Issue 3908

Living Water Newsletter for December 1, 2008

SOME THOUGHTS

Helen Keller
"Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."

Martin Luther
"Human nature is like a drunkard trying to ride a horse. He gets on and falls off on the left side. He resolves not to make that mistake again, so he remounts, careful to avoid falling off on the left, and promptly falls off on the right."

Dr. John Davis
"If I get grumpy and harsh from time to time, please forgive me. I live in a different universe and when I visit yours it requires special glasses or a pretty hat. Sometimes I forget."

Billy Sunday
"More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent."

Lee Iacocca, Where Have All the Leaders Gone? p. 127-128
"When advertising slogans are better known than the Ten Commandments or the Bill of Rights, when shopping malls are our places of worship, when bad behavior is justified as long as it leads to profit, when debt is justified as long as it leads to plasma TV, and when the measure of a person is the brand of car he drives, maybe it's time to ask whether we've corrupted the very nature of capitalism. Believe it or not, capitalism originated as a system for the little guy. It replaced feudalism, in which a few wealthy owners had all the power and money and the common person had nothing. It was a noble ideal."

Chuang-tzu, approx. 350 BC, during the time of Alexander the Great
"The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you've gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you've gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words."

A. W. Tozer
"The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still."

A. B. Simpson
"The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down. Our Master expects us to accomplish results, even if they bring opposition and conflict. Anything is better than compromise, apathy, and paralysis. God give to us an intense cry for the old-time power of the Gospel and the Holy Ghost!"

A. W. Tozer
"The true follower of Christ will not ask, "If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?" Rather he will say, "This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may!"

With the arrival of ten child advocates, all trained to spot infant abuse and manger rash, Mary and Joseph were pushed to the edge of the crowd, where arguments were breaking out over how many reindeer (or what mix of reindeer and seasonal sprites) had to be installed to compensate for the infant's unfortunate religious character.

An older man bustled up, bowling over two merchants, who had been busy debating whether an elf is the same as a fairy and whether the elf/fairy should be shaking hands with Jesus in the crib or merely standing to the side, jumping around like a sports mascot.

"I'd hold off on the reindeer," the man said, explaining that the use of asses and oxen as picturesque backdrops for Nativity scenes carries the subliminal message of human dominance. He passed out two leaflets, one denouncing manger births as invasions of animal space, the other arguing that stables are "penned environments" where animals are incarcerated against their will. He had no opinion about elves or candy canes.

Signs declaring "Free the Bethlehem 2" began to appear, referring to the obviously exploited ass and ox. Someone said the halo on Jesus' head was elitist.

Mary was exasperated. "And what about you, old mother?" she said sharply to an elderly woman. "Are you here to attack the shepherds as prison guards for excluded species, maybe to complain that singing in Latin identifies us with our Roman oppressors, or just to say that I should have skipped patriarchal religiosity and joined some dumb new-age goddess religion?"

"None of the above," said the woman, "I just wanted to tell you that the Magi are here." Sure enough, the three wise men rode up.

The crowd gasped, "They're all male!" And "Not very multicultural!"

"Balthasar here is black," said one of the Magi.

"Yes, but how many of you are gay or disabled?" someone shouted. A committee was quickly formed to find an impoverished lesbian wise-person among the halt and lame of Bethlehem.

A calm voice said, "Be of good cheer, Mary, you have done well and your son will change the world."

At last, a sane person, Mary thought. She turned to see a radiant and confident female face.

The woman spoke again: "There is one thing, though. Religious holidays are important, but can't we learn to celebrate them in ways that unite, not divide? For instance, instead of all this business about 'Gloria in excelsis Deo,' why not just 'Season's Greetings'?"

Mary said, "You mean my son has entered human history to deliver the message, 'Hello, it's winter'?"

"That's harsh, Mary," said the woman. "Remember, your son could make it big in midwinter festivals, if he doesn't push the religion thing too far. Centuries from now, in nations yet unborn, people will give each other pricey gifts and have big office parties on his birthday. That's not chopped liver."

"Let me get back to you," Mary said.

Completed Next Week

All it takes is faith, real faith. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God."  Here are some wonderful books full of inspirational, faith-building, stories of healings by our miracle working God. Only $9.59 a book. Click covers for details and to purchase. God CAN do it again . . . for YOU!

I've been switched from the Lake book I was going to do to a book that will be titled Spurgeon on Prayer. It will contain all the writings I can find that Charles H. Spurgeon did specifically on prayer. Have about 50 pages already, but need about 350 more. The book will be a Pure Gold Classic, published, of course, by Bridge-Logos Publishers.

In the meantime, Bev is back working on the R.A. Torrey book on prayer, which will also be a Pure Gold Classic. Either of these books will be great studies on the subject of prayer. The Spurgeon book will be a bit more doctrinal, while the Torrey book will be more on practical applications of prayer. Together they'll make two great books for your library.

Prayers as always are appreciated.

Harold J. Chadwick