changed lanes, she changed lanes - whether she wanted to or not. When he drove fast, she drove fast, not at the speed she might have liked. When he suddenly made a turn, she made a turn. The only way she was going to get where she was supposed to be was to follow the man who knew the way.
And that's what it means to follow Jesus - the Man who knows the way. A way you don't know. If He moves, you move. If He slows down, you slow down. If He's moving fast, you move fast. If He changes direction, you change direction. I figured out that following carries two requirements. First, you have to be flexible. Rigidity and following don't go together. You have to be willing and ready to change or to move as your leader does, not all rigid and stubborn about doing it your way or the same old way. Secondly, a follower has to be focused - you keep your eyes on the one you're following and you don't allow yourself to be distracted by anyone or anything else.
For me as a follower of Jesus, that means beginning each new day in the presence of my leader, asking, "Lord, where are You going?" You need to know where He's going in your family and join Him in what He's doing, where He wants to go in your church, your ministry, where He's going in your work, your career, your important relationships. Your job is to go with Him where He's going - wherever that is, whatever that means, whatever that costs, wherever it takes you.
So how are you doing at following your Master? Have you been setting your own course and then trying to get Him to follow you? That's a good way to get lost and to get away from Him. Let there be one guiding light, one deciding factor in everything you do - "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" He'll take you where you were born to go, to do the things that you were born to do.
The Buzzard, the Bat and the Bumblebee
THE BUZZARD:
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely
open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an
absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight
from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is
its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner
for life in a small jail with no top.
THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature
in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the
floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no
doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it
can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it
dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the
top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near
the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely
destroys itself.
PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the
bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations,
never realizing that all we have to do is look up!
Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our
Creator who loves us.
What your baby would tell you if he could talk:
1. I have my blankie, you have your caffeine. Enough said.
2. Don't be jealous, but I think I'm in love with the ceiling fan.
3. I know where the remote control is, but it'll cost you.
4. To you, it's just an empty egg carton; to me it's PlayStation 2.
5. Bang a screwdriver slowly and steadily into your gums. That's what teething feels like.
6. There's no point in teaching me to say "mama" or "dada." My first word is going to be "hat."
7. I've told you five times what cow says. If you can't remember, I'm not telling you again.
10. There is no question that I can cry longer than you can listen.
11. I'm not just wildly throwing my food. I'm exploring the laws of gravity, estimating mass, and testing wind velocity.
12. If you wanted a good sleeper, you should have gotten a cat.
13. Who that baby in the mirror you keep asking me about?
14. If my bottom is so darn cute, why is someone always trying to cover it up?
15. What you secretly believe is true: I am much smarter than other babies.
1. The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.
2. Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public monies for free bread and circuses for the populace.
3. The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within, the decadence of the people.
5. The decay of religion--faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life and becoming impotent to warn and guide the people. Edward Gibbon.
200 Years?
Ancient democracies wane under the selfishness of human hearts. "The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
from spiritual faith to great courage;
from courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
from abundance to selfishness;
from selfishness to complacency;
from complacency to apathy;
from apathy to dependency;
from dependency back to bondage.
General Quote. Alexander Fraser Tytler is said to be the author of this quote and lived at the end of the eighteenth century. "The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic" is said to be the book he never wrote a book with this title.
THE BIBLE EXPLAINED BY KIDS
In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one,' but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.
Then God made the world. He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars
Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.
One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.
After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.
Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then He gave them His top ten commandments. These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's bottom (the Bible uses a bad word for bottom that I'm not supposed to say. But my Dad uses it sometimes when he talks about the President). Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.
One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua, who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.
After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.
After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.
After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of the New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn.(I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, Close the door! Were you born in a barn' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')
During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him
Jesus was a great man He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.
Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven, but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.
There! Now you understand !
Going Where God's Going (By Ron Hutchcraft)
I was visiting Rome, and I encountered this archway along the Via Appia. It's one of the many such structures that are still there 2,000 years after they were built. But what caught my eye about this one was the three-word Latin question carved in the archway as an inscription. It simply says, "Domine, quo vadis?" At last, those two years of high school Latin were going to be useful! It means, "Lord, where are You going?" It goes back to a legend about the Apostle Peter as he was feeling led by God to go to Rome. Knowing it was going to be dangerous, even life-threatening to go there, Peter needed to be sure that's where God wanted Him. The legend says that he encountered the risen Christ there on the Via Appia, and he wanted to know only one thing from his Lord - "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" Jesus was going to Rome. Then that's where Peter was going!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Going Where God's Going."
The question on that Roman archway is the question that should be governing every day in the life of one who claims to be a follower of Jesus: "Lord, where are You going?" That's the way He meant for us to set our course to make our decisions.
He made that clear in our word for today from the Word of God in John 12:26. He simply said: "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be." I don't ask Jesus to follow me, to go with me where I want to go. I find out where my Master's going, and that's where I go.
The central action word of the Jesus-life is that word "follow." I got a new understanding of what that means the day I watched my wife follow the driver I was riding with. I had just spoken for a pre-Billy Graham Crusade event in Philadelphia, and they had to rush me to a suburban church immediately afterward to speak for a companion event there. My driver really knew the area. My wife, who was driving our car, didn't. He just said, "Follow me." When he changed lanes, she changed lanes - whether she wanted to or not. When he drove fast, she drove fast, not at the speed she might have liked. When he suddenly made a turn, she made a turn. The only way she was going to get where she was supposed to be was to follow the man who knew the way.
And that's what it means to follow Jesus - the Man who knows the way. A way you don't know. If He moves, you move. If He slows down, you slow down. If He's moving fast, you move fast. If He changes direction, you change direction. I figured out that following carries two requirements. First, you have to be flexible. Rigidity and following don't go together. You have to be willing and ready to change or to move as your leader does, not all rigid and stubborn about doing it your way or the same old way. Secondly, a follower has to be focused - you keep your eyes on the one you're following and you don't allow yourself to be distracted by anyone or anything else.
For me as a follower of Jesus, that means beginning each new day in the presence of my leader, asking, "Lord, where are You going?" You need to know where He's going in your family and join Him in what He's doing, where He wants to go in your church, your ministry, where He's going in your work, your career, your important relationships. Your job is to go with Him where He's going - wherever that is, whatever that means, whatever that costs, wherever it takes you.
So how are you doing at following your Master? Have you been setting your own course and then trying to get Him to follow you? That's a good way to get lost and to get away from Him. Let there be one guiding light, one deciding factor in everything you do - "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" He'll take you where you were born to go, to do the things that you were born to do.
The Buzzard, the Bat and the Bumblebee
THE BUZZARD:
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely
open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an
absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight
from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is
its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner
for life in a small jail with no top.
THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature
in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the
floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no
doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it
can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it
dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the
top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near
the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely
destroys itself.
PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the
bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations,
never realizing that all we have to do is look up!
Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our
Creator who loves us.
What your baby would tell you if he could talk:
1. I have my blankie, you have your caffeine. Enough said.
2. Don't be jealous, but I think I'm in love with the ceiling fan.
3. I know where the remote control is, but it'll cost you.
4. To you, it's just an empty egg carton; to me it's PlayStation 2.
5. Bang a screwdriver slowly and steadily into your gums. That's what teething feels like.
6. There's no point in teaching me to say "mama" or "dada." My first word is going to be "hat."
7. I've told you five times what cow says. If you can't remember, I'm not telling you again.
10. There is no question that I can cry longer than you can listen.
11. I'm not just wildly throwing my food. I'm exploring the laws of gravity, estimating mass, and testing wind velocity.
12. If you wanted a good sleeper, you should have gotten a cat.
13. Who that baby in the mirror you keep asking me about?
14. If my bottom is so darn cute, why is someone always trying to cover it up?
15. What you secretly believe is true: I am much smarter than other babies.
posted by joypastordon at 8:48 PM
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