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Cares Of This World

Posted on September 14, 2015

Struggling with the night last night I understood the “cares of this world” a little better. It is not always the big things that burden us. Sometimes it is just the “living of the life” that is such a struggle.  The busy-ness of work and play that keep your mind on other things. Groggy days that lower your concentration   The influence of worldly actions and events.   Things like being so tired at bed time that you fall asleep saying your prayers or even before your say them. Or waking up late in the morning and having to rush to get the day started…. short prayer and without much feeling. Or maybe the day is filled with many short prayers that just keep you going through the day because you are too busy to stop long enough to really meditate on God’s Word.   All these little things that can keep your “spirit” choked up.

Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Mar 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
Mar_4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.


Brother Elmer Morgan wrote a insightful book on prayer, that I have kept through the years to re-read because it helps me keep my prayer life just a little better.  "Hear Me When I Call".
truth Has Fallen On Hard Times
By Tom Wacaster
 
Pilate asked, “What is truth?” Perhaps some of our Senate investigations of the past few years have been tempted to ask the same question. Today’s headline reveals that former F.B.I director Comey is about to be called back to the witness stand because, among other things, his previous testimony simply does not harmonize with the facts. This past Presidential campaign featured two candidates from the leading political parties, both of which said candidates have been caught in numerous exaggerations, half-truths, and out and out lies. Senate investigative committees are kept busy trying to separate fact from fiction and truth from lies. Much of the dishonesty, lying and cover-up that has plagued our nation, especially in politics but not limited thereto, has put a damper on any desire on the part of the populace to know the truth and/or the ability of some to tell the truth. It is a fact, however, that truth is truth, and all the lying and cover-up will not change a lie into truth. Someone observed: “The truth cannot be burned, beheaded, or crucified. A lie on the throne is still a lie, and truth in a dungeon is still truth.”  Yes, truth has fallen on hard times.

I wish I could say that the lies, half truths, and false testimony was limited to politicians. However, such is not the case. Not far removed from the politicians are those religious shysters who dupe and delude the innocent by their fair and smooth speech, contributing to the misconception that truth is vague and unattainable. One so-called theological “scholar” will tell you one thing, and across the street or down the block another “pastor,” “priest,” or “potentate” will tell you exactly the opposite, with all of them claiming they have discovered some previously unknown “truth” (though they seldom call it that). Is it any wonder that some prominent theologians are declaring that truth is unattainable, and that even if attained, it is constantly changing? Such self proclaimed “wisdom” is really nothing more than “sophisticated silliness.” It would be bad enough if the religious leaders of our nation’s thousands of denominations were the only ones spewing out such nonsense. Unfortunately some of our own once faithful brethren  are parroting the denominational leaders of a corrupt and bankrupt religious system that has captured the minds of the unbelieving. This generation has been fed the notion that there is no truth for so long that they actually believe it to be the truth. Dear reader, can you not see the foolishness in such reasoning? Oh yes—truth has fallen on hard times. If there is no truth, then any affirmation that there is no truth cannot itself be true - seeing there is no truth. The American people, due in part to their gullibility and in large measure to their ignorance, have bought this notion that truth is some mystic, far away, unreachable ideology, and consequently they have long since abandoned any serious search for truth. We have left it up to the “preachers” to do the searching for us, and we act shocked when these “religious racketeers” take us to the cleaners.

Some years ago I had the opportunity to play a round of golf with a brother in Christ who lived in South Africa and who was an avid golfer; I’m talking pro-golf quality. After we teed off of the first green, I felt intimidated. That feeling persisted until we had golfed another seventeen holes and my “bragging rights” had been properly put in their place. I repeatedly told my fellow golfer that he had me at a distinct disadvantage. Were he and I to play before an audience, to whom do you think the audience would pay the closest attention? To ask is to answer.

Now ask yourself this question. In a world where truth has fallen on hard times, and where men and women are, without doubt, looking for something—anything—better, if we present the truth in its beauty and simplicity it will so far outshine the error that permeates our society that the difference would stand out like the bright noonday sun held up to a small candle. Our Lord affirmed, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  Within our Lord’s affirmation are two inherent facts: (1) Truth is absolute. It is interesting that our Lord did not say, “Ye shall know what you THINK to be the truth, and what you THINK shall make you free.”  Nor did He say that “you shall honestly follow your opinion, and your opinion shall make you free.” Truth is truth. If I am ignorant of truth, or if I reject the truth, it does not make it any less the truth. (2) Our Lord’s statement also implies that truth is attainable.  “Ye shall know” is a clear affirmation that it is possible to know! Words cannot be any clearer.  It may require hard study on my part, but truth is attainable. If it is not possible to come to a knowledge of truth then our Lord’s statement is of no value whatsoever.

Seeing, therefore, that the truth is available, attainable, and advantageous, why don’t we quit being discouraged over the title wave of the lies that have become so much a part of our corrupt culture, get on with searching out the truth for ourselves, and then start shouting it from the rooftops? Therein is freedom. Therein is life.

Why are dreams sometimes so Vivid?

Last night I dreamed that Bob came home.  I heard his foot steps in the hall, and he came into the bedroom and stood beside the bed for a minute.  Then he lay down beside me.  His foot was healed, and he was like he was many years ago.  Then Eboni came and nudged me, wanting to go outside.  I got up and let her out.  When I got back into bed, she was there again; and once more.  I said to myself "how many times am I going to have to let you out?"
The dream was so "real" that as I was waking up I looked to see if he was in his bed.


Breaking The Alaster Cruse



by Tom Wacaster
(Tom is our second son)


The beautiful story of Mary and the alabaster cruse is recorded in John 12:1-8. It is, perhaps, one of the more well known incidents in the life of Jesus. I typed “John 12:1-8” into my Mozilla Fire Fox browser and an astonishing 22,600,000 links were provided for my investigation. When I typed in “Matthew 26:6-13” (parallel account), I received 3,400,000 links. The search on “Mark 14:3-9” produced 506,000 links. That is a total of more than 26,000,000 links to the three parallel passages, far more than I could ever hope to investigate. In comparison, I typed in “atheism” and received only 7,550,000 links; “evolution,” 16,300,000; “Hollywood,” 19,500,000. The large number of links to various sites that tell of this touching story of Mary and the alabaster cruse attest to the fulfillment of our Lord’s prophecy: “Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her” (Matt. 26:13).

At Home

by Mary Wacaster

There is no place like home.  At least that is what I have been told. Home is a place that warms the heart, and provides a location for family to get together.  It is heaven's gift to mankind, where love and joy provide the training ground for little siblings that enter into the fold as time goes by.

Yes, there is no place like home