Category Insights on Scripture

Truth or Consequences

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV)

truth1From the very beginning of time certain activities were considered off limits. The very first inhabitants of this planet understood that there were things they could and could not do. God had set in motion immutable laws that continue even through today.

From 1940 until 1987 an American quiz show originally hosted on radio by Ralph Edwards became a hit television show. That show was truth or consequences. Hosted from 1956 until 1975 by none other than Bob Barker of Let’s Make a Deal fame.

The idea of the show was to mix the original quiz element of game shows with wacky stunts. On the show, people had to answer a trivia question correctly (usually an off-the-wall question that no one would be able to answer correctly) before “Beulah the Buzzer” was sounded. If the contestant could not complete the “Truth” portion, there would be “Consequences,” usually a zany and embarrassing stunt. In addition, during Barker’s run as host, “Barker’s Box” was played. Barker’s Box was a box with 4 drawers in it. If a contestant was able to pick the 3 boxes with money in it, they won a bonus prize.

In many broadcasts, the stunts on Truth or Consequences included a popular, but emotional, heart-rending surprise for a contestant, that being the reunion with a long-lost relative or with an enlisted son or daughter returning from military duty overseas, particularly Vietnam.

Citation: Truth or Consequences. (2007, September 7). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 00:17, September 12, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Truth_or_Consequences&oldid=156188604

Although it made for entertaining TV the idea that wrong choices yielded sometimes unpleasant surprises was not a new concept. Most people if honest will admit to times in their life where a wrong turn, a wrong choice, a wrong answer landed them in less than favorable conditions.

The embarrassment of being seen on TV not knowing the right answer to some obscure game show question is not as important as not knowing the right answer to a midterm test question.

Although both wrong answers had consequences one could be considered more life changing then the other. Getting blasted with whipped cream on the game show although embarrassing was not life altering. Missing questions on a midterm exam could mean the difference to passing or failing.

Making the wrong turn while driving could get one hopelessly lost. Thank God for GPS units which are ever ready to help a hapless driver find his or her way back to civilization. Heading the wrong way on a one way street could cost you a handsome fine or loss of license.

Choosing to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs could end a life, yours or someone else.

In a culture which hates consequences there is an ongoing attempt to remove all truth, all absolutes in order to eliminate consequences of wrong choices. IF there are no wrong choices then logically one could assume there are no consequences. Morally if there is no RIGHT or wrong then no matter how I choose to live my life there is no consequence.

Man’s best efforts to root out all laws and opposition to wrong choices only end in futility each and every time they are tried. There are certain laws in place that just can not be avoided. Take for instance the law of gravity.

Even if one wishes to ignore the laws existence it does not take a person long to know that jumping from a high elevation without the aide of wings or some other flying apparatus plummets them to the earth where they will meet another law, that of an irresistible force and an immovable object.

History is riddled with humankind who have chosen the wrong direction and learned the consequences of such action.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, legendary early American writer, penned these prophetic words in “The Golden Legend”:

“No action, whether foul or fair, longfellowtheman
Is ever done, but it leaves somewhere,
A record, written by fingers ghostly,
As a blessing or a curse.”

All of us leave footprints in this world a record of where we been and the direction in which we are headed. The question that needs to be asked if someone was following in your footsteps would they find blessings or curses along the way? Would the path you are leading lead others to a greater good? Does the road you are following lead to greatness or disaster?

There is a way that seems right to a person, but eventually it ends in death.
Prov 14:12 (GW)

Each day we are faced with choices and each day we need to choose a path. But choose wisely because a wrong choice will have consequences. In this life the consequences may not seem too unbearable but in the life to come a wrong choice could land you in a destination unfit for human habitation.

A gullible person believes anything, but a sensible person watches his step. A wise person is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is careless and over confident. Prov 14:15-16 (GW)

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Truth or Consequences

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV)

truth1From the very beginning of time certain activities were considered off limits. The very first inhabitants of this planet understood that there were things they could and could not do. God had set in motion immutable laws that continue even through today.

From 1940 until 1987 an American quiz show originally hosted on radio by Ralph Edwards became a hit television show. That show was truth or consequences. Hosted from 1956 until 1975 by none other than Bob Barker of “The Price is Right”l fame.

The idea of the show was to mix the original quiz element of game shows with wacky stunts. On the show, people had to answer a trivia question correctly (usually an off-the-wall question that no one would be able to answer correctly) before “Beulah the Buzzer” was sounded. If the contestant could not complete the “Truth” portion, there would be “Consequences,” usually a zany and embarrassing stunt. In addition, during Barker’s run as host, “Barker’s Box” was played. Barker’s Box was a box with 4 drawers in it. If a contestant was able to pick the 3 boxes with money in it, they won a bonus prize.

In many broadcasts, the stunts on Truth or Consequences included a popular, but emotional, heart-rending surprise for a contestant, that being the reunion with a long-lost relative or with an enlisted son or daughter returning from military duty overseas, particularly Vietnam.

Citation: Truth or Consequences. (2007, September 7). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 00:17, September 12, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Truth_or_Consequences&oldid=156188604

Although it made for entertaining TV the idea that wrong choices yielded sometimes unpleasant surprises was not a new concept. Most people if honest will admit to times in their life where a wrong turn, a wrong choice, a wrong answer landed them in less than favorable conditions.

The embarrassment of being seen on TV not knowing the right answer to some obscure game show question is not as important as not knowing the right answer to a midterm test question.

Although both wrong answers had consequences one could be considered more life changing then the other. Getting blasted with whipped cream on the game show although embarrassing was not life altering. Missing questions on a midterm exam could mean the difference to passing or failing.

Making the wrong turn while driving could get one hopelessly lost. Thank God for GPS units which are ever ready to help a hapless driver find his or her way back to civilization. Heading the wrong way on a one way street could cost you a handsome fine or loss of license. Continue reading “Truth or Consequences” →

World’s First GPS System

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Worlds First GPS Tracking System is Nearly Two Thousand Years Old by Rev Michael Bresciani

GPS tracking from (global positioning satellites) is becoming almost standard equipment on cars today. The penchant to “know” may be what is driving the consumer more than the fear of getting lost. Add to that the lack of time in today’s fast paced society, who has got time to sit down and read a map?

In addition to tracking devices Detroit is equipping autos with gauges and devices that can read such things as the air pressure in the tires or the condition of your motor oil. Almost every system in the car is now monitored by computers and the information is fed back to the driver in one form or another including voice messages.

Evangelists and preachers have used the adage that the “Bible is the road map for life” many times in their messages and missives throughout this generation. Out of the genre of strictly American bred music comes a similar message from what is known as Appalachian Mountain Music. The old Bluegrass song is widely known and is aptly entitled “I’m Using My Bible as a Roadmap.”

Some might say the words are too simplistic but hardly anyone wouldn’t say that in today’s fast paced and complicated world, simple and direct is exactly what we need. The straight up message can be seen in the first stanza of the song.

I’m using my bible as a road map
Ten Commandments, they tell me what to do
The twelve disciples are my road signs
And Jesus will see me safely through

How many Americans see the Bible as a roadmap to life? Fortunately for the moment that number is still very high in this country but reports say the numbers are rapidly falling. The pace of modern life in America is blamed in part for the decline but even more so is the proclivity to follow cultural and popular trends. Fitting in and riding the present wave are more desirable to many than any old fashioned notion of trusting God, personal responsibility and building character. Continue reading “World’s First GPS System” →

The Enemy Within

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Mk 7:14 (GW) Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand! 15 Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean. It’s what comes out of a person that makes him unclean.

The Emerald Ash Borer  (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients. Emerald ash borer probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. Emerald ash borer is also established in Windsor, Ontario, was found in Ohio in 2003, northern Indiana in 2004, northern Illinois in 2006 and eastern Pennsylvania in 2007. Since its discovery, EAB has:

* Killed more than 20 million ash trees in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Most of the devastation is in southeastern Michigan.

* Caused regulatory agencies and the USDA to enforce quarantines (Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania) and fines to prevent potentially infested ash trees, logs or hardwood firewood from moving out of areas where EAB occurs.

* Cost municipalities, property owners, nursery operators and forest products industries tens of millions of dollars.

Emerald Ash Borer.

The fully developed adult Emerald Ash borer has little or no effect on a mature tree because it nibbles on the leaves of the tree it is however the tiny larvae of this creature that  does the damage to the Ash tree family. It is this tiny pest that bores itself into the interior of the tree, under the bark, hidden from view where the damage is being done on a grand scale.

Not being native to this area this new menace has little or no known natural enemies. Therefore it is able to reproduce and destroy virtually unchecked and unhindered. Without an effective defense these tiny  creatures will singlehandedly destroy all the Ash trees it comes in contact with.

As the army of ash borers continue to march on crossing into new territories seeking out sources of food it is leaving behind a path of destruction that has crossed 6 states with no end in sight. Areas where the Ash borer have been detected are quarantined in attempts to curb the rapid infestation of surrounding standing timber.

Local and national governments are devising plans to battle this import from Asia with new legislation that would curtail the transportation of cut lumber across state lines and county boundaries.

Just like the nasty Emerald Ash borer there too is a deadly infestation targeting the church house. This invisible force has been spreading its devastation since the beginning of time. Paths of destruction are left in its wake whenever it is allowed to fester and feast unhindered as it hides behind the mask of solid Christianity.

Continue reading “The Enemy Within” →

Thirst Quencher

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

 

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Rev 14:11 KJV

2006-08-03-thermometer-01-handnailLast week headlines screamed for relief as temperatures kept climbing in the western states. 103… 116… 118… 125 no relief in sight.


Sweltering residents across the West headed for lakes and rivers, seeking relief from triple-digit temperatures expected to set records through at least today.

One firm’s office workers were given the option to float on inner tubes down the Boise River instead of sitting at stuffy desks, with temperatures in Boise reaching 103 degrees. Forecasters predicted a high today of 107 – six degrees higher than the 101 record for this date set in 1985.

But temperatures in part of the West were climbing so high that authorities warned residents of southern Nevada, southeast California and northwest Arizona that outdoor activities could be dangerous except during the cooler early-morning hours. Phoenix reached 115 degrees; Baker, Calif., reached 125.

Even Stanley, Idaho, which at more than 6,000 feet elevation is routinely the coldest place in the lower 48 states, was seeing record highs, the National Weather Service said. The remote town in the Sawtooth Mountains reached 91 degrees yesterday, and was expected to hit 92 today.

Around Las Vegas – where temperatures reached 116 degrees – transformers overheated and caused electrical-pole fires because of all the people switching on air conditioners, said Scott Allison with the Clark County Fire Department.

In Phoenix, 42-year-old laborer Russ Waldrip wiped sweat from his face as he unloaded large windows from the back of a truck.

“When it gets this hot I pour water over my head all day,” Waldrip said. “Sometimes I can’t wait to jump in the pool, but I don’t even have the energy to do that.”

In Reno, the Salvation Army opened a cooling center at its Sutro Street headquarters where people could sit in an air conditioned room and sip cold water.

“There are a lot of people in our neighborhood that don’t have air conditioning,” said Salvation Army Maj. Doug Williams. “We just wanted to make sure they have a place to sit for a few, to get a break from the heat.”

About 30 people were there early in the afternoon; among them was 84-year-old Geneva Moses.

“It’s real nice,” Moses said. “There’s so many people that can’t stand a lot of heat. At my age I can’t stand heat any more. It’s really hard on senior citizens. I guess it is on everyone.” (source: USA Today and AP reports)

Despite the record setting temperatures out west it still does not compare to what awaits those who do not put their trust in the Lord.

Revelation states that for all who bow down to worship the beast and his image and take the mark of the beast their torment would never end. I can only imagine what that day would have to be like. To be tormented day and night without relief. The reports coming out of the western states this past week indicated the number of ways people were coping with the high temperatures. Swimming in lakes and ponds and retiring to air conditioned homes and cool places around town. Some dunked their heads in water all day long to try to keep cool.

Can you imagine being that hot and having absolutely no where to go? I mean no escape from the heat and it would just keep getting hotter and hotter and hotter. No water to drink let alone swim in. No air conditioning. No shade trees or ice cream just heat and torment day and night. Not even death would relieve you from the torment.

Continue reading “Thirst Quencher” →