March 2002
 March  1/Deuteronomy 4-62/Deuteronomy 7-93/Deuteronomy 10-124/Deuteronomy 13-165/Deuteronomy 17-196/Deuteronomy 20-227/Deuteronomy 23-258/Deuteronomy 26-289/Deuteronomy 2-3110/Deuteronomy 32-3411/Joshua 1-312/Joshua 4-613/Joshua 7-914/Joshua 10-1215/Joshua 13-1516/Joshua 16-1817/Joshua 19-2118/Joshua 22-2419/Judges 1-420/Judges 5-821/Judges 9-1222/Judges 13-1523/Judges 16-1824/Judges 19-2125/Ruth 1-426/1 Samuel 1-327/1 Samuel 4-728/1 Samuel 8-1029/1 Samuel 11-1330/1 Samuel 14-1631/1 Samuel 17-20 There Were Two Trees In The Garden There were two trees in the garden, when Eve made her choice that day, And out of that choice came a tendency For which mankind has to pay. The choice was of our dependency on self to know right from wrong And out of this seed came the roots of pride and a trunk of self stood strong. Soon came branches of much illusion And then profuse leaves of confusion And when the most beautiful fruit appeared, It withered in sad delusion. But standing beside that tree that day was the beautiful tree of life. Tall and strong and unchanging. A shelter from wordly strife. For this tree stood for the wisdom of God in what's best for us. The dependency we can have on Him for in what we can put our trust. The roots of a sure foundation. A trunk that was straight and pure. Branches of generous protection and leaves that were fixed and secure. The fruit of that tree was character. A likeness to Christ it brought with a choice to hear the instruction and the wisdom of what He taught. But what must have torn at the heart of God was the tree mankind chose in the test, the one of delusion when we could have had what he offered - His very best. But He gave us a choice and free will. Not just wisdom that came with His word. But He sent His word in the flesh too, for relationship He preferred. So when we relate to our Saviour,
And not to the world in its strife,
But look to His word for instruction.
Comes the beautiful Tree of Life. |  Our monday night fellowship at Hometown Buffet was a success. How could it not be? If you missed the event, we celebrated the pastor's birthday and said goodbye to Kari and Phil. We are going to miss them terribly, but hopefully they will come see us from time to time. Phil is retiring and they have found a place in southern Oklahoma. The food was good, but the company was better! God blesses us again with the opportunity to spend some relaxing time with each other. While we were eating, Christa and Curtis Kinsey were enjoying her new baby boy, Cooper. He weighed in at 8lbs. 3ozs! Sister Imogene will have a baby shower on March 2, 1:30pm for the two.
 The great Husbandman is not always threshing. Trial is only for a season. The showers soon pass. Weeping may tarry only for the few hours of the short summer night; it must be gone at daybreak. Our light affliction is but for a moment. Trial is for a purpose, "If needs be." The very fact of trial proves that there is something in us very precious to our Lord; else He would not spend so much pains and time on us. Christ would not test us if He did not see the precious ore of faith mingled in the rocky matrix of our nature; and it is to bring this out into purity and beauty that He forces us through the fiery ordeal. Be patient, O sufferer! The result will more than compensate for all our trials, when we see how they wrought out the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. To have one word of God's commendation; to be honored before the holy angels; to be glorified in Christ, so as to be better able to flash His glory on Himself--ah! that will more than repay for all. --Tried by Fire |
