March 2010 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter

[Stan]

March 2010 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter

The Signs of the Times newsletter is a collection of stories and quotes from past issues of Signs and These Times.

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There was once a captain of a dock ship who lost his position because he felt he must keep the seventh-day Sabbath. The day came when there was nothing in the house for his children to eat. The mother cried, and little Elizabeth asked what was the matter.

Her mother explained the situation to her as best she could. Then the little girl showed the faith in God which is the secret of happiness in adversity. She said, “Why, mamma, we have not had our morning worship yet. Why are you crying before we have asked God for food?”

So together they prayed the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.” As they finished, there was a knock at the back door. When the mother opened the door, she found a new neighbor there with a quantity of food. Somewhat embarrassed, she explained her errand. She said that she had a friend who was employed at the royal house. There had been a banquet there the evening before , and her friend had brought her more of the food that had been left over than she herself could use. So she wanted to know if her neighbor could not help her out by taking some.

Of course she did, and Elizabeth remarked, “Mamma, we asked God for our daily bread, and He has sent it to us from the queen’s own table!” Thus it is often that in faith in God “a little child shall lead them.”—By Leon L. Caviness, Signs of the Times, September 14, 1926.

Quote: “Paget Wiles, of the Japan Evangelistic Band, has called attention to three differing emphases given respectively by Paul, John and Peter upon the result in a human life that receives the gospel. Paul’s great emphasis is that we are made FREE—by Christ’s death. John’s great emphasis is that we are made CLEAN—by Christ’s blood. Peter’s great emphasis is that we are made WHOLE—by Christ’s stripes.”—Signs of the Times, June 1, 1926. (See Romans 6:6, 7; 1 John 1:7; and Acts 9:34.)

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Don't miss the April 2010 issue of Signs of the Times: “Worship: It’s Your Choice,” “What to Expect When Jesus Returns,” “Reasons for Joy,” “Dead Men Can’t Save You!” and other important articles. To order Signs, call: 1-800-765-6955 or online at www.pacificpress.com/signs

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Paul in Romans 13:14 bids us to “make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Near Johnny’s home was a big swimming hole, where the boys of the neighborhood gathered to swim. Johnny’s mother had ordered him not to go there unless an adult accompanied him, because the hole was deep. One day Johnny came home with his hair all wet. His mother could see that he had been in the water, so she asked, “Johnny, have you been swimming in the hole? Didn’t you remember that mother told you not to go there?”

“But, Mother—it was this way. I was by the pool, and I so much wanted to go in swimming with the other boys, I couldn’t help myself.”

“But, Johnny, how did you happen to have your swimming trunks along?”

“Oh, Mother, I had taken them along just in case I might be tempted.”

You may laugh at Johnny, but often you and I act just as foolishly. Even though we know what is right and what we ought to do, we occasionally do not follow that course in a clear-cut way. Often we make provision for something that we know to be wrong, just as Johnny did.—By Arnold V. Wallenkampf, These Times, September 1959.

Quote: “It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible-reading people.”—By Horace Greeley, These Times, Special Issue 1974.

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NEW from Pacific Press—Help, Lord, I Blew It Again! By Mike Jones. Like all of us, author Mike Jones knows what it means to wrestle with God over sin. In the updated and expanded edition of this best-selling classic, crammed full of inspiring stories and practical suggestions, Jones reveals that beholding Jesus is the only thing that can irrevocably change your life.

Read the first chapter of this book online at http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/olink.tpl?sku=081632381X Order online or from your local Adventist Book Center--1-800-765-6955.

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Have you ever had the experience, when scanning through your morning newspaper, of suddenly noticing an advertisement where the opposite meaning than the one intended resulted, merely because of the inadvertent insertion, or deletion, of a punctuation mark? Of course you have. Quite often periodicals reprint these mistakes in their joke columns.

I recall having read some time ago in the Wall Street Journal that in the year 1847-48 potatoes formed the sole food of the Irish peasantry.

A pupil thus transcribed it: “in the year 1847, 48 potatoes formed the sole food of the Irish peasantry.”

We smile when we read such items. In Russia, however, many years ago, a prisoner’s life was saved by a punctuation mark.

The czarina, wife of Alexander III, happened to notice a document on her husband’s desk regarding a political prisoner. On the margin the emperor had written: “Pardon impossible, to be sent to Siberia.”

The czarina took the pen and, striking out the comma and putting in another, made the endorsement to read: “Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia.”

The czar allowed it to remain.

Robert Ripley, famous cartoonist, once said that a misplaced comma cost the United States Government $2,000,000. Ripley described the incident as follows: “A clerk in Congress, instead of writing ‘All foreign fruit-plants are free from duty,’ wrote ‘All foreign fruit, plants are free from duty.’

“It was impossible to change this mistake until a new session of Congress met.”—By Donald W. McKay, Signs of the Times, April 18, 1939.

Quote: “Hate is a deadly blight that does far worse damage to the hater than to the hated; its only cure is the love of Christ and our fellows. When that love comes in, hate goes out. They cannot keep house together.”—From the Richmond Christian Advocate, Signs of the Times, January 24, 1939.

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Place this in your church bulletin or newsletter: Signs of the Times witnesses all year long. Each month its colorful, contemporary, and Christ centered stories win people to Jesus. Reach out with this amazing magazine by visiting your Adventist Book Center. To order call: 1-800-765-6955 or online at: www.pacificpress.com/signs

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The story is told of a woman who had a rare rosebush. She worked over it for weeks, but saw no results of her labor. One day she observed a crevice in the wall near the bush and noticed a small shoot of the rosebush running through the crevice. She went to the other side of the wall, and there she found her rose blooming in splendid beauty and her labor rewarded. Some of us have to work year after year, seeing little if any result, and the message comes not only from this rosebush but from God: Work on. Do not be discouraged. Your work is blooming on the other side of the wall. There is no such thing as wasted time or labor in the service of God.—By Revilo, Signs of the Times, January 24, 1939.

Quote: “And how high is Christ’s cross? As high as the highest heaven, and the throne of God, and the bosom of the Father—that bosom out of which forever proceed all created things. Aye, as high as the highest heaven! for—if you will receive it—when Christ hung upon the cross, heaven came down on earth, and earth ascended into heaven.”—By Charles Kingsley, Signs of the Times, January 20, 1953.

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Read articles from past issues of Signs at: www.signstimes.org

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In Kensington Garden, London, there is a picture of the battlefield of Waterloo sometime after the terrible storm of conflict had passed. The grass had grown over the field again. A lamb had come from a near-by pasture and lay sleeping in the mouth of a dismounted cannon. So the artist pictured a most suggestive thing—peace after conflict. But God promises me peace IN trouble and conflict. The promise comes to me: “My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”—By H. M. S. Richards, These Times, June 1951.

Quote: “A Christian’s duty is to make stumbling blocks into steppingstones to heaven.”—Unknown, Signs of the Times, June 15, 1915.

“Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2. “Come now, let us reason together.” Isaiah 1:18. These texts show the value of the present as it relates to our salvation. The present is the time to act—for the pastor, evangelist, or the individual.

This may be illustrated by an experience in Mr. Moody’s life. One Sunday night, in Chicago, he took for his text, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” and said to his congregation, in closing his sermon: “I wish you would take this text home and turn it over in your minds during the week, and next Sunday we shall decide what to do with Jesus of Nazareth.”

The next night the great fire broke out, and many who had been in his audience perished.

Mr. Moody never forgot the impression of that lost opportunity, and in all his future work he never said, “We shall decide next week,” but “We must each decide now.”

Let us learn the value of “now” in the things of eternity.—By Martin A. Hollister, Signs of the Times, May 15, 1923.

Quote: “In troublous times our best communion with God will be carried on by supplication. Tell Him thy case; search out His promise; and then plead it with holy boldness. This is the best, the surest, the speediest way of relief.”—By Spurgeon, Signs of the Times, May 15, 1923.

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Compiled by Dale Galusha. Please pass this newsletter on to others. If this FREE newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend, and you would like to receive it directly on a monthly basis, email: join-signsnews@lyra.pacificpress.com

[phkrause]

Thanks for the post Stan. I have not read my latest SOTT mag.

pk

[Woody]

Thanks for the post Stan. I have not read my latest SOTT mag.

pk

Pk ... The question is :

Has your maleperson delievered it?

HA HA HA HO HO HO

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: pkrause

Thanks for the post Stan. I have not read my latest SOTT mag.

pk

Pk ... The question is :

Has your maleperson delievered it?

HA HA HA HO HO HO

Good one Woody, but I believe that the Signs mag comes from PP and not R&H. I think I mentioned before that I think my problem of not getting mags on time has more to do with where they come from than my actual postwoman.

pk

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Quote:

NEW from Pacific Press—Help, Lord, I Blew It Again! By Mike Jones. Like all of us, author Mike Jones knows what it means to wrestle with God over sin. In the updated and expanded edition of this best-selling classic, crammed full of inspiring stories and practical suggestions, Jones reveals that beholding Jesus is the only thing that can irrevocably change your life.

Read the first chapter of this book online at http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/olink.tpl?sku=081632381X Order online or from your local Adventist Book Center--1-800-765-6955.

I had an email from Mike Jones just last week. He wanted to know if any here have read his latest book listed here... Also, he has a new website:

Quote:

I also have just launched a website entitled www.operationreconnect.org. It's main purpose is to provide resources for individuals and churches wanting to connect with friends or loved ones who've distanced from a relationship with Jesus or the church.

He would like feedback on the website.

[phkrause]

Thanks for the link Pam. Isn't Mike Jones the one that went into a ABC and found a book that Clifford Goldstein wrote and than heard that he was having some meetings in the area and this is what brought him back into the church? And didn't he have an article in the AR about this also?

He has an interesting website.

pk

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I'm not sure how Mike came back into the church. If he told me, I don't remember. He never really left the church in that he always believed in the fundamental beliefs, even if he didn't go to church. Mike's an interesting guy. When his wife had a problem with the Sabbath, he told her that he would start remembering her birthday on his previous wife's birthday, since the day "didn't matter." LOL That's when she became an SDA.

[phkrause]

When his wife had a problem with the Sabbath, he told her that he would start remembering her birthday on his previous wife's birthday, since the day "didn't matter." LOL That's when she became an SDA.

That's interesting.

pk

[Woody]

I'm not sure how Mike came back into the church. If he told me, I don't remember. He never really left the church in that he always believed in the fundamental beliefs, even if he didn't go to church. Mike's an interesting guy. When his wife had a problem with the Sabbath, he told her that he would start remembering her birthday on his previous wife's birthday, since the day "didn't matter." LOL That's when she became an SDA.

Oh MY. Not so sure that's such a good idea. I wouldn't recommend it as an evangelistic tool.

[phkrause]

Sounds good to me Woody.

pk