“DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR OR READ!”

“DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR OR READ!”

by Keith Bellamy

This was the advice I heard from a dear gospel preacher while on a fishing trip as we were floating down the James River in Virginia back in 1983. I had asked him about a particular project that was supported by some folks. The program in question had been vilified by several. My friend said he didn’t believe much of what he read and even less of what he heard.

Why would he say that? Was he being cynical or could it be that he had discovered you can’t always judge a book by its cover? Or you can’t always believe what you hear or read.

Many years ago, on The Waltons TV series, John Boy caused a great uproar on Walton’s mountain by printing some excerpts from Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler’s famous book, which helped create many followers of the Nazi movement. That book was filled with anti-Semitic outpourings, worship of power, disdain for civil morality, and strategy for world domination. John Boy wanted everyone to know what Nazism was all about. The attitude of most of the people then was to leave it alone and hope it would go away. There was a lot of anti-German sentiment then, and just printing this material caused John Boy serious problems, not only for himself but for his family, too. The preacher decided to have a rally exposing Nazism. He then decided to throw a stack of books down into a pile to start a book burning. John Boy jumped up to stop the preacher. As he did so, he noticed a book that looked familiar. It was written in German. He asked if anyone could read German, and certain lady volunteered. In German, she read, and then translated into English “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Of course, the attempted book burning ceased.

Do we do that? Do we not investigate to see what we read or hear is fact or not? Or do we believe everything we read or hear? After all, if it is on the news on TV or some other media, it must be true, right? I mean they wouldn’t distort the truth or lie…would they?

WILL YOU COME TO THE FATHER?

WILL YOU COME TO THE FATHER?

By Keith Bellamy

When I was a little boy I thought my dad was Superman. He was strong, and he could almost jump over tall buildings. At least that’s what I believed as a very small child.

I was always afraid of letting my dad down. I remember when I got my first speeding ticket and learning what an understanding daddy I had. He had always said if I received a speeding ticket I would never drive his car again. Well, I got the ticket and waited until Sunday night to tell, Dad about the ticket. I had handed him my keys and driver’s license and just knew I wouldn’t be allowed to drive the car again. After a few moments, Dad came to me and handed me my license and keys back. He said, “At least you told me, I didn’t tell mine.” Dad even went to court with me when the time came to appear before the judge and I had to pay my fine. It was years later that I finally told Dad the rest of the story in that my best friend and I were stopped together and we both got tickets. Dad just looked at me and acted like he didn’t hear me.

I tell this story to say that I think God is much like my Dad was. Or, maybe dads are sometimes like God. No, God is not a daddy. But God does forgive us even when we don’t deserve it. When we fall He is there to help us up. He has made every provision for us through Jesus Christ. His Son, Jesus Christ, paid the ultimate price in the shedding of His innocent blood (Acts 20:28).

So, if you goof up, if you mess up, please don’t give up. He is waiting on you with open arms to come to Him.

One of my favorite passages is Matthew 11:28-30. Notice what Jesus says. “Come to Me, all you who are weary and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (NASV)

Will you come to the Father?

“No One Ever Visits Me”

“No One Ever Visits Me”

By Keith Bellamy

Many years ago, a preacher was visiting a Christian sister in the hospital. She had not darkened the door of the church in years. When the preacher entered her room, the woman asked, "Where have you people been?' The preacher responded, with the question, "Sister, where have you been?' Needless to say, the woman did not like that preacher after that encounter.

The point is this. Yes, we are to make visits. And some of our folks are good at making visits. Have you made visits when there was a need? Do you make visits now?

I remember a lady responding to the invitation at a church bus workshop. She wanted strength to be able to make more phone calls for Christ. Her habit was to call church members who were absent from the assembly. She would also call people she did not know and invite them to church. Although she was blind, she did not let it hold her back. What an example of someone who really believed the message of Jesus was Good News.

So, what can you do? You can be friendly to those who visit the church, and you can visit some of those folks and encourage them to come back. Who knows? They may just come back because you cared!

Consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."