Are you committing the sins of Sodom? Take the test - it might surprise you.

Q.1. Comparing yourself to the 1 billion half starved, poverty stricken Asians and Africans, do you think you might be considered a proud person?

Q.2. Do you have more than enough to eat every day? If you are 1 lb. overweight the answer is yes.

Q.3. Do you have a lot of spare time? There are 168 hours in a week. If you have a 40 hour work week there are 128 hours remaining. Sleep 8 hours a day? You have 72 hours left. That's almost half a week. What do you do with those 72 hours? Watch tv? Play video games? Shoot hoops? Hang out?

Q.4. What exactly are you doing for the poor and needy? A 5 dollar turkey once a year? Your generousity overwhelms me.

Now read the "other" reasons why God sent fire and brimstone down on Sodom.

MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR ALL OF US TO DO A SERIOUS SELF EXAMINIATION AND REARRANGE OUR PRIORITIES. WE MAY BE GIVING AN ACCOUNT BEFORE THE "BEMA" OF CHRIST SOONER THAN WE THINK.


Ezekiel 16:49
"Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."

The Nose of the Camel

Have you heard the story of the bedouin who found himself out in the middle of the desert on a very cold night? He unloaded his gear from his camel, pitched his tent, cooked a very meager dinner then curled up under some blankets and tried to go to sleep. It wasn't long before the camel stuck his nose between the tent flaps and pleaded, "Master, it's terribly cold out here and I worked so hard for you all day. Please let me warm up my nose for awhile." The bedouin thought to himself, "Yes, the poor thing has had a hard day. I should let him warm his nose, that's the least I could do to thank him for his labor." So he let the camel warm his nose and soon the bedouin was nodding off to sleep. After a short while he heard a noise and looked up to see the camel had pushed his entire head into the small tent. "Hey, what are you doing?" he shouted. "Please Master", said the camel, "My ears were freezing. Be so kind and let me warm up my ears for awhile." The bedouin thought, "I'll be nice to him. It is a very cold night." So he let the camel leave his head in the tent. It wasn't long before he was awakened again and found the camel had now pushed his front legs and shoulder into the tent. "Oh, please Master. Just let me warm my feet. It's freezing out there."

You get the drift. Before the night was over the bedouin was sharing his little tent with a big stinking camel and there was no way he could get him back out into the cold air.

This story is ancient. It has been told over and over to childen, families, individuals, tribes, organizations and yes, even to churches to illustrate how important it is to be discerning with regard to what you are willing to accept.

2 John 10 "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house" (or tent)

Isaac Newton

The mathematical and scientific discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727) are astronomical. Some of the most notable of his achievements include the invention of calculus, the discovery of the laws of motion and the law of gravitation, and the construction of the first reflecting telescope. He also was a man known for his Christian faith. He spent a great portion of his time studying the Bible with a special interest in prophecy. Following are some of his quotations.
On the Bible:
"I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily."
On atheism:
"Atheism is so senseless. When I look at the solar system. I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance."
At the time of his death, he left more than a million words of notes on the Bible. Six years after his death, Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John was published. Not only was Isaac a great scientist but also a dedicated student of the Bible.

from BlueLetterBible

Despised and Rejected

"It is enough for the disciple that he be as His Master." Matthew 10:25

No one will dispute this statement, for it would be unseemly for the servant to be exalted above his Master. When our Lord was on earth, what was the treatment He received? Were His claims acknowledged, His instructions followed, His perfections worshipped, by those whom He came to bless? No; "He was despised and rejected of men." Outside the camp was His place: cross-bearing was His occupation. Did the world yield Him solace and rest? "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." This inhospitable country afforded Him no shelter: it cast Him out and crucified Him. Such—if you are a follower of Jesus, and maintain a consistent, Christ-like walk and conversation—you must expect to be the lot of that part of your spiritual life which, in its outward development, comes under the observation of men. They will treat it as they treated the Saviour—they will despise it. Dream not that worldlings will admire you, or that the more holy and the more Christ-like you are, the more peaceably people will act towards you. They prized not the polished gem, how should they value the jewel in the rough? "If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of His household?" If we were more like Christ, we should be more hated by His enemies. It were a sad dishonour to a child of God to be the world's favourite. It is a very ill omen to hear a wicked world clap its hands and shout "Well done" to the Christian man. He may begin to look to his character, and wonder whether he has not been doing wrong, when the unrighteous give him their approbation. Let us be true to our Master, and have no friendship with a blind and base world which scorns and rejects Him. Far be it from us to seek a crown of honour where our Lord found a coronet of thorn.

C.H.Spurgeon

What is your standard of truth?

Is it you yourself? Oh, thou all knowing one!!
Is it a text book? They change almost every year.
Is it a great philosopher? What do you do with the others who see it differently?
Is it history? They say that the victor writes the tale. Revisions are too common.
Is it the majority, or consensus? The majority is often wrong. (Germany 1937-1945)
Is it science? We don't know an awful lot more than we do know!

Mine is the Holy Bible and I have a lot of reasons for accepting it as THE standard of truth in all that it affirms. It is God's revelation to man. Heed it and be blessed!!

Foresight and Leadership

"Foresight is the ability to look into the future, to come up with solutions that are good for the short term and the long term. Foresight is the most precious quality a leader can have, and it is the rarest."

J.RufusFears

Sir Walter Scott's "Mystery of all Mysteries"

Within this wonderous volume lies
The mystery of all mysteries.
Happiest they of human race
to whom their God has given grace
to read, to fear, to hope, to pray;
to lift the latch, to find the way.
And better had they ne'er been born,
who read to doubt or read to scorn.

Sir Walter Scott wrote about the Holy Bible