The Old Paths

I liked the old paths, when
Moms were at home.
Dads were at work.
Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!

Crime did not pay;
Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook;
Dads would work;
Children would behave..

Husbands were loving;
Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry;
And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies;
Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.

People loved the truth,
And hated a lie;
They came to church to get IN,
Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly;
Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal;
And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked;
Drinking was evil;
and divorce was unthinkable.

The flag was honored;
America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school;
And preached from house to house

To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called a Christian was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!

Sex was a personal word.
Homosexual was an unheard of word,
And abortion was an illegal word.

Preachers preached because they had a message;
And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!
Preachers preached from the Bible;
Singers sang from the heart;
And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!

A new birth meant a new life;
Salvation meant a changed life;
Following Christ led to eternal life.

Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;
Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord;
Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;
And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!

Laws were based on the Bible;
Homes read the Bible;
And churches taught the Bible.

Preachers were more interested in new converts,
Than new clothes and new cars.

God was worshiped;
Christ was exalted;
and the Holy Spirit was respected.

Church was where you found Christians on the Lord's day,
rather than in the garden, on the creek bank, on the golf course,
or being entertained somewhere else.
I still like the old paths the best!

Written by a retired minister.
(from the Internet)
Submitted by Roger Rosie

A hundred years from now what will others remember about us? Probably nothing! That is unless we do something really noteworthy. Men come and go almost without notice. Only a few are remembered long after life has ended, even among the most successful. Perhaps I can illustrate my point.

Who was president a hundred years ago? Vice-president? Only a few get their 15 minutes of fame, and they quickly fade from view. It may be that the famous are less remembered than the infamous. Genghis Kahn, Attila the Hun, Judas Iscariot, Adolph Hitler, and Joseph Stalin all come to mind. Even an apostle like Thomas is remembered, not for a life of service and devotion to the cause of New Testament Christianity, but for the doubts he expressed resurrection day. From what we know of Thomas, the following seems to have been true.

The cross was what Thomas expected; the resurrection was not!

It was Thomas who said to his fellow apostles: “Let us go, that we may die with Him.” (John 11:16).

Thomas was the natural pessimist. If it could go wrong, he just knew it would. Following the crucifixion, Thomas made the mistake of withdrawing to deal with his grief when what he really needed was the fellowship of brethren. He was absent when the others gathered in the upper room (John 20:24). (Did you ever stop to consider what you miss when you are absent when the church assembles?)

Thomas’ great virtue was that when he was sure he went all the way! Seeing the resurrected Savior he exclaimed: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

When it comes to Jesus there is no need to be a doubting Thomas. Our faith in Jesus eyewitnesses (2 Peter 1:16; 1 John 1:1-3). We can be confident that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). I urge you to read the New Testament. You can have confidence in what you read, and ultimately, you will exclaim with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”

Copied — Sixth and Washington Streets Bulletin
Marietta, Ohio

“Once Upon a Time…”

March 31, 2007

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