Beech Tree News Network

I am sure that our readers have heard people say words to the effect, “All you need to do is call upon the name of the Lord, and you can be saved.” Some will tell you to pray and say, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner,” or similar things. This teaching is a misapplication of Romans 10:13. Yet, what does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord? Let us read the context of Romans 10 and see.

It’s time once again for the annual Big Dummy Awards.  It is here that I celebrate acts of buffoonery throughout the year.  I must start with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.  During this whole comedy of errors, I said time and again that this would’ve been perfect parody for the late Chris Farley.  Ford was a character himself.  Toronto Mayor from 2010-14, his silliness proved a goldmine for late night kingpins David Letterman, Jay Leno and, later, Jimmy Fallon.  It should be noted that Ford traded in his Mayoral job for a spot on City Council.

At the end of each year, I like to think back over the past months. While this year has been an eventful year, individuals are unlikely to remember it in the same way. Individual perspectives greatly affect the importance people place on events.

Some significant world events may include the following (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014):

 - The Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa killed at least 7,000 people.

Most boys growing up wanted to be cowboys- I am talkin’ those of my era. I got my first coloring book at around five or six. It was not “Jack and Jill went up the hill”; It was the Lone Ranger and Tonto- his faithful Indian companion. 

When Garey and I were younger, in a much younger marriage, I would try to surprise him on his Birthday or Christmas with presents he didn’t expect.  He would always guess what was in the box, no matter how I tried to disguise the package, or find the presents, no matter how well I thought I’d hidden them.  It was a point of pride on his part and a point of frustration on mine.  After years of this cat and mouse, I gave the game over, and resolved to never again exercise in this futility.  This Christmas, I went back on that resolve.

1000 years before Christ, David wrote, “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Ps. 127:1).

    Allowing the Lord to build our house means that we are allowing the Lord to take first place in our lives. All that we do and say in our family must be based upon what the Lord has said (Col. 3:17; I Pet. 4:11). When a husband and wife submit their lives to the Lord’s will, they will be truly blessed.

Saturday December 20th, I travelled to Bridgestone Arena to see Kelly Clarkson’s Miracle on Broadway Christmas concert.  The three hour concert featured Kelly, Reba, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn(they didn’t sing together), Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams, Megan Trainer, Garth, Chip Esten( Deacon from Nashville), and Kacey Musgraves.  Each artist sang their favorite Christmas song. 

I came from an era of putting up loose hay, and plowing corn with a one line mule and a double shovel plow. Most folks will not relate to that.  That’s why I generally stay lost in a state of mind. Here’s what I mean: Recently I saw on TV a critic quizzing a Broadway actor about a certain play. “I had to leave before the last act,” the critic told him; “What happened to the main character?” The actor thought a minute and said, “He basically died.” 

I recently met a woman who ran over her little girl’s imaginary friend.  Before you recoil in horror, let me explain.  The imaginary friend was always getting the little girl into trouble by inciting her to engage in dissident behavior.  On more than one occasion, the imaginary friend told the little girl to hit her mom, which she did.

One day, the mom had had just about enough of this ne’er-do-well; and being the sort of woman who never stands idly by when there is an obvious solution to a problem, she took matters into her own hands.

Lottie Moon was a four-foot, three-inch spiritual giant who pushed the absolute limits of missionary work in China.  In October 1873, at age 33, she arrived in China as a career missionary.  With the exception of occasional visits home to America, she remained in China for the rest of her life, serving until she’d given her all-spiritually, mentally and physically.  Almost 40 years later, having nothing left to give, she died in route to the United States.