New Orleans

The Tongue of the Wise

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

The Peacemaker Has a Wise Tongue – Proverbs 17:14-20

The verses of these Proverbs warn us of the folly of strife, wickedness, evil, injustice, adversity, and the peril of those who follow that way of living.  I want us to look at the opposite side of these warnings.

Verse 14 –  A dam may start to break with just a pinhole in it, and if it is left untended it becomes a flood of water.  Think of the flooding of the biggest part of New Orleans a few years ago.  Most of the damage was caused by the breaking of the dikes that held back water from the city.  When they broke the breaks got larger until there was no stopping the flow. That is likened to someone loving strife.
The answer to that is when we see the beginning of strife it needs mended.  If it is passed that point then we should probably leave it alone and walk away.

Verse 15 –  As God’s children we should always honor justice, and condemn injustice whenever we see it.  There is a great tendency in this 21st century to vilify the righteous, and justify wickedness.  From this verse we see that that is an abomination to God.  (Isaiah 5:20).

Verse 16 –  Biblically wise people will pay any price for godly wisdom.  If it takes money we will pay it.  If it takes study of God’s Word, then we will study God’s Word; if it takes listening to others, then we will listen to others.  The price we will pay for wisdom is worth it.
For those who have no heart for wisdom he/she will spend their money, time and listening to other things.

Verse 17 –  John Gill says of the first part of this, “A friend loveth at all times,…. A true, hearty, faithful friend, loves in times of adversity as well as in times of prosperity: there are many that are friends to persons, while they are in affluent circumstances; but when there is a change in their condition, and they are stripped of all riches and substance; than their friends forsake them, and stand at a distance from them; as was the case of Job, Job_19:14; it is a very rare thing to find a friend that is a constant lover, such an one as here described;”  SEE Proverbs 18:24; 27:10;  Ruth 1:16;  Job 6:14.

I am thankful for the Friend who sticks closer than a brother.  His name is Jesus.

Verse 18 –  A true friend would not ask a friend to be “surety” on a debt; at least in my mind.  Why would a friend want to make a friend do a foolish thing.  The proverb author says this is only the act of “A man void of understanding”.
The Believer’s Bible Commentary states, “17:18  This verse modifies the previous one by showing that love should not be without discernment. It would be a case of bad judgment to agree to guarantee a friend’s debts in the event that he should default. Any man who needs a surety is a bad credit risk. Why be surety for a bad credit risk?”

Verses 19-20 –  This verse takes us back to verse 14.  Transgression is the treasure of one who loves strife.  The obedient and humble hate transgression as well as strife.
The froward heart is as the one who loves transgression, and finds no good.  The heart of a man or woman who loves God not only will find good, but also be the source of good to others; even those who do not seek it.

From Maxine

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment
I received this in my emails, and thought some of you might enjoy.  If you have already seen it, enjoy it again.
Subject: MAXINE – scroll down
Maxine should run for president — she was right on with this one!                                           
Everyone concentrates on the problems we’re having in this country lately…illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, alligators attacking people in Florida.
Not me — I concentrate on solutions for the problems — it’s
a win-win situation.

* Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border.
* Send the dirt to New Orleans to raise the level of the levees.
* Put the Florida alligators in the moat along the Mexican border.

Any other problems you would like for me to solve today? Yes!

Think about this:
1. Cows
2. The Constitution
3. The Ten Commandments

COWS
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our
government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 12 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.  

 
THE CONSTITUTION
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq ….
why don’t we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys,
it has worked for over 200 years, and we’re not using it anymore.


THE 10 COMMANDMENTS  

The real reason that we can’t have the Ten Commandments
posted in a courthouse is this — you cannot post “Thou Shalt Not Steal”“Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery” and “Thou Shall Not Lie” in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians, it creates a hostile work environment.
Also, think about this … if you don’t want to forward this for fear of
offending someone — YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!   

It is time for America to speak up!

Yep, I passed it on!

The SBC and/or the GCB

/ Tim A.

Some of you who come here are probably more in the know than I on the proposed “name change” or whatever you want to call it of the Southern Baptist Convention.  I, myself, have no problems with the Southern Baptist Convention name.  Why change it?  How many times has that been asked?

It seems to me we are proposing the change for those who hate God and Jesus Christ to call attention to the idea that we are willing to change to get them come and see what we are about.  Now, that could just be a gross misstatement, or mis-understatement; if anything to me it is understated.   It says to me that we are willing to change our name that we might just be willing to change some other things in order to accommodate the masses.  Now I probably will be unable to attend the convention in New Orleans in June, but I know some of you, at least, will do the right thing and vote against the “change”.

By the way keep in mind that ABC television has a new show coming out that is called the GCB, about what I understand to be about professing Christian women who are nothing more than hypocrites.  Mockery of Christ and His own.  GCB for ABC means Good Christian B_ _ _hes (the word for a female dog).  Used in that context I refuse to use the term.  I find it very disrespectful to women of any class.  Even if some do not mind being called “female dogs”.

It has been some time since I posted here at ALL THINGS BAPTIST, but I think this is about as Baptist as you can get.

-T.A. Blankenship

Hurricane Prayer

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

I don’t believe that I have ever asked for people to join me in prayer for such a need.  I believe we failed three years ago.  We failed to pray as the storm was approaching, and failed to pray as needs were or were not seen and established.

We must pray for our Lord and God to either change the path of the storm into a less populated area, and where there will be less property damage, or for Him to cause the storm to dissapate.  I know many of the people are leaving as the fear of the past seems to be coming back at them.

Let’s pray for God’s will for the city of New Orleans, and other coastal towns and cities, and the people who are in the path of Gustave.  Our God is a good, gracious, and loving God.  Let’s pray, and may the path of our prayers into the throne room of God cause the storm of fear to cease first of all, then the winds, rains, and damages of the storm Gustave be limited by God’s own hand.

Father be glorified in the storm and the storms that will come.  Glorify Your Son Jesus through the prayers of Your people.  Amen.

-Tim A. Blankenship