Believe it or Not?

Believe it or Not?

Keith Bellamy

Bad things happen all of the time! During this time of year, it seems like many are hit with death, illness and heartache.

I learned a long time ago to not make a judgment based on what the news may report. Sometimes the reporter is over-zealous, or now it seems some reporters want to put their own spin on things. I also don’t want to second-guess law officials as to why or what they did or did not do. Most of the time, stories are passed around that are not true.

This all reminds me of a “medium” (psychic) who had an encounter with Samuel the prophet. She knew she was a crook but when King Saul tricked her, and Samuel appeared from the dead, she was very scared. I would be, too! Read 1 Samuel 28.

How many of you believe that what you see on TV is true? I once asked one of our district judges why DNA evidence couldn’t be obtained as fast as they get it on a certain television series. He and I had a good laugh.

Many years ago, my wife and I took a friend of ours to Houston Intercontinental Airport, so she could go visit her husband for his R&R from the Vietnam War. They were meeting in Hawaii and when she got there, she asked where Hawaii Five-0 was. Needless to say, they laughed at her.

I don’t believe in Psychics and I do not believe in Astrology. I can read prohibitions in the Old Testament for such.

I think some people will believe anything. Believe it or not, I’m going to choose to believe in the Bible!

Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

And it is just that powerful!

“All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”

“All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”

By Keith Bellamy

According to Wikipedia, “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” is a novelty Christmas song written in 1944 by Donald Yetter Gardner (1913-2004). I remember that song and lately I have been wondering if we would be satisfied with just that – our two front teeth.

How many of you have the “I wants”? That meaning: How many of you really have to have something? It is obvious from all of the material things we must have that we think Christmas is about us. So, we want and want and want.

What if all you received for Christmas was a piece of candy or an apple or an orange? I remember my dad saying he was lucky if he got that. But he said, “We didn’t have anything so we didn’t know we were missing anything.”

There are so many out there in our community who will not have a Merry Christmas. They will not receive anything. Some call our church and we try to help, but there is only so much we can do.

I learned a long time ago that Christmas was about giving and not about receiving. I was never disappointed that we may or may not have received the gift we wished for. My parents taught us that happiness was not in things. And it isn’t.

Word got to me that our grandchildren didn’t want anything from us for Christmas. They wanted us to, make a donation to help the less fortunate out.

All I want for Christmas is not my two front teeth but peace and security that only comes from the Lord!

I know there are some parents who would love to see their children again, but they can’t. The unthinkable happened. May God help those families who have lost loved ones this past year!

You see, two front teeth aren’t so important anymore.

Jesus said to “Seek First His Kingdom”….!(Matthew 6:33). Have you?

What Would You Do to Save A Life?

What Would You Do to Save A Life?

By Keith Bellamy

A Boy Scout throws self in path of car to save Texas woman. This was in the THE EL PASO TIMES, dated September 6, 2010. "On January 22 nd, without thinking twice, Fernando Espinosa pushed teacher Glenda Tanner, age 47, out of the way of a car at a crosswalk in front of Franklin High School. The car struck Espinosa, who received a head injury from the windshield and hurt his left knee."

While I may have written some of this back in 2010, there are others since then who have jumped in to save lives. Some of those risked their lives in gun fire to do so.

So, what would you do to save a life? Something to think about, isn't it? Especially after reading the story I have referred to in the lead paragraph.

Did you know that Jesus did that very thing? That is, He willingly went to the cross to die a terrible death, so we could overcome death just like He did. His tomb is empty! He has made all the provisions for you and me to spend an eternity with Him. He wants all to come to Him while there is still time.

Consider the following passages:

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”