Alcoholic Stupidity

The drunk husband snuck up the stairs quietly. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and bruises he'd received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the thought that he'd pulled one over on his wife. When morning came, he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. "You were drunk last night weren't you!" "No, honey." "Well, if you weren't, then who put all the band-aids on the bathroom mirror?"
Drunk people do stupid things. Alcoholic beverages make a fool of those who think they are untouchable or unaffected by liquor. In our city limits, 4 new liquor stores will be opening soon. 4 liquor stores! We need zero more!
I am afraid that in the near future there will be more tales of stupid things. But next time, there will be no humor in it. It may be somebody I know.

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. ~ Proverbs 20:1

Harsh Judgment

People tend to be the most critical of the people with whom they spend the most time. In marriage, it is especially this way. We do not give our spouses enough room to move. Eventually, our expectations of perfection choke them out of their own personality and self-worth.
When you get to know someone in such an intimate way, your ability to appreciate their good qualities is often altered by the mistakes they have made or the hurt they have caused.
I have been married to my wonderful wife for 9+ years. I know this is not very long as compared to others. One observation about myself in this relationship, is that I find myself trying to excuse my weaknesses and bad choices by blaming my faults on her. This is a very stupid and immature thing to do. But unfortunately, people do this in relationships all of the time.
In close relationships faults are very apparent, sometimes gleaming. Selfishness and pride cause individuals to use the negative traits in their spouses to get by with the continuance of behavior that is both poor in judgment and in scope.
As a cancer survivor to this point, who is just happy to be alive, I am begging those of you who are married to see the person you married as the most wonderful person on the earth. Don't execute such harsh judgment. If you are healthy then you should be happy. If you have today to spend with that person then make the most of it. See this person as the person you married for all of the right reasons. Examine your own weaknesses and contribute to the effort of love and peace in your home.

They say a wife and husband,
Bit by bit,
Can rear between themselves a mighty wall,
So thick they cannot speak with ease through it,
Nor can they see across it, it stands so tall.
Its nearness frightens them, but each alone
Is powerless to tear its bulk away; and each
Dejected wishes he had known
For such a wall, some magic thing to say.
So let us build with master art, my dear,
A bridge of love between your life and mine,
A bridge of tenderness, and very near,
A bridge of understanding, strong and fine,
Till we have formed so many lovely ties,
There never will be room for walls to rise.

The Love of Money

What are you willing to do for $10,000,000? Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following:

• Would abandon their entire family (25%)
• Would abandon their church (25%)
• Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)
• Would give up their American citizenships (16%)
• Would leave their spouses (16%)
• Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
• Would kill a stranger (7%)
• Would put their children up for adoption (3%)
  Source: James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told the Truth, 1991

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" ` 1 Tim. 6:10.

Echoes from the Mountain of God

Out Revilo Road in Lawrence County and left down into a holler that time forgot, one can find Mt. Zion. There is a beautiful spring-fed creek with a swinging bridge, two old church buildings and a cemetary. The Lord's church still meets here every Sunday. The last few years we have taken our young people to Mt. Zion for a picnic, devotional, and playtime. One thinks of Naaman, the baptism of Jesus, and other things to teach about down by such waters.
The word "Zion" means "fortress." It is the word used to describe the eternal city of God or heaven in the New Testament (Heb. 12:22,28; Rev. 14:1).
Up in the cemetary I roamed today, looking at the various headstones with their epitaphs. The oldest grave in the cemetary contains one John McMasters, born in 1789, buried in the 1830's. I presume it is his son's grave that is also there. Another John McMasters was born July 13, 1831 who died December 27, 1925. The one thing that struck the loudest with me was that many headstones are no longer readable. Not only were the sayings unreadable, but the names and dates themselves had faded with the passing of time. Ironically, several of the epitaphs could barely be seen, saying, "gone but not forgotten." This thought may have been true at one time. But as the book of Psalms notes, even our years of strentgth are only labor and sorrow, and we fly away.
The second McMasters grave had the best epitaph in the cemetary - "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." Now here was a fitting end to the life of a man. I don't know if anything will be on my headstone save my name and time. But that verse is definitely on the list of possibilties. I guess it is up to me as to whether or not it will fit.
It may do your soul well to visit the mountain of God. Many things have changed in our world in the last hundereds years. But if you are listening for an echo of yesterday, you may find it there.

"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." ~ Jer. 6:16

God's Store

You may select 5 of the following items and add them to your cart. Remember that some of these are gender specific. You may choose only five, so pick wisely.

Fruits of the Spirit:
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Kindness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

Tool Department:
Public Speaking, Writing, Artistic Ability, Business Sense, Organization Skills.

Educational:
Wisdom, Understanding, Truth, Knowledge

Misc. Spiritual Needs:
Mercy, Grace, Hope, Happiness, Humility, Boldness

Women’s Wear:
Teacher, Leader, Mentor, Counselor, Personal Evangelist

Men’s Wear:
Elder, Deacon, Preacher, Teacher, Leader, Mentor, Counselor, Personal Evangelist

Add to Cart:

1. ___________________________________

2. ___________________________________

3. ___________________________________

4. ___________________________________

5. ___________________________________


Briefly explain your choices:

Respond by posting or email: jeremiahtatum@bellsouth.net
Statistics posted in two weeks with commentary.

The Human Touch

Jesus separated Himself from the "religious leaders" not only by His life and teaching, but by His personality. In Mark chapter 1, a man with leprosy approached Jesus and asked for cleansing. The Jews would not go near such a man, not because of anything contagious, but because a leper was deemed "unclean."
But the Savior of the world was moved with compassion. He stretched forth His hand, touched him, and healed him (Mk. 1:41). It is the human touch of Jesus that reminds us of God's loving care. Those who practice this simple concept make an impact that goes far beyond their understanding and into the the souls of others.

'Tis the human touch in this world that counts,

The touch of your hand and mine,

Which means far more to the fainting heart

Than shleter and bread and wine;

For shelter is gone when the night is o'er,

And bread lasts only a day,

But the touch of the hand and the sound of the voice

Sing on in the soul alway. ~ Spencer Michael Free

Local Church Membership

Many have asked the question, "Is the organization we have in the church today similar to the Biblical standard?" If we use the commands, examples, and inferences found in the New Testament, it certainly is. One of the side questions of this matter is that of local congregational membership. Some have said that there is no "placing membership" example. Others don't see a need for it. But what does the Bible give to us as we look at the church?
1. It tells us we are born into a family. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13). It is not when a person says, "I believe in God" that they join God's family. Jesus said, as per any family, one must be born to enter it (Jn. 3:3, 5). In the first century, when people were born again in baptism, God added them to the church universal. It seemed a very simple conclusion that these individuals identified with local Christians. They became a member of the congregation where they obeyed the gospel.
2. It tells us fellowship begins with responsibility. "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42). Being brought into the fellowship inherently involves the idea of each one doing his/her own part (Eph. 4:16). While many today first offer that the idea of fellowship has to do with social interaction, the orignial idea in Scripture is that it was "joint participation." Fellowship meant sharing the gospel and the responsibilities of belonging to Christ and the church. The acts of worship were considered acts of fellowship. Benevolence, another responsibility, was fellowship (Acts 6:1-7). Paul considered the money he received from the saints at Philippi "fellowship" (Phil. 4:15). This was because they had done their part in the spreading of the gospel and meeting the needs of the brethren. We do not get baptized, and then just punch our ticket every Sunday morning! Joint participation includes involvement in all of the things the church is doing. How can a person be so involved without identifying with a local body?
3. It tells us we are accountable. "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you" (Heb. 13:17). Each local congregation had elders and deacons (Phil. 1:1). The elders were shepherds, overseers, men who had an obligation to every Christian within the congregation concerning spiritual matters. The members, in turn, were to obey these men. One can only be submissive by recognizing a relationship with the one to whom they must submit. Christians "at large" do not have the accountability that God designed for their spiritual lives. The church was comprised of the saved (Acts 2:47) - thus those who are saved need the church.
If you are a Christian, you should be involved in the work of the church, both universal and local.