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Here's a treat for any "Aussie Rules" (Australian Football) fans - You beauty, mate!

Posted by Sarah Wilkinson on July 21, 2009 at 11:11pm

Peace -Isaac Newton

Posted by Rick and Lori(Roth) Sheehan on July 19, 2009 at 9:38am

It is a little known fact that Isaak Newton wrote more on theology than he did on science.He was a contemporary and a friend with John Locke,they exchanged many letters with each otherMany of Newtons beliefs were not considered orthodox in the "Anglican Church"(Church of England)As Locke wrote in his essay on toleration "Everyone is orthodox in his own mind"...anyway Locke had fled England because of his "unorthodoxy" church and state were one body then,Newton kept his "unorthodox" opinions to himself,because of the paradisaical spirit of his timesLike the Parents of the one born blind :John 9:2222 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.Newton is a co fonder of calculus ,his writing Principia is considered one of the if not the greatest scientific writing ever .He built the first refractory telescopeHe was in charge of the royal mint making coins amongst other thingsa 2005 survey of scientists in Britain's Royal Society asking who had the greater effect on the history of science, Newton or Albert Einstein. Newton was deemed the more influential.Newton wrote more on Biblical hermeneutics than the natural science he is remembered for today.We all know him from grammar school for the apple falling on his head which led him to the discovery of the laws of gravity.He was a unique genius who sought to glorify God with his life.Here is something he wrote on Peace in the body of Christhttp://www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/texts/viewtext.php?id=THEM00003&mode=normalizedThe Newton ProjectThe Newton Project Logo‘Bringing the works of Isaac Newton to life’Irenicumby Isaac NewtonSource: Keynes Ms. 3, King's College, CambridgeAdditional MetadataSwitch to diplomatic textMore information<1>Irenicum.In matters of religion the first & great Commandment hath always been: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart & with all thy soul & with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. On these two hang all the Law & the Prophets. Matth. 22.27. And the Gospel is that Iesus is the Christ. Whoever beleiveth that Iesus is the Christ is born of God, & every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Iohn 5.1.When Christ rose from the dead he appeared to his disciples to prove to them his resurrection, & expounded to them out of Moses & all the Prophets & the Psalms the things concerning himself, vizt how that the Christ ought to suffer & to rise from the dead the third day & to enter into his glory, & that he was the Christ in whom all those things were fulfilled, & that repentance & remission of sins should be preached in his name amongst all nations beginning at Ierusalem. (Luke 24.21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 44, 45, 46, 47.) He told them also that all power was given him in heaven & in earth & that he would send the promise of his father upon them (vizt the Holy Ghost) whereby they should be endued with power from on high & that they should then go & teach all nations what he had taught them & baptize them in the name of the father & of the Son and of the Holy Ghost & that he would be with them & their disciples & the disciples of their disciples always unto the end of the world Matt. 28.18, 19, 20. Luke 24.49, 50. And after these things he ascended up into heaven in their sight, & they were told by an Angel that he should come again in the same manner as they saw him ascend. And all this is the Gospel which Christ sent his disciples to teach all nations & which the first Christians were taught in catechising before baptism & communion,Repentance & remission of sins relate to transgressions against the two first commandments. We are to forsake the Devil, that is, all fals Gods & all manner of idolatry, this being a breach of the first & great commandment. And we are to forsake the flesh & the world, or as the Apostle Iohn expresseth it, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, & the pride of life, that is, unchastity, covetousness pride & ambition; these things being a breach of the second of the two great commandments. And we are to beleive in one God, the father, almighty in dominion, the maker of heaven & earth & of all things therein; & in one Lord Iesus Christ the son of God, who was born of a Virgn, & sacrificed for us on the cross, & the third day rose again from the dead, & ascended into heaven, & sitteth on the right hand of God in a mystical sense, being next unto him in honour & power, & who shall come again to judge the quick & the dead raised again to life, & who sent the Holy Ghost to comfort his disciples & assist them in preaching the Gospel. All this was taught from the beginning of the Gospel in Catechising, that the Catechumen might know before Baptism why & in whose names he was to be washed. vizt in the name of one God the father & of one Lord Iesus Christ &c. And nothing more is now necessary to communion & salvation then what was taught in those days before baptism & admission into communion . ffor every thing necessary to communion must be taught before admission into it.All this the Apostle Paul calls milk for babes & the foundation & first Principles of the doctrine of Christ. And those things which are to be learnt after admission into communion he calls strong meat for men of riper years. For in writing to the Hebrews he saith: When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; & are become such as have need of milk & not strong meat. For every one that useth milk, is unexercised in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good & evil. Therefore leaving the principles <3> of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, & of faith towards God, Of the doctrine of Baptisms & of [admission into communion by] laying on of hands [in the name of the father Son & Holy Ghost ] & of the resurrection of the dead & of eternal judgment. Heb. V.12, 13, 14 & VI.1, 2. Here the Apostle under the name of milk for babes comprehends all that was taught before baptism & admission into communion, & under the name of strong meats he comprehends all that was to be learnt afterwards by men of riper years in studying the scriptures or otherwise. And since strong meats are not fit for babes, but are to be given only to men of riper years they were not to be imposed on all men but only to be learnt by such as after admission into communion were able to learn them. And by consequence men were not to damn or excommunicate one another or treat one another as heretiques, or quarrel or reproach one another, or hate or despise or censure one another for not knowing them. Every man after admission into communion was to study the scriptures & especially the Prophesies, & to learn as much as he could out of them, & might endeavour to instruct his neighbour in a friendly manner, but not fall out with him for differing in opinion about any thing which was not imposed before baptism & admission into communion. For enmity & discord in things not necessary to communion tends to schism & is contrary to the rule of charity imposed upon all men in the second of the two great commandments & more especially upon those of the same communion. And with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged. See Rom XIV & XV, & 1 Cor. III. If any thing s{hould} at any time be made necessary to communion which was not so before, it ought thence forward to be taught before admission into communion.And as for the Christian worship, we are authorized in scripture to give glory & honour to God the father because he hath created all things, & to the Lamb of God because he hath redeemed us with his blood & is our Lord, & to direct our prayers to God the father in the name of Christ for what we want & give him thanks for what we receive, & to wish for Grace & peace from God & Christ & the Holy Ghost & baptize in their name, & to receive the Eucharist in memory of Christs death. All this was practised by the first Christians in the Apostles days from the time of their admission into Communion, & is included in the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, & if any man contend for any other sort of worship which he cannot prove to have been practised in the Apostles days, he {illeg} may use it in his Closet without troubling the Churches with his private sentiments.< insertion from p 2 >The first Principles of the Christian religion are founded, not on disputable conclusions or humane sanctions, opinions or conjectures, but on the express words of Christ & his Apostles; & we are to hold fast the form of sound words. It is not enough that a Proposition be true or in the express words of scripture: it must also appear to have been taught from the days of the Apostles in order to baptism & communion. For the Laws of Communion are unchangeable Dan. 7.25.. If an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel [as necessary to Communion & Salvation] then that which the Apostles preached let him be accursed. Gal. 1.8, 9. And since Christ set on foot the Christian religion by< text from p 3 resumes >And since Christ set on foot the Christian religion by explaining to his Apostles the prophesies in Moses the Prophets & the Psalms concerning himself, & sending them to teach his interpretations to all nations: if any question at any time arise concerning his interpretations, we are to to have recourse to the old Testament, & compare the places interpreted with the interpretations thereof in the new. As for instance in explaining why Iesus is called the a[1] Christ or Messiah, the b[2] Son of Man, the c[3] Son of God, the d[4] Lamb of God, the e[5] Word of God, < insertion from p 2 > the f[6] Lord who sitteth on the right hand of God, < text from p 3 resumes > & the g[7] God who was in the beginning with God & by whom all things were made And by this means the Old Testament will be also better understood.Newton spent a great deal of time studying Gods word and it shows in all his writingsTo read more go to:http://www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/texts/viewtext.php?id=THEM00003&mode=normalized

How does your garden grow ?Or Are you still alive?

Posted by Rick and Lori(Roth) Sheehan on July 18, 2009 at 12:16pm

The characteristic of death is decay,that of life is ,growth.The regenerate man,being alive in Christ,will therefore grow.St Paul compared the growth to that of a child from baby hood and milk to maturity and meat.(1 cor 3:1-2,Heb.5:12-14Matt 13:3-9, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.KJVAn often painful experience, one which separates us from family and friends ,is their inability to grow,so that it becomes difficult to talk to people we love but have long since outgrown.The conservative ,fearful of the present and the future, looks backward only . The revolutionist is also past bound : his vision is one of destruction for the past and the present and a static unchanging utopia for the future.Neither is capable of growth,and victory then goes to those who destroy the most .Man in the state of grace is more conservative than the political conservatives : he has a surer grasp on the past and the present because he accesses it in terms of the word of God.He is also more radical than the revolutionist because he has a principle of growth in him which requires continual change and progress in terms of the word of God.When men hope for social reform by some means other than the grace of God in the salvation of individual men , they are declaring that evil is in the environment rather than in men.The state of grace reveals itself in a man by a delight in the word of God and a readiness to grow therein , and the ability to endure the hot sun of adversity and grow stronger in the faith .The Word of God that finds "good ground " , or regenerate heart, brings forth fruit:there is growth and production( Matt 13:1-23). Because growth is a characteristic of life , it is a characteristic of a state of grace.Rousas Rusdoony _---Revolt Against Maturity Pgs. 176-177Ps 1:1-31 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.KJVPs 119:1616 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.KJVJer 6:1010 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.KJVPs 119:4747 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.KJVPs 119:174-176174 I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight.175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.KJV

A Nod is as Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse

Posted by Billy Britt on July 15, 2009 at 9:48am

To make a long story short, I love a good idiom but, make no bones about it, suffering fools is the last straw.An idiom can be defined as a phrase whose meaning cannot be determined by the literal definition of the phrase itself, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use.We once had a Polish housekeeper (she spoke English very well) who looked at me with utter disbelieve when I said, “The dog is having a cow.”These colloquial metaphors allow us to add spice and flavor to our language giving us a unique poetic lingua franca of our culture.Colloquial language is based on casual, familiar spoken phrases that are regional, ethical or culturally-based.Take for instance the words used to describe a carbonated beverage: In the Midwest it is commonly called “pop,” while in the Northeast and West it is referred to as “soda.” But in the South it is “Coke” regardless of brand.Idioms are colloquial metaphors, or as the idiot said, “What’s a meadow for? Cows, of course.”A metaphor is a device used in literature and especially in poetry, where with few words, emotions and associations from one context are associated with objects and entities in a different context. It compares two subjects without using ‘like’ or ‘as.’As in, “Roses are red, violets are purple, sugar is sweet, so is maple surple.” Because there are no words in English that rhyme with purple or orange we are forced to use the kind of silliness that drives a word-maven up the wall.Yet every cloud has a silver lining and every dog has his day, so, we use idioms to sometime express a truth more truthfully.Most of us never know when to bite our tongue but we are more often than not happy to bite off more than we can chew, while putting our foot in our mouths.Sadly, most of our fellow citizens and more than a few politicians will bend over backwards to beat around the bush.Too bad most bad politicians spend their time barking up the wrong tree forcing the good ones back to square one.In his play As You Like It, Shakespeare writes, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances.”The speech compares the world to a stage and life to a play, and catalogues the seven stages of a person’s life, sometimes referred to as the seven ages of man: infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, justice, pantaloon (old age) and second childhoodThe man in the poem goes through these stages:* Infancy: In this stage he is a baby.* Childhood: It is in this stage that he begins formal education, leaving only momentarily the protective shelter of his home.* The lover: In this stage the boy/man is always rueful due to some reason or other, especially the loss of love. He tries to express feelings through art, sport or other activity.* The soldier: It is in this age that he begins to think less about himself and begins to think more of others. Still he is easily aroused and tends to be hot headed. This is a period where he is constantly working towards making a reputation for himself and gaining recognition, however short-lived it may be, even at the cost of his own life.* The justice: In this stage, he has acquired wisdom through his many life experiences. He has also reached a stage where he has gained prosperity and social status. At this juncture, he becomes very attentive of his looks and begins to enjoy the finer things of life.* Pantaloon: He begins to lose his appeal both physically and mentally. He begins to lose his resolve and assertiveness, and shrinks in stature and personality.* Second Childhood of dependence: Faced with mental dementia and death, he loses his status and he becomes a non-entity. He becomes dependent on others like a child and is in need of constant support before finally dying.However, there are many men and even a few women who never progress through these stages, some have their lives cut short and others more tragically never travel life’s road beyond, childhood, lover or soldier phase. They never know the ropes, lend an ear, let sleeping dogs lie or stop being a loose cannon.They are chickens with their heads cut off never realizing that pride goes before a fall.From the new kid on the block to the old salt, these fools get off on the wrong foot in a New York minute. Never playing with a full deck, they let the cat out of the bag and never accept blame by constantly passing the buck.Of course, I can always smell a rat and will beat any offender like a rented mule.So, for now, I will turn a blind eyes to their silliness, keep writing until the cows come home, knowing the bigger they are the harder they fall.With tongue firmly in cheek, I bid you a big Fondue or any other malapropism that suits your fancy.

The Spiritual "Cold Shoulder"

Posted by John Richeson on July 12, 2009 at 3:00pm

Most of us have experienced it to one degree or another. It could be from a buddy, an old friend or a family member. You talk to them on the phone or see them in the grocery store or chat with them online. The response is cold and short. "See you at the gathering", "Where do you go to church now?", "Who do you fellowship with?", "What are you doing with the Word?", "I don't read anything on the Internet", "Where is THAT in the Word!?" are some of the signs of a freeze coming on fast. It hurts. Especially when coming from a friend or family member. You feel rejected. What have you done to desereve this treatment? In the pre-Internet era it was harder. I respect some of you who went through this back then. Some found themselves suddenly alone and isolated. They lost all contact with their friends, their lifestyle, their fellowship and in extreme cases their spouse or children. It was tough. It was hard to live through. Most learned a lot about themselves and ultimately became stronger and better as a result. Others took years to cope. Some still do. It hurt. Religion can be cruel when misused. This behavior is nothing new. It has been going on for thousands of years look no further than our own home grown religions in America for for examples. Still, it hurts when you are the recipient of the spiritual cold shoulder. What would Jesus do? I am not sure but I have a feeling he would hug you and welcome you to sit down with him for a while. He would show special interest in you and your family. He would say "See you later, bro!" "Facebook me, man," And when you walked away you would feel warm. You would in fact see him later. He and you would both make sure of it. Isn't that the way we want to treat our brothers and sisters and our fellow man? It's about forgiveness, understanding and letting go. It's about humanity. Enjoy one of my favorite skits which puts this kind of behavior in comedy perspective. The next time someone gives you the spiritual cold shoulder just close your eyes and think of Dana Carvey and laugh.

Inviting all Singles

Posted by Carleen Schmittendorf on July 9, 2009 at 11:57pm

Hi fellow Corps Brothers and SistersIf you are Single, please join the Single Way Corps group on this site. As many make plans to attend the Reunion Cruise us singles can make our plans togehter to share rooms and have some of our own fun. And remember a commitment to attend the reunion is simply adding your name to the list, even better, sending a fully-refundable $50 deposit. Go for it! For the old-timers...do you want to put a dot on your nametag? LOL.Carleen

My new album of twelve hymns and songs entitled, "My Cup Runneth Over"

Posted by Charlie Johnston on July 9, 2009 at 5:33am

New Music to SingI want to let you all know about my new album of twelve hymns and songs. The album is entitled, “My Cup Runneth Over.” It is a collection of twelve new hymns that were written to uplift and inspire God’s people. It includes all voices for a four-part harmony, piano notation and guitar chords, and a large separate lyrics page for each song. An instructional CD is also included to help you learn the songs. The price is $12.95 and $2.50 for shipping, which totals $15.45You can order it at my website here: www.johnstonpublications.comThanks for considering it.God bless you,Charlie Johnson

San Antonio, Texas

Posted by Lyn Neal Morrison on July 4, 2009 at 12:58am

I have a friend who moved to San Antonio and is looking for a fellowship. If anyone knows of one, please e-mail me.Thanks so much!

Some Thoughts on Independence Day

Posted by Billy Britt on July 3, 2009 at 3:30am

Each year we celebrate the 4th of July as the United States Independence Day. It is the Federal holiday commemorating our independence from Great Britain.Today, it would be difficult to imagine the courage and conviction of the supporters of this resolution.The declaration was a logical and intellectual refutation of the long-held belief that one man's right to rule over other men was divinely conferred. This was an affront to centuries of dictatorial rule and the opening for a government based on individual liberty and lawful representation. All the signers of the declaration were men of means, education and position, so, this was not an uprising of radicals but a planned revolution by the ruling elite. Yet, their purpose and plan for government was to give power to individuals via natural rights, rather than the divine rights of kings.The Founding Fathers risked, their lives and liberty rather than bow to Gilgamesh.By attaching their signatures to the Declaration of Independence, these men in effect, were signing their potential death warrants.The last line of our Declaration reads, "For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."When the signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, fortune and sacred honor it was not just a symbolic gesture, it was literal.After the signing, Benjamin Franklin famously said, "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."In her book Affairs of Honor, author Joanne B. Freeman explains that "honor" was used interchangeably with "reputation" but it meant "reputation with a moral dimension and an "elite cast." It was, also understood as, "the core of a man's identity, his sense of self, and his manhood."Sadly, there seems to be no equivalent words for "sacred honor," in use among today's politicians.Rather than relying on a code of "sacred honor," most of today's politicians' employ a more Machiavellian approach to governing. A stratagem that might be summed up by the"whatever it takes" refrain of the street.This, of course, leaves little but the rotting corpses of individual liberty and lawful representation.Lord Acton's April 1877 dictum that "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is seen daily in the halls of power and the headlines of the news.Lord Acton had a great interest in the United States and considered our Federal structure the perfect guarantor of individual liberties.A close observer of the American Civil War, his sympathies lay entirely with the Confederacy. He felt that the South was justified in their defense of States' Rights against a centralized government. Acton believed that all historical precedent pointed to a centralized government that would inevitably turn tyrannical.Not to put too fine a point on Acton's thoughts, it would seem that in today's political realm the only power readily available to the average citizen is to be found on the city or county level. In local politics one can attend meetings, talk with representatives and be face-to-face with those who make the decisions. This, however, takes a commitment on the part of the individual. But is this not a small price to pay to insure at least some of our liberties? Citizens must be informed and involved or else be content to be ruled like a dumb beast driven and contained by the whip and gate. Surely, we all have a few hours a month to insure that this independence, so dearly purchased, is not squandered by ignorance and complacency.Thomas Jefferson wrote, "I know no safe depositary of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power."Your thoughts?

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