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Articles from this month's issue of the Berean News |
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Viewpoint We have recently been working in our yard, doing a little landscaping and a little gardening. It is very easy to relate to God when doing this. Sometimes when we are at work in the garden it's easy to imagine we are "playing God" with our seeds and plants. We move them around, decide which needs water or fertilizer. We eliminate weeds mercilessly and slaughter whole nations of bugs (or at least try to). Our job is to protect the garden and do what is necessary for the plants to flourish. If we decide a plant is a good one and is behaving itself, it gets our love and attention. It gets to live. In much the same way, God plants and cultivates us. He knows what we can become, if only we will be faithful. If we honor His love with our obedience, we will grow and flourish. "Love the Lord,all you his saints,The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily." Psalms 31:23 We must look at ourselves carefully and ask if we are faithful. Are we responding to the care and mercv God lavishes on us by growing and bearing fruit as He intended? "But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord, at an acceptable time,O God,in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me." Psalms 69:13 A good part of gardening involves waiting, and a big part of what we are waiting for is completely out of our control. We plant our seeds and set out seedlings. We know they should grow and produce within a certain period of time, but we can't be certain exactly when. We water and fertilize and weed and pray. We listen to the weathermen and their forecasts hoping for the right predictions but we know that drought and flood are always a possibility. This uncertainty is an unavoidable fact of a gardener's life. We can't hurry nature's pace just because we are impatient, and we can't predict what calamities, which are completely out of our hands, might befall our garden. We have to do all we can, thcn "keep the faith" and wait for the outcome. The gardener's situation is very similar to our relationship with the Lord. God in His steadfast love for us hears all of our cries for help. He knows far better than we do when and how to answer us. We must learn to be patient and trust in His perfect timing. Nothing is more satisfying to a gardener than to step back after a good day's work in the garden and survey a prospering bed of plants, which is directly a result of hours of planning and hard work. The beauty and fruitfulness of the plants are in direct proportion to the amount of care and energy that have been devoted to them. The garden with its perennials, annuals, vegetables, and fruits exists because we have established it, watched over it tenderly, and given it what it needs to grow. This pleasurable experience gives us a small idea of what it must be like for our Lord to survey the work of His hands. Our loving, diligent care for our gardens is a tiny mirror image of the love and care He lavishes on His creation. We belong to Him, we are His sheep, and He will do whatever is necessary to preserve and protect us. "Know that the Lord is God. It is He that made us, and we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture." Psalms 100:3 Our responsibility is to flourish and grow in the knowledge that we are beloved of the Lord. Are we making the most of what He has given us? &emdash;Joe Horak |
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Perspective Last week one of the other teachers in our Math department gave me a copy of a story. She said, "I thought you especially would enjoy this, Larry." She was right. I did. So much so that I thought I'd like to share it with you this month. It is supposed to be a true story. Unfortunately, the author is unknown and there is no source given. But it's a worthwhile story regardless. Thc incident in the story is told by a mother. Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-ycar-old son askcd if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for this food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And liberty and justice for all! Amen!" Along with the laughter from other customers nearby, l heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!" Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?" As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and that God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approachcd the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer." "Really?" "Cross my heart." Then in a theatrical whisper he added, "Too bad that woman never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes." Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal My son stared at his for a moment and then he did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his ice cream sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good already." There are many neat aspects of this story The struggle of a six-year-old to understand prayer and wanting to do it right, the judgmental meanness of the woman, the kindly understanding and encouragement of the gentleman, the spontaneous action and words of the child, the impact and lessons the boy's actions has on his mother. Who do you identify with? Each of us has probably been in each of the different positions represented in this story at different times in our lives. We struggle to understand how to pray. We want to do it "right" in God's eyes. Sometimes we are mean and judgmental, even when we honestly don't intend to be. We hurt and offend others -- especially those who are supposedly less mature in their spiritual understanding and development. Sometimes, by inspiration of God's spirit, we say or do just the right thing at just the right time to help someone. If only we could do it more often. And sometimes we see or hear something that we will remember for the rest of our lives. It becomes a real spiritual lesson well learned. And when that happens, it's like ice cream for the soul. --Larry Urbaniak |
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A Daughter's Heart Does the title of this article intrigue you? It may, if you have ever felt conflicted by the world's constant redefining of a woman's role in secular society. Although I am a Christian, striving to live by scriptural standards, I am a woman who lives, breathes and functions in the secular world. To say that secular thinking doesn't affect me at all is to deny my humanity. I myself was raised during the 60's and 70's, in which there were varying popular mindsets about women in the home, workplace and in society at large. As I recall it, women were to be free, equal, and above all, valued. Oddly, I never recall not feeling free, equal or valued, and yet I was raised in a Christian home, more specifically, in a Catholic home, and attended Catholic centers of instruction all the way through college. How can this be? Isn't a Christian, especially a Christian woman, supposed to have a subservient, submissive existence? Can a person be free, equal and valued, yet be subservient and submissive? I believe so. When a person comes to know the intimate, peaceful grace and love that is abundantly supplied by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his/her life this person gets the first taste of true freedom: freedom from the heart-wrenching guilt and pain of sin, and freedom from the "old self" and all the mistakes and misgivings that person of the past held on to. True freedom comes, of course, not from man, but from God, through the blood of Jesus. I am free because He came, died and rose again. Equality is a strange word. It means different things to different people. I never really spent a lot of time pondering my worth as compared to the opposite gender's; however, equality of the genders was a hot topic during my youth. I certainly am not the same size or volume as a man. I certainly don't have the same abilities or earthly privileges of a man. So why debate that? Where does equality come from anyway? Once again, as a Christian, the scriptures hold the key to higher understanding. First and foremost, I am but a bondservant to my heavenly Father. Acknowledging this in all that I do, I prefer to ponder another aspect of the term "equal'' - that is, to be equal to the challenge, or, to have the courage, strength and God-given power to do what I must, which is be a living, breathing, submissive witness for my Father in all that I do. So, in being equal to that task, I endeavor to be Christ-like in my secular existence. To give God the glory in all that I do, and rise to the challenges he places in my path provides me with the opportunity to please my Father. I endeavor to be equal to that task every day and in every way. Fortunately for me, I was "valued'' by my parents. To me, being valued means being cared for, nurtured and provided opportunities for both emotional and spiritual growth. I think I was about ten years old when I discovered that the world values external beauty, money, education and social status more than spiritual obedience. It took me the next 30 years to reconcile secular reality with my spiritual self. In my youth, I pondered questions like: Will my two front teeth ever grow together? Am I more valuable if I get another degree? Am I worth more if I bring even more money into my household? And most importantly, to whom does any of this really matter? I now know that the emphasis that the secular world puts on physical beauty, money, education and social status means nothing to my God. This is a harsh truth for me as an overachieving human being,. My value to my Maker is determined solely by Him. I now know what he wants from me. I also know that I have been born into a Gospel Age life of sin, and it's a constant battle between good and evil. My value is not determined by man's here-and-now standards. Quite to the contrary, my value is likened to an instrument in my Lord's hands. I am to be played, to be practiced; all for His delight. Even if I am never considered valuable by people who think they know me, but really don't. I now don't worry ahout it, for my Father in heaven and my brother Jesus know my heart, and only they know my true worth. "Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different, or has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times- speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly- and so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the head of His body, the church. Under His direction the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." Ephesians 4:14 - 16, Living Bible Translation. --Ann Teunis |
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Other Items Hand crafted items for donation to the CAMP BLESSING GIFT SHOP at the Berean Christian Conference! Do you sew, quilt, knit, crochet, paint, calligraphy? Do you make jams, jewelry or whittle? Whatever your God-given talent - share it with us at the Gift Shop. Your donations to the Gift Shop in 1999 raised over $1,900 for Camp Blessing. Please include an inventory sheet listing all the items you bring/send and a suggested price for each item. It's nice to know who made the item you purchase and who we can thank. If you wish to work at the Gift Shop, let us know. God bless you for your generosity! We look forward to seeing you soon. Lucille LePitre and Pat Wasko pwasko2@juno.com |
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Roy's Reflections Retelling of the story found in John 8: 1-11. Is this really happening'? Jacob Ben-Joseph wondered. One minute a crowd was sitting in the early morning shadow of Solomon's Porch. Only doves cooing and children playing quietly at the edges of the crowd were heard besides Jesus' powerful but gentle words that echoed from the pillars and temple buildings. People listened in rapt attention. All of a sudden a woman was screaming. "No, no,'' as a group of well-dressed men dragged her through the seated crowd to where Jesus was sitting. Tears streaked her face, and she clutched her thin nightclothes to her bosom in terror and embarrassment. Jesus stopped teaching and waited. The spokesman for the group - an elderly Pharisee, one would judge by the way he was dressed - flung a challenge at Jesus. "Teacher," he bellowed so all could hear, "this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? Jacob recognized the woman now-- and in the few seconds it took for the crowd to quiet again he could see what was happening. She was from the Essene quarter of Jerusalem, where for months f'olks had whispered about her affair with a tradesman from Egypt. If these Pharisees had really cared ahout upholding morals, Jacob knew, they would have arrested her months before. But this morning they must have broken in on the couple - with the required two witnesses - and hauled her into the temple courts just to put Jesus on the spot. With his reputation for welcoming tax collectors and prostitutes and sinners to his meetings, the Pharisees were trying to set him up&emdash;Jesus against Moses&emdash;and then stand back to watch him try to wriggle out of this situation. This would be interesting indeed, Jacob thought! After the elderly Pharisee's challenge, Jesus, who had been sitting on the stone courtyard, glanced down from the man's glaring eyes to the pavement, and began to write in the dust covering the stones. The Pharisees, furious that he didn't answer, shifted about and muttered to one another. Just then Jesus looked up to the old Pharisee towering over him. "All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!" he said. Then he leaned over and began to write in the dust again. Jacob gasped. Amazing! If I am ready to pass sentence on someone else's sins, what about my own? Who will show me mercy? The Pharisees were fuming. Jesus had given them permission, but who would pick up a rock and begin the ritual execution? The crowd waited to see. Which one would be willing to expose his life's actions to the scrutiny of his neighbors? Which one would have the audacity to pretend he was sinless? The seconds ticked by, and it soon became obvious that nothing was going to happen after all. The younger Pharisees glanced up at their elders for a signal. None came. Then the elderly Pharisee began to edge into the crowd and move away, trying not to attract attention. The younger men followed as soon as they could do so without appearing to run. All eyes followed their retreat till the echo of the last footstep died away. Jesus looked up at the woman, conspicuous now, standing in front of the seated multitude. Jesus seemed to address her as if she were all by herself. "Woman," he asked gently. "where are your accusers'? Has no one passed sentence on you?" "No one, Lord,'' she whispered. "Then neither do I pass sentence on you.'' the Master said. "Go and sin no more'' He added. Jacob could almost see her thin body inhale deeply. Hope filled her eyes. She nodded to Jesus, and began to walk to the temple gate with the determination of a woman who had finally decided what to do, and had made up her mind to do it. --Roy R. Boswell |
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