From Gary... Lessons in perspective

Thank you Elizabeth for taking this wonderful picture and allowing me to use it!!!!

Elizabeth is my granddaughter; someone whose "eye" for perspective is pretty amazing, considering her youth!!!  I was enthralled at this picture because it really does view things from a different angle.  I wonder how many of us would have thought of actually getting down on the ground and looking up to take a snapshot?  Now, apply this to people along with The Bible and this verse from Paul's letter to the Romans comes to mind....

Romans, Chapter 12

 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits.  

In the early eighties, we lived in Gloversville, New York and when I was between churches, so I took a job as a night guard at a local manufacturing plant.  My shift was 4 to 12, but after about 8 p.m. there were only a couple of people in the building.  Myself and another employee (a maintenance man) who for the sake of identification I will call Tony (not his real name).  After some weeks we became friends and he agreed to study the Bible with me on his lunchbreak.  He was not blessed with a great education and found considerable difficulty in reading his Bible, (I don't remember which version it was) so I thought I would help by getting him an Easy-To-Read version.  BAD MOVE!!!!!  Even though I explained that I was trying to make things easier for him, he was insulted and stopped studying altogether.  After about a year he started talking to me again, but it was never the same- I had unwittingly hurt him and the damage could not be undone. Even after thirty years, I still recall this episode with regret. I had no idea that Tony would take such offence, but because of this situation, the passage from Romans means a lot to me.  Tony thought (I guess) that I was looking down on him, when in reality, I was just trying to help him look UP!!!  Christians are to care for those around them in humility and not seek notoriety or superiority over others.  We don't always know what is best for others and should always take the "low road" of a servant.  I guess that is why I like the picture so much- it reminds me that I should be looking up at other and not DOWN AT THEM!!!  You can learn a lot from flowers- and even your neighborhood buzzing insect.  Something to think about on a hot summers day!!!  LORD, help me to apply this Bible verse, beginning with right now!!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... Frozen heads and Bank bosses

Frozen heads and Bank bosses

Wasn’t it GB Shaw who said that if other planets are inhabited they must be using earth as their lunatic asylum? Touché!

When you look around (before looking inside) it’s difficult not to take Shaw half-seriously. There are people paying huge sums of money to strangers to have their heads frozen so they can be brought back in the future (if there is a future). Those strangers will have to have their heads frozen so they can come back to unfreeze the heads of the people who made them rich before they had their heads frozen. Get their heads frozen? They should get them examined for radical brain shrinkage!

We have pugnacious atheists who insist that we're nothing but bags of bio-chemicals and they write books trying to persuade all the other bags of bio-chemicals to agree with them that they're nothing but bags of bio-chemicals. 'Mazing! 

Big banking bosses lead banks to ruin and paralyse entire nations and take home hundreds of millions of dollars while they’re constructing the ruin and then the people they’ve ruined pay to get the bankers back in business. Talk about frozen heads. Then you turn on the television and banks, with song and dance routines and cheerful adaptations of hit tunes, are advertising that they can make you money better than the other banks that are saying they can make you money better than the first banks. And all the while the ruined rank and file are financing the banks to make their commercials to say their banks will make them money. “Loan us 500 billion pounds Stirling and we maybe we’ll be able to loan you money to take out a mortgage with us.” That’s the news UK people got today (8-10-2008).

Half a lifetime ago Harold McMillan, British Prime Minister, said, “If you want morals go to your clergyman.” Edwin Heath, later Prime Minister, said it’s ridiculous to speak of morals in the political/judicial arena. About ten years ago one of the parties (I can’t remember which) announced they were going to run on a return to moral standards for the family and the people. Two days later they rephrased and the moral theme vanished in a puff of blue smoke. Finally, about a week ago, Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, publicly said that banks should be “moral” and spoke of “ethical” responsibility and the “irresponsible” nature of what has been going on. And will it make a difference? Maybe, until we finally get out of this meltdown and then…

One thing’s for sure. Turn these financial wizards loose long enough and talk of global warming vanishes!

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Destroying The Temple Of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

                 "THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS"

                 Destroying The Temple Of God (3:16-17)

INTRODUCTION

1. In the NT, the Lord's church is often depicted as the temple of
   God...
   a. In our text, in connection with being God's building - 1Co 3:16;
      cf. 3:9
   b. Elsewhere in the writings of Paul - 2Co 6:16; Ep 2:19-22
   c. Also by Peter - 1Pe 2:4-5

2. In our text (1Co 3:17), we read of two terrible possibilities...
   a. One can be guilty of "defiling" (or "destroying") the temple of
      God!
   b. God will "destroy" those who do!

3. The words "defile" and "destroy" both come from the same Greek
   word...
   a. phtheiro - "to waste, pine. To corrupt, destroy" - The Complete
      WordStudy Dictionary
   b. "The Greek word is the same in both parts of the sentence. If any
      man 'destroy' the temple of God, God shall 'destroy' him."
      - Barnes

[The words in our text naturally raise two questions, the first one
is...]

I. HOW MIGHT ONE DESTROY THE TEMPLE OF GOD?

   A. THROUGH RELIGIOUS STRIFE...
      1. This was the problem that existed at Corinth - 1Co 1:10-13 

      2. It prevented many members from receiving spiritual meat - 1Co 3:1-2
      3. It left such members in a state of carnality - 1Co 3:3-4
      4. Paul warned the churches of Galatia of the dangers of strife
         - Ga 5:15
      -- Where religious strife exists, the temple of God is being
         destroyed!

   B. THROUGH DESTRUCTIVE DOCTRINES...
      1. Peter warned of the destructive influence of false teachers
         - 2Pe 2:1
      2. Causing many to follow their destructive ways - 2Pe 2:2-3
      3. Paul also warned of those who lead many astray - Ac 20:29-30
      4. The Spirit also expressly warned of such an apostasy - 1Ti 4:
         1-3
      -- Where false teaching occurs, the temple of God is being
         destroyed!

   C. THROUGH SLOTHFUL SERVICE...
      1. The slothful person is a brother to one who is a great
         destroyer - Pr 18:9
      2. The devastating effect of sloth can be vividly illustrated
         a. By Solomon, in the book of Proverbs - Pr 24:30-34
         b. By the illustrating the church as a wagon, where some help
            by pulling or pushing, while others simply go along for the
            ride, making travel difficult through their dead weight
      3. Thus the need for diligent, fervent service to the Lord - Ro 12:11
      4. Instead of sluggishness, we ought to serve with faith and
         patience - He 6:12
      -- Where slothful service is found, the temple of God is being
         destroyed!

[There may be other ways to destroy the temple of God, but these suffice
to make the point.  We now turn to our second question...]

II. HOW WILL GOD DESTROY THOSE WHO DO?

   A. BY CUTTING THEM OFF...
      1. Jesus warned His disciples they would be cut off if they did
         not bear fruit - Jn 15:1-2,6
      2. Paul warned Christians they would be cut off if they did not
         remain faithful - Ro 11:19-23
      3. Jesus warned Christians that He would vomit those who were
         lukewarm - Re 3:15-19
      -- Destroyers of the temple of God will be cut off before they do
         too much damage!

   B. BY TAKING AWAY THEIR REWARD...
      1. As Jesus illustrated in telling the parable of the talents - Mt 25:24-29
      2. As the writer to the Hebrews warned his brethren - He 4:1,11;
         cf. 3:17-19
      -- Destroyers of the temple of God will not receive the blessings
         intended for them!

   C. BY CONSIGNING THEM TO ETERNAL DESTRUCTION...
      1. So Peter wrote of those teaching destructive doctrines - 2 Pe 2:1-3,9
      2. So Jesus spoke of those who offend and practice lawlessness
         - Mt 13:40-42
      3. So He spoke of the lazy servant in the parable of the talents
         - Mt 25:30
      4. The same eternal destruction for those who obey not the gospel
         - 2Th 1:7-9
      -- Destroyers of the temple of God will themselves be destroyed by
         God!

CONCLUSION

1. Being in the temple of God is a wonderful blessing...
   a. For the Spirit of God dwells in you - 1Co 3:16
   b. We have fellowship with God that foreshadows what is to come
      - 2Co 6:16; Re 21:1-7

2. In one sense the temple of God cannot be destroyed...
   a. For the kingdom of God is an everlasting kingdom - Lk 1:33
   b. It is a kingdom which cannot be shaken - He 12:28

3. Yet in another sense, there is a very real danger of destroying the
   temple of God...
   a. In the impact we have on others through our teaching and conduct
   b. In the consequence of becoming unfaithful and slothful in our
      service

Thus the need for Paul's warning in 1Co 3:17.  Are we giving serious
consideration to our conduct in the holy temple of God...?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011