|
|
Articles from this month's issue of the Berean News |
|
Q: Who do you most want to meet when in heaven and why? |
|
 |
Joe Adam, because I want to get the scoop on what really happened in the garden under that tree. |
 |
Sara My Grandpa, because he died before I was born and I never got to know him. |
 |
Pam Timothy. In a certain way as I was growing up I could relate to him. |
 |
Greg My own father. He passed away in '97 and I led him to the Lord shortly before his passing. |
|
Perspective by Larry Urbaniak When we were recently taking care of our grandson Mark, I had the experience of once again watching the television show "Sesame Street." I hadn't seen this show since Mark's mother and uncle were only a little older than he is now. I was interested to see if all the characters I remembered were still on the show. I must admit that I eagerly looked for Oscar the Grouch. I was not disappointed when he made his appearance. I recalled how Oscar was always a favorite of both our children, and of mine. And then I began to think about how many other children's stories and shows have grumpy characters in them. Remember two old grumpy men in the balcony on "The Muppet Show"? Dr. Seuss' Grinch (the one who stole Christmas) had a heart that was two times too small. Even one of Snow White's seven little friends is named Grumpy. I am reminded of a true story I read last year about a mother who was talking with her three-year-old boy about what he wanted for Christmas. He told her that more that anything else he wanted a stuffed bear that he had seen. Its name was Grumpy. The mother was a little puzzled There were so many other cute, happy bears and other stuffed animals that she could not figure out why he wanted the grumpy one. She even tried suggesting other stuffed animals, more pleasant ones, to him. But he always responded that the one he really wanted was Grumpy. The young boy did get Grumpy for Christmas. He was thrilled. After all the gifts had been opened and the boy was walking around with the bear in his arms, his mother finally asked him why he wanted Grumpy so badly. He replied, "because he needs hugs and kisses." Grouchy and grumpy people populate not only the make-believe world, but the real one as well. So what can you and I as Christians do about them? First of all, make sure that we are not grumps. Grumps definitely do not make good witnesses for Christ. We are to be people through whom God's love flows and affects others. Never grumps. And then as Christians we should attempt to stretch the hearts of those we know who are grumpy old men or women, or middle-aged grumps, or even young ones. We can learn from the little boy and Grumps the bear. The boy sought out the bear in order to give him hugs and kisses because the bear so obviously needed them. Too often we find it so much easier to avoid the grumps. But nothing other than an act of love can chase away grumpiness and bring in laughter and joy. May you and I view grumps as a challenge and an opportunity to practice God's love in a special way. |
|
Viewpoints by Dan Arends While it may be unclear who wrote the book of Hebrews, the author's language is clear, concise and paints a picture with dire results for those who "fall away" in Hebrews 6:4-6, the author states "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." In studying this scripture and other similar ones, the scholars lay out two schools of thought: 1. Christians are eternally secure and cannot fall from grace- so those that have fallen away have merely tasted God's grace but not truly believed. While God's grace is wonderful and abounding, this scripture is very clear. If we have accepted Christ as our savior in our heart of hearts, i.e. we have been enlightened, have tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the holy spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, we run the risk of losing salvation. These are all terms that indicate a great deal of knowledge and participation on the part of those once enlightened and if you gain this knowledge and relationship, you run the risk of falling away. When God created Adam, He gave him free will &emdash; the power to make his own choices. God likewise gives mankind free will. Just as God commanded Adam in Genesis 2:16-17, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will die," God continually warns us of the risk of falling away and how to fight Satan. But, if we use our free will to turn from God and "fall away," there can be little question of the consequence, we can not be brought back to repentance. The term "fall away" means to abandon your faith and turn away entirely and decisively. Once man uses his free will to reject Christ, there is nothing left for God to do. He provided us a savior in his son the Lord Jesus Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice in dying for our sins and there is nothing that can parallel that and there is no way He is going to let that happen again. So God has purposely made this scripture simple, clear and concise so there will be no questions about the outcome. Through God's grace he has given us the knowledge and opportunity to understand his word, now it is our obligation to use our free will to show our faith in Him. |
|
A Daughter's Heart By Ann Teunis Marriage is a lot like a roller coaster ride: there are ups and downs, there are scary turns and even loops, but, the entire time it's exhilarating, it's breathtaking and it's pure joy. Why the analogy, you ask? Well, there are so few words that accurately describe the indescribable joy experienced in a blessed marriage that I try to relate marital joy to other experiences I've had. Shall we get rolling? Rule #1: Never both be angry at once. Oh yeah, we've all been there when you both lose control at the same time; it's not a pretty scene. One of the benefits of dating and getting to know your spouse before marriage is that you get to know the "anger triggers" before you're bound to your intended, and can better anticipate and avoid those situations. Remember the wise words of King Solomon: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words cause quarrels." (Proverbs 15:1) Rule #2: Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire. Really! A raised voice is a very clear sign that you've already lost control, and that can't lead to anything good. This is an area that I have to manage on a minute-by-minute basis, since I was raised in a home with a lot of raised voices. This may have to be "unlearned" by you too. Let us reflect upon one of the most shameful, raised voice arguments in the Bible, found in Mark, chapter 9, verses 33-35, where Jesus and his apostles where approaching Capernaum. "And so they arrived at Capernaum. When they were settled in the house where they were to stay He (Jesus) asked them: 'What were you discussing out on the road?' But they were ashamed to answer, for they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest! He sat down and called them around Him and said, 'Anyone wanting to be the greatest must be the least &endash; the servant of all!'" I say "Amen" to that. Rule #3: Yield to the wishes of the other as an exercise in self-discipline if you can't think of a better reason. However, as Christians, we should very easily be able to think of a better reason, because it's scripturally commanded. Ah yes, Ephesians 5:21 springs to mind for me &endash; "Honor Christ by submitting to each other." And also 1st Peter 5:5, "…And all of you serve each other with humble spirits, for God gives special blessings to those who are humble, but sets Himself against those who are proud." Amen again. Rule #4: If you have a choice between making yourself or your mate look good, choose your mate. Have you ever noticed how a genuine, well-timed compliment can make your spouse literally "glow" for possibly days? It's true. And, it works equally as well for both men and women. Women love to have their worth reinforced, well, basically all the time. And men, well, men like being reminded by their beloved that they are indeed the finest Christ has to offer her. Indeed. And, for scriptural reinforcement of this concept, let's take a trip back to the book of Ephesians, chapter 5 again, verse 2&emdash;"Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins…" Christ leads the way in putting others first. Rule #5: If you feel you must criticize, do so lovingly. Ah, ah, ah, lovingly, now, not the way we really feel like doing it. When presented with the "opportunity" to correct or redirect your spouse, often it's very difficult to do so in a loving way, am I right? Last year, Steve and I went to a marriage enrichment weekend offered by Family Life, and one of the most valuable lessons we learned was how to talk to each other when we're "elevated." It's really simple &endash; speak in "I" statements, not "you" statements. Talk about how you feel, not about your interpretations of what your spouse has or hasn't done. Try it. Here's what the book of Proverbs has to say about effective communication: "Self-control means controlling the tongue! A quick retort can ruin everything." (Proverbs 13:1) Let's endeavor to always remember this. Rule #6: Never bring up a mistake of the past. Your silence will be greatly appreciated. So true, isn't it? The temptation for me is to fling that thing of the past right back in my husband's face, when, of course, it's to my advantage. This is not a joy-building attitude for marriage; in fact, this is more analogous to the fun-filled roller coaster leaving the tracks! Quite often, rule #6 involves forgiveness. Chuck Lynch, in his book entitled "I Should Forgive, But…," says "Forgiving involves purposing in your heart not to bring up the offense again and not to hold it against the offending party. Much like a merchant would not resubmit a previously paid bill as now due." Good advice, Chuck. But, I think the Bible has an even clearer example for us in the book of Second Timothy, where Paul recounts to Timothy what Alexander the coppersmith did to him. "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds." (2 Tim. 4:14) What Paul did was 1) remember the offense, and 2) identify what he did with the offense, namely, he forgave Alexander by turning him over to Christ. I believe the lesson here is clear: do not dwell on the past, identify the transgression, forgive, turn the offender over to Christ and look forward. I look forward to bringing you another Six Rules for a Joyous Marriage in a future issue! |
|
Roy's Reflections by Roy Boswell
One day, a priest was walking down a country lane when he heard cries coming from a ditch on the other side of the road. "Help me! Help me, please!" The priest stopped and strained his neck to see into the ditch. Then he called across the road, "What happened to you?" "I was traveling to town when I was attacked, beaten, and robbed. Please help me, I can't move," the voice responded. The priest paused for a moment. Then he yelled back to the voice in the ditch. "Listen, there's this fellow called the Good Samaritan who always helps people in need. He should be coming down the road any time now. He'll help you. I don't know anything about first aid and I wouldn't want to make things worse." "Wait, you don't understand, I'm..…." But the priest had already gone on his way. Soon, another man came walking along the road. This man was a Levite. "Help me! Help me, please!" The Levite stopped in the road and looked from side to side. "Who was that? Who said that?" "I did, over here!" called the voice from the ditch on the other side of the road. "Are you talking to me?" asked the Levite. "Yes, you! I was traveling to town when I was attacked, beaten, and robbed. I need your help!" "Oh," said the Levite, gazing into the ditch. "You do sound like someone who could use some help. Wait a minute! Attacked? Beaten? Robbed? What a coincidence! That reminds me of a story a fellow named Jesus told! Ever heard of him?" "Yes, I'm very familiar with that story. Now, can you help me?" "Actually, I'm in quite a rush. But I'm sure that someone else will be along shortly to help you. Someone called... umm... the Good Samaritan! That's it! He'll be along soon. This is a busy road, you know." "Couldn't you help me? I'm feeling very weak, I can't..." "I'm sorry, but I'm not the Good Samaritan. I'm the Levite. If I helped you, it would ruin the story. You wouldn't want me to do that, now, would you?" "No, I wouldn't want you to do that, but I think it's already.…. Wait! Come back!" "Have a little patience! I'm sure the Good Samaritan will be along shortly," the Levite said as he went on his way. Soon another man came walking along the same road. He ran over to the ditch when he heard the man crying. "Oh my goodness! What happened?" "I was traveling to town when I was attacked, beaten, and robbed. Two other men have walked by and haven't helped me. Please help me. I can't move." The traveler peered in at the wounded figure lying on the ground in front of him. Finally he said, "Wait a minute... you look familiar. Where are you from?" "Samaria" He answered. "Do you by any chance have a nickname?" he asked, suddenly excited. "Me? Well, some people call me the Good Samaritan because I helped an injured man on this road a while back." "Yes! Yes! Well, sir, I was the man you helped! All this time I have been looking for you because I wanted to pay you back! Wow, this is great! I can't wait until I find my friends and tell them that I actually met up with you again! And now I can finally pay you back! Look, here are two silver coins&emdash;exactly what you gave that innkeeper. I feel so much better having finally repaid you. This is wonderful!" The grateful man, who had himself once been attacked, beaten, and robbed, laid the two silver coins in the dust next to the wounded man and then cheerfully went on his way, whistling a happy tune. "Wait, wait! I don't want your money..." whispered the man from Samaria. But it was too late. The other man was already gone. And so, the Good Samaritan died quietly in a ditch by the side of the road. Jesus told the original story of the Good Samaritan to teach us about agape love (Luke 10: 25-37). But like the seemingly grateful man in this off-beat take on the parable, we sometimes miss the point. Love is more than words; it's more than a feeling; more than doing what's easy and convenient and its much more than Valentine's day cards, candies or flowers. Love means getting down in the ditch with someone to give him or her what they really need. It means getting dirty and being inconvenienced. Sometimes it means laying down your life for a friend (John 15:13). Jesus did just that for us. |
return to Berean News