Give 'em Hell Harry

Harry Truman, 33rd President of the United States. During a speech he was giving in 1948 during his presidential campaign, a supporter yelled out "Give 'em hell, Harry" and that became, not only a common nickname for him, but also the name of a play about part of his politcal life. His reply was, "I'm not giving them hell. I'm just telling the truth and they think it's hell."

Many times, we hear the truth and don't respond appropriately because it is not what we WANT TO HEAR.

The Bible tells us to listen carefully to wise counsel. We must be careful about not only who we listen to, but about who we ignore. After all, Balaam's donkey was wise and he was forced to listent that animal. We don't always know what vehicle God will choose to talk to us!

Numbers 22:
21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 Then God's anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.
24 Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.
25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck her again.
26 Then the Angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam's anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?"
29 And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!"
30 So the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?" And he said, "No."
31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.
32 And the Angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.
33 "The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live."
34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back."


Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,

Proverbs 9:8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

Proverbs 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

Proverbs 14:16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.

David's Thanksgiving Message - Psalm 118

Psalm 118:
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel now say, "His mercy endures forever."
3 Let the house of Aaron now say, "His mercy endures forever."
4 Let those who fear the LORD now say, "His mercy endures forever."
5 I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
8 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
11 They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
12 They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This was the LORD'S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
27 God is the LORD, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You.
29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you hear all of the complaining about the government. It means we have freedom of speech.

Be thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, window that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing. It means you have a home.

The Potter and the Clay

Keep your life in perspective. He has made you and now it is up to you to make the right decisions about how to live the life He has given to you.

Isaiah 29:
15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, And their works are in the dark; They say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?"
16 Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, "He did not make me"? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"

Isaiah 64:
8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

Jeremiah 18:
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:
2 "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words."
3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.
4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!

Romans 9:
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"
21 Does not the potter have power over th"Why have you made me like thise clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

Whenever we lament our misfortunes (as we see them), we are, in effect, questioning the wisdom of God who made us this way. Our job on earth is to make the best of what He has given us to use - not to worry or be despondent about those things we don't have - or can't do.

Do Something

US Senator Paul Simon of Illinois is quote as saying:

"Hard work is not a substitue for talent, but among the least successful people I know are those with considerable talent who mistakenly thought talent alone would be their key to a bright future."

It's not what you have that counts, it's what you DO with it.

Take time

Valerie Starr, Shakespearean actress, on November 4, 1991, is quoted at Stratford-upon-Avon as saying "Everything is within walking distance, if you have the time."

Take the time.

Nehemiah 8:11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved."

Psalm 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Live Life

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the one's who don't.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, take it and if it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.

JESUS

Jesus ...

Had no servants, yet He was called Master
Had no degree, yet He was called Teacher
Had no medicines, yet He was called Healer
Had no army, yet kings feared Him
Won no military battles, yet He conquered the world
Committed no crime, yet He was crucified
Was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today
AND
He is coming again!!!!!!!!

Prayer

They say that prayer changes things, but does it REALLY change anything?

Oh, yes! It really does!

1. Does prayer change your present situation or sudden circumstances? No, not always, but it does change the way you look at those events.

2. Does prayer change your financial future? No, not always, but it does change who you look to for meeting your daily needs.

3. Does prayer change shattered hearts or broken bodies? No, not always, but it will change your source of strength and comfort.

4. Does prayer change your wants and desires? No, not always, but it will change your wants into what God desires.

5. Does prayer change how you view the world? No, not always, but it will change whose eyes you see the world through.

6. Does prayer change your regrets from the past? No, not always, but it will change your hopes for the future!

7. Does prayer change the people around you? No, not always, but it will change you - the problem isn't always in others.

8. Does prayer change your life in ways you can't explain? Oh, yes, always! And it will change you from the inside out!

So, does prayer REALLY change ANYTHING?

Yes. It REALLY does change EVERYTHING!

Enjoy the Sabbath - It was made for YOU!

Isaiah 56:
1 Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil."

Matthew 12:
8 "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Matthew 12:
10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" --that they might accuse Him.
11 Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
12 "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Mark 2:
27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

(NKJV)

Work Hard and Live

George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright (1856-1950) wrote the play Man and Superman.

"I want to be completely used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I celebrate life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" to me, but rather a splendid torch which I hold in my hand at this moment in time, and I want it to burn as brightly as possible before passing it on to future generations."

Matthew 5:
13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Ecclesiastes 9:
10 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.

Possible or Impossible?

Sir Arthur C. Clarke was a British fiction writer from Sri Lanka. He is quoted as saying "When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong."

Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."

Luke 18:27 But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

Who discovered water?

Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian educator, philosopher and scholar living from 1911 until 1980. He is quoted as saying "I don't know who discovered water, but it wasn't a fish."

Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

Genesis 1:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void (literally, became chaotic); and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
6 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.
9 Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
15 "and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.
16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20 Then God said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens."
21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

What can you count?

Ken Kersey (Canadian jazz pianist 1916-1983) quote "You can count how many seeds are in the apple, but not how many apples are in the seed"

Matthew 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Walk the Talk

Ralph Waldo Emerson quote "What you are speaks so loudly that I can't hear what you say you are"

Matthew 5:
16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Philippians 2:
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Timely - with no comment

H. L. Mencken, American Journalist 1880 - 1956, quote "Elections are the advance auction of stolen goods."

Famly

Family is very important in the Bible, and, as this year’s Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I am especially thoughtful about how important my family is to me. These thoughts have been in my head for many years and I want to take a moment to share them with you today.

Alfred Jackson (Papa) Dalton – died in 1951 at age 63 of a cerebral hemorrhage when I was 7. He was a funeral director and, later, a coffin salesman. From him I learned love of grandchildren and family along with the wisdom of planning.

Effie Belle Johnson (Mama) Dalton – died in 1990 at age 97. From her, I learned the joy of Christian music and I can still hear her singing “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah”.

Frank Lambert (Grandpa) Hinton – died in 1973 at age 82. From him, I learned how a truly peaceful man can live – with a sense of humor. I can’t find anyone who ever saw him mad. I also learned a lot about business and finances.

Ellora Helphenstine (Grandma) Hinton – died in 1997 at age 107. From her, I learned a lot about true service to others and hard work – as well as honesty and integrity and faith.

Julia Lafell (e) Dalton Hinton – died in 1997 (9 days before Grandma) at age 75. From mom, I learned a lot about appreciation for literature, including poetry, and service to others. Mom was truly at her very best when someone needed help – whether she knew them or not.

Eugene Fay Hinton – died in 2003 at age 85. From dad, I learned a lot about work ethics. Seeing him put himself out to help those less fortunate, then not even charging them for the work made a lasting impression.

Nancy Gayle Hinton Buie – the middle child. She has always been there for me to discuss our most intimate details – about our childhood and adulthood experiences. Her openness and faith are exemplary. She made an excellent choice for a husband, James C. Buie, who has been there for her and his family through their developing years – with faith and diligence.

Janet Faye Hinton Fitzgerald – “Baby Faye-Faye” – Okay, she was dad’s favorite, but she is dear to us, too. She was there to help clean my apartment during my bachelor days which is just one example of how she learned the attitude of “service to others” from mom. In 1980, she made an excellent decision to marry Bill Fitzgerald who has been a perfect mate for her. Their friendship is an ideal example for a marriage.

Monica Hope Hinton – Some may ask why I am including a child who died before she was born, in 1969. Quite simply, from her (we did not officially name her, but chose this name many years later) I learned the importance of the unborn child. Her death heightened my awareness of abortion issues.

Janis Renee Hinton Proctor – What can I say? She is absolutely, from my prejudiced view, the most beautiful daughter ever and has my utmost admiration for her choice of a husband, for her intelligence, for her organizational skills and for her wonderful child-rearing skills.

Brian Wayne Hinton – Again, what can I say? Brian has surpassed any expectations I could have ever had for him. His intelligence, business and organizational skills are as exemplary as his sister’s. His honesty and integrity are beyond reproach. And, his care for his sons is beyond anything I could have ever wished. And, he has grown into an extremely handsome man.

Juanita Ann Smith Hinton – Last and most. This is the only member of my family that I chose to invite into it. That was clearly the best decision I have made in my lifetime. She has been stretched beyond her wildest expectations. She raised two children with care and concern that is immeasurable. We are still learning how to live together, and though the first years were great, our current lives together are wonderful beyond belief.