August 2007 Archives
"A MOVING STORY OF A CROSS."
The story is told of several men traveling cross country. Each of them carrying a large cross.
One of the men asked the Lord to shorten his cross. He began to saw his cross off a bit at a time. He
was traveling with the group. He shortened his cross several times. All went well untill they came to a deep long break in the ground. that had to be crossed and was uneven.
The rest of the travelers laid their crosses across the gap. Their crosses had enough length to span the break, and they walked across to the other side and kept going.
This story has a sad ending. The poor man who kept making his cross shorter, found that it
was too short to be laid across the break in the ground. He had to stop his journey.
The lesson to be taken from this story is in the declaration of Jesus to His disciples.
"...If ANY man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up HIS cross, and follow me.'
(MATTHEW 16:24)
The following poem is a good reminder that cross bearing is to be expected in our everyday life. Always remember God is there to help us.
Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
there will always be sunshine
after the rain.
Perhaps you may stumble,
perhaps even fall,
But God is always ready,
To answer your call.
He knows every heartache,
sees every tear,
A word from His lips,
can calm every fear.
Your sorrows may linger,
throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish
dawn's early light...
The Savior is waiting,
somewhere above,
To give you HIS grace,
and send you HIS love...
Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
"God always sends rainbows...
after the rain..."
(Selected)
"THE POWER OFSPEECH IS DISTINCTLY HUMAN"
1. As far as it is known, man is the only earthly creature who has
a highly developed system of communication.
The power of speech is a fundamental mark of the superiority
of man over the lower animal world.
2. The quality of one's speech, therefore, indicates the width of
the chasm which separates him from the brute creation.
3. There are two outstanding tragedies in this connection,
which have caused untold sorrows and heartaches---viz:
(1). The tragedy of the open mouth.
a. It's owner protests that talk is cheap; and indeed,
it is about the only kind he usually produces.
b. When one listens at length to a seige
of idle gossip, profanity, or unclean jokes,
he is reminded of nothing quite so much
as a leaky faucet or a running sore. Cf. Matt. 12: 33-37
c. The intellectual and spiritual gulf which seperates
such a man from his dog is not very great.
(2). The tragedy of the closed lips.
a. No words of praise or thanksgiving and no
expression of sympathy or appreciation ever escape.
b. It is a pitiful sight to see a man who has lived
three score and ten years, being blessed by a Heavenly
Father , but whose eyes have never been lifted in
gratitude and whose lips have never learned to pray.
c. Parents neglect to counsel and encourage their
children;
friends let the hour of sorrow pass without
a word of comfort;
and Christians allow the years to go by without
any attempt to win a soul to Christ, by
speaking the word of the Lord to him. Cf. James 4:17
May God give us the courage to use our speech to teach others His will.
Byrl Brockman
GRACE COMES TO ALL
"If people are saved by grace without conditions on their part.
Why are not all saved?
Grace comes to all.
"For the grace of God hath appeared, Bringing salvation to all
Men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness,
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously
and godly in this present world" (Tit. 2:11,12).
The grace of God comes to all teaching us.
Some refuse the teaching; hence grace has no opportunity to
confer upon them the salvation it brings to ALL.
God's grace provided the means of our salvation, brings salvation
to us and teaches us how to appropriate it.
The next move is OURS.
This is illustrated by the events of Pentecost (Acts 2).
God had provided salvation, and through Peter made it known
to the people, and graciously taught them how to obtain the
remission of sins.
The issue then rested with the people.
The next move was theirs.
But so much was at stake Peter earnestly exhorted them to make that
move, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation"
(Acts 2:40).
They could save themselves only by performing the conditions upon
which salvation was so graciously offered.
They were too anxious about their salvation and too intelligent to
hesitate and argue that obedience on their part would eliminate
grace.
They felt the guilt of sin so heavily that they knew that any means
of escape offered them was a matter of great favor, great grace
to them.
Hence they made no delay in being baptized."
C. R. Nichol
R. L. Whiteside
"BEYOND THE SUNSET"
" Beyond the sunset's radiant glow
there is a better world I know,
Where golden glories ever shine,
Beyond the thought of day' s decline.
Beyond the sunset's purple rim,
Beyond the twilight deep and dim,
Where clouds and darkness never come,
My soul shall find it's heavenly home.
Beyond this desert dark and drear,
The golden city will appear.
And morning's lovely beams arise,
Upon my mansion in the skies.
Those golden portals ever shine,
Beyond the reach of day's decline,
And Jesus bids my soul prepare
to gain a happy entrance there.
Beyond the sunset's radiant glow,
There is a brighter world I know;
Beyond the sun-set,
I may spend delightful days that never end."
W. O. Perkins.
,
LAW OUR SCHOOL MASTER
When God's law through Moses served it's purpose
It expired by divine limitation.
The law was our schoolmaster---tutor - to bring us
To Christ. (Gal3:24).
The world needed to be taught that "God is",
That He alone is the rightful ruler in the affairs of men,
And that sin brings ruin upon us,
And too, the world needed to be trained
In the elements of worship.
Men needed to be lifted above carnal things of sense and
sight to a higher spiritual plane, where they
might appreciate and take hold of the
eternal things of faith.
"But now that faith is come,
We are no longer under a tutor." or
Schoolmaster. (Gal.3:25)
A TIME TO LAUGH
"There were times when grandpa used short speeches
to great effect.
Evolution was beginning to trouble the church.
---some for it, some against it.
A meeting of preachers was called in a distant (100 miles)
city to consider the topic.
Grandpa was invited to attend and speak.
He was the last on the program.
Mounting the platform in his country way, he addressed
them.
"Fellow-preachers, it is getting late, very late. Much
has been said, maybe too much.
I don't know of anything I can say that will add to it.
So I am going to walk out of here, walk down the
street and get a hotel room.
Now there is not but one question for the rest of you to
decide:
"Are you going to get a room or a tree?"
HEAVEN
He that studies to know duty,
And labors in all things to do it,
Will have two heavens--
One of joy, peace, and comfort
On earth,
And the other of glory
And happiness beyond the grave.
There is a land where everlasting
Suns shed everlasting brightness;
Where the soul drinks from the living
Streams that roll by God's high throne!-
Myrids of glorius ones bring their accepted
Offering.
Oh! how blest to look from this
Dark prison to that shrine,
to inhale one breath of Paradise divine,
And enter into that eternal rest,
Which waits the sons of God!"
(Browning)
These thoughts remind me of the hymn, "HOW BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN MUST BE".
Byrl Brockman
The apostles had been released from prison by an angel.
The high priest had put them in prison because
They were preaching Christ and the many wonderful miracles
He had done through the hands of the apostles.
When the high priests found that the apostles
Were free, they commanded them to cease
Preaching Christ to the people.
Here is the reply of Peter and the other
Apostles to their command.
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said,
"We ought to obey God rather than man.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom
You murdered by hanging on a tree.
Him God has exhalted to His right hand to be
Prince and Saviour, and to give repentance to Israel
And forgivness of sins. And we are His witnesses
To these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit
Whom God has given to those WHO OBEY HIM."
(Acts 5: 29-32)
Let us remember; we are responsible even now to God and not to man.
A FATHER'S PRAYER
"Dear God, my little boy of three
Has said his nightly prayer to Thee;
Before his eyes were closed to sleep,
He asked that Thou his soul would keep.
And I, still kneeling at his bed,
My hand upon his tousled head,
Do ask, with deep humility,
That Thou, dear Lord, remember me,
Make me kind Lord, a worthy Dad
That I may lead this little lad,
In pathways ever fair and bright,
That I may keep his steps aright.
O, God, his trust must never be
Destroyed or even marred by me.
So, for the simple things he prayed
With childish voice so unafraid,
I, trembling, ask the same from Thee.
Dear Lord,
Kind Lord,
REMEMBER ME!
(Selected)
.
"Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right." (Ephesians 5:1)
"My dear boy," said a father to his son, "you are in bad company."
"The lads with whom you associate indulge in bad habits"
"They drink, smoke, swear, gamble, and engage in lewd practices."
"They are not safe company for you. I beg you to quit their society."
"You needn't be afraid of me, father," replied the boy, laughingly;
I guess I know a thing or two, I know how far to go and when to stop."
The lad left his father's house twirling his cane in his fingers
And laughing at the"old man's notions."
A few years later that lad, grown to manhood, stood at the bar of
a court, before a jury which had just brought in a verdict of guilty
against him for some crime that he had committed.
Before he was sentenced, he addressed the court, and among
other things, said, "My downward course began in my disobedience
to my parents. I thought I knew as much as they did, and I ignored
my father's advice about evil companions; but as soon as I turned my
back on my home, temptation came upon me like a pack of
wolves and hurried me into ruin."
Mark that confession, ye boys who are beginning to be wiser than your
Parents!
Mark it and learn that disobedience is the first step on the road to ruin.
Mark - it and DO NOT TAKE THAT FIRST STEP!!!
You will, probably, be sorry all your life, if you do.
(Selected and adapted)
"THE WELL DRESSED CHRISTIAN"
"All of you be subject one to another, and be CLOTHED with humility;
For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."
(1 Peter 5:5)
"PUT ON as the elect of God, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion,
Kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering."
(Col. 3:12)
"PUT YE ON the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision
For the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof"
(Rom. 13:14)
" PUT ON the whole armor of God, that ye may be able
To stand agaiinst the wiles of the devil."
(Eph. 6:11)
"Such Christian dress is never, out of style and is within
The reach of everyone" (Beacon)
,
,
"WHY WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW?"
"Why wait until tomorrow when today is with us still?
Why dwell on what the past has been?
Time will not allow for idle minds when there is much to do.
There are so many of us- precious moments are too few.
Why wait until tomorrow to cheer someone on his way?
Why postpone some kindly act which may brighten his today?
Let your smiles encourage those who may hesitate to try,
To find their way along life's path,
While others pass them by."
Today is the first day of the rest of your life - don't wait another minute......
"THE CHURCH"
"The way to preserve the peace of the church is to preserve its purity." (M Henry)
"The Church of Christ is the worlds only hope and the sole promise of peace". (Sir Douglas Haig)
The word "church" comes from a Greek word which is defined as "the called out".
Romans 16:16 simply refers to those individuals who are obedient to the terms of the gospel of Christ.
The preparation of the person to become a member of this church, is found in the fifth book of
the New Testament, Acts of the Apostles.
There are nine examples of how people in the first century became a part of this
church.
The requirements have not changed.
We are asking that individuals follow this plan today and be content and honored to be a
Christian and a Christian only,
Let God's will become our will to live and pattern our lives by.
(Byrl Brockman)
"SOME QUOTES CONCERNING DEMOCRACY"
How beautifully it is, that many thousands work for one,
So must every individual bring his labor to make the whole-
The highest is not to dispise the lowest, nor to envy the highest;
Each must live in all and by all.
So God has ordered, that men, being in need of each other,
Should learn to love each other, and to bear each other's burdens."
(G.A. Sala)
"Sure the people are stupid; Sure Congress is an inefficient instrument of government.
But the people are not stupid enough to abandon representive government
For any other kind, including government by the guy who knows." (Benard DeVoto)
"Men have always found it easy to be governed.
What is hard is for them to govern themselves." (Max Lerner)
"Since Grandpa had only a little formal education,
He enjoyed ribbing the college people.
Because of his uniqueness,
He was invited to speak at a large college gathering.
He congratulated the institution on its vast storehouse of knowledge,
And he told them that he had figured out how they collected so much.
He said, "From my observation, this laudable accomplishment has been achieved
Because the freshmen bring in so much learning, and the seniors take out so little
"One of the principal causes for so many being lost,
Is the lack of knowledge of God's will.
So many folk exclaim,
" I just don't know enough about the Bible to discuss it with you".
"But I feel I am saved and I am satisfied with my religion."
This confronts us in a land of religious freedom,
And a land of Bibles!
W hat an abject admission to make!
How deplorable this abysmal ignorance!
As Peter said, "But this they are willingly ignorant of......(2 Pet. 3:5)
What a tragedy that people scorn the Word of God,
The one power that could save them (Rom. 1:16)
They spend countless hours in frivolous behavior,
But no time to comune with the mind of God.
It was a lack of knowledge of God's will,
That crucified the Christ. (Acts 3:17; 1 Corinthians 2:8.)"
May God grant us the opportunity to always willingly search for and accept HIS WILL!
Byrl Brockman
"If I walk in the path-way of duty,
If I work till the close of the day,
I shall see the great King in His beauty,
When I've gone the last mile of the way.'
'If for Christ I pro-claim the glad story,
If I seek for His sheep gone astray,
I am sure He will show me his glory,
When I've gone the last mile of the way.'
'Here the dearest of ties we must sever,
Tears of sorrow are seen every day;
But no sick-ness, no sigh-ing for-ev-er
When I've gone the last mile of the way.'
'And if here I have earn-nest-ly striven,
And have tried all His will to o-bey,
'Twill enhance all the rap-ture of heaven,
When I've gone the last mile of the way.'
'When I've gone the last mile of the way,
I will rest at the close of the day,
And I know that there are joys that await me,
When I've gone the last mile of the way.'
Owned by John T. Benson
Written by Johnson Oatman, Jr.
Posted by Byrl Brockman
What shall we do so much in the years to come,
But what have we done today?
We shall give of our gold in a princely sum,
But what did we give today?
We shall lift the heart and dry the tear,
We shall plant a hope in the place of fear.
We shall speak the words of love and cheer.
But what did we speak today?
We shall be so kind in the afterwhile,
But what have we been today?
We shall give to truth a grander truth,
And to a steadfast faith a deeper worth;
We shall feed the hungering souls of earth,
But whom have we fed today?
We shall reap such joys in the by and by,
But what have we sown today?
We shall build our mansions in the sky
But what have we built today?
"Tis sweet in the idle dreas to bask,
But here and now do we do our task?
Yes; this is the thing our souls must ask,
"WHAT HAVE WE DONE TODAY?"
Selected.......
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek
your direction and guidance.
We know your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that is exactly what
we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values!
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have reqarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and
called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions
and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography
and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our fore-fathers
and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us
from every sin and set us free."
Amen!
(Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger
response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over
our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "One Nation Under GOD.)
Paul Harvey
WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED
"God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flowers strewn pathways all our life through,
God hath not promised sunshine without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way.
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love."
What a wonderful thought to know that we have a GOD, who truly loves us!
Byrl Brockman
When we are told by the attending physician that we have only a little while to live,
We will not regret one moment we have spent in the study of our Bible.
After all other books are laid aside, This Word will still face us in judgment!
Our greatest need is to to carefully use this sacred volumn in this life!
The Bible is God's personal message to all people of every nation.
Never should we ever ignore nor neglect it.
As Paul the apostle gave the elders of the church in Ephesus his farewell address,
He said, "And now I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which
Is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them that are
Sanctified." (Acts 20:32)
What a consoling thought to have such a book that gives the faithful Christian the hope of this inheritance.
Byrl Brockman
A Grandmother is a lady who has no children of her own, so she likes other
people's little girls.
A Grandfather is a man grandmother.
He goes for walks with the boys, and they talk about fishing and tractors
and things like that.
Grandmas don't have to do anything except be there.
They're old, so they shouldn't play hard or run.
It is enough if they drive us to the market where the pretend horse is,
and have lots of dimes ready.
Of course, if they have us for walks, they should slow down past things like
pretty leaves and catepillars.
They should never say "hurry up".
Usually they are fat, but not too fat to tie kid"s shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums off.
It is better if they don't typewrite.
They don't have to be smart, only answer questions like,
why dogs hate cats and how come God isn't married.
They don't talk baby talk like visitors do, because it is
hard to understand.
When they read to us they don't skip, or mind if it is the
same story again,
Everybody should try to have one, especially if you don't
have television, because Grandmas are the only
grownups who have got TIME.
Wouldn't it be nice, today, to have more Grandmothers like this?
Byrl Brockman
.
The story is told of a rich man who wanted to help a poor carpenter and his family.
He hired the carpenter to build a house on a hillside, and then went away on a long journey.
The carpenter said to himself, "My boss is gone away, and I can use shoddy material
And neglect the support work that dosen't show.
The house will be weak but nobody will know it."
So, he built a ramshackle house.
When the rich man came back, the carpenter said, "Here is your house, all built."
"Thank you",said the rich man, "Here is the deed and the key. I am giving it to you."
The carpenter grieved that he had robbed himself.
We reap what we sow. We have to live in the house of life that we build.
If we do shoddy work, if we loiter on the job, we cheat ourselves.
We shrivel up and lose our ability to discern between right and wrong.
We have to live with ourselves.
It is a tremenduos fact that each of us is building today the house that we must live in tomorrow.
We can build a palace or a hovel... a jail or a pig pen.
But remember, we must LIVE in it.
What kind of a house are you (we) building for eternity?
May we all give our lives to Christ, that we will be able to live in that heavenly mansion.
Byrl Brockman
MY PRAYER
Give me strength from day to day,
'To walk the straight and narrow way.
Help us when to thee we pray,
To give our thanks for thy dear son.
And as he prayed thy will be done,
Forgive our sins and guide our sight.
Keep us in thy holy light.
May we keep ourselves aright..
And lead some others from their plight.
Now Father thou knowest all
Help us stand when we would fall.
Let us hear thy tender call,
Come my children thou art small.
Rest thy head upon my breast,
Thou so weary and distressed.
Fear and trouble soon will pass,
All our thanks to thee we give,
While upon this earth we live.
Thou hast made our hearts to sing,
Thou who givest everything.
May our lives to others bring,
Glad tidings like a bell that rings.
May all of us be more dedicated to prayer to God.
Byrl Brockman
Womanhood is a blessing to our world.
In Proverbs 31:10-12, we have these words concerning a virtuous woman:.
The heart of her husband doth safely
Trust in her so that he will have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
Here are other words of praise for the woman of God:
Proverbs 31;28.......
" Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praiseth her , saying:
Many daughters have done worthily,
But thou excellest them all.
Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain;
But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands;
And let her works praise her in the gates."
