FIVE THINGS THAT YOU CANNOT RECOVER 

(1) the Stone............after it's thrown,
(2) the Word................after it's said,
(3) the Occasion…..after it's missed,
(4) the Time...............after it's gone, 
(5) the Person.............after they die 

1. The stone after it’s thrown. Jesus said, Let him who is without sin cast the first stone (John 8:7). We have all probably wanted to recover a stone we have thrown in judgment against someone else after later realizing they were not guilty or we realized that we had done something just as bad ourselves. The chorus of a country song called, Be Careful Of Stones You Throw, says, “So unless you’ve made no mistakes in your life, be careful of stones that you throw.”

2. The word after it’s said. Paul said in Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Again we have all probably said things that we wish we could take back. Things that hurt someone close to us because it was said in anger instead of love.

3. The occasion after it is missed. In Galatians 6:10 We are told “therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” I hate to think of the times I have missed opportunities that I could never recover. There are lives that I could have influenced that I would never have the opportunity again.

4. The time after it is gone. Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:” Ecclesiastes 9:10-11  “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.  I returned and saw under the sun that-- The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.” There are choice times for things to be done and said, and if those times are missed, then the opportunity may never arise again.

5. The person after they die. Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” The reason we see such weeping at funerals is because of our realization that we have lost that person we love, forever in this life. We cannot get them back again.
May we all be especially careful about these five things and realize that they cannot be recovered after they are gone. - LP

This article was written in during the 2011-2012 football season.
THE BEST PLAY WAS NOT EVEN ON THE FIELD!   
Neal Pollard   

Yesterday, professional football fans saw one of the most exciting, improbable victories in its history climaxed by the stunning first play from scrimmage in overtime when Tebow hit Thomas for a playoff, overtime record 80 yards in a playoff, overtime record 11 seconds.  Local play-by-play man Dave Logan's call, which will likely go down in Bronco lore, captures how monumental it was for the underdog Denver team.  If you watch ESPN, there will be several highlights of passes, runs, and defensive plays.  However, without a doubt, the best play of the day happened up in the stands, almost on the front row in the seats at the 15 yard line.  The game was tied, 23-23, and it was about 5:45 P.M.  The outcome was completely unknown and very much in doubt.  The last minute of regulation, alone, was a pins and needles affair.  It was right about then that a Christian husband and father, a deacon in this congregation, told his son, "It's time for us to go."  The son, a huge Tim Tebow and Broncos fan, was curious as to why.  His dad explained, "We've got something more important to do."
Wait a minute.  What is more important than seeing on the biggest sports moments in this town in years?  That father knew that the saints were assembling at 6:00 P.M., and he wanted his son to know that worshipping God was the highest priority.  Here is a father who is raising his son to enjoy and appreciate those normal "guy things" that will be a source of entertainment for this young man for decades to come.  But, he is also teaching him something infinitely more important!  Those earthly diversions and entertainments are subordinate to "kingdom matters" (Mat. 6:33).  This father was showing his son Who reigns on the throne of his heart.  I pray that this man's example will influence us all to remember what really matters most in the end.
Thanks, Dean!  What a great "play"! - LP

FINANCIAL PLANNING
      Dan was a single man living at home with his widowed father and working in the family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed to find a wife with whom to share his fortune. One evening, at an investment meeting, he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. 
     "I may look like just an ordinary man," he said to her, "but soon, my father will die and I will inherit $200 million." Impressed, the woman asked for his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother. 
Women are so much better at financial planning than men.
      We would say the woman above was very shrewd in the way she handled the situation. Jesus talks about another situation of shrewdness about financial planning in Luke 16:1-13.
       He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' 3 Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' 5 So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. 9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." 
     Jesus makes a comparison of the unjust steward and Christians. He points out that worldly people are more shrewd in their dealing with earthly wealth than we as Christians are with the spiritual wealth that is available to us (eternal life).
     True riches are found in heaven. Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
    How are you at spiritual financial planning? Where is your heart? - LP

THEY REALLY NEEDED THAT

An elderly woman, who lived just a block from the church, never missed a Sunday service for most of her life.  Each week, as she greeted the preacher after church, she would always say, “Preacher, that was a wonderful sermon. THEY really needed that!”
One cold winter day, after a heavy snowfall with most of the town buried in deep drifts, she was the only one who showed up for church.  The preacher decided that he would take advantage of the situation by preaching a sermon on the evils of being self-righteous and hypocritical.
As she left the church, the woman greeted the preacher as usual and exclaimed, “Preacher, that was one of the best sermons you ever preached.  It was really great.  It’s too bad THEY weren’t here. THEY really needed to hear that!”

Are we guilty of applying bible teachings to others but not to ourselves? It is easy sometimes to fall into the trap of not seeing our own sins but seeing those of others. 
Matthew 7:1-5  "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 
The bible directs commands specific to individuals on how they are to act. Husbands/wives; slaves/masters; parents/children; saints/sinners; elders/deacons; etc. the scriptures are intending for us to apply them to ourselves personally not to others.
We only profit from the scriptures when we apply them personally.

Hebrews 4:1-2  Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 

May we all strive to take the scriptures personally and apply them to ourselves as God intended. - LP

This is the first of many bulletin articles by my father, Larry Pasley. You can find all of his articles by clicking his name in the category list, but they will also be mixed in by topic. All of his will have an "LP" at the end of the post.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Is anyone happier because you passed this way?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to them today?
The day is almost over, and its tailing time is through:
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word to you?
Can you say tonight in parting with the day that's slipping past,
That you helped a single person of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said?
Does the one whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?
Did you waste the day or use it? Was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail of kindness, or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think that God will say:
You have earned one more tomorrow by what you did today?
Anonymous

Galatians 6:9-10  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. 
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. 
Whether we like to admit it or not we influence people every day in either a good way or a bad. 

May we resolve to leave a trail of kindness each day and to share Jesus with others so at least one heart can rejoice in their salvation because we shared Jesus with them.  LP

CHEMISM - CHEMICAL ACTION
CHEMOTROPISM - MOVEMENT IN RESPONSE TO A CHEMICAL STIMULUS 

In the natural world and in scientific experiments chemicals do all kinds of amazing things. By mixing different chemicals together man has discovered how to make all kinds of things from explosions to vehicles that work as a result of small explosions; from things that can cause illness and death to things that can cure illness and prevent death. It is truly marvelous the way that God created this world and our minds to be capable of all this variety. Every chemical from the single element to the most complex combination has certain qualities that affect what it does when it comes in contact with other chemicals. 

In the church we sometimes need to have something that causes a reaction or an action like chemicals do in the physical world. There are other times when a chemical reaction is the thing that we don’t need. It all depends on the chemical and what it will do. Spiritually there are as many different kinds of ‘chemicals’ as there are in the science lab. There are good ones like love and understanding, and there are dangerous ones like hatred and gossip. There are some that are neither good nor bad in themselves, but dependent on how they are used and what others they are used with. For example: anger used with love and truth can be very effective in correcting a sin problem, but anger used with hatred and lies can destroy all that come in contact with it. 

One thing of which we must beware is the way we allow these things to affect us. Chemism is the chemical action itself, and we need to never use a ‘chemical’ in a way that would cause a problem. Chemotropism is how we or someone else responds to the action of the chemical. We can’t control how another will respond, but we must control how we respond. You see, the spiritual world is not like the physical world. In the physical world if enough of a chemical that is deadly contacts you your body will die, you can’t control it. In the church, however, no matter how much of these deadly chemicals people use against us we still control the response. We can allow someone’s hatred of us to destroy our faith, or we can overcome that evil and continue to do what is right. 

The church must be on the alert so that we do not allow what society or other religions or even other congregations of the Lord’s body to control us or draw us away or push us away from the truth. We need to be a people who act on the Word of God and not a people who react to every trend or false teaching that comes along. Throughout the last 2000 years churches have split and split again because even though the Bible says “B” one group says “A”. Instead of countering the falsehood with the truth, the second group goes to the other extreme and says “C”. Christ’s Deity is a perfect example of that. One group says, ‘He was just a man’ and the other group says, ‘No, He was just God’. Then they begin to design all kinds of elaborate theories to prove their points rather than going to the Bible and seeing that He was both man and God. We need to be firm on teaching the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It is never right to counter one false teaching with another no matter what the intentions are. (Eph 4:13-15) “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: {14} That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; {15} But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” 

CHAUVINISM - PREJUDICED DEVOTION TO ANY ATTITUDE OR CAUSE. 

There are many attitudes and causes to which we should be devoted. There are also many that we should not be devoted to at all. We can’t properly distinguish the two groups if we are prejudiced for or against something. I imagine that when some of our brethren first began using radio as a way of spreading the gospel message there were some who were prejudiced against it even though there was and is nothing scripturally wrong with it. In fact, anything we can do to spread the gospel farther, faster is something we should consider. We may determine that it isn’t the best way for our congregation to do it and that is fine, but we should consider all alternatives and then chose the best ones. 

But, Chauvinism is not prejudiced against something, rather it is for something. There are those who will be devoted to some cause and not be willing to consider any other even though the cause they are in favor of is no longer effective. Certainly, we must be devoted to the truth regardless of how effective we think it is, but methods and manners of getting the truth out there can change. The Jule Miller Filmstrips are a good example.  The teaching on them is good, and some think they are the best thing since sliced bread. Maybe when they first came out they were, but now with the people in them dressed in clothing that is out of date by 3 or 4 decades people won’t hear the message for laughing at the fashions. One congregation wanted to do a remake video with live sound and moving picture, and they were quickly turned down because someone was chauvinistic.  Sadder still are those who try to use the Bible to support their sinful chauvinism. There are men who want to treat their wives in anything but a Christian way, and then claim they are doing as the Bible teaches. These men will read every verse in the Bible about how wives are to behave and be in subjection to their husbands and so forth, but they never bother to read the verses that tell husbands how they should behave. (1 Cor 7:4) “The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.” If a man thinks he can beat his wife, then he better allow her to do the same to him. (Eph 5:25) “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” Can you imagine Christ running around on the church with other religions, or making cruel jokes about the church, or beating the church. These pictures are incomprehensible, yet the husband is to love his wife like Christ loves the church even to the point of giving himself for her. 

There are many other forms of chauvinism that we could talk about, but suffice it to say we shouldn’t be devoted to any cause before we have examined the evidence. Even our faith in Christ must be based on the evidence, as the Bereans’ faith was. (Acts 17:11) “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Don’t be a chauvinist. 

CASTROISM - THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND REVOLUTIONARY THEORIES AND POLICIES ADVOCATED BY FIDEL CASTRO.
 Oh, how Castro has been a thorn in our side for years. Because of his dictatorship we have been on the verge of war, and are currently fighting to avoid being overwhelmed by the refugees trying to flee Cuba for the US. All of this because one man wants everything done his way. Of course, that could never happen in the church, could it? How many congregations have been split, choked, smothered, stunted in growth, and even killed because someone wanted things done their way?

 There are no doubt many congregations, some with elders and some without, which suffer under a form of Castroism. This type of dictatorship is certainly nothing new. John spoke of a man in this position in 3 John 1:9 “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.” Diotrephes was obviously a very intimidating man to be able to control the others in the church to such an extent that he would not even receive one of the apostles. He had apparently taken the place of Christ in this particular congregation and John let it be known that the arrogance shown would not go unpunished. Diotrephes should have known that Christ is the only one to have preeminence in the church; (Col 1:17-18) “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. {18} And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” And we should know the same today.

 The reason these individuals are able to succeed in the first place is because there is no one to withstand them. Many times they will bring in their whole family to support them in their power grab. Unfortunately, we often let it go. John said it was something that could not continue. (3 John 1:10) “Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.” The situation was backwards here as it is in many places today. The one who should be cast out of the church is the one who desires to be like Castro.

 It is never an easy thing to “... put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” (1 Cor 5:13), but there are many things in Christianity that are not easy. We cannot shy away from doing what is right just because it is harder than doing what is wrong or doing nothing. Don’t be like Diotrephes and don’t let the church come under the power of one like him.

CAREERISM - DEVOTION TO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER, OFTEN AT THE EXPENSE OF ONE’S PERSONAL LIFE, ETHICS, ETC.
 What does it mean to be successful in life? The world around us believes that success is being wealthy, having popularity, having fame, living in the right neighborhood, and driving the right car. Anyone who takes a lower stress, less time consuming job in order to spend more time with family is considered lazy or at best just not ambitious enough. I want to suggest to you that God never intended for life to be lived the way many of us do today.

The Bible tells us that anyone who does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel, but what does he need to provide? The necessities of life are really not that many. Paul said that with food, and raiment we should be able to be content. I know I am not usually content with that, are you? We always want a little more than we have. Just when we think we have everything we want, some new invention or some new style comes along and suddenly, we are right back where we started. Jesus came that we might have life more abundantly, not that we might have things in more abundance.  We are driven many times by materialism that can only be fulfilled by practicing careerism. We somehow have been fooled into the belief that our lives won’t be fulfilled and our children won’t grow up ‘normal’ unless we buy everything that everyone else has. We constantly see people promoting ‘quality time’ but never ‘quantity time’. We need to have both.  I am going to start asking myself the following questions about my priorities, time, money, etc.:

1) Will this bring me closer to God or pull me farther away?
2) Will this draw me closer to my family or pull me away?
3) Will this encourage me to be moral and ethical or will it tempt me to be otherwise?
4) Will my life be better, really better, in any way because of this?
5) Will this interfere with something which would better help me in the above areas?

Not everything is clearly good or bad. Many of the things we spend our time and money on are neutral tools that become good or bad as a result of how we use them. Computers are a perfect example; they can be used for wonderful purposes like keeping in touch with family, friends and other Christians, or they can become destructive addictions that isolate us from life around us or draw us into sinful activities like pornography.

When I see how miserable the people who are supposedly successful by the world’s standards are I think to myself there must be a better way to live.  Let’s look to the Bible for guidance in life. After all God made us it wouldn’t surprise me if he knew what would make our lives worth living.
 

CAPITALISM - AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM IN WHICH INVESTMENT IN AND OWNERSHIP OF THE MEANS   OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, AND EXCHANGE OF WEALTH IS MADE AND   MAINTAINED CHIEFLY BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS OR CORPORATIONS.
 As an economic system Capitalism works as well if not better than any other that has ever been used. We need to remember, however, that an economic system is just an economic system and not any part of the foundation for Christianity. It seems to me by all accounts of the early church that the system of economics working actively among them was a form of voluntary socialism or communism. Not that they divided everything equally, nor was it forced, but they had all things in common, no one thought of the possessions he had as his own, and they willingly sold their goods to care for the poor among them. I would like to see this attitude of stewardship return to the Lord’s church.

Capitalism is an effective economic system for a country, but the church cannot be effective if it holds too tightly to that doctrine. I have been in congregations where capitalism had taken over the church and the results were disastrous for the body. Here are a few of the problems that developed and the error of the thinking involved.

1) “Don’t sit there that is MY seat” - Have you ever seen this? Are you guilty of it? The Pharisees had a problem kind of like this one; (Mat 23:2) “Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:” (Mat 23:6) “And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,” We don’t want to be like them

2) “Do it how I want or I will take MY money out of the treasury” - We need to remember that all that we have is a gift from God. The money that has been given into our keeping is not ours, nor do we deserve it any more than we deserve the air we breathe or the water we drink. We have no right to take God’s money out of the treasury unless the church is being disobedient to Him with it.

3) “This is MY/OUR church and we decide how things are done” - Is it really? Did any of us die to purchase the church with our blood? Are we baptized into our names our Christ’s name? What name does the church wear?  If it is the bride of Christ it better wear his name. There are no doubt many congregations and entire denominations that don’t belong to Christ, but we better.  Christ is the one who decides what his church is to do and we are here to obey.

4) “ME and MY FAMILY built this church” - Did you really, now?! If you and your family or my family and I built the church with which we worship then it is safe to say it isn’t the same one that Christ promised to build in Matthew 16:18

Now someone will say, “You know what I meant, and it isn’t like you are interpreting it”. I realize that we many times use phrases in our common language that are not meant in the way we say them. We say it is MY church meaning that it is the congregation I worship with. Often when someone speaks of building the church they mean the building. We must realize that many of the things we say leave the wrong impression and sometimes our speech exposes our true feelings. The church is spiritual and not physical, and it belongs to Christ. We cannot nor should we want to own it. We instead should be content and happy to be part of it.