Sorrow's Cure

"You cannot cure your sorrow by nursing it but you can cure it by nursing another's sorrow."

George Mathesan 1842-1906
Scotland's Blind Preacher

Honest men needed

"Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest,and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people,in order to betray them." --Joseph Story

Jihadistan: A Clear and Present Danger

Jihadistan: A clear and present danger...

Thousands of events will recognize the third anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on our nation by Islamist Jihadis. Most of these events are reflective -- appropriate vigils in schools and churches to remember 2,864 innocent non-combatant men, women and children -- our countrymen -- who were slaughtered on that Tuesday morning by 19 al-Qa'ida terrorists.

Amid the solemn vigils, the Leftmedia will highlight planned protests that deposing Saddam Hussein was wrong and that the liberation of Iraq will motivate more terrorism than it blocked.
Those protests are wrong -- dead wrong.

Eleven years ago, our homeland became the front line in our war with Jihadistan, that borderless nation of Islamofascists with global reach, inhabited by al-Qa'ida and other Islamist Jihadis targeting the U.S. Their first assault on U.S. soil -- Sheik Ramzi Yousef's bombing of the WTC's north tower, 26 February 1993, was the opening salvo in our asymmetric war with this insidious enemy. But that campaign wouldn't get under way in earnest until their second attack some eight years later, a far more sophisticated and deadly attack that used commercial airliners as missiles to destroy both WTC towers, in addition to scoring a direct hit on the Pentagon.

On that day, a brave group of passengers on UAL Flight 93 became the first Americans to confront al-Qa'ida Jihadis directly. "Let's roll," said a resolute Todd Beamer as he rallied his fellow Patriots to storm the cockpit and thwart a fourth attack -- likely on the Capitol -- at the cost of their own lives.

The events of 9/11 necessitated a national-security policy shift from containment to preemption -- the most significant policy change since WWII. On 11 September 2001, President Bush told the nation -- and the world, "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." Two weeks later, he said, "This war on terrorism will be fought on a number of fronts, in different ways. The front lines will look different from the wars of the past."

President Bush made clear that our campaign against terror defies any diplomatic resolution, and that Jihadistan can only be defeated in offensive, preemptive strikes.

Three weeks after the 9/11 attack, American Armed Forces, under the able leadership of their Commander in Chief, took the fight to the enemy, effectively moving the warfront with Jihadistan from U.S. soil to the heart of the Middle East -- Afghanistan and Iraq. It should be noted that American forces and our allies are not, first and foremost, fighting for Iraq's freedom. They are fighting for critical U.S. national-security interests and those of the free world, which was at great peril as long as Saddam remained in power. Most important, they are endeavoring to keep the battle on Jihadi turf, not ours.

In the last three years, other nations, from Indonesia to Kenya to Spain, have suffered severe blows at the blood-soaked hands of Jihadi terrorists. And this past weekend, we were reminded of the unfettered depravity of Islamist terrorism as nearly 400 Russians -- MOST OF THEM CHILDREN! -- were murdered in a Beslan school, bringing the toll to more than 500 Russian innocents killed by terrorists in the last two weeks. Inevitably, these most recent acts of barbarism bitterly evoked our own sense of loss after 9/11 -- the anguish on the faces of parents as they carried the still bodies of their children, and the blank stares of those learning that their loved ones were killed in simultaneous bombings of passenger jets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, responding to the slaughter in Beslan, says his nation will now -- belatedly -- proceed with a policy of preemption.

On this, the third anniversary of 9/11, we note that the number of American Patriots in uniform who have died in the Iraqi theater passed the 1,000 mark -- predictably prompting political opportunists to launch frontal assaults on our policy in the region. Of course, such protests serve only to endanger our Armed Forces on that warfront by inviting additional strikes against them. Such protests belittle the ultimate sacrifice of those who stood in harm's way, and they imply that a policy of appeasement would end the murder of innocents.

Unfortunately, reality dictates that Jihadis are a relentless enemy who will not rest until that beacon of liberty, the United States, is laid waste. These are very dangerous times, when the state sponsors of Islamofascist groups like al-Qa'ida are close to obtaining (or have already obtained) enough highly enriched uranium to kill millions of Americans in U.S. urban centers.

Thus, the Bush administration's policy of preemption, as enforced by our Patriots in uniform, is an essential element in keeping nuclear terror from our homeland.

We hope and pray that this critical policy and its enforcers are not compromised, as they most assuredly would be, by a change of administrations in November.

According to The Patriot's well-placed military and intelligence sources, our ultimate objective in securing a free Iraq is to establish a forward-deployed presence in the Middle East -- a presence of personnel and equipment. We expect that the invitation to establish bases in Iraq will occur soon after a permanent democratically elected Iraqi government is established -- assuming George Bush is still in the White House.

This base objective is critical, given that it will provide us standing right in the heart of Jihadistan, and an ability to project force to protect our national interests in the region without having to ramp up via sea and airlift. Our sources indicate that our military presence in this region will consist primarily of assets transferred from Germany.

In the meantime, we hope our countrymen are not deceived into believing that Islamist terrorism is anything but a clear and present global danger -- one likely to remain so despite our best efforts in the foreseeable future.

In retrospect, American Patriots will observe a moment of silence at 0846 on 9/11, a solemn moment to contemplate the attack against our countrymen three years ago. Additionally, we will honor, as we do every day, the sacrifice of our Patriot Armed Forces, who have given the last full measure in defense of our liberty, and those who remain in harm's way.

In the words of Founding Patriot Samuel Adams, "Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say, 'What should be the reward of such sacrifices?' Bid us and our posterity bow the knee, supplicate the friendship, and plough, and sow, and reap, to glut the avarice of the men who have let loose on us the dogs of war to riot in our blood and hunt us from the face of the earth? If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands, which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!"


from
The Federalist

Love or Selfishness? - God's Way or My Way?

The measure of our Love is the measure of our worth to society.

Men are valued according to their financial or political standing in a community. It is a problem of how much money they have or how much political influence they can swing. Yet, in the final analysis, the men who Love are the men who help the community.

Man outside of Love is a failure.

Selfishness is the blighting curse to humans. Love stops the rust of selfishness, preserves the home and Church life from decay.

The lover is like stainless steel which will not rust. Given enough time all steel is destroyed by rust. In the same manner our homes are destroyed by selfishness.

Marriages are wrecked by selfishness. The home life disintegrates because the husband is selfish, and the wife seeks her own. The children are born and grow up in that atmosphere. They go out into life living what they have seen.

It is a well-known fact that children who grow up in Godly homes have a better chance in life than those who grow up in homes where there is quarrelling and bitterness. It is almost impossible to find in any of our penal institutions a young man or woman whose father and mother were both walking in Christian love when the child was born, and while it was growing up.

Love is God's adhesive power that binds us together.


What Have You Done With Love?

We have forgotten that Love will make a man a success.

It will put him over where nothing else would make him a victor.

Love never fails. It is the Masters rule of life.

It will lead a man out of selfishness, out of weakness and failure into the very strength and ability of Christ. There is no force in the world that it cannot dominate.

It makes us wanted.

It makes us a blessing.

It enables us to serve in Jesus' place.

As we enthrone Christ in our hearts love reigns.

As Christ takes control over the kingdom of our spirit, then that wonderful passage in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 becomes a living reality: "For the love of Christ constraineth us (or in other words, For the love of Christ has gained control, has taken us over), ; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
"

Paul's friends had challenged him. They said he was beside himself, but the Love of Christ had so set him on fire that he was slowly burning up.

His very being was saturated with the passion that drove Jesus to the cross.

Now you can understand 1 Co. 10:24 "Let no man seek his own, but each his neighbor's good."

Selfishness Reigns Naturally in All of Our Lives

Selfishness is as deadly poison.

It is poison to the spirit.

It is poison to the Body of Christ.

It is a strange thing how man has never feared selfishness. He fears it in the other man, but not in himself.

It is the cause of all the wars that have come; of all the strikes, the battle between labor and capital, and the strife in politics.

That thing born (selfish pride) in the Garden has grown so mighty that it governs the nations of the earth, and Love is the only thing that can destroy it.

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

I believe that Love is a more excellent way.

I believe it is best to let it govern my life. I have come to believe that it is the best method of ruling a home, a business, and a government.

Only a few folks believe that love is best. They believe in force; they believe in intrigue; they believe in power, knowledge, & logic. If in your heart you believe that the Love way is best, then act it.

Whenever we walk in Love we walk in the light, when we step into selfishness we step into darkness and unhappiness.

Charles Klock
gracebiblefellowship-tx.org

Study Links TV to Teen Sexual Activity

What you behold you become. Parents guard your children. Why would we set this temptation before them? Carefully select what you allow your children to watch, and never let them indiscrimately watch the filth that is being pumped through your TV set. Watch for their souls, no one else will.

Charles Klock


Study Links TV to Teen Sexual Activity
By Michael Conlon

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Teenagers who watch a lot of television with sexual content are twice as likely to engage in intercourse than those who watch few such programs, according to a study published on Tuesday.

The study covered 1,792 adolescents aged 12 to 17 who were quizzed on viewing habits and sexual activity and then surveyed again a year later. Both regular and cable television were included.

"This is the strongest evidence yet that the sexual content of television programs encourages adolescents to initiate sexual intercourse and other sexual activities," said Rebecca Collins, a psychologist at the RAND Corp. who headed the study.

"The impact of television viewing is so large that even a moderate shift in the sexual content of adolescent TV watching could have a substantial effect on their sexual behavior," she added.

The study found that youths who watched large amounts of programming with sexual content were also more likely to initiate sexual activities short of intercourse, such as oral sex.

It found that shows where sex was talked about but not depicted had just as much impact as the more explicit shows. "Both affect adolescents' perceptions of what is normal sexual behavior and propels their own sexual behavior," Collins said.

She said the 12-year-olds who watched a lot of sexual content behaved like the 14- or 15-years-olds who watched the least amount. "The advancement in sexual behavior we saw among kids who watched a lot of sexual television was striking."

Her comments were released in a statement in conjunction with publication of the study in the September issue of "Pediatrics," the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The survey did not break down the amount of sexual exposure in terms of hours per week or percentages of material viewed, Collins said in an interview.

It did find that the 10 percent of those who watched the most television with sexual content were twice as likely to have initiated sexual intercourse when checked a year later than adolescents who were among the 10 percent who watched the least amount of sexual content.

"The best way for parents who are trying to figure out what is a lot versus little is to realize that the average (U.S.) child watches about three hours of television a day, and that the heaviest rates of sexual content are in prime time which is probably what those hours are made of," she said. The report said earlier studies found that about two-thirds of TV entertainment programs contain sexual content, ranging from jokes and innuendo to intercourse and other behaviors.
The study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Charles Klock
gracebiblefellowship-tx.org

Rejected Love

Rejected Love

Her mother and daddy disowned her. She did all she could do. When Elizabeth Barrett married the famous poet Robert Browning, her parents were so upset they disowned her. She and her husband settled far from home in Florence, Italy. Elizabeth loved her mother and father and did everything she could to be reconciled with them. Several times a month she wrote expressive, loving letters. After 10 years without any response, finally, a package came from her parents. It was a happy moment for Elizabeth as she opened it. But inside she found all of the letters she had sent--unopened. Like her husband, Elizabeth was a poet and her letters of reconciliation were eloquent. They have been called "some of the most beautiful and expressive in all English literature." But her parents never read them.

Jesus Christ, like Elizabeth, went to extreme measures in a reconciliation attempt. He died so sinful men could be reconciled to God. It breaks His heart that many refuse to even read the letter of Calvary's love. Like Mrs. Browning’s parents have you failed to respond when you had the opportunity to know his love? Have you returned his letters unopened? Do you avoid opportunities to read, hear, or be reminded of his love? Do you scoff at those who attempt to share his love with you?

One day soon all that will matter is do you love the Christ that loves you.

1Cor.16:22 “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema”

Anathema - One that is cursed or damned. One that is greatly reviled, loathed, or shunned

Are You a Functioning Member?

Ephesians 4:16

As we all grow older we feel the pains that creep into
our once strong and fluid joints. Our hands hurt when
they do their work. Our knees creak when we stoop
down. Our backs and necks are sore when we sleep
wrong. The ailments we suffer from are seemingly
endless.

We are aware of those faulty parts, are we not? When
we have a pain in any portion of the body we tend to
focus on that area. We aren't so mindful of the
hundreds of other parts that don't hurt. We do that
because we go to the aid of the weakest members. They
need the attention, or at least they demand it. The
spiritual implications of these thoughts are many.

Paul, in describing the role of the church's
relationship with its Head, Christ, said, "From whom
the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by
that which every joint supplieth, according to the
effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh
increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in
love" (Eph. 4:16).

As the church, the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22f),
functions to serve the head, it acts as a unit made up
of many members (1 Cor. 12:27). Each part functions on
its own, up to its own ability, yet, all the parts
function together in harmony to produce all proper
reflections of the Head. This places each member in a
position to strive for personal spiritual excellence,
as well as for all to work with each other towards the
ultimate goal of glorifying Christ. When pains enter
into a joint, that joint fails to do its work. It
can't move as it should and it is not as strong as it
should be. But, the body as a whole suffers because
the body not only depends on it to function properly,
it can't even ignore it because the joint's pain is
the body's pain.

Christians functioning as members of the church, must
realize that they are important to the work of the
church. If they grow weak, or cause pain, the whole
body suffers. If they are strong and are doing their
work, they support the overall good of the body. The
tremendous value of being active in the Lord's
business keeps the body young and energetic. When it's
exercised and the stamina is high, what can stop it?
With the mind of Christ the church has no rival. No
power can defeat it.

When we serve God are we the joint that always drops
the load? Do we hurt and complain, or do we silently
do what's expected and needed? Let's be intent to
supplying our part and be able to help others do the
same. --Christian Messenger via The Gospel Messenger


=====
Charles Klock

Coping with Grief

Loretta, I am so sorry for your loss. Not long ago my lovely niece was killed by her boyfriend. I grieved for her but not as deeply as her mother and father. They experienced sorrow that came like sea billows. Their hearts were torn, bruised, and extremely tender to her memories and the tragic way she died. Their grief was triggered by almost everything. Time has helped to heal their wounds (she has been dead six years now) but they will never be as they were. They went through deep sorrow. I'm sure it was like the valley of the shadow of death.

Grief gives us only one place to go....God. Men may be sympathetic, but they can rarely say or do anything that will answer the hard questions or ease your broken heart. Only the God that restores our broken souls (Psalms 23) can help.

C.S. Lewis wrote “Relying on God has to begin all over again everyday as if nothing had yet been done”. Each day for many days you will have a battle to be fought. You will be weak but God is strong. Do not despair this great pain while unpleasant is normal. However you will be stretched beyond measure, and in the end you will be a stronger mother than you ever though possible. Your pain will become an avenue of ministry. You will reach out to others who will go through similar hurt, and you will bless them.

Paul wrote in the New Testament about hardships: "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:." 2 Cor 1:8-9
In the face of loss, hardship & uncertainty we can discover power in grief by allowing the pain of grief to move us towards God and to learn to rely totally on Him. When we discover that only God can comfort and His presence is more of a reality than ever before we discover what’s good about grief. Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 12:9-10...“When I am weak, then I am strong.”

In order to keep from falling apart we begin with:

A. Surrender and acceptance with prayer: We can use loss to help our faith grow and move us towards reliance on Christ. The pain of grief draws us to Christ. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.."Matt 11:28-30 ...God hears our prayers, provides comfort and rest.

B. Since “the only way out of grief is through it” we need to work through the stages of grief: feel the pain, express it in healthy ways through journaling, prayer, close friends. Depend on God for strength to take on new responsibilities. Pace yourself. Let other people help.
“The overall purpose of grief is to bring you to the point of making the
necessary changes you need to make so you can live with the loss in a healthy way.” It is at this turning point in our lives that God works on us and through us....on our characters, perspective, behavior helping us to become more Christlike.

I would encourage you to read the story of Jacob losing his beloved son Joseph. (Gen 37:34 ) Paralyzed by grief Jacob become a miserable paranoid hermit. He withdrew from all activity and mourned for years. When he found out that Joseph had not died in Gen 45:25 he said "It is enough". Years of grief were over, hope soared when he realized that Joseph was not dead. What hope for those of us who are Christians. When our children die they have gone to be with the Lord. We will see them again. We must not be swallowed by grief, sorrowing as those without hope. We will see them soon. It is enough.

These suggestions may help.

• Be a name dropper! Mentioning your loved one's name during conversation gives others permission to talk about your loved one, too.
  
• Be honest. Don't say that you're "okay" when you're not.
  
• Ask for help and be specific. Ask a friend to hold your hand while you go through a loved one's closet, or make a dreaded phone call. Grief shared is grief diminished.
  
• If possible, postpone making difficult or life-changing decisions until after the first year.
  
• Grief can take a toll on health. Continue to watch your diet, and exercise. Make an appointment for a physical.
  
• Start a grief journal, and write out your feelings.
  
• Write a letter to your loved one, and read it aloud by the graveside.
  
• If it's been six months or longer, consider joining a grief support group.
  
• Spend at least 15 minutes each day in the sun. It will lift your spirits.
  
• Breathe deeply. The shallow breathing that comes with grief can cause chest pains, headaches or other health problems.
  
• Pray for God's help and comfort.
  

Links

http://www.grievinggodsway.com/book.asp

http://www.texasstar.net/autumn/grief1.html

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product/162793718?item_no=759508&event=SP71457

Books:

Stephenson, Wally. "Helping a Friend Who Is Grieving." Harrisburg, PA: ABWE

Publishing.

Stephenson, Wally. "What Grievers Can Expect." Harrisburg, PA: ABWE Publishing.

Adams, Jay (1988). A Thirst For Wholeness. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, chapter 2.

Bridges, Jerry (1988). Trusting God. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress.

Our church will pray for you.

Charles Klock for Grace Bible Fellowship