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PAGE 6 - THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY 7, 2013
Conclusions Reachable Without Biblical Guidance
From the Holy Bible, we
learn the story of creation, gain
insight into the character of
God, receive instruction on the
standards for righteous living,
and discover the etemalrewards
of faith. Had the Bible never
been written, below are “four
major conclusions,” deducible
through reasoning and logic,
regarding the existence of a
Supreme Being, the creation
of this world and mankind,
the knowledge of right and
wrong, and the possibility of
life beyond the grave:
(1) The glory of creation
s' om the splendor of a butterfly
to the precision of the heavenly
bodies—bespeaks of a world
that did not happen by chance,
but came into existence
through the handiwork of a
Supreme Creator. The Old
Testament names for God
like Yahweh and Jehovah
would be unknown; our god of
revelation might be called the
“Uncaused Cause.” Without
New Testament guidance, the
Trinitarian concept of God
(Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
would be incomprehensible.
Further, had Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John never been
written, Jesus and the Holy
Spirit would be existentially
irrelevant.
(2) It’s obvious that man
was not the result of an
evolutionary process, like
Darwinism. There are no fish
crawling up on the seashore,
no land animals transitioning
into birds, and no intermediate
stages between apes and men.
A mythical genealogical
record that traced our ancestry
back to the first human would
dead-end with a man without a
navel. The absence of a navel
would evidence birth in an
unconventional way and lead
us to the inescapable conclusion
of divine intervention. The
Bible reveals man’s raw
material to be the “dust of the
earth.” A Bible-less speculator
might conclude that man was
spontaneously generated from
nothingness.
(3) The Ten Commandments
need not be written down in
a holy book, because they are
engraved on our hearts. Any
normal, rational individual
instinctively knows it is wrong
to kill, to steal, to commit
adultery, to covet, to bear false
witness. In effect, the Mosaic
tablets of the Law are non-
essential to righteous living.
Praise God for them, though.
(4) The quest for immortality
is programmed into all humans;
an aspiration not shared by
animal life. Without the Bible,
knowledge of heaven or hell
wouldbcnoncxistcnt. Wcmight
reason, however, that a system
of reward and punishment
existed in the world beyond-
rooted in the assumption that
Hitler and Mother Theresa
would not occupy the same
eternal destination. Om view
of the afterlife might simulate
the Hindus who believe the
human soul returns after death
to embody another being-that
life and death is a vicious cycle
wherein a person advances up
or down the scale of existence
based on the quality of his past
life. Nefariously evil persons,
for example, could retrogress
back to cockroaches. Without
Biblical guidance to shape our
understanding of the afterlife,
Billy Powell
Columnist
www.billypowellbooks.com
we might assimilate the
simplistic view of the ancient
Indians who believed that,
after death, the spirit of the
deceased person transitioned
to the Happy Hunting Ground.
Through God’s providence,
the “Good News” is we do
have the Holy Bible. We know
that om final resting place
need not be a lonely spot in
a forgotten cemetery, but an
eternal home with God. Jesus
said, “Whosoever believeth
in Me shall have eternal life.”
Before His departure, Jesus
promised that He was going
away “to build a place of many
mansions,” and that He would
return for us—that “where He
is, we shall be also.”
Beware, O, Ye Blasted Hacker
Under normal circum
stances, I am a rather cool,
calm and collected person.
I say normal because not
everything in my life is
normal. It takes a lot to rattle
this cage of mine but once
rattled lookout whoever
rattles it.
I am saying all this to get to
my point, which is, somebody
hacked my computer email
account this past week. If
you think I will take this
sitting down, oh, I guess I
am sitting down right now,
but I assure you I will not
stand for something like this.
I have never been so rattled
in my life.
If a mistake is mine, I will
own up to it. If it is not mine,
lookout sender.
The first thing I did was
to call my cousin who is an
attorney, Charles Sues-A-Lot,
and laid the case out before
him. My first question to my
cousin attorney was very
basic; “Is it still against the
law to murder someone?”
As all good attorneys do,
he hesitated and thought
about it.
He then went on to explain
that if he could prove insanity
there was a good chance he
could get somebody off very
lightly.
“Insanity,” I asked, “is that
hard to prove in a court of
law?”
At this point, there was no
hesitation whatsoever. My
good lawyer cousin said,
“Not in your case.”
If insanity runs in our
family, I am convinced it
trotted over into his pasture a
long time ago and has been
milling around for years.
At this point, murder is
out.
If I actually knew who
this person was, I could
“defriend” them like they
do on Facebook. You can
be sure I would defriend
him with all of the sarcastic
bitterness I could muster on
that hot dog.
I noticed this last week
when I accessed my email a
bunch of different pop-ups
popped up on my screen.
Instinctively I tried to unpop
them without any success
whatsoever. Every time
there was a “pop-up,” I had
the instinctive desire to pop
someone in the nose.
A memorial service will be held
for Larry Newman on February
9, 2013 at 2 p.m. at the Roberta
Crawford Civic Center 93 South
Matthews Street. All friends and
relatives are inivted.
For more information call:
Elizabeth Newman 478-718-5185
At one stage, it got out of
control and about 17,000
pop-ups jumped onto my
computer screen at the same
time. Without thinking, I
immediately turned off my
computer.
If anybody knows what I
did, you realize what I did
was a terrible thing to do.
I encrypted, or whatever
the term is, these pop-
ups permanently on my
computer. When I opened up
my computer, it was pop-up
time for the hacker.
Things can be done to
“unhack” your computer,
which I put in full force. I
really wanted to hack into
this hacker’s life except he
probably does not have one.
I mean, after all, where are
the jollies of hacking into
someone’s email account?
I can see someone hacking
into my bank account. I
would love to see someone
hack into my bank account
and see how much money I
don’t have.
If I was a small
government, I could see
somebody trying to hack
into my email accounts. As
it stands, where is the payoff
in doing something like this?
This ghost hacker cannot see
me and my frustration after
being hacked. So, what is the
good of it all?
These pop-ups on my
computer were coming fast
and furious.
Then it hit me. This is not
some ghost hacker hacking
into my email account, it
must be the government. The
government must be behind
it. I remember something
called “fast and furious” in
the news a while back. Was
this what they were talking
about? Am I now a casualty
of Big Brother-itis?
There were many
similarities between what I
was going through and our
government.
First off, the whole thing
was rather annoying. I am
not sure there has ever been a
time in our country when the
government has been more
Out to Pastor
Rev. James L. Snyder
jamessnyder2@att.net or
whatafellowship.com
annoying than now.
Then, all the hacking did
not make any sense to me
at all. How much of the
government is really making
sense to anybody anymore?
I am sure there is somebody,
somewhere who can make
sense out of our government
but he is probably on the
run.
All of this hacking of my
email has interrupted my life.
So has the government. The
government has taken on
a new phase where it is not
happy unless it is interrupting
my life every day of the week.
I would not mind so much if
the government would take
at least one day a week off.
But no, it is a 24/7 kind of
annoyance.
A friend of mine said that
everybody goes through this
sort of thing and it is kind of
an equal share in the misery
of being on the Internet.
Equal share? That’s
government lingo if ever I
heard it.
After three days oftorturous
working at my computer,
I finally got the pop-ups to
stop. I changed the password
of my email account and
brought all of this nonsense
to a stop.
I won the battle against
that blasted hacker who tried
to ruin my week.
With a steaming cup of
coffee and my open Bible, I
read some comforting words.
“Ye are of God, little children,
and have overcome them:
because greater is he that is
in you, then he that is in the
world” (1 John 4:4 KJV).
My relationship is of
such a nature with God that
nobody can hack into that
relationship. I rest completely
in God’s competent hands.
McLeighton Funeral Service
View Obituaries at
www.mcleightonfuneralservice.com
More Than
A Conqueror
How many of us have short
term memory when it comes
to God’s promises? We are
all guilty. We know what the
word says. We go to church
and begin to rejoice, jump and
shout when the pastor says
something that touches us and
reminds us of our faith, only
to go home and have our short
term memory affected by the
circumstances around us. I
wonder if God is looking at us
and saying; “Now didn’t we
just go over that?”
Romans 10:17 tells us
faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God.
It’s not enough just to hear the
Word but we have to believe
it also. The Word also tells us
all of His promises are “yea
and amen.” The bible is full of
God’s promises.
Even in the midst of hard
economic times, many may be
feeling they’relosing thebattle.
But you can rest in knowing
we have the victory, because
God says we are “more than
a conqueror.” Nothing we can
ever face is too hard for Him.
God has given us His Word
as a reminder for us. You say,
I’m poor: God’s Word says;
“wealth and riches are in your
house, Deut: 8:18; You say,
I’m sick: God’s Word says;
Jesus bore our pain and carried
our sickness. He was pierced
through for our transgressions
and bruised for our iniquities.
The punishment fell on Him
and “by his stripes, we are
healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5.
You say, I’m lonely: His
Word says; “I will never
leave you nor forsake you.”
Heb 13:5. You say, I don’t
have enough, “God’s Word
says “my God shall supply
all of my needs according to
His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus.” Phil. 4:19. You say,
I’m afraid: His Word says
“God has not given us a spirit
of fear, but of power, love and
a sound mind. II Tim 1:7. All
of these are His promises and
it lets us know that we are
more that a conqueror. As we
face each day, it begins with
a promise: “call to Me and I
will answer you, and I will tell
you great and mighty things,
which you do not know,”
Jer.33:3 Be blessed!
Church Happenings
Prayer Line, Tuesdays and
Thursdays, Christ Abundant
Life Ministries, S. Dugger
Ave., Roberta. Call 478- 836-
3912.
Word of God Tabernacle
invites you to join us for the
following weekly services:
Sunday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.,
Sunday School at 10:00 a.m.,
Sunday Service at 11:00 a.m.;
Monday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.;
Wednesday Prayer at 9:00
a.m., Wednesday Bible Study
at 7:00 p.m.; Friday Prayer at
9:00 a.m. Everyone is invited.
Pastor Frank Martin, Sr.
Springhill Baptist Church
is providing free Tutoring
Service every Monday at
5:30- 6:30 p.m. 71, Springhill
Church Rd., Roberta.
The Zion Hill Baptist
Church will be celebrating
their Women in Red and
Men in Black program on
Sunday, February 10, 2013
at 11:00 a.m. Please go out
and help lift up the name
of Jesus. EVERYONE IS
WELCOME!! Refreshments
will be served.
17, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. Guest
speaker will be Minister Mia
Collier of Thomaston, GA.
They are asking your church
family to at least send three
of your inspiring women to
participate in the program. For
more info please contact Dana
Montford 478-258-7081.
The Lighthouse Church
Movie Day: Saturday Feb.
23rd. Bring teh kids and their
friends too for a free and fun
Saturday movie morning
including popcorn and drinks
beginning at 10 a.m. They
will be showing the ’’Veggie
Tales” movie ’’Robin Good”
at 10:30 a.m. In keeping with
the motto of the movie they
ask that you bring one item to
donate to the local food bank.
The Lamb’s Well: Vacation
Bible School Preview
February 21, 2013 come to a
free preview of 2013 Vacation
Bible School programs. An
great opportunity for VBS
Directors, Children’s Church
Leaders, Pastors and other
who work with children.
Refreshments and door prizes.
Two sessions offered 2-4 p.m.
or 6-8 p.m. RSVP early- space
is limited 478-971-2677.
Pop-Tops For Kade:
Christopher Smtih a member
of the Fellowship Church and
Sunday School Teacher wants
your pop-tops! For each 1,000
tabs from drink cans St. Jude’s
will give a free treatment.
Kade Howard, a local little
boy who is receiving treatment
at St. Jude’s in Tennessee for
medulloblastoma will benefit
from the tabs being collected.
To find out how to help and
where to drop off your tabs
call Christopher Smith at 478-
365-0441.
CereselndependentChurch:
The Women Ministry of
Cereses Independent Church
in Musella, GA will host their
Woman in Red Program, Feb.
Deadline for Church
Happenings: Friday 5 p.m.
1 John 4:11
’’Dearjriends,
since God so
loved us, we also
ought to love
one another!’
375 S. Dugger Avenue
Roberta, Georgia
478-836-3336
David & Donna
McLeighton - owners
’Our Family Serving
Your Family
Granite • Marble • Bronze • Coping • Monument Cleaning • Sandblasting
”Serving all Middle Georgia cemeteries 33
Kade £. Rooks
P. O. Box 1711, Fort Valley, GA 31030 *478-825-2424 or 478-951-1571 *Fax: 478-825-3794
