July 2010 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter—Number 150

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July 2010 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter—Number 150

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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The story is told of a jeweler who, upon opening the back of an old clock, found a yellowed piece of paper which read:

Repaired. . . . . . February 23, 1883

Weather. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clear

National affairs. . . . . . . . Muddled

After repairing the clock, he brought the record up to date by adding:

Repaired. . . . . . .August 14, 1950

Weather. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clear

National affairs. . . . Still Muddled

If after sixty nine years the national affairs were muddled, one might wonder what a jeweler would add today, when not only the political, but also the social world is in chaos.—By Alfreda Costerisan, These Times, January 1953.

Quote: “It is high time that the ideal of success should be replaced by the ideal of service.”—By Albert Einstein, These Times, November 1959.

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Don't miss the August 2010 issue of Signs of the Times: “Lessons for Living,” “Sweet Holy Spirit”, “Sabbath is for Love,” “Absolved from Guilt,” “Jesus the Warrior,” “Sunday in the New Testament,” “Why Worry?” and other important articles. To order Signs, call: 1-800-765-6955 or online at www.pacificpress.com/signs

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“I reckon that the story we are having during devotions at school isn’t a Bible story at all,” my six-year-old son announced as he threaded milk-bottle tops onto a long string, and I sat on the side of his bed waiting to give the “lights out” word for another day—a day which ended his second week at school.

He was quite definite about it, as small children can be. He was quite frank about it, as wide-eyed little boys can be. “The story isn’t a Bible story at all.” According to his small-boy mind his teacher was “putting it over,” it seemed.

“What makes you think that way, lad?” I asked him.

“Because it hasn’t anything about heaven in it,” came the quick response.

Long after the little chap had fallen asleep I was still thinking about his line of reasoning: a Bible story really wasn’t a Bible story unless it had something about heaven in it. And then I thanked God that the little fellow had gotten the right hang about religion.—By W. A. Townend, These Times, September 1952.

Quote: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by God’s grace, I will do.”—From New Outlook, These Times, June 1964.

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Read the first chapter of this book online at http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/olink.tpl?sku=0816323976 Order online or from your local Adventist Book Center--1-800-765-6955.

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She was the dark-eyed daughter of the village barber—small, stormy, an economy-sized carbon copy of a movie-star beauty seen through the wrong end of a telescope. She was also the terror of the tiny tots and the ringleader of the “big kids” in the third grade.

Pat and Peggy, regular victims of the dark-eyed terror, came home crying almost daily. Determined to break this cycle, Dad came up with an idea. “Let’s have a party.”

Pat and Peggy’s tears dried up magically. Right away they got creative: “Ice cream, cake, big red balloons!”

“And friends,” Dad added.

The tears started again. “We don’t have any friends,” Pat blubbered.

“Nothing but enemies,” wailed Peggy.

An inspiration hit Dad. “Let’s have an enemy party. Let’s invite all your enemies—especially the worst ones—and we’ll fill’em up with cake and ice cream and give ‘em big red balloons to take home.”

Peggy and Pat looked at each other and rolled their eyes in a “what’s with Dad?” expression.

But Dad kept encouraging them, and they did their part.

The enemy party was a wild success. And the “terror of the tiny tots” had the best time of all. She ate ice cream and cake, got a big red balloon, and rolled on the floor in delight.

Pat and Peggy never came home crying again. Their greatest enemy became their greatest friend and protector.

One day the former terror’s father dropped by and asked why she had been invited to the party. “Well,” Dad said, “She’s a solid citizen who likes ice cream and cake and big red balloons. Why not?”

“You know,” her dad said, “no one ever invited her before. You have no idea what a difference it’s made!”

That enemy party had a lot of love mixed in with the ice cream, cake, and big red balloons.

Edwin Markham’s famous poem summarizes the power of love:

He drew a circle that shut me out;

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But love and I had a wit to win:

We drew a circle that took him in.—By James W. Zackrison, Signs of the Times, September 2002.

Quote: “Where is there a brighter, warmer spot than in the sunshine we create for others? It is the ingle-nook of happiness.”—Unknown, Signs of the Times, January 14, 1903.

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Read articles from past issues of Signs of the Times at: http://www.SignsTimes.com

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One beautiful day last spring we parked our car on the rim of Grand Canyon, and in awe and wonderment were gazing off for miles across the wide yawning gap of the Colorado River.

Part of our group had left the car and had started on a rugged winding path leading down and down and down into the gorge. We knew they wouldn’t go far, for the guide told us it was almost a day’s journey down to the bottom, and then, of course, it would require as much time to return. Down deep in the canyon, we had spotted a group of tourists on mule back, winding their way slowly down.

My daughter and I had returned to the car and were sitting quietly looking out across the canyon to the colored, rugged walls on the far side.

Suddenly there came over me an almost paralyzing sensation. At the same time Dorothy had the same feeling, and with fear in her voice shouted, “Dad, the car’s moving toward the canyon.” I thought of the little granddaughter in a bed in the back, and of the fence between us and the canyon, which for the instant seemed to be unusually frail.

I glanced out of my window to the left, and sure enough we were slowly moving forward, not rapidly, but too fast for our location just then. I grabbed for the emergency brake and pulled it good and tight.

Then a very satisfying truth dawned on both of us. The car next to us was creeping back, and we had not moved one inch forward. We had not been moving at all. What a relief! Our hearts went back to their normal positions. To really understand our feelings you would have to stand on the brink of that yawning canyon and look down and across the broad, deep chasm.

How often you and I look about us and compare our progress with that of our fellow travelers. Sometimes we get the impression I got as I saw the car next to me backing up,--that we are going ahead, growing, making progress.

Millions about us today are slipping, going back. They have forsaken the standards of yesterday. Even our churches have lowered the bars. Sin is not always called by that name now.

We look out on a world that is traveling in reverse, and we are apt to get the impression that we are going ahead, when actually we are making no progress. We may even be slipping a bit, too. We are told there is no standing still.—By Charles L. Paddock, Our Times, October 1947.

Quote: “If evil is said of thee, and it is true, correct it; if it be a lie, laugh at it.”—Unknown, March 22, 1883.

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Who Do You Think You Are? Great new sharing book by Evangelist Doug Batchelor. Order online: http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/Detail.tpl?sku=0816324158

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A visitor to a palatial home was startled to read on the face of a sundial in the garden the words, “It is later than you think.” And so it is in this world today. When we ask the question, What time is it? The answer of Bible prophecy comes to us from God’s Holy Word, “It is later than you think.”—By H. M. S. Richards, Our Times, August 1950.

Quote: “If you want to be miserable, think about yourself. If you want to be perplexed, think about others. If you want to be filled with joy, meditate on the Lord Jesus Christ.”—By Donald Grey Barnhouse, These Times, September 1959.

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Place this in your church bulletin or newsletter: People you know are thinking seriously about life and their future. They will love Signs because it takes on current issues and helps them find hope in Jesus. Send a subscription today! Order from your Adventist Book Center. To order call: 1-800-765-6955 or online at: www.pacificpress.com/signs

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Bianka Rothschild lives in a 182-family condominium complex in San Diego, California. Whenever she learns that someone in her complex is ill, she sends a cheery get-well card simply signed “The Sunshine Lady.” When asked why she has taken on the monumental task of sending cards to so many people, she explains, “I was born in Poland, where I got lots of love and affection from my mother, father, and 40 other family members. I was looking forward to my Sweet Sixteen birthday party when the war broke out in 1939. The Germans marched into our home and told us to leave—just like that! There was no party. No gifts. No cards. Only death.”

Rothschild’s family was forced into the Warsaw ghetto, and one by one they died. By 1945, only she was alive. Then she moved to a concentration camp. The one personal item she still had was a tiny prayer book that she had smuggled into the camp.

One night Rothschild read these life-transforming words: “We have a right to the joy of giving so others may receive. We can give material things, we can give moral support, we can give a friendly ear, and best of all, we can give love.” That night Rothschild promised God that she would give of herself in a true and loving spirit if she survived her terrible ordeal.

“When I settled down here,” she says, “I found a way to live up to that promise. In a complex with 182 families, you have lots of nice people who sometimes need a ray of sunshine.”—By Victor M. Parachin, Signs of the Times, January 1998.

Quote: “When you are good to others, you are best to yourself.”—By Benjamin Franklin, These Times, September 1958.

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Looking for a gift for a loved one? A gift that will share Christ’s love? Shop online at: www.AdventistBookCenter.com

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In 1965, French lawyer Andre-Francois Raffray agreed to pay a 90-year-old client $500 a month for her house—then a steep payment—on condition that he inherit the property outright the moment she died. Thirty years and $180,000 later, when his client, Jeanne Calment, turned 120, she joked to Raffray, “We all make bad deals in life!” Raffray died on Christmas Day 1995—Calment outlived him. From Time, Signs of the Times, June 1996.

Quote: “Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at is best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”—By Martin Luther King, Jr., Signs of the Times, September 1996.

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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