As I write this article (Wed. August 17) my wife Linda is starting a new school year and meeting her fresh crop of fifth graders for the first time.  I don't know how well I could handle 25 rambunctious kids fresh from a two-and-a-half month summer vacation.   As I told her, "You're a better man than I am!"

I didn't much care for school as I was growing up.  I was a fair student, but to be perfectly honest, I was not very good at studying.  Certain subjects came to me rather easily: I had no problem with history or reading.   Science, math and Spanish were another story.  (When asked by my Spanish teacher what "dinero" was I ventured, "The third meal of the day?")   I just didn't see the point of "wasting" 2-3 hours each evening with books when I could be watching TV, listening to music or being with my friends.   I finished high school with a B average.

Then I went to college.   BIG change.   Suddenly, none of the subjects came easily to me.  Even worse, I was paying for these classes.   I had to do a better job of studying.  But I didn't know how.   I muddled through my freshman year with a C average.

Then, my sophomore year, I met Linda.   Because this article needs to be short I can't tell you a great deal about our courtship but I will tell you this:  Linda is VERY serious about education and learning.   Most of our "dates" were on campus.  And they were study sessions.   That's right, study sessions.   In the upstairs hallway of the Chapel Building at Kentucky Christian College Linda and I would sit side-by-side: she had her books and notes and I had mine.  The difference was that she knew how to use them.  I didn't.  

So Linda taught me how to study.  And you know what?  I discovered that I LOVED learning!!!  I still do to this day (and I regret all those wasted early years).

As we leave Summer and head into Fall I hope we can do some learning together.   Beginning with the next Blotter we are going to take a close look at one of Jesus' greatest teachings: the Sermon on the Mount.   This sermon, found in Matthew chapters 5-7, has been called "The Code of Ethics For the Kingdom of God".   And it is exciting stuff!   Let's resolve to study it together and see what jewels God has waiting for us.

See you soon!
Bill

The 2011 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was won by New York Yankee Robinson Cano. During the course of the evening Cano hit a total of 32 home runs: 12 of them in the final round.  Each batter is allowed to choose who they want to pitch to them.  Roninson’s choice?  His dad, former Houston Astro Jose Cano.

Jose Cano was all business on the pitching mound: no smiles, no cheering—nothing but focus and a grim determination to put the ball over the heart of the plate.   Only when the contest was over, and his son was victorious, did Jose break into a smile.

In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus said:
¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Every day we face the challenge of trying to live godly lives in a decidedly un-godly world.   It can be tough.  But God is on our side.  He may seem a little stern at times, but that is because there is so much work to be done.   In the end, though, we can be assured of His smile and a hearty “Well done!” if we remain faithful to Him.

So live every day in a way that makes your Heavenly Father proud.

See you soon.

Bill

Note:  Bill will be on vacation till Aug. 6.  The Blotter will resume after that time.

I want us to spend some time studying Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  The sermon is found in Matthew chapters 5-7.  In this article we are going to take a brief look at The Beatitudes (Mt. 5:1-12 NIV)

1. It is not immediately obvious why we should be happy in these situations..

and….

2)              This is certainly not “happiness” as the world defines it.

1. It is not immediately evident why we should be “happy” to be poor in spirit, or when we mourn, or when we are persecuted.
2. Those situations seem to indicate that, at the time they are occurring, one would be rather un-happy.

Till then, take care and God bless

Bill

On July 4th 1776, representatives from the 13 colonies on the North American continent, signed the Declaration of Independence, thereby declaring freedom from England.  These 13 colonies would soon form a new country, The United States of America.

Every year, Americans celebrate this event and their freedom on July 4th with family gatherings, parades, cookouts, and fireworks.  As you are celebrating this holiday, remember the sacrifices that were made to obtain the freedom to allow us to exist as a sovereign nation.  To obtain freedom, there is a cost that must be paid.

As Christians living in The United States of America, we have citizenship in both America and in Heaven.  Jesus paid the price to free all of us from our sins.  Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for all, by suffering death on the cross.  When each of us accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and are baptized, along with the forgiveness of our sins, we receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us:  “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  We have our freedom through Christ Jesus.

But we must remember that along with freedom and liberty we have responsibility.  In the book of Galatians 5:13, the Apostle Paul writes:  “You, my brothers were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”  Additionally, the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:16 writes:  “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”  Our freedom and liberty is not a license for us to do as we please.  Our freedom is the freedom to serve God, and each other, in love.

In closing, I encourage you to study, and be knowledgeable in God’s Word, so that you will know the truth, and more appreciate your freedom.

In case you haven’t heard, the world is supposedly coming to an end this Saturday, May 21st.   So says broadcaster Harold Camping.  This announcement is being met with a mixture of amusement and fear: amusement on the part of those who doubt the Lord will ever return and fear on the part of those who believe they have only hours left to live.

Three issues need to be addressed here:

1. According to no less an authority than Jesus Himself in Mt. 24:36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.   Mr. Camping’s assertion that HE knows is prideful at best…and borders on blasphemy.  No Bible-believing Christian should pay him a moment’s heed.

2. Make no mistake: the Lord WILL return one day-we just don’t know when.   Those who doubt this would do well to pay attention to the words of 2 Peter 3  (too lengthy a passage to cite here)  Just because God is patient does not mean He is negligent!

3. Those who fear they are not ready for the Lord’s return (whenever it occurs) have a simple solution available to them:  GET READY!  The Bible says that Christ’s return will be similar to the way a thief comes in the night: people will not have a clue that He’s on His way.   The Bible clearly tells us HOW to get ready to meet the Lord.  You can read it for yourself, or..better yet…contact us at Rose Hill: we’ll be happy to tell you what to do.

Most of you know that I recently spent 11 days at the Ohio State University Hospital recovering from pneumonia.  The care I received was exceptional, and the medical staff was great!  A few of my doctors and nurses turned out to be Christians.  I would like to tell you about one of them.

Her name is A. J. and she was one of my nurses.  A. J. could best be described as "sunshine in a bottle."  I can't remember the last time I met such an upbeat person.  Her sunny disposition masks a stormy past.

Eight years ago A. J. gave birth to triplets: identical twin girls and a little boy.  Tragically, one of the girls died after a few days.  While she was at the cemetery burying her daughter she received a phone call: "You better come back to the hospital.  Your son is not going to make it." Thankfully, her boy survived and today her two remaining children are just fine.   A.J. has powerful memories of those days.  "Everywhere I went I ran into people who were praying for me and my family.  I would be at a store and the clerk would hand me back my credit card and thank me by name.  Someone behind me in line would ask, 'Are you the family we have been praying for at church?'   I don't know how we could have made it through those days without people praying for us."

A.J.'s gratitude turned into something more.  She felt compelled to start a support group for parents in the Columbus area who have given birth to triplets and then lost a child.  There are more of these families than you would think.  "You tell someone that you had triplets and lost one and they say, 'Well, at least you still have twins.'  No, you had triplets....one died.  There has to be an outlet for that grief."   A.J. and her family have taken the comfort they received in their time of loss and have sought to extend it to others.   That is what ministry is all about.

Some of you have had trials that are common in this life.  Have you ever thought of starting a support group to minister to others?  It could be that God is waiting to share His comfort through you.

Until next time.....

Bill

Spring has sprung!  Isn’t it beautiful?  April showers bring May flowers.  God’s beautiful blessings surround us everywhere you look and Easter is right around the corner.  As women, we examine our roles around the holidays to see what we need to do, what plans to make, what the holiday menu should be.  Pretty typical: business as usual.  But, you know, women played a pretty prominent role in the Easter story.

* When the boulder in front of Jesus’ tomb was rolled away, it was women who found it.  Luke 24:1-2
* When Jesus’ body was not wrapped in the linens, it was women who discovered it. Luke 24:3
* When Jesus first announced his resurrection, it was women who heard it.
* And when the apostles first heard he had risen, it was women who told them.  Luke 24:9-10

How exciting is that!  So now when you roll that big Easter ham out to dinner, remember our sisters before us and the role THEY played in witnessing the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  HE IS RISEN!

Upcoming Events

4/16 – Decorate for Palm Sunday 10:00 a.m.
4/17 – Presentation of the movie “The Miracle” 5:00 p.m.
4/21 – Ladies meeting 6:00 p.m.
Decorate for Easter and Deacons breakfast
5/19 – Ladies meeting 6:00 p.m.
5/21 – Community outreach meal (volunteers needed)

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.   
(Luke 22:19-20)

With two brief verses Luke records one of the most sacred events in Christianity: The Lord’s Supper.  The Supper is astounding in its simplicity; there are only two elements: bread and the fruit of the vine.  

The wine represents the blood Christ would shed on the Cross mere hours after this Supper was eaten.   The bread, broken before it was eaten, would represent Jesus’ body broken and pierced.

The Supper was instituted with a command and a reminder.  The command: “Do this in remembrance of me.”  We Christians today have never seen Jesus.  We never heard His actual voice.  But we have the Bible…and its words stir the imagination.   We can picture His ministry, His miracles, His teaching.  And we can picture His death: the awful scourging, the crown of thorns, the nails in the hands and feet, the hours of agony.  We are to remember these things because it was our place, our punishment that Jesus was taking on Calvary.  Each time we observe the Lord’s Supper we are to remember the cost Jesus paid.

We are also reminded that the cup is “the new covenant in my blood”.  A covenant is an agreement between two parties.  Jesus has taken our punishment and offers us forgiveness and eternal life.  In return, He requires us to follow Him in love and obedience.   When we observe the Lord’s Supper we not only remember what Jesus has done for us; we also remember the commitment we made to follow Him.

The next time you join fellow believers around the Lord’s Table, take time to really appreciate all that Jesus did for you on the Cross so many years ago.

See you soon!
Bill

Language Problems
Back in Bible College we learned that the Scriptures were written in several different languages.   The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew.   The New Testament was written mostly in Greek and Aramaic.   I am very glad that scholars have translated the Bible into English since I know next to nothing about Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic!  The English language helps me understand what God wants me to know.

It may seem strange, but even in a country such as ours where English is the predominant language; sometimes it is still difficult for people to understand the Bible.  That is because the Bible uses words that are no longer widely used in our culture.   Over the next several weeks The Blotter will take a look at some of these “unusual” words – and try to make sense of them.

This week’s word is “Atonement”.  The Free Online Dictionary lists the #1 definition of the word as “Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong.”   That is a very good definition and it will go a long way towards helping us understand how that word is used in Scripture.

When people “Sin” (that is, break God’s law) their relationship with Him is broken.   They become God’s enemy and the object of His wrath.  (see Ephesians 2:3)  They are separated from Him in this life and will ultimately be separated from Him for eternity in a place called Hell.

Unless SOMETHING changes the situation.

The definition for Atonement calls for amends or reparation for an injury or wrong.  The problem is, no person can make up for the egregious crime of breaking God’s law.  His law demands that the sinner die.  Unless a perfect and equal sacrifice can be found.   In the Old Testament animals were regularly sacrificed to pay for the sins of people.   The problem there is that an animal…no matter how valuable…is not on the same level as a human.  Mankind was doomed.   Until God did the unthinkable.  He sent His Son Jesus to this earth to live an absolutely sinless life for 33 years.   At the end of that time Jesus was crucified on the cross in our place.   He substituted himself to take our punishment.  And, since He was innocent of all wrongdoing, His blood made amends for our wrongdoing.  The book of Romans puts it this way:

Romans 3:21-26
²¹ But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
²² This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
²⁴ and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
²⁵ God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of Atonement.   Stop by this site next week and together we’ll look at another language problem!

See you soon!
Bill