Do What Is Right!

Scripture

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

~2 Timothy 2:16, NLT

Quote

The first struggle is to do the right thing and second, is to do the right thing for the right reason.

~Ya’akov

Sometimes it is easy to see the right or the wrong in a situation and then there are times when it is very difficult. I don’t encourage divorce for obvious reasons but there are times when I give my consent and blessing. You cannot endanger your life or the life of your children. You cannot endure constant abuse; verbal or physical. It is not hard to spot an abused wife if you know what to look for.

The Nazis starved prisoners of war and some entire nations including Holland. They set up a blockade so that Holland could not get food supplies. When the allies reached Holland, they found skeletons with some flesh, skin and breath. One American soldier said, “I cannot get the images out of my head, they will haunt me the rest of my life.” These starving people could focus with their eyes but were too weak to speak or lift a hand: they were like ghost. Some were saved but many could not be revived: they had suffered deprivation too long. The same is true with an abused woman: if you don’t get them out in time, they will lose their soul, their personality. They have a body, a voice and they appear to be alive but the soul is gone. For this reason, I do not counsel anyone to stay in an abusive situation.

There are those who hollow abuse when there is no abuse. Women who are being abused will try to hide it. It is one thing to jump the nest because you have fallen in love with some one else’s husband or wife but it is a different matter if the lives and well being of your children is at stake. In such a case, you do what is right for the children. I am an advocate for children: if that bothers you the best thing you can do is avoid me.

If you are confused about what to do: begin reading your bible daily, share your problem with a Christian friend, seek professional counseling [if you can’t afford a counselor, confide in your pastor] and if your parents are living, run it by them. They love you and your children, plus they have more experience and objectivity.

Remember our goal is to do what is right, not what feels good. Often times, doing right requires much more courage and character than just letting things go. Take the high ground: it requires more effort but eventually, you will celebrate your choice.

• It has been a busy week and although it wasn’t late when I got in Tuesday, I was very tired and not thinking well. We have a lot going on Sunday: PROMOTION DAY IN LCBS, Vote of Pastor Search Team, VBS workers meeting at 9:00 in Sanctuary along with all our other activities.
• Mavis Fitzgerald is not doing well: She didn’t know Joe David yesterday. Lord willing, I am going today. I also need to check on Kathleen and Ruth.
• We took a hit last night in youth but my group was up, maybe it was because we didn’t have choir practice. I can’t speak for anyone else, I had a ball. I loved the music. I think Brent rearranged one of the songs and I loved it.
• Sunday night week, June 12, we are going to hear Junior Hill at the Hartselle Camp Meeting. I want at least 100 to go. Let’s make a difference.

Alabama’s Favorite Son…Dr. Junior Hill

“No Brainer”

SCRIPTURE

This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach… Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

~Deuteronomy 30:11,19, NLT

QUOTE

Choices are the hinges of destiny.

~Edwin Markham

We got a Zenith black and white console TV when I was 11 years old; which would be 1960. We could get one channel clearly: channel 23 out of Decatur and I think it was NBC, not sure. In 1963 Channel 19 {CBS} came on the air out of Huntsville. WAFF 48 came on air in 1954 and WAAY in 1959 but I do not remember getting those stations. I think their signal strength was too weak for our area. I left Athens in 1971 and at that time my folks could get four networks: NBC, ABC, CBS and Public or Educational TV. Today, we can get hundreds of stations. It would take you an hour just to scroll through all the channels. Modern technology has increased our choices. When I was a kid, ice cream came in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry: today they have hundreds of flavors to choose from.

Do more choices make life easier or more difficult? The more options we have, the harder it is to make a choice. God knew this was true so He gave Israel two choices and He gives you and I two choices. Our choice is either life or death, heaven or hell, obedience to Christ or rejection of Christ. We call an easy choice a “No Brainer” but for some reason, millions choose death over life and their will over God’s will.

• TODAY we PRAY for the WORLD: a world that is going crazy. Biblical marriage is a covenant relationship between one man and one woman for life. Sex outside of this relationship is destructive. Notice the period: it means end of discussion. I not only have the bible to back up the statement, I have medical science. Sexual promiscuity is not only unholy, it is unhealthy.
• Mid-week schedule: Supper at 5:30, AWANA at 6:15 and the GATHERING at 6:30.
• If I understood correctly, Kane got an encouraging report. I had on my cap with my Kane button and a woman came up to me at SAMS and said, “You don’t know me but we are praying for Kane.” Wear those buttons and T-Shirts. It reminds people to pray. 
• The picture below is of the ugliest couple I’ve ever seen. I don’t have a clue what their name is but they are some kind of ugly.

Choices And Consequences

SCRIPTURE

If you really are honest men, choose one of your brothers to remain in prison. The rest of you may go home with grain for your starving families.

~Genesis 42:19

QUOTE

“Life is all about making choices, always do your best to make the right ones, and always do your best to learn from the wrong ones.”

~Source Unknown

Life is about choices, we all make them every day. Some are big and some are small. Some are between right and wrong. Some are between better and best but all choices have consequences. I live with regrets due to bad choices. I don’t think you will find many honest adults that do not have some regrets linked to choices they made. Take Josephs brothers in the scripture verse above, they regretted the way they treated Joseph.  A man in the process of divorce told me, “It is my fault Bro. Jack, all my fault.” I looked at him in unbelief and said, “It is never all one person’s fault.” He said, “In this case it is, I made a bad choice.” He was right about one thing, some divorces happen because the decision to marry the person in the first place was a bad choice.

 I know a woman who got to church, I think she sang in the choir; another lady looked down and said, “Do you know that one of your shoes is blue and the other black.” She made a bad choice and it had an embarrassing consequence. She thought for minute and then said, “Oh, I have another pair at home just like theses.” There is a world of difference between picking out the wrong outfit and sleeping with someone else’s wife or husband, whatever the case may be.

A man came to me several years ago and told me he was going to divorce his wife for a younger model and I think the idiot wanted my blessing. He said, “David did it and God forgave him. If He forgave David, He will forgive me.” I went into orbit, I said, “Maybe you need to read your bible all the way through and check out the consequences that David suffered for his foolish decision.” You cannot steal a man’s wife and then have him murdered without grave consequences and if you think otherwise, you are a fool. Hey, you are not an exception to the rule: that kind of twisted thinking is what got David in trouble. You roll in the hay and you will pay just like David: God may let you live but you will wish you were dead before all is said and done.

• YOUTH go canoeing on Friday
• BLOCK PARTY brain storm yesterday. Mass visitation has been changed from August 2 {Saturday} to August 6th {Wednesday night}. No final decision on cokes…May switch to Pepsi. We are shopping for the best deal.
• June named our dog Lizzie. She is a loveable creature but did not keep the groundhogs out of the corn. I think she will do better once she gets acclimated.