|
|
Articles from this month's issue of the Berean News |
|
Q: Why is it important to attend a mid-week Bible Study? |
|
 |
Donna I attend a mid-week study because there is a mutual encouragement that takes place that is so vital to maintaining my focus in this world. I have gotten to know brethren in a more intimate way. Most importantly, I never leave a meeting without feeling really blessed to have a place to go, where I can share my joys and trials and leave refreshed! |
 |
Joe I believe small group meetings are essential in most cases to developing the required knowledge, commitment, responsibility and faithfulness concerning God that are necessary to gaining His approval in our walk. |
 |
Linda I like going to a mid-week study because it's an extra boost in the middle of the week to help me keep my focus on the Lord. |
 |
Randy It's important because it helps me learn about the Bible. |
|
Perspective by Larry Urbaniak A morning prayer: "So far today, God, I have done all right. I have not gossiped. I have not lost my temper. I have not been grumpy, nasty, or selfish. I am real happy so far. But now, dear God, I'm going to get out of bed -- and for the rest of the day, I'm probably going to need a lot of help." From John Scott: "Sin and the child of God are incompatible. They may occasionally meet; they cannot live together in harmony." "The modern world detests authority but worships relevance... Our Christian conviction is that the Bible has both authority and relevance.. and that the secret of both is Jesus Christ." "The Christian life is not just our own private affair. If we have been born again into God's family, not only has he become our Father but every other Christian believer in the world, whatever his nation or denomination, has become our brother or sister in Christ... but it is no good supposing that membership in the universal Church of Christ is enough; we must belong to some local branch of it... every Christian's place is in a local church... sharing in its worship, its fellowship, and its witness." Posted in a church hall: "Religion will do just as much for you as you do for it." From Jim Scarcarelli: "A sharp tongue sometimes cuts its own throat." From Barbara Johnson: "Pain comes into everybody's life, but misery is optional." "Frogs have it easy -- they can eat whatever is bugging them." "Don't waste today's time cluttering up tomorrow's opportunities with yesterday's troubles!" "Stress is nothing but psychological pollution." Sign outside a New Jersey church: "A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a person that isn't." Off the record quote from Peter, one day on the Sea of Galilee: "No, no, it's not luck, Andrew, it's called providential fishing." From Bruce Larson: "God's message in the Bible can be summed up in six words, ‘I love you. Don't be stupid.’" From Judith Guest: "People who keep stiff upper lips find that it's very difficult to smile." And one of my own favorites, an anonymous quote: "The church has many critics, but no rivals." |
|
Viewpoints by Joe Horak Although the weather does not seem like it, summer is here. One of the things I enjoy doing during this time of year is playing the game of golf. Believe it or not, I find it helps me to relate to the scriptures. Just as golf demands intense focus and concentration, so does staying focused daily in God's Word. The true secret to playing the game well lies in dedication and commitment. These same principles apply also to being a Christian. Just as Jesus taught about everyday life using parallels and analogies in parables, I would like to use the game of golf in the same way. It a known factor that training aids in golf help you to recognize and follow the right patterns or swing path, so the Word of God is a training aid for the game of life. It is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword . . . and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). When you learn to understand and use God's Word, you will discover that it is a training aid of enormous value. In fact, you will discover it is the greatest training aid of all. Athletes in all sports recognize the need to warm up before playing. Yet, too few of us are in the habit of warming up before a round of golf. We do not play as well as we could if we would simply take a few extra minutes to give our bodies a wake-up call that the game is about to begin. The same is true in our walk with Christ. We all need to spend time each day warming up before we head out to face our various responsibilities as parents, spouses, employees, and friends. Our spiritual warm-up needs to include reading from God's Word and reflecting on its application for the day. This spiritual warm-up should also include prayer &endash; a time when we praise God, ask for his forgiveness, and seek his help as our partner. It has been said that a person stands tallest when on his knees before God each day. That is how we are to get ready to play the most difficult course of all . . . life. |
|
Roy's Reflections by Roy Boswell He was not my drill instructor. In fact, he wasn't in the military at all. He was the toughest 10th grade algebra teacher in any Christian Brother High School anywhere, or so I thought along with most of my fellow students. With a wry sense of humor and scant patience for foolishness, his image was made complete with the addition of bulky orthopedic shoes. Hence the name: Sergeant Richard. And while we laughed and joked about him all the way to and from class, I only slipped once and called him Sergeant in class. Believe me with him you only made that mistake once. In a way, I was acting like two different people, one in class and another outside. So which was the real me: the one who smiled and said "Yes Sir, Brother Richard" or the one who when away from the school would make fun of his army boots? Sixteen times in the gospels Jesus called someone a "hypocrite." The word literally means "an actor," one who plays for the crowd. The theatrical hypocrite dons a mask, disguises his voice, and pretends to be someone who he is not; all to impress a cheering crowd. Likewise, the spiritual hypocrite selects his words and actions to please an earthly audience. He labors to impress the crowd, more concerned with his outward appearance than his inner motivation. In Matthew 6, Jesus says, "The hypocrite checks to be sure others see his monetary gifts. The hypocrite chooses his location to be sure people hear him praying to God. The hypocrite subtly advertises his fasting to others." To the actor, appearance is everything. "But you don't do that," Jesus continues. Instead... -Give secretly: While the hypocrite works to advertise his gifts, you work to conceal yours, knowing that your Father already knows the amount. Remember that your gift is between you and God. -Pray privately: Keep your focus on our Father above, not those around. -Fast joyfully: If your fasting makes everyone around you miserable, what good is it? Besides, if everyone else knows you are fasting, it gains you nothing in God's sight. Tragically, the actor who performs for an earthly audience loses the very reward he seeks, for God rewards those who give, pray, and fast for Him alone, rather than to impress others. He is the ultimate audience; He is the one who sees past the mask into the heart of the wearer. You must choose only one audience, and examine the real reason for your actions, for God is unwilling to share His front-row seat at your life's performance. The lights will dim, the curtain will open, and you will perform today. But remember to ask yourself each morning, just who are you really trying to impress? |
|
A Daughter's Heart by Ann Teunis Someone once said, "Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm." Sometimes marriage can get a little stormy. Some marriages survive the stormy periods, some don't. So, how can there actually be "peace amid the storm," or dare we even say, joy? This month's "A Daughter's Heart" explores the remaining six rules for a joyous marriage &emdash; a unique combination of storm-survivor skills & a whole lot of God's grace. Rule # 7&emdash;Neglect not each other. Time can be one of the most difficult resources to manage. Are you finding yourself having to practically schedule time with your "other half" to catch up on the day? Our spouses deserve their rightful Christian place in our priorities. Here's how my relationship priorities stack up: 1. God & Jesus Rule #8&emdash;Never let the day end without saying at least one complimentary thing to your spouce. Have you ever noticed how incredibly easy it is to get bogged down in the negativeness of today's society? The evening news is full of depressing bits and pieces, the billboards seem to get more offensive every day, and on and on. It's because of reasons like these AND the ongoing, subtle work of Satan himself that we need to edify our spouses each and every day. Rule #9&emdash;Never meet without an affectionate greeting. Expressing affection or "a fond or tender feeling" is very important to us all. We need reinforcement of our value to our mate. Try this one day just for fun &endash; kiss each other every time you enter and leave your spouse's presence. I know, you could end up kissing each other several times in that one day, but what fun you'll have! Plus, it reinforces the fact that you have opportunities all the time to express your love to your spouse. Don't miss 'em! Rule #10&emdash;When you've said or done something hurtful, acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness, fast. It's like taking a Band-aid off &endash; do it fast and it'll hurt a whole lot less. Dr. Chuck Lynch, in his book, I Should Forgive, But… says, "With those who are reluctant to acknowledge their anger, I explain that if we do not acknowledge the anger and the offense, we will not forgive it and will therefore repeat it in our own life and call it normal." I agree wholeheartedly with Dr. Chuck. We need to remember that we are all scripturally commanded to forgive each other. (Matt. 5:23-24, 6:14-15, 18:21-22, Mark 11:25, Luke 11:4, 17:4, 2 Cor. 2:7, Eph. 5:32, Col. 3:13, to name a few.) I believe it's too easy to think our spouses "know us," therefore, they somehow "accept" hurtful things we say or do as "normal." There's nothing normal or edifying about deliberately hurting your partner. It must be confessed and forgiveness asked as soon as possible, lest it takes root and becomes a problem of greater proportions. I remind myself of Prov. 18:19 when I'm the wrongdoer, where the writer says it is easier to scale a walled city than to win back an offended brother. Rule # 11- Remember, it takes two to get an argument going. (Invariably, the one who is wrong is the one who will be doing most of the talking.) This rule is probably the most commonly forgotten rule of arguing &endash; IT TAKES TWO. If you don't want to argue, DON'T ENGAGE in a fight. Take a break from your conversation and come back to the topic later, and remember to speak in "I" statements, not "you" statements. Rule #12&emdash;Never go to bed mad, sad or bad. Make no mistake &endash; Satan uses both our personal strengths and weaknesses to put us at odds with our spouses, anyway, anytime and anywhere he can. DO NOT go to sleep mad at your spouse, sad about something your spouse did or said, or, without apologizing if you're the wrongdoer and your apology is required. According to Dr. Chuck, withholding conversation (clamming up) or withholding forgiveness is a form of revenge. Why? Becauseby doing so you are hoping that the offender will hurt a little too, in order to understand better. But, this type of revenge robs both the offender and the victim of freedom and allows the offender to keep control of the situation. We need to remember 1 Cor. 12:26 &endash;"If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, and if one member is honored, all the members are honored with it." |
|
Sept. 24, 1963- May 10, 2001 by Roy Boswell Funeral services for Br. Steve were held on May 14th at the Mission Evangelical Church, Wausau WI; Officiating was our Br. Joe Horak. Eulogies were given by Laurie Lang of Madison, Mike Fischer of Wausau, and Wayne Urbaniak of Minneapolis, MN. As a tribute to Steve's musical talents, three of his friends performed three songs from Steve's recently released CD. They were Paul Lanser- vocal; Laurie Lang- bass; Brad Pregeant- keyboard. The recessional song was a recording of "The Dolphin Song" by our Br. Steve. Please remember the entire Ostwald family with prayer in their time of mourning and also lift up your prayers of thanksgiving to our merciful Heavenly Father who gave our Br. Steve the strength necessary to reach his dream of finishing his CD. Br. Steve showed a remarkable amount of courage and faith. For five years, he endured his cancer and medical treatments without complaint. He was and will continue to be a true Christian example to all who knew him. |
|
A Father's Advice The best advice I ever had My dad began by telling me "Let heart and conscience be your guide; Do not be ashamed of your ideas, If you are wrong but think you're right, These were the words my father told |
return to Berean News