The Dsh

 

 

The Dash

 

Back on December 22, 2018, at my friend Buddy Neubauer's memorial service, this poem was given to each person, and since I had not worn that suit very often, I found it in my coat pocket.  It began in this way;

 

I read of a man who stood to speak at a funeral.  He referred to the date on the tombstone from the beginning … to the end.

 

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

 

The dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth, and how only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.

 

For it matters not how much we own, the cars… the house… the cash.  What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

 

So, think about this long and hard; are there things you’d like to change?  For you never know how much time is left that still can be rearranged.

 

To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more, and love the people in our lives as we’ve never loved before.

 

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile… remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

 

So, when your eulogy is being read,  with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you lived your dash?

 

                                                                                        Author Linda Ellis

 

My life was richer in knowing Buddy since Junior High school, and still good friends with his bride, Debbie.

 

 

The Dash without Jesus

But it is the poem that has got my full attention, the Dash.  This thought came into my mind it from the Scripture a quote from Jesus;  ^“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) The poem ask that question, What does it matter, what you are worth, or what you have, it all left behind.  But an eternity without Jesus is not a good choice; in fact, it is just plain stupid.  Being a kind and nice person will not earn you heaven, nor being religious; it requires a personal relationship with Jesus.  I believe Romans 10:9-10 gives you and me the way to have such a relationship.   ^“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

One night many years ago in Victoria, Texas, in a motel room about 10 pm, as I put the key in the door, I heard this voice in my mind, “This is the last night my Spirit is going to deal with you.  I've been trying to make a deal with God for about 5 months, and it was like talking to a wall.  But that night, it was not about a deal; it was very clear, God was giving me an ultimatum.  I could not get to the hotel Bible fast enough, and it opened to Romans 10, and my eyes went to verses 9-10.  As I read that I knew it was true, I also knew I was a sinner, and I told the Lord, I have not one thing to offer you, but You have everything I need.  And by an act of faith that God gave me, I ask Him into my life.  He changed my dash that night.  It took a lot of unlearning how to get my needs met outside of Jesus. It was not a quick lesson, I’m still learning, but this I know, my Father in Heaven is the God who spoke the world into being, and formed man out of the dust of the earth.

But, there is much that is beyond my limited understanding, God's love is one of them.  Why, before He spoke the world into being, He knew that He would have to send Jesus to buy me and you out of the control of sin.  This I know without doubt, He did, and God gave us the ability to choose or not choose the gift of His Son. I sure hope you chose Jesus.  In Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”  What he/she has done with Jesus.

At the memorial service, it's nice that people will say he/she was a good person, but that's not what's important; does God call you His son​/daughter?  One of the saddest verses in the Bible is found in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

​Let me share one more thing that Jesus said, it recorded in  John 14:6,  ^“Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Many believe that being moral and good to others is all you need; others try to do good religious acts, but they will be the ones verse 23 is referring to.

The best quote I ever heard to explain the difference between religions and a personal relationship with Christ is: Religion is about doing, and a relationship with Christ is about being done.  Jesus did it all on the Cross, and He said it is finished.  So, we are told to choose this day, whom we will serve, or what will you give in exchange for your soul?

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Materials for the Tabernacle

 

 

Exodus 38:21-31

 

November 19, 2024

 

Materials for the Tabernacle

These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.  Bezalel, the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses;  and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.

All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.  The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.  The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base.  And of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them.  The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels;  with it he made the bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar,  the bases around the court, and the bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court.

I took this from the internet, on the value of a talent in Exodus: “a "talent" in Exodus is roughly equivalent to around $522,000 in today's dollars, based on the understanding that a talent is equal to 3,000 shekels, making it a substantial sum of money in ancient times; however, the exact value can vary depending on whether it is measured in gold or silver and the specific time period being considered.” 

 

That was a lot of gold and silver for a people of about two million to have while wandering around in a desert.  So how did they get all the materials needed?  That is a great question, and the answer is that God provided them.  Now he used the Egyptian people to do so when the people of Israel left Egypt.

 

You also may have wondered, as I did, what a beka was. It was a tax of half a shekel of silver paid by each man in the congregation who was at least 20 years old.  We serve a mighty God, who has promised to provide all we need, but often the Church is not about needs but wants.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Making the Court

 

Exodus 38:9-20

 

November 18, 2024

 

Making the Court

And he made the court. For the south side, the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.  And for the north side, there were hangings of a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.  And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars, and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.  And for the front to the east, fifty cubits.  The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.  And so, for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases.  All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen.  And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. The overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.  And the screen for the gate of the court was embroidered with needlework in blue and purple, and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It was twenty cubits long and five cubits high in its breadth, corresponding to the hangings of the court.  And their pillars were four in number. Their four bases were of bronze, their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver.  And all the pegs for the tabernacle and for the court all around were of bronze.

The tabernacle of Moses was the temporary place of worship that the Israelites built according to God’s specifications while wandering the desert and used until King Solomon built a temple. The word tabernacle is a translation of the Hebrew mishkan, which means “dwelling-place.”

The overall shape of the tabernacle of Moses followed traditional structures of the time. It consisted of an outer court, approximately seventy-five feet wide by one hundred and fifty feet long, with a fifteen-foot by forty-five-foot structure in the back (Exodus 27:9–19). The court walls consisted of linen curtains attached by bronze hooks to a series of pillars. The pillars were supported on the bottom by bronze sockets and possibly held in place with rope that attached to bronze rings. The gate, always facing east, was about thirty feet of blue, purple, and scarlet woven into a curtain of linen. The altar of burnt offering and the bronze laver that the priests purified themselves in sat in the courtyard.  (Got Question)

 

The people of Israel and the once who came with them could enter the courtyard, but only the priest and Levite could go into the Tabernacle, and only the high priest once a year into the Holy of Holies.  The altar for burnt offering was in the courtyard, and the bronze laver with water to wash with.

 

It is hard for us to understand the fullness of what Jesus did on the cross; the veil was torn, and we now have access to the Father.  No more outer court, and you are invited to receive the new life that is given to all who see, the forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ.  

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The Altar and the Bronze Basin

 

 

Exodus 38:1-8

 

November 16, 2024

 

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering

He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height.  He made horns for it on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze.  And he made all the utensils of the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its utensils of bronze.  And he made for the altar a grating, a network of bronze, under its ledge, extending halfway down.  He cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles.  He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.  And he put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it with them. He made it hollow, with boards.

Making the Bronze Basin

He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

My first thought was more of how God designed the items that went into the Tabernacle.  But the Scripture came into my mind, “Be still, and know that I am God.  So, after doing so, I ask what one can learn from this teaching to help in our daily walk?

The Altar was for the outer court, where the people could bring sacrificial atonement and consecration; it was not a one-time thing, it had to be done over and over.  It was a place to atone for sin and gain favor from the Lord. The worshipper would sacrifice an animal without blemish as a gift to God.

So, as a follower of Christ, do I need an altar to go to for the forgiveness of my sins?  We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Christ became our sin offering.  “For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  In 1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed.”  Hebrews 9:27-28, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Once we enter Christ and are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we will choose not to sin. When we do, it should break our hearts, and often, that is a great time of worship and being thankful for God’s grace and forgiveness.  

But worship should take place each day of our lives, with praise and worship.  I find great peace in the early morning, getting into the Word, and getting time to allow God's Spirit to give me an understanding of how to go about the day.

Worship also occurs when we share all that God has blessed us with as a family or a nation. It takes place when we do anything for others with the right heart; serving others puts us in good company with our Lord.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Table, the Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense

 

 

Exodus 37:10-29

 

November 15, 2024

 

Making the Table

He also made the table of acacia wood. Two cubits was its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.  And he overlaid it with pure gold and made a molding of gold around it.  And he made a rim around it a handbreadth^[b] wide and made a molding of gold around the rim.  He cast for it four rings of gold and fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs.  Close to the frame were the rings, as holders for the poles to carry the table. He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table and overlaid them with gold.  And he made the vessels of pure gold that were to be on the table, its plates and dishes for incense, and its bowls and flagons with which to pour drink offerings.

Making the Lampstand

He also made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work. Its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers were of one piece with it.  And there were six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it;  three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.  And on the lampstand itself were four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers,  and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out of it.  Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole of it was a single piece of hammered work of pure gold.  And he made its seven lamps and its tongs and its trays of pure gold.  He made it and all its utensils out of a talent^[c] of pure gold.

Making the Altar of Incense

He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its breadth was a cubit. It was square, and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it.  He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it,  and made two rings of gold on it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, as holders for the poles with which to carry it.  And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

He made the holy anointing oil also, and the pure fragrant incense, blended as by the perfumer.

Bezalel made all of this, and most of us who go by the title of Christian would not remember his name, much less how God's Spirit gave him the skill, talent, and knowledge to do so.

 

We, you and I, live in a culture that acknowledges the skill of sportspeople to the point of acting as if they accomplished the skill and understanding all by themselves.  The election of our President of the USA is now over, and I see many who act as if he has the power to change the hearts of people; he does not.  Only God can do so. President Trump will need the hand of God on him, guiding him, and all who know God, asking for mercy and grace to bring us out of the evil that is at the center of our problems.  I feel the need to remind each of us what God's Word has to say on the subject.  Ephesians 6:10-12,  ^“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

 

If you are in Christ, then His Spirit is living in you, and it is going to require you and me to pray for our leaders, to first seek God, and then to pray that God will lead us out of the control of Satan, and into victory.  We will not do that any other way.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Making the Ark

 

Exodus 37:1-9

 

November 14, 2024

 

Making the Ark

 

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.  And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it.  And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side.  And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.  And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.  And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat,  one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat, he made the cherubim on its two ends.  The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.

 

In past papers, we have shared that a cubit was about 1.5 feet would be about 3.75 feet in width and about 21/4 in height, and overlaid with pure gold inside and out.  It was always to be moved by he gold poles.  Both it and the mercy seat.

 

In this passage, the artistry and craftsmanship that went into the construction of the tabernacle are highlighted. The specific details about the cherubim, their wings, and their position over the mercy seat show the importance of symbolizing God's presence and the sacredness of worship practices among the Israelites.  (taken from the internet)

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

How are You, Loving?

 

--How are you, Loving?

 

·      Love is patient and kind

When we are not patient and kind, what is the problem?

·      Love does not envy or boast

When I have envy or begin to brag on myself, what is    

            happening?

·      Love is not arrogant

When I am arrogant, what is taking place in my spirit?

·      Love is not rude

When I am rude, what is going on in your fellowship with             

            Christ?                              

·      Love does not insist on its own way

When I do not care what others want, what is happening in       

            my spirit?

·      Love is not irritable or resentful

When I am irritable or resentful, how is my fellowship with 

            those God has sent me to love?

·      Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing

What happens to the love of God in me when I rejoice at         

            wrongdoing?

·      Love rejoices with the truth

What should I do if I find myself not rejoicing in the 

            truth?

·      Love bears all things

Love never gives up on you.

·      Love believes all things

Love looks past your failures and see your potential 

·      Love hope all things

Love can see past your circumstances.

·      Love endures all things

Feelings often throw in the towel, but God’s love remains.

 

--How are you, Loving?

 

·      Love is patient and kind

When we are not patient and kind, what is the problem?

·      Love does not envy or boast

When I have envy or begin to brag on myself, what is    

            happening?

·      Love is not arrogant

When I am arrogant, what is taking place in my spirit?

·      Love is not rude

When I am rude, what is going on in your fellowship with             

            Christ?                              

·      Love does not insist on its own way

When I do not care what others want, what is happening in       

            my spirit?

·      Love is not irritable or resentful

When I am irritable or resentful, how is my fellowship with 

            those God has sent me to love?

·      Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing

What happens to the love of God in me when I rejoice at         

            wrongdoing?

·      Love rejoices with the truth

What should I do if I find myself not rejoicing in the 

            truth?

·      Love bears all things

Love never gives up on you.

·      Love believes all things

Love looks past your failures and see your potential 

·      Love hope all things

Love can see past your circumstances.

·      Love endures all things

Feelings often throw in the towel, but God’s love remains.

The Amzing Worker

                                                            Exodus 36:20-38

 

November 13, 2024

 

Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood.  Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame.  Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle.  The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side.  And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons.  For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame.   For the rear of the tabernacle westward, he made six frames.  He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear.  And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners.  There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame, two bases.

He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle,  and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward.  And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames.  And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

He made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked into it, he made it.  And for it he made four pillars of acacia and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver.  He also made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework,  and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases were of bronze.

As you read this, it must be talking about the worker. If I were today, this credit would be given to Moses.  I say this in that when a leader of our nation orders the death of an evil man who has killed our people, they give him the credit, not the Navy Seals that did the job.

But let us not miss the amazing detail, the precision of the work, and that our Lord is a God of perfection.  When we are about our ministry, should we not ask at each turn to for the Spirit that lives in us to be the best at what we do? 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

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__________________________
Bob Rice

Canyon Lake, Texas

Please click here to view my blog

The He is not what is Important it the Obedience

 Exodus 36:8-19

 

November 12, 2024

 

And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked.  The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size.

He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another.  He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise, he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set.  He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another.  And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So, the tabernacle was a single whole.

He also made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains.  The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size.  He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.  And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain.  And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins.

If you are like me in wanting to know who the “he” is referring to, it seems God's Word is silent on that fact.  It was one of the workers, but is that what one should get for a deeper understanding of how to live life on planet Earth?  

Could it be that the obedience of each person God has called for a task to honor His holy name?  First, they needed a man who brought them the word of God, and that was Moses.  Then they needed what verse one tells us: “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”  

Then they needed the resources to do the work, and God put the same desire in the people's hearts to do this with a generous heart.

You and I also need these same things each day, if we hope to walk in victory.  God has not changed, but we are so blessed to have the veil of the Temple torn, and no longer need anyone but Jesus and the Holy Spirit to look to, to run to when the world system tries to mold us into its patterns.

Jesus makes this clear in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

My prayer is that you and I will not worry about the “he” in Scripture, but we will be doers of Truth, for Jesus is the Truth, and the Holy Spirit will lead us into Truth.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Offerings & Skills

  

Exodus 36:1-8

 

November 11, 2024

 

“Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work.  And they received from Moses all the contributions that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning,  so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing,  and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.”  So, Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So, the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.”

People often are given credit for things they have done or talents they have.  But the Scripture makes clear that it was not Bezalel and Oholiab and the craftsman, but God who gave them the skill and intelligence to do what was needed for the construction of the sanctuary.  Have you ever been guilty of taking credit for the skills, talents, and intelligence God has given you?  The sad thing is that often people who go by the title of Christian, almost worship singers, football, and baseball players for the skills and talents God has given them, and give no credit to the Lord.  We do see a few both in sports and singers, who do give credit to the Lord.

Next, do you have a heart to give with a cheerful heart to the work of the ministry?  Rees Howells, the Intercessor, was a man who lived for God. Norman Grubb met Rees in 1928 as a young missionary at the Bible College of Wales.  After reading about how this man was used by God, I told my friend Carroll Ray Jr. that on our trip to England to do what we called a trip to explore the faith of our fathers, great men who had been used by God to be world changers.  Carroll called the Bible College and found out his son, Samuel, now eighty, was the President of the College and was doing much like his dad, in that he had taken two months off to be along with the Lord, but would be back in time for our visit.  After a tour of the College, we had High Tea with Samuel Howell, and after a wonderful visit, I asked Mr. Howell​ how we could help in any way with the finances of the school.  I will never forget his reply; Young man, we've been looking to God for our resource. I believe we will keep doing so.  As we left, I told my friend, he was not a Baptist, they would have asked how much.  When we got home, Jan and I sent him a thank-you card for the time he spent with us and a nice check.

I tell that story to share that both Jan and I had our hearts in the right place, and yet need to be told that, unlike some in ministry in the USA, Mr. Howell knew the source of who they had looked to for resources for the life of the College.  Moses had to tell the people to stop giving. I have never witnessed that in my lifetime.

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice