2 Chronicles 34:1-7
1″Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
4And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
5And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.
7And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.”
Josiah was only 8 years old when he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. That tells me he purposes in his heart to do right.
Somewhere and somehow he realized if I am to live a godly, holy, and acceptable life I have to purpose in my heart to do right.
It didn’t matter what everyone though of him. From the time he was 8 and became king and till he was 39 and wasn’t king anymore and even past that until the time he died Josiah is known.
How is he known? It says in verse two that he did tht which was right to the Lord. He declined neither to the right nor to the left.
I don’t know about you but when I die I want it to be said, like Josiah, that I did what was right, I didn’t give up or let down but I obeyed God, didn’t decline to the right or left but stayed on the straight and narrow!!!
What do you want people to say about you when you die?
Thanks for reading! 
An optimist sees the best in the world, while a pessimist sees only the worst. An optimist finds the positive in the negative, and a pessimist can only find the negative in the positive.
For example, an avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him. He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, a pessimist by nature, and invited him to hunt with him and his new dog.
As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. they fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet. This continued all day long; each time a duck fell, the dog walked across the surface of the water to retrieve it. The pessimist watched carefully, saw everything, but did not say a single word.
On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, “Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog? “
“I sure did,” responded the pessimist. “Your dog can’t swim! “
Attitude is everything!!!!! The way you look at things will depend what your outlook on life is.
It’s like the “saying is the cup half full or half empty” it is both of them but it is all in how you look at life.
With God all things are possible. There is no need to have a depressed attitude!! We can safely put our trust in the one, true, living God!
We need to have the attitude of Obed-Edom.
Who is Obed-Edom? Why be like him? His choices and his life led to blessings for himself and his family. Let us, together, learn who Obed-Edom was and about his life.
Obed-Edom is first mentioned in the Bible, just after the death of Uzzah for touching the Ark of God. This happened during King David’s first attempt to move the Ark to Jerusalem. The Ark of God was placed in the home of Obed-Edom. He must have been a man of faith to allow something in his home; just after God had killed someone for touching it (this broke one of the commands of the Lord concerning the Ark). The ark of God remained with Obed-Edom for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he owned.
When it came time to move the Ark to Jerusalem, (this time correctly) Obed-Edom had a choice. He could have stayed where he was and lived off of his past relationship with God or move with the Ark of God, staying in God’s presence and in relationship with God.
Obed-Edom had a desire for the Lord and moved with God. His desire for the Lord caused him to do whatever it took to be close to the Lord. He became a gatekeeper, a musician, and a doorkeeper for the Ark. Due to Obed-Edom’s desire and love for the Lord and his faithfulness, God begins again to bless him and promote him.
Obed-Edom becomes a worship leader and is mentioned along with Aspah the Chief Musician. Obed-Edom and his 68 associates minister regularly before the Lord in worship. Yet, he still continues to keep the gates.
Obed-Edom is not only blessed in ministry and relationship with the Lord, his family is also blessed. God gives him eight sons, his poor wife raising a football team. His sons and grandsons also worshiped the Lord and were blessed by the Lord. They were all leaders, capable men, with strength to do the work. There were 62 men in all. Obed-Edom along with his other duties was put in charge of the Southgate and his sons were keepers of the storehouse.
Obed-Edom by his faith, attitude, and actions created a legacy of faith, and relationship with the Lord. The Lord was faithful back to Obed-Edom establishing a legacy of generational blessings.
Obed-Edom had to pack up and physically move to stay in the presence of God. His desire for a relationship with God established a relationship not only for himself but also for his children and grandchildren. This relationship also established generational blessings from God for his family.
All because Obed-Edom had an attitude that whatever it takes I want to be in Gods presence! That’s how I want to be. When I pray, I want to have the attitude of Obed-Edom and constantly seek after the presence of God!
The lyrics to the song:
“I Feel The Joy”
I’m a little tired of the devil’s games
keeping me in bondage from my sorrows and shames
I deserve better I won’t go another day
I’m here to claim deliverance in Jesus name
I feel the joy of the Lord falling fresh on me
I feel the joy of the Lord delivering me
I feel the joy of the Holy Ghost all over me
Now I have royal blood flowing through my veins
I’m a child of the king I’ve been buried in his name
there is no devil that can come against me
I’ve been bought I’ve been blessed and I’ve been set free.
I have been loosed I’ve been set free
So pardon me a moment while I have a jubilee
The Joy of the Holy Ghost is all over me
I love this song it is AWESOME!!!
When was the last time you had a jubilee in the holy Ghost? I don’t want to ever go to long without a Holy Ghost Jubilee!
YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2010 when…
1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave..
2. You haven’t played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you…
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they
don’t have e-mail addresses .
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if
anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn’t have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12.. You’re reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn’t a #9 on this list.
AND NOW U R LAUGHING AT YOURSELF
By BBC News Online Science Editor Dr David Whitehouse
Two long tunnels bring together matter at near the speed of light
Scientists have quashed suggestions that a £350m experiment planned for the autumn could cause the destruction of the Earth.
The director of the laboratory commissioning the machine says there is “no chance” of the atom-smashing experiment causing a disaster, such as a black hole that would devour the entire Earth.
Researchers have spent eight years constructing the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island in New York state. Its goal is to smash the nuclei of atoms together and study their wreckage to determine the fundamental properties of matter.
Huge magnets are needed to accelerate the particles
RHIC takes atoms of gold and swings them around two 3.8 kilometre (2.4 mile) circular tubes where powerful magnets accelerate them to almost the speed of light. When they collide, they do so in minute collisions that are 10,000 times hotter than the Sun.
Scientists hope to create a quark-gluon plasma, a fundamental state of matter that probably has not existed naturally in the Universe since the Big Bang.
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Genesis 1:1
“1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
John 1:1-3
“1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
I’m glad I believe in the Bible! Scientists spend billions of dollars in an effort to come up with another way to prove that tge one true living God didn’t create us other than Creation but we, as Christians, know the truth! God is an AWESOME God he created us! I don’t want to ever forget that!
God’s strengthening power!
1 Corinthians 1:18-27
18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
In verse 21 above it says we are saved by the foolishness of preaching. You could say why did he use preaching and admit it is foolishness?
God has a different approach on how things in life should be run… God uses things this world consides weak to prove how awesome He is and how without him we are as the dust of the Earth. Through him anything can be mad powerful.
Samson, the mighty man of valor in the Old testament put his trust in the Almighty God. He only could do his strong deeds only if he NEVER cut his hair. God wanted to keep him humble.(
Imagine a man of war today telling you his strength was in his hair…A U.S. Soldier that won medals telling you his abilities all lied in the fact he never cut his hair? God used what seemed unneccessary and no good to the human mind and turned it into the direct line to his power.
Your weakness is not always to be hated you can turn it around for good. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.
“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”
“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.
“No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.”
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.
“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”
“You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grap your left arm.”
Mastered prayer…
Sensei like pastor..
The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
Dosent matter ur age or size!
Don’t ever underestimate what the power you have can do as a saint of God. You can use what seems like your WEAKNESS as your STRENGTH!!!
The Dangers of Television
Television was a trick of the devil to influence our minds with bad habits, actions, speech, knowledge, and many more things. In the spiritual realm of right and wrong you might say whats wrong with television? Is it biblically wrong to sit and look at a moving screen if what you are watching isnt wrong or carnal or lustful?
The answer to that question is yes. Certain programs might not be wrong on telelvision but it leads to a greater sin. It can be said that whatever you spend the most time doing and thinking about is considered your god. If you only watched the programs on television that werent morally wrong, but you watched them 6 hours a day television would be your god.
It says in Leviticus 26:1, ”You shall make for yourselves no idols nor shall you erect a graven image, pillar, or obelisk, nor shall you place any figured stone in your land to which or on which to bow down; for I am the Lord your God.”
Thats only talking about programs that weren’t morally wrong. Even if you could find a program like that what about the commercials? What about when you became addicited (and it has been proven many times that tv is very addicting) and cant find any morally clean shows to watch? (Not that there are any because like I already said there are commercials and other ways the devil can work!)
That is only the spiritual side of the dangers of watching television. Many books and articles have written by specialists that have researched what television does to your physical body.
By 1980, investigators had produced 2,500 studies on the effects of watching television. They wanted to see what kind of effects watching tv had had on the population of the US. The researchers compiled a list of the known problems afflicting mankind like alcohol, violence, commercialism, schoolwork decline, social interaction, obesity, attention deficit disorder, and many more.
Alcohol
In 1993, one out of three high school seniors, one out of four tenth-graders, and one out of seven eighth-graders got drunk at least once every two weeks. Where are so many children learning to abuse alcohol?
The 1982 report of the Surgeon General revealed that alcohol is the most consumed beverage on prime time television shows. Television characters drink alcohol twice as often as they drink tea or coffee, 14 times as frequently as soft drinks, and 15 times more often than water.
Violence
The earliest content-based TV research focused on violence. Between 1952 and 1992 the average number of violent acts per hour ranged from 6.2 to 32.
In the early 1990, MTV averaged 22 violent acts per hour, half of which involved major physical assaults, assaults with weapons, and threats accompanied by weapons.In 1993, the most violent prime-time shows exhibited as many as 60 acts of violence per hour. That year the average child living in the United States watched 10,000 murders, assaults, and other violent acts on television,and by 1997 that number had climbed to 12,000(25) and was still rising.
Commercialism
Why do broadcasters continue to offer alcohol-related and violent programming, given the overwhelming data testifying to the damage done by such fare? Our question stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of television’s clientele. As a writer for the Journal of the American Medical Association observed:
Cable aside, the television industry is not in the business of selling programs to audiences. It is in the business of selling audiences to advertisers. Issues of “quality” and “social responsibility” are entirely peripheral to the issue of maximizing audience size within a competitive market.
Decline in Schoolwork
The United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare conducted the first large-scale American study. The survey, covering 650,000 students in 4,000 U.S. schools, included a handful of questions about television viewing patterns. Government officials were surprised to discover that the more television students watched, the lower their achievement scores.
Social Interaction
Not surprisingly, the social skills of children atrophy when they watch television instead of playing. An experiment carried out by researchers at the University of New Orleans measured the social skills of 128 first graders and then interviewed to determine the amount of time the child spent watching television every day. After controlling for a range of other variables (including sleep, time spent with peers and family, parents’ educational levels, etc.), the number one determinant of social skills was how little television the child watched. Those who watched the least television had the best social skills.
Obesity
Television makes children fat.(95) Harvard University researchers discovered that the odds of a child becoming obese rise 12 to 20% for each daily hour of television he watches.(96) Epidemiologists also agree that watching two or more hours of television daily is a global marker for high risk of pediatric hypercholesterolemia.(97) Physicians have identified four ways that television puts children at risk for obesity:
First, television displaces more active play.
Second, children love to snack while watching television.
Third, the snacks children consume while watching television are overwhelmingly high in fat, cholesterol, salt, and sugar, and low in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Fourth, it has been proven that watching television is worse than doing nothing.
Attention Deficit Disorder
The late Dr. Dorothy Cohen, a professor at the Bank Street College of Education, was among the first secular scholars to discover the damage done by children’s television programs. Back in 1973, she reported that although Sesame Street does teach letter recognition, it also is responsible for “a decrease in imaginative play and an increase in aimless running around, non-involvement in play materials, low frustration tolerance, poor persistence, and confusion about reality and fantasy.” By capturing the daily attention of 80% of America’s two to five year olds, she argued, Sesame Street was “fostering an increase in frenetic behavior and the impoverishment of play.”Sesame Street, Cohen said, was creating a “literate but unteachable” generation.
TV creates great harm not only by its influence, but also by what it prevents. Marie Winn makes this point clear in her book “The Plug-In Drug.” She writes, “The primary danger of the television screen lies not so much in the behavior it produces – although there is danger there – as in the behavior it prevents: the talks, the games, the family festivities and arguments…” The three hours a day that the average person spends watching TV could be used in countless ways to grow. Want to master the art of digital imaging, write poetry, learn how to play a keyboard, study a foreign language, learn how to dance, or just get out and meet some interesting people? All that and more is possible simply by turning off the TV and using that time more wisely. There’s much talk about life extension. People want to live longer. A 20-year-old man who watches TV three hours a day until the age of 70, could have extended his life six and a quarter years merely by turning off the TV. Shutting it off not only gets you to live longer, but to live BETTER.
All of the above apply not only to children but to everyone that watches television. It says in the Bible we are supposed to keep our body a living, holy and acceptable. Our bodies our gods temple not to be ruined by television!!
Actual bloopers found on church bulletin boards:
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
Miss Charlene Mason sang, “I Will Not Pass This Way Again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It is a good chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
Next Sunday is the family hayride and bonfire at the Taylors. Bring your own hot dogs and guns. Friends are welcome! Everyone come for a fun time.
The peace-making meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
The sermon this morning: Jesus Walks on the Water. The sermon tonight: Searching for Jesus.
Barbara C. remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack’s sermons.
The ‘Over 60s Choir’ will be disbanded for the summer with the thanks of the entire church.
Missionary from Africa speaking at Calvary Memorial Church in Racine. Name: Bertha Belch. Announcement: “Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.
“Announcement in a church bulletin for a National Prayer & Fasting Conference: “The cost for attending the Fasting & Prayer conference includes meals. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p. m. Please use the large double doors at the side entrance.
“The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.
Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30 pm. Please use the rear entrance.
Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 pm in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King!
And one more…..
A preacher was completing a temperance sermon: with great expression he said, “If I had all the beer in the world, I’d take it and throw it into the river. “
With even greater emphasis he said, “And if I had all the wine in the world,
I’d take it and throw it into the river. “
And then finally, he said, “And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I’d take it and throw it into the river. ” He sat down.
The song leader then stood very cautiously and announced with a smile, “For our closing song, let us sing Hymn # 365:
“Shall We Gather at the River. “
Thanks for reading!:)
Respect, Obey, Submit, and Worship!
For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God (Luke 12:5; Hebrews 10:31).
For the believer, the fear of God is something much different. The believer’s fear is reverence of God.
Hebrews 12:28-29 is a good description of this:
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
For our God is a consuming fire.”
This reverence and awe is exactly what the fear of God means for Christians. This is the motivating factor for us to surrender to the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty God.
Deuteronomy 10:12, 20-21 records,
“12And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
20Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
21He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.”
The fear of God is the basis for our walking in His ways, serving Him, and, yes, loving Him.
Some redefine the fear of God for believers to “respecting” Him. While respect is definitely included in the concept of fearing God, there is more to it than that. A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin—even in the life of a believer.
Hebrews 12:5-11
“5And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
In the above verses it tells us not to be afraid of God. In the end it will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. While it is done in love (Hebrews 12:6), it is still a fearful thing. As children, the fear of discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some evil actions.
The same should be true in our relationship with God. We should fear His discipline, and therefore seek to live our lives in such a way that pleases Him.
Believers are not to be scared of God. We have no reason to be scared of Him.
We have His promise that nothing can separate us from His love
(Romans 8:38-39)
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We have His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us.
(Hebrews 13:5)
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact on the way we live our lives.
The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe!!!
•The fear of the Lord is also the beginning of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.
Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Psalms 111:10
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”
Proverbs 9:10
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
Psalm 2:11
“Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”
Psalm 19:9
“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.”
Psalm 33:8
“Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.”
Psalm 34:11
“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
Psalm 86:11
“Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.”
Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is and that He is holy, just, and righteous.
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Job 23:13-16
“But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.
Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.
For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:”
Job understood that we need to fear the Almighty God. When in his presence Job realized that we should reverence, submit, and obey him.
In Ecclesiastes 12:13 Solomon says,
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, gave us this verse. In this verse he tells us what he considers to be the whole matter, the whole reason why we are on this earth. The whole conclusion of the matter is first and foremost to FEAR GOD!
So if that is the primary goal in our lives then we need to respect Him, obey Him, submit to His discipline, and worship Him in awe with everything we have!!
Thanks for reading!
October, 1864
(Excerpt from Douglas MacArthur’s Book “Reminisces”)
Cotton, the Confedaracy’s staple growth was in much demand in England for it’s manufacture into textiles. The cotton was in the fields, but all wagons and animal teams were controlled by the district commander, who had resisted every effort to coerce him into letting the cotton be brought to the wharves for loading.
The commander, an attractive young man in his thirties, was a close friend of my father, who had calledto pay his respects. As the two friends were chatting, the orderly, in some perturbation, broke in to say that two Southern ladies were insisting upon speaking personally with the general. He had been unable to get rid of them. My father rose to go, but his host asked him to stay. “With ladies as my visitors, Arthur,” he said, “I would like to have witnessess present.”
The two women were ushered in and were impressive, indeed. The eldest was a “grande dame” of the Southern aristocracy, and the younger was the loviest woman my father had ever seen-but one. (My mother was present when he told me the story, and my father was no fool.)
The general seem fascinated. He could not take his eyes off that beautiful face.
The stillness of the dingy office was broken by the voice of the older woman. “I will at once come to the point. We must have the temporary use of transport facilities to move our cotton. Your country has no wish to antagonize the British to the point of joining the South in the war, and consequently allows blockade running. It would accordlingly not regard with dissatisfaction the use of your wagons. In return, here is two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in gold certificates. And, if you need other inducements,” she added with a smile, “this young lady will supply them.”. And with a bow they walked out, leaving the young lady’s address on the desk.
My father said his knees were knocking together as they had never done in battle. But the generals voice was crisp and clear as he turned to him and dictated the following dispatch:
To the President of the United States
I have just been offered two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and the most beautiful woman I have ever seen to betray my trust. I am depositing the money with the Treasury of the United States and request immediate relief from this command. They are getting close to my price.
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In this story the district commander was offered a bribe that hit a little to close to home. He knew how close he was to giving in to the temptation to do what wasn’t right.
He realized that if he didn’t give up his position right then he would fall into the trap of those two women who wanted him to do something that wasn’t right. Instead of giving up though he proved that he was a great man by admitting that, in the position he was in, he would give in to the temptation to do wrong.
What Is your price?
How easily would it be for Satan to drag you out into this world to be thrown to the winds? Never to come back to church.
Beware of the devil who may tempt you with something you don’t think you can resist.
Flee all appearances of evil.
Forsake the assemblings of yourself together with unbelievers.
Your soul is worth to much to be offered a price that you end up taking and lose your soul.
Just remember to be watchful of the subtle ways Satan may try to entice you!!
Thanks for reading!
