Forthright Magazine http://www.forthright.net Straight to the Cross One site, many authors. The Fellowship Room is filled with interesting, sound, Biblical articles. http://fellowshiproom.org/ COLUMN: REALITY CHECK A Friend In Need ... by Stan Mitchell "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17, ESV). A cynical friend used to say, "A friend in need ... is a pest!" His other saying was: "Where there's a will, there's a lawyer." Some things you can count on, I suppose, and others you cannot. Of course he had reversed the meaning of the well-known proverb based on the verse above, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." My acerbic friend was referring to an acquaintance who always turned up when he needed something, but hardly ever at other times. In contrast the proverb is declaring that when someone is your friend in adversity, when you face troubled times and he is "there for you," then that is a real friend. That is a friend who "loves at all times," including the hard times. Some are fair weather friends, and others are friends you can count on in a storm. They are blizzard brethren, friends in feast and famine, the kind you really want to keep. The vital question to ask, however, is not: "What kind of friends do you have?" but, "What kind of friend are you?" ---- Read this article online, write your reaction, and read others' comments as well. Click here: http://tinyurl.com/2bzy8qc COLUMN: ENCOURAGING WORD So What! by Paula Harrington I was sitting beside three sweet little friends one Wednesday night as the congregation sang Jesus Loves Me. I loved hearing their voices as they went about the familiar verses. However, the youngest, had his heart into it. He belted out the chorus with much enthusiasm. As he got to the end, he sang boldly, "Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so." He held out the last word until everyone else was finished singing and then turned around and proclaimed. "So what!" Isn't that the way we are sometimes? We know Jesus loves us. We're well aware that the Bible tells us how to live, yet our actions speak differently. We check in with Jesus on Sundays, warm a pew, and punch the Christian time-card. But once we leave, we casually fade back into the world. We forward malicious, gossip-filled e-mails about our President telling ourselves that if we don't agree with him then we have the right to slander him (Hebrews 13:17). We flirt more with the world than we do our spouse (I John 2:15). We let that pesky "live peacefully with all men" verse hinge on the color of one's skin, the money in their bank account, or the congregation they attend (Hebrews 12:14). The Bible shows us the way to a greater life, a loving father, and a Heavenly future but too many times we live as though God isn't that important. Like others who have gone before us, we proclaim Jesus with our lips but our hearts are far from him (Matthew 15:8). Friends, sometimes we're like that cute little boy who sang, "The Bible tells me so. So what." Spend some time with your nearest Bible. Life is about God, not us. Our focus needs to be on the cross. Live right. Stand out. Love others. Make a difference. You have the opportunity to change the world. The Bible tells me so. ---- Read this article online, write your reaction, and read others' comments as well. Click here: http://tinyurl.com/2vj24mu You can help get the word out. Here's how: http://www.forthright.net/editorial/lend_a_hand.html