M A N A S S A S e M E S S E N G E R Vol. 3 No. 3 ........................... Give God what is right, not what is left ............................ IN THIS ISSUE 1. Test Your Bible Skills 2. Bible Facts on File 3. Devil's Beatitudes 4. Making the Most of Life 5. A Prayer for our brothers serving 6. **THE FUNNIES** 7. About eMessenger 8. Wisdom in Small Packages ================== 1. Test Your Bible Skills "Bible Verses & Trivia" by Jan ================== [1] Q. In Jesus' parable, what was the woman who searched her house with a lantern looking for? [2] Q. Who was the first author mentioned in the Bible? [3] Q. According to Job, what is hidden from the keen-eyed birds of prey? (Answers at the End) -- God can make all things new. Yes, even you. -- 2. Bible Facts on File .......................... The earliest Bibles, handwritten on scrolls, contained neither punctuation, verses, nor chapters. These were added later to make it easier to read. How, then, did scribes know that they hadn't left out a word or two? They had what were called "center words." If a specific word did not show up where it was supposed to, the writer was forced to start again. How about that! .......................... Commit, or "roll," your burdens on the Lord; although they may cause you anxiety, they are never too great for Him ........................... 3 .Devil's Beatitudes If the Devil were to write his Beatitudes, they would probably go something like this: Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians in Church ~ they are my best workers. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked ~ I can use them. Blessed are the touchy, with a bit of luck they may stop going to church ~ they are my missionaries. Blessed are those who are very religious but get on everyone's nerves ~ they are mine forever. Blessed are the troublemakers ~ they shall be called my children. Blessed are those who have no time to pray ~ they are easy prey for me. Blessed are the gossipers ~ for they are my secret agents. Blessed are those critical of church leadership ~ for they shall inherit a place with me in my fate. Blessed are the complainers ~ I'm all ears for them. Blessed are you when you read this and think it is about other people and not yourself ~ I've got you! #~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~# Don't be misled. You don't have to drink red wine to avoid heart attacks; 100 percent grape juice (his advertised brand, of course) has the same benefits, and more. -- Larry King #~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~# 4. Making the Most of Life If I can throw a single ray of light across the darkened pathway of another; if I can aid some soul to clearer sight of life and duty, and thus bless my brother; if I can wipe from any human cheek a tear, I shall not have lived my life in vain. If I can guide some erring one to truth, inspire within his heart a sense of duty; if I can plant within my soul of rosy youth a sense of right, a love of truth and beauty; if I can teach one man that God and heaven are near, I shall not then have lived in vain while here. If from my mind I banish doubt and fear, and keep my life attuned to love and kindness; if I can scatter light and hope and cheer, and help remove the curse of mental blindness; if I can make more joy, more hope, less pain, I shall not have lived and loved in vain. If by life's roadside I can plant a tree, beneath whose shade some wearied head may rest, though I may never share its beauty, I shall yet be truly blest--though no one knows my name, nor drops a flower upon my grave, I shall not have lived in vain while here. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Most friction in life is caused by the tone of the voice. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 5. A Prayer for our brothers serving With war just over the horizon, we need to remember that not only are there many we may know who are serving overseas in harms way, but there are many brothers and even sisters over there. I know of 3 in my little sphere. They are Gary Rouse- a member of Manassas Church of Christ, Scott Potter - a member of Fairfax Church of Christ and raised here at the Manassas church, and Brian Williams a friend of one of our members. Although writing these men is very difficult now, a prayer is much more effective. If you have anyone you would like listed in our next issue please let me know. E-mail me at webminister@manassaschurch.org 6. THE FUNNIES <|:o ;o} :-) :o| ;-) <|:o ;o} :-) :o| ;-) <|:o ;o} :-) :o| ;-) --** Ups and Downs ** A radical feminist is getting on a bus when, just in front of her, a man gets up from his seat. She thinks to herself, "Here's another man trying to keep up the customs of a patriarchal society by offering a poor, defenseless woman his seat," so she pushes him back onto the seat. A few minutes later, the man tries to get up again. She is still insulted so she refuses to let him up again. Finally, the man says, "Look, lady, you've got to let me get up. I'm twelve blocks past my stop already." --"Close the curtains," requested our 3 year old granddaughter, sitting in a pool of bright light. "The sun's looking at me too hard." --Little Johnny A Sunday school teacher was talking to her class about the difference between right and wrong. "For example," she said. "If I were to put my hand into a man's pocket and take his billfold with all his money, what would I be?" Little Johnny smiled, raised his hand, and confidently blurted out, "You'd be his wife!" Oops! -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Encouragement in regular and massive doses is probably the best thing you can give anyone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answers to Bible Quiz [1]. A. A lost coin. See Luke 15:8 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?" The point of this parable and the others in this chapter is to show the joy of God when precious things are lost and then recovered. God's joy is to forgive and restore. The focus of heaven is shown as resting on the question of salvation above all. [2]. Q. Who was the first author to be mentioned in the Bible? A. Moses See Exodus 17:14 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.'" This is the first reference in the Bible to the writing of what was to become recognized as Scripture. The battle of the Amalekites, the descendants of Esau or the Edomites, was not won by Israel's might but by the power of the Lord. The written word was to be a continual reminder of this fact. [3]. Q. According to Job, what is hidden from the keen-eyed birds of prey? A. The whereabouts of jewels and precious metal. See Job 28:5-7 "The earth, from which food comes, is transformed below as by fire; sapphires come from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold. No bird of prey knows that hidden path, Did you ever stop to think and forget to start again? 7. About eMessenger Written by members of the Church of Christ for the edification of fellow Christians and instruction of those that are not yet. All materials herein are freely distributed and may be reproduced, unless individually specified, in any manner. Please forward this to all of your friends, or anyone else who you feel would benefit from the words spoken here. Credit for material reprinted or reproduced is requested. ..................... NOTE: This newsletter was sent to you either because someone put you on the mailing list or you requested it. ..................... Special thanks to those who contributed to this month's eMessenger. (Credit given for contents of this newsletter where known.) .................... Jointly edited by John and Marvin (Marv) Murphy 8. Wisdom In Small Packages "Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come." -- Og Mandino "I hear people say, 'Why do you want to go to church? They are all just hypocrites.' I never understood why going to church made you a hypocrite because nobody goes to church because they're perfect. If you've got it all together, you don't need to go. You can go jogging with all the other perfect people on Sunday morning. Every time you go to church, you're confessing again to yourself, to your family, to the people you pass on the way there, to the people who will greet you there, that you don't have it all together, and that you need their support. You need their direction. You need some accountability, you need some help." -- Rich Mullins, the "Awesome God" guy "The way you stay young is by learning something absolutely new." -- Gertrude Saunders 90. (Woman's Day, March 4, 2003) ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Let us be busy: Making Christians, one soul at a time. ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~