ARTICLES

THE OLDER WOMAN...A LINGERING FRAGRANCE

  The life of an older godly woman is compared to a beautiful rose.

  1.  The mature Christian woman's roots are strong and firm because she is grounded in God's Word.

  2.  The long graceful stem, with it many thorns represents her life with many trials and tribulations.

  3.  A fragile rosebud is pretty, but not until the petal begins to unfold do we see the full beauty of the rose.  Likewise, the years unfold showing the true beauty of the dedicated life of the Christian woman.  All her love and kindness is as the softness of each velvety white petal.

  4.  To the heart of the rose comes the bee to gather nectar for its honey, the sweetest food known to man!  From the loving heart of the older Christian woman comes the spiritual bread as she teaches and influences the younger woman in all the ways God has commanded.

  5.  Only when the rose bloom reaches maturity do we catch the full sweetness of the aroma as it emits from the very heart of the flower. So in maturity, a Christian woman keeps Christ in her heart and truly loves as Christ loved.

   6.  Deep in the heart of the rose is hidden the seed of life itself.  In the pure heart of the Christian woman we find knowledge and wisdom of how to live the abundant life.  She is not afraid of loneliness, because she knows she is not alone when God is her constant companion.  God's ever presence gives her courage.

  7.  When the dew of the evening falls on the full blown rose,  it has reached the height of its beauty.  The Christian woman can so live her life that when she reaches the twilight years she will find them to be the best and most beautiful.  She does not fear death, for she has faith that god will keep His promise.  She finds peace and comfort in the Scriptures. "And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20).

 

THE BIBLE IS:

This is why we need to: “Study to show ourselves approved…”2 Timothy 2:15)

 

 

SUDDENLY SUCCESS

     I believe God wants us to be successful…and yet success is not always obvious.  The Chinese bamboo tee does absolutely nothing – or so it seems – for the first four years.  Then suddenly, sometime during the fifth year, it shoots up ninety feet in sixty days.  Would you say that bamboo tree grew in sixty days, or five years? 

     I think our lives are akin to the Chinese bamboo tree.  Sometimes we put forth effort, put forth effort, and put forth effort…and nothing seems to happen.  But if you do the right things long enough, you’ll receive the rewards of your efforts.

-- Truett Cathy,  via Lakeside Messenger

 

MAKING FAITH YOUR OWN

 

     “The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ‘Come, see a Man, who told me all things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?’  Then they went out of the city and came to Him…And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’… And many more believed because of His own word.  Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” (John 4:28-29; 39; 41-42).

     When I was a small child my mother would sit me on her lap and read Bible stories to me.  I learned early on about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and other great Bible personalities.  I learned about Jesus.  I believed because she read to mea about these great people in whom she also believed.

     As I grew up, I continued to believe.  I believed because mother and dad believed.  When dad led prayer at mealtime and faithfully attended every worship service and after services stayed to discuss the Bible with other men who were seeking the truth, I could not help but believe.  The result of this young, imperfect faith was my baptism into Jesus Christ at the tender age of nine.  Like the Samaritans, I believed because of their words.

     During my latter teen years, particularly, my faith began to change.  I can’t and won’t say that it faltered, but it changed.  As all teens do, I began to question my religious faith.  Yes, I believed the Bible.  Yes, I believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.  But, why did I believe?  What were the compelling reasons for my faith?  Did I believe just because mom and dad believed?  Or, did I believe just because the preacher said it was so?  The time had come for me to find out for myself.

     I began to study for myself.  As I sought to learn, God providentially supplied the opportunities.  Controversy at church, fanatics at work, and opportunities to speak publicly supplied ample fodder for my contemplation.

     The more I studied, (faith comes by hearing…the word of God) the stronger my faith became.  Like the Samaritans, now I can say, “I have heard for myself and know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

     You can’t go to heaven on a borrowed faith.  Too many people are what they are religiously because generations of their families have been that.  Others are what they are because it is popular.  These have no faith of their own. 

     It is good for parents to impart to their children a faith to live by.  But it had better be founded upon a “thus saith the Lord.”  For a while children will believe without investigation because they trust you and believe in your words.  But the day will come when they will challenge your beliefs.  They will want, and need, to know for themselves.  When they open their Bibles and read, will they find that you have taught them well?

Richard Kirkland