THE WEEKLY ENCOURAGER

FEBRUARY 28, 2008

VERSE OF THE MONTH:

“Let me come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word.” Psalm 119:169

A DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK:

WALKING THROUGH THE VALLEY:

By Michael Halleen

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me... (Psalm 23:4)

College choir members on tour and accompanying staff (I was among the latter) stayed in homes to save money on lodging, and so I found myself in the back seat of a big Buick sedan one evening following a concert in a church in the central valley of California. My driver and host was a cheerful, elderly man who loved to talk about the new golf clubs - putters, mostly - he had invented.

We stopped at a railroad crossing. The red lights were flashing, but guard rails had not been lowered. My host was prattling on about his latest invention when he realized there was no train in sight. "Guess we can go," he said, gunning the engine and moving the big Buick across the tracks. We had not gone three hundred feet down the road when a freight train roared through the intersection. I stared at it out the back window, scarcely able to breathe. My host, however, seemed not to notice as he and his wife wondered aloud what to serve for breakfast the next day.

Arnold Hutschnecker, a physician and psychologist, told the story of how he, as a young soldier cut off from his German army unit, had been trapped behind enemy lines in Ukraine toward the end of World War II. Hidden in deserted barracks, he and six comrades were found by Russian soldiers and lined up to face a firing squad. Fourteen rifles were pointed at them – no escape, no place to run.

The Russian captain prolonged his prisoners' agony by casually smoking a cigarette before giving the order to fire. Finally he tossed it to the ground, slowly twisting it with his boot. Then a faint sound...the purring of a small engine...and a military motorbike raced into the yard.

The rider shouted to the captain words that even the German prisoners understood meant "Move out!" Polish troops were approaching and they had time only to hide. In later years Hutschnecker reflected on the small miracle of circumstance that caused that captain to take those last few drags on his cigarette, giving time for the sound of the motorbike to be heard and the warning of an advancing army to save him from an apparently hopeless situation.

We walk daily through dangerous and difficult valleys. Most often, however, calamity misses us. Mark Twain said, "I'm an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." We move on down the road and plan tomorrow's breakfast. It is a mercy from the hand of God, who walks with us.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT FAITH BIBLE CHURCH THIS WEEK?

SUNDAY MARCH 1st

9:30am - Bible school classes for children and adults. Join us for a fascinating new series on WORLDVIEWS OF CHRISTIANS. We also have small classes for all ages of children. Come join your small group this week for a Bible blessing.

10:30am. - Morning Worship Hour Come worship with us this Sunday. This weeks message will be entitled “THE PRIZE” based on I Corinthians 9:24-27. We would encourage you to reach out and invite someone to attend church with you this week. SEE YOU ON SUNDAY MORNING.

7:00pm. EVENING SERVICE THIS WEEK- this week join us for a time of fellowship in song, testimony and praise. In our service tonight we will take a look at Isaiah 9 and see AN OUTSTRETCHED HAND!. Why not make the effort to join us this week.

2. THIS WEEKS QUESTION : Who from our church is a hair dresser? Last weeks question - Do you know who did the decorating for the Sweet Heart Banquet? Terry Figary and Jim Rotundo – GREAT JOB MEN!!!

3. Our first LET’S GO EVENT of the year is being planned for MARCH 15TH. Join us as we GO ICE FISHING!!! Bring you stuff for fishing and join us at Long Pond Lake around 10am. Your tip up’s must be labeled with your name on them. If you plan to use Roger Milks please bring address labels with you. You will need a fishing license if you’re over 15 years old. Dress warm and bring some warm food too!

4. WINTER BIBLE CONFERENCE with Bible teacher and missionary Chester Martin is coming March 8-9. Save the dates. THEME: WHAT ABOUT THE CHURCH? Be sure to invite some friends to join you. Saturdays meeting will begin with a Pot-luck dinner at 5:30pm.. Invite some friends to attend this program with you.

5. Planning ahead to EASTER SUNDAY? We will have only morning activities beginning with a Sun Rise Service at 7:30am.

SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT THIS WEEK:

I had purchased a talking metronome while I was attending a conference in New York for music teachers. Before my son and I boarded our flight home, I hefted my carry-on bag onto the security- check conveyor belt.

The guard's eyes widened as he watched the monitor. He asked what I had in the bag, and then slowly pulled out the six-by- three-inch black box covered with dials and switches. Other travelers, sensing trouble, vacated the area.

"A metronome," I replied weakly, as my son cringed in embarrassment. "It's a talking metronome," I insisted. "Look, I'll show you." I took the box and flipped a switch, realizing that I had no idea how it worked, "One... two... three... four," it said. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

As we gathered our belongings, my son whispered, "Aren't you glad it didn't go 'four... three... two... one...?"

////////////

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TRYING TO CATCH UP ON HIS SLEEP

An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell

from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home. He followed

me into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep in a corner. An

hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, resumed his position in the hall,

and slept for an hour. This continued for several weeks.

Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: "Every afternoon your

dog comes to my house for a nap."

The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his

collar: "He lives in a home with ten children -- he's trying to catch

up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?"

///////////////

"PRISON QUARTET"

While I was preaching in a church in Mississippi, the pastor

announced that their prison quartet would be singing the following

evening. I wasn't aware there was a prison in the vicinity and I

looked forward to hearing them.

The next evening, I was puzzled when four members of the

church approached the stage. Then the pastor introduced them.

"This is our prison quartet," he said, "behind a few bars and always

looking for the key."

//////////////

Rabbit

Things are not always the way they may appear. For example, a woman's dog got out of the yard and later returned with a rabbit in its mouth. She realized it was the neighbors' pet rabbit, and knew she would never be able to tell them what happened. Since they were out of town, she hit upon a plan.

She took the rabbit into the bathroom, washed it off, and blew its fur dry. Then she took the rabbit to the neighbors' backyard and put the rabbit back in its cage. She thought the neighbors would discover the rabbit dead and think it died in the cage, and would never suspect what really happened.

On Monday, there was a knock at the door, and when she answered, her neighbor was standing there. He asked her if she had seen anyone in their backyard over the weekend.

She said no.

He said, "Did you see anything strange going on around our house or yard?"

Again, she denied seeing anything suspicious. She said, "Why are you asking me these questions? What happened?"

He said, "Well, something really strange is going on in my backyard. On Friday our rabbit died, so we buried it in the backyard. But when we came back from the weekend, it was back in the cage!"

/////////////////

MOUSE TRAP STORY WITH A MORAL AT THE END"

This is excellent...

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

What food might this contain? The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning : There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, " Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me." "I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. "Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.

To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.

So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

///////////////

MEXICAN EGGS

Two Mexicans are riding along the Pacific Coast Highway on a motorbike. They have a break down and start to hitch a ride. A friendly trucker stops to see if he can be of some help and the Mexicans ask him for a lift.

He tells them he has no room in the trailer as he is carrying 10,000 bowling balls. The Mexicans ask the driver that if they can manage to fit in the back with their bike, will he take them to the next town and he agrees. They manage to squeeze their motorcycle and themselves into the back of the trailer so the dr iver shuts the doors and gets back on his way. By this time he is really late and so puts his foot down.

Sure enough the California Highway Patrol pulls him over for speeding. The good officer asks the driver what he is carrying to which he replies jokingly-- "Mexican eggs".

The policeman obviously doesn't believe this so he wants to take a look. He opens the back door of the trailer and quickly shuts it and locks it. He gets on his radio and calls for immediate backup from as many officers as possible. The dispatcher asks what emergency he has that requires so many officers.

"I've got a trailer with 10,000 Mexican eggs in it - Only 2 have hatched so far but they've already managed to steal a motorcycle."

/////////////

THE BLOND AND THE DOG

A blonde and her husband are lying in bed listening to the next door neighbor's dog. It has been in its backyard barking for hours and hours.

The blonde jumps up out of bed and says "I've had enough of this". She goes downstairs.

The blonde finally comes back up to bed and her husband says "The dog is

Still barking, what have you been doing?"

The blond says "I put the dog in our backyard, let's see how they like it.

////////////

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK:

This is the very same issue tearing England apart today. Look out America for we are not very far behind.

CAN MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS?

This is very interesting! We all need to read it from start to finish.... and send it on to anyone who will read it.

Maybe this is why our American Muslims are so quiet and not speaking out about most atrocities.

Can a good Muslim be a good American? This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years. The following is his reply:

Theologically - no. . . . Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon God of Arabia.

Religiously - no. . . . Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256) (Koran).

Scripturally - no. . . Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.

Geographically - no . . . Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he turns in prayer five times a day.

Socially - no. . . . Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews.

Politically - no. . . . Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America, the great Satan.

Domestically - no. . . . Because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34).

Intellectually - no. . . . Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles, and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.

Philosophically - no. . . .. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Ever y Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.

Spiritually - no. . . . Because when we declare "one nation under God," the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names.

Therefore after much study and deliberation, perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country.

They obviously cannot be both "good" Muslims and good Americans.

* * * Call it what you wish; it's still the truth.

* * * You had better believe it.

* * * The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future. The religious war is bigger than we know or understand.

FEEL FREE TO PASS THE WEEKLY ENCOURAGER ALONG TO YOUR FRIENDS WHO NEED A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT TODAY.