Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins

Oh, but I thought..." If you have never “thought” some idea was true, only to find that you were wrong, then you don’t need to read this bulletin. But most of us have done so, and I want to try to challenge you to think carefully and rely on your Bible in thinking about Bible matters. Many years ago there was a man named Naaman, who had leprosy and wanted to be healed. God’s prophet Elijah told him to dip seven times in the Jordan River and he would be healed. Naaman did not like the looks of the river, and he had “thought” the prophet would ask him do some great thing. He was wrong, and not until he did what the prophet said was he healed. Man today is full of “I thought’s”, and many of them are wrong. Not because I say so, but when it comes to Bible matters, the Bible must be the final authority, not “I thought.” “Warming a pew is good enough” The Bible is strong on the idea of “sincere,” but “sincere” alone has never been enough.  If you had an employee who thought “9-5” was too much work and just showed up from “11-3”, he would not last long in your employ. Neither is God so desperate for worshipers that He will take anything He can get. When Samuel was looking for the next King of Israel, 1 Samuel 16, God said that the “outward appearance” must be matched with a “heart” that is truly honest with Him. Paul wrote to Timothy that he was to learn about God, study His word, and “give yourself wholly to them,” 1 Timothy 4:15. Maybe the best way to say it is, GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR PART TIME CHRISTIANS! He wants disciples who seek “first thekingdomofGod,” Matthew 6:33. No, just “warming a pew” will never be “good enough,” and you will never be what God wants you to be until you give yourself “wholly” to Him. Neither will you ever truly enjoy the blessings of being a child of God until you give your whole life and your whole heart to Him.   Jesus said that we must worship God “in spirit and in truth,” John 4:24. Such worship can bring joy and blessings as well as gaining the respect of God, Genesis 4:4. “One church is as good as another” Nice, honest, decent people have been around for centuries – but God said those whom He will save are those who “obey Him,” Hebrews 5:8-9. That “one_____is as good as another” is not as valid a point as many think. If you put your money in the bank, is “one account as good as another”? When it comes to husbands and wives, is “one as good as another”? When you are tired and want to go home, is “one house as good as another”? If you are sick and go to the pharmacy for your medicine, is “one pill as good as another”? When you go to the school to pick up your children, is “one child as good as another”? When a mechanic looks for a part to fix your car, is “one part as good as another”? One church would be as good as another if Jesus did not build and purchase His  “church,” Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 1:18-19. One church might be as good as another if the saved were not added to Christ’s church, Acts 2:47. Where do we find truth about “church”? Not in a science book, not in our Constitution – but only in the Bible. “Only the most vile, wicked people will be in hell” I can tell you they will be there, but they won’t be by themselves. To tell the truth, that will be one of the worst thngs about hell – that hell will be filled with vile, wicked people. You might be surprised to find that some “good” people will be there. The “one talent” man in Matthew 25 was not a murderer or rapist – he was merely lazy, a poor steward of that which he had been given to use. Some who watched Jesus die on the cross could be there, not just the man wielding the scourge. In John’s vision, detailed in the book of Revelation, he saw those who were in hell. Note what he saw: “He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death,” Revelation 21:7-8. Unbelieving? Liars? Jesus told a rich man his greed and unconcern for the poor would be his downfall. He told others in Matthew 25:41-46: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was hungry, and ye gave me no food: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Paul wrote to Christians in Rome reminding them that they were not lost as they once had been, but were now God’s people. Note this: “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:17-18 Where do you “think” you fit in this picture? Carl B Garner

Contentment consists not in great wealth but in few wants. It is finding as many benefits for not getting what we want as we do for getting what we want. The one who is content has enough. He who complains has too much. Sometimes the Lord calms the storm; sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child. He who fears God has nothing else to fear.  taken from House to House, Heart to Heart   “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you,’"   Hebrews 13:5

Grandma's Apron --- and Its Many Uses Editor’s Note: Some weeks ago, we printed an article that described the very familiar (to many) clothesline! Many of you related to that time. Today, we want to journey back to that grand (in many ways) era by contemplating “Grandma’s Apron”. The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a holder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken-coop the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.  Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled it carried out the hulls. In the Fall the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that "old-time apron" that served so many purposes. Remember This:    Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters now set theirs on the window sill to thaw. Author Unknown