From a Child

From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15.
We see the advantage that Timothy had in a correct example of piety and true godliness. Religion was the atmosphere of his home. The manifest spiritual power of the piety in the home kept him pure in speech, and free from all corrupting sentiments.
God had commanded the Hebrews to teach their children His requirements and to make them acquainted with all His dealings with their fathers. This was one of the special duties of every parent—one that was not to be delegated to another. In the place of stranger lips the loving hearts of the father and mother were to give instruction to their children. Thoughts of God were to be associated with all the events of daily life. The mighty works of God in the deliverance of His people and the promises of the Redeemer to come were to be often recounted in the homes of Israel…. The great truths of God’s providence and of the future life were impressed on the young mind. It was trained to see God alike in the scenes of nature and the words of revelation. The stars of heaven, the trees and flowers of the field, the lofty mountains, the rippling brooks—all spoke of the Creator. The solemn service of sacrifice and worship at the sanctuary and the utterances of the prophets were a revelation of God.
Such was the training of Moses in the lowly cabin home in Goshen; of Samuel, by the faithful Hannah; of David, in the hill dwelling at Bethlehem; of Daniel, before the scenes of the captivity separated him from the home of his fathers. Such, too, was the early life of Christ at Nazareth; such the training by which the child Timothy learned from the lips of his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice, the truths of Holy Writ.
Parents, there is a great work for you to do for Jesus…. Satan seeks to bind the children to himself as with bands of steel, and you can attain success in bringing them to Jesus only through determined personal effort.
Conflict and Courage p. 345
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—–Please put my friend and our community service leader on the prayer chain, she is 85 and still works every day. she is a good worker for the Lord. she fell Yesterday at home before church. .her name is Juanita. . .M.C.
—–update—Buddy is loosing blood again or his Hgb has dropped and they have given him 2 more units of blood. Please continue to pray. Donna
—–Please pray for Carolyn’s granddaughter, 19, who has type 1 diabetes. She is pregnant and in hospital. Pray also for Jeremiah (nephew of Carolyn’s friend ) who is a gang member and was shot by a rival gang. He is all torn up inside his intestines and rectum. Pray for Carolyn also as she has many health problems. Rose
—–Please pray for Rascal my dog. She was bit by a rattlesnake and the vet does not give antivenom so it’s just a wait and see. Pray for her recovery. Tina
—–Pray for my son have a fast recovery from getting his hand broken playing soccer game last night. J
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
On Thursday, we are going on vacation to a part of the country where cell phone coverage is intermittent at best and unavailable at worst. I’m already worrying about it. How dependent we are on cell phones these days. It’s hard to remember life without one.
When I first got a cell phone, I was amazed that I could call friends and family within the US for free on the weekend. So that first weekend, I called a few people who are dear to my heart. After making some calls, I decided to explore a few features of the phone that I had not tried before. Somehow, I got into the different locking devices on the phone. Seeing “auto lock” I selected it, thinking that it would lock my keypad automatically when I was finished dialing. Then I explored further. “Security lock” was the next feature. I thought to myself, “Hmmmm, I wonder what this is.” I made the mistake of selecting it in order to find out. The screen changed to “code – – – -.” Immediately, I shut down the phone hoping that would get me out of that feature. Wanting to make another call, I turned it on. “Locked” appeared on the screen. No matter which button I pushed the phone stayed locked. I had no idea what to do.
I took the phone to Ron. He tried pushing buttons too, but had the same result. That phone was still locked up tightly. He called (on our regular phone) the store where we got our cell phone plan. Although they tried to help, the phone remained in its frozen state. Finally, he called the help line, that I found on the Internet, for the manufacturer. After a few minutes, he got the phone unlocked.
So it is in our dealings with others. Things that we do, words that we say, attitudes that we have can lock a person’s mind against us just as surely as I had locked that cell phone. Solomon tells us, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.” Prov 18:19 And if the person is someone whom we are trying to win to Christ, it is even more tragic. How careful, then, must we be in our dealings with others.
Sometimes it is gossip that causes a rift between former friends. Sadly, that rift often cannot be repaired. Solomon tells us, “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.” Prov 18:8;26:20 Our Great Creator commands, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people.” Lev 19:16
Peter adds, “let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” 1 Peter 4:15 Think of it! A talebearer, a gossip, a busybody, who is always trying to meddle in someone’s life forcing them into a mold that they believe is the only way to be, is classified on the same level as a murderer, a thief, or an evildoer. So should it be, for when we do these things, we are killing someone spiritually. We are stealing their reputation. We are doing evil against them. Our Dear Saviour cried, “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” Matt 18:7 Fearful proclamation!
James speaks of this, ” If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that itdefileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedethblessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” James 3:2-18
Let us be careful with what we say and with what we do, that we may not be the cause of someone turning away from our Loving Redeemer. Let us be careful not to cause a rift between friends that might not be able to be repaired. Let us remember the words of Paul, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Rom 14:10
Rose