Never Heard It Put Quite This Way Before!!!

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Kreme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.So God said, "Try my fresh green salad." And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them." And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it "Devil's Food."

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, "You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!" And Satan said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

Then Satan created HMOs. (Borrowed)


I don't know about you, but this is certainly an area in which I struggle. Truly God created the good things and we have added the bad. I have a loonnngggg ways to go in getting control. This little story just clarifies how bad the problem is. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Thanks Jennifer for sending it to me.

Dana Burk

Done Enough?

I read this excerpt from an article out of The Provider, a church bulletin from Fairfield Church of Christ in Centerville, TN.

"A dear preacher friend said to me, "It really disturbed me when my saintly grandmother was approaching death and said to me, "I'm afraid that I haven't done enough to be saved." This made me wonder if in our preaching we have left people with the idea that they have to be "good enough" or "do enough" in order to be saved."

The article went on to talk about how we cannot do enough to earn salvation. What a good point and one I think we often forget. I do not believe we have unconditional salvation (there are things we MUST DO in order to be saved) and yet, we can NEVER do enough to earn our salvation. Were it not for the grace of our Great God none of us would be saved. Were it not for His endless mercy we would all be destined to Hell fire. Were it not for His boundless love demonstrated through the sending of His Son, we would all be without hope.

God EXPECTS us to obey Him and strive to live our very best for Him. But the key words here are "our very best". None of us will reach perfection! If it were a possibility then there would have been no reason for our Savior to have died on our behalf. God knew we were weak and He made provision for our weakness. We can live with hope and peace knowing He knows our weaknesses and has provided an advocate for us. I do not have to live frustrated and ridden with guilt if I have obeyed His commands for salvation.

Once I have been baptized into Christ, I WILL fall. But I don't have to fall into deep despair. In 1 John one Christians are told that they will sin and they must confess those sins then He is faithful and just to forgive us of those sins. Why would I EVER worry that I had not done enough to get into Heaven when God has provided all the grace and mercy I will ever need.

Christians should be the happiest and most confident of all peoples. If we have confessed our sins to Him, we ARE SAVED!!! NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTS. He who said so is faithful and cannot lie. Praise God for the confidence we can have in Him.

Dana Burk

More Fruit

While visiting with someone today that we know from another congregation, who is recovering from some very serious surgeries, we were sharing the good news from our congregation of those being restored and the sister who was baptized yesterday. Well, they shared with us a baptism they just had Fri. evening.

A 102 year old woman obeyed the gospel Friday night. Now how exciting is that????? What rejoicing there must be in Heaven this week. Truly, it is NEVER too late.

Dana Burk

Bearing Fruit

What a day for our congregation. Yesterday, myself and another sister went to visit a young woman in our congregation that had fallen into sin and quit attending. After a lengthy visit, tears and prayer, we left her with hopes she would come back to the Lord. This morning, to our great delight, she did return, made it a point to meet with our elders and made her life right with God and the church. What a humble, contrite spirit she displayed and what rejoicing we each experienced in our church family to have her among us again.

But that wasn't all. Another member's elderly mother, who is in a nursing home, decided she needed to be baptized this afternoon. How exciting is that. What a glorious God we have that will accept us into his fold regardless of what stage we are in our lives.

And if that was not enough, we had a young family of five who have recently moved to our area place membership with us. The young father of this family was baptized as a teen, but fell away and eventually married his young wife. They were both in the world, without God and eventually moved from up north into our area. About a month ago, they showed up in our midst. After a couple of weeks, she was baptized and today he made acknowledgement of sin in his life and they have committed their lives to Christ.

We are greatly rejoicing over the power of God's word on people's lives. Truly it is as powerful today as it has ever been. The Gospel changes lives and brings hope to broken hearts. May we all continue to take to those who are seeking Him and His promises.

Dana Burk

Aren't We All the Same?

Tol and I were in Tortola a few weeks ago working with the church there and I want to share with you some thoughts. Aren't' we all the same? The church in Tortola is a small group of 30 or so. They live on a tiny, beautiful island in the middle of the Caribbean where many of us dream of going to vacation.

But, they LIVE there--not vacation there. They deal with the same struggles in life that everyone else does. They have to work to make ends meet (and the cost of living is outrageous there) just like everyone else. They have to get dinner ready each day, do laundry, clean house, deal with illnesses and they have the same concerns within the church that all congregations have. They battle with error and fight to stand for truth. They have varying personalities and work to be unified in the common bond of Christ despite their individual opinions. They are Christians living in a worldly society just like you and me.

When we left Tortola, we went to Puerto Rico where we met with a very tiny group of Christians (around 12 or so) who worship in the City of San Juan--a metropolis of 2 million people. Talk about feeling isolated. Truly they are Christians living in a worldly society.

There are brethren all over the world striving to live a life for Christ amid a world living for Satan. We may have different surroundings, different climate, different languages, but the struggles are the same and we are united in our goal--Heaven.

I am continually encouraged by the brethren I know in these small places. I see them struggle and yet persevere against seemingly insurmountable odds. They just keep hanging on. It is a testament to me that I must do the same. Paul said he do all things through Christ who strengthened him. So can we. Aren't we all the same?

Dana Burk

I'm Better

Several have asked how I am doing since my recent stay in the hospital due to my asthma. Just thought I'd take a moment and give you an update.

I am better. Still have a ways to go. This asthma stuff is bad enough, but the medications to treat it are equally as bad. I have to be on high doses of steroids for weeks at a time after I have one of these bouts and they really mess with my head and body. It is very hard to think and that is exactly why I have done so little on this site. Sorry.

I think my head is clearing slowly and the fog is lifting. Hopefully, each day I will continue to gain my strength. I covet your prayers for me and the winter ahead. Typically fall and winter are the hardest time with the asthma. This has been quite a shock to be sick at the end of the summer. But, our God is good and I am confident He will see me through.

Thank you for your concern and prayers and may our Great God Bless each of you.

Dana Burk

Try God

If your plans have gone wrong,
Try God's plan.
If your methods have failed,
Try God's method.
If your life is not complete,
Let God complete it.
He asks only that you Use His Power.
--borrowed

This Reminds Me...

I recieved the following story from someone recently, which I have read before (and perhaps you have too), but as I once again read it I was reminded of the newspaper reporters taken hostage a few weeks ago by Palestinian terrorists. Let me share some thoughts with you that I have had. My intention is not to judge these two courageous men nor to malign their characters in any way, but rather to ask myself what I would have to do were I found in their situation or the situation in the story below.

As you may have read and heard through newspaper reports, the men were "forced" at gunpoint to convert to the Muslim religion or die. Apparently they did swear allegience to this false religion though one of them reportedly resisted for a few moments. What a difficult position to be in.

What would I "HAVE" to do as a Christian were I to find myself in their situations. Could I concede out of fear and deny Christ and accept Mohammad in order to preserve my life and stand justified in the eyes of Jesus Christ? Would it be okay if I prayed to the Lord and made a deal with Him that I would deny Him in order to save my life, but then when I "got home", where I was safe, I would recant my conversion. What an incredible perdicament.

Jesus said if we deny Him before men then He will deny us before His Father in Heaven. I don't suppose anyone knows exactly what they would do when placed in this situation, but I do know what we SHOULD do. I believe we must begin preparing our hearts and minds to deal with these types of situations. We must recognize that we live in a changing world with changing world views different from any we have personally seen before and may face challenges we never dreamed we would face. Paul tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The Hebrew writer relates horrific accounts of things suffered by early Christians by the hands of evil men. Yet, in all, they did not deny thier Lord and were given the crown of life. We must muster the courage to do the same.

But, perhaps even more disturbing, is the story retold below. How many Christians sit through situations where only their "reputation" or "ego" will be harmed and will deny Christ for that? Have we become cowards when faced with faith in Christ? Many of us have. It is just easier to deny Him than to claim Him. Revelations tells us that the cowards and unbelieving will have their place in eternal torment as well. We may never face the trauma the two reporters faced this last month, but we are daily faced with standing up for our Lord. How are you doing?

Dana Burk

(RETELLING OF STORY)
This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at USC.

There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester to prove that God couldn't exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation.

At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that He is God, and yet He can't do it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students would do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students thought that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up, no matter what the professor said, or what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith...he hoped.

Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You FOOL!!! If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken. The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall.

The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to the front of the room, and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300 students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them, and of His power, through Jesus.

You have 2 choices: 1. Delete this and never look at it again. 2. Pass this along to your Christian and non-Christian friends, giving them encouragement we all need every day. When you choose option 2, you have chosen to STAND UP. In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking........... Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell? Isn't it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says? Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to heaven, provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says?

Or is it scary? Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God )? Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail, and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing? Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the school and workplace? Isn't it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week? Are you laughing? ! Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list, because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them? Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me? Will YOU pass this on? I did.

The Scars of Life

This beautiful story was forwarded to me and I want to share it with. --Dana

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.

From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And on his arms were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead.

The swimming hole of life is filled with peril, and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins, and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

Please pass this on to those you love. God has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing to others. You just never know where a person is in his/her life and what they are going through. Never judge another person's scars, because you don't know how they got them. Right now, someone needs to know that God loves them, and you love them, too. ~~~~ enough to not let them go. (BORROWED)

What a Great Time

Well, I have landed in the hospital after a week of struggling with my asthma--was admitted around 10:00 this morning. But what a great time we live in. Around 4:30 this afternoon, a computer person came to my hospital room and hooked me up to their wireless network system. Is this too cool. I can work even when I'm sick--maybe good maybe not.

We DO live in a great time though. Just last week my husband and I were across the ocean some 2500 miles away, give or take a few, and yet were able to communicate with those at home via cell phone and computer. Then we left the islands one morning and were home by lunch time. My husband communicates with brethren via the internet and phone in foreign countries on an almost daily basis. What incredible opportunities we have set right before us.

How are we using this great time for the Lord? Are we so busy using our modern conveniences and communication devices to entertain ourselves that we do not see the opportunities to spread the gospel and encourage others that lie right in front of us. There are so many opportunities to teach and admonish others via the internet and with text messaging, e-mails and blogs like this one not to mention the conveniences we all have with the advent of cell phones. In fact, it is hard to get away from them. How have you used technology to encourage someone today?

I know the frustrations with airports and the hassles of security, but look where we can go and who we can influence in just a few short hours. There are still many areas in the world that are perfectly safe to travel to and as Americans we have few restrictions. How are we using these opportunities for the Lord? I think of how Paul and others in the NT spent months and sometimes even years to travel to different countries to admonish the brethren to grow in the Lord and the hassles we face aren't even worth consideration when compared to what they suffered. We can make those same types of trips in a matter of a few hours. We all can find the money and time to travel for vacation, but few of us find time and money to travel to teach others about the Lord. Many times, we choose to stay home and stay comfortable. Can you step out of your comfort zone to reach out to others beyond our borders?

What a great time we live in. To whom much has been given, much will be required. How are you using your advantages?

Dana Burk

Where is Happiness?

Not in unbelief. Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."

Not in pleasure. Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure, if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and the grief are mind alone."

Not in money. Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. In dying he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."

Not in position and fame. Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood, a struggle; old age, a regret."

Not in military glory. Alexander the Great conquered the known world of his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, because, he said, "there are no more worlds to conquer."

Where then is HAPPINESS found?

The answer is simple: In Christ alone! He said, "I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no man taketh away."
--C.L. McCartney