Copy Of Dhs Newsletter 12.doc

Douglas High Alumni News Letter

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Publisher Ed Grensky

Volume No. I

The kids are back in school and life has returned to normal, but eight years ago on Sept. 11, 2001 our nation was attacked, and 3000 innocent lives were lost, lets take a moment to remember our loss, and the Heroes who stepped up and who lost their lives.

Issue No. 12

Date 9/07/09

From your Newsletter Author Ed Grensky

I’m setting here looking at an almost blank page, and I wonder; my purpose for this newsletter was to keep us all informed as to the reunion, and to ask for your help locating our lost classmates, which worked very well. Since then I have asked for information from you so I could share it, and if it weren’t for three of our classmates sharing it would have been for not. As to authoring this newsletter I have enjoyed it immensely, but other than the gospel I have run out of information to share; I realize most of you still work for a living, but without information from you there is nothing to share. This will be my last newsletter but if you have something you want to share, you can post it on our web site. I plan on posting a Bible study lesson and or information on or about the Bible once in a while.

A Post by: Jeanette Gardner (Harty) God was as much with those who died as those who were saved.” And last of all “ Heroes never die. They live on forever in the hearts and minds of those who would follow in their footsteps. “ Emily Potter.’

My hope for you is to seek the purpose for your life, and when you realize there is no answer in the world, turn to the Bible where you will find it.

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Just For Laughs

At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and she said, "Johnny, what is the matter?" Little Johnny responded, "I have pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."

Education

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

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When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed. Could not be any simpler than that.

What We Need To Know About False Teachers (2:1-3) By: Bob Deffinbaugh http://bible.org/seriespage/false-teachers-2peter-21-3 First, Peter strongly infers that we should regard anyone who claims to be a “prophet” as a false prophet. False prophets arose in earlier days, and we should expect false teachers to arise in our day. Why this switch from “false prophets” to “false teachers” in verse 1? The reason is evident from Peter’s teaching in chapter 1. The apostles were raised up as God’s instruments to record God’s full and final revelation in Christ. They saw the power and glory of the resurrected Lord. Their writings were superintended by the Holy Spirit, who caused them to remember all that the Lord had taught while He was with them. Their prophecies, like those of the Old Testament prophets, are thus a “more sure word of prophecy” which provides sufficient light for us until the coming of our Lord (1:19). Paul was the last of the prophets whose writings are also inspired and authoritative (3:14-16). Since these original apostles have accomplished their appointed task, no further prophets are required:

Second, Peter teaches us to expect false teachers to arise. Although the need for prophets has ceased, the need for teachers of the Scriptures continues. Among those who teach, we should expect some to be false teachers. They hold a Bible in their hands and tell us they are teaching the Scriptures, but their teaching is false. Their interpretation has not come from the Holy Spirit but from their own will (see 1:20-21). False teachers are no mere possibility; they are likely, and we must be watchful so we are not led astray by them. Our knowledge of Old Testament history should prepare us to be on guard against false teachers, for they will surely arise Third, Peter teaches us to expect false teachers to arise from within the church as well as from without. In Old Testament times, false prophets arose “among the people” (verse 1). So also in our time, false teachers will arise “among us” (literally “among you,” verse 1). It is easy to identify false teachers in other religions or in liberal or apostate churches. It is relatively easy to expect false teachers to arise from without. But Peter tells us they will also arise from within the community of believers, from within our own church. This same warning comes from Paul in the Book of Acts where he admonishes the elders of the Ephesian church: 28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build [you] up and to give [you] the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:28-32, emphasis mine). Sixth, these false teachers are not always readily apparent. False teachers certainly do not represent themselves as those who make a false profession of faith. They rise up as those who are one with us in Christ. As Jesus warned, they come as “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15). They carry out their ministry in Jesus’ name, and they are just as surprised at being called unbelievers as we are when we

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realize they do not share a “like precious faith” with us: 15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn [bushes,] nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits. 21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’“ (Matthew 7:15-23). Our Lord’s words here indicate that we dare not attempt to distinguish false teachers from the true merely on the basis of their ability to perform mighty works. A true prophet need not perform great works. Such was John the Baptist, a prophet without mighty works but with mighty words (John 10:41). If a prophet declares that something will happen, and it does not, then he is a false prophet (see Deuteronomy 18:20-22). But the ability to perform great works does not prove one to be a prophet. His doctrine must also conform to the Word of God (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). Jesus teaches that the “fruit” which distinguishes false teachers from the true is not just their mighty deeds. We must also take careful note of the fruit of their own character and that of their followers. The Bible calls addictions “sin,” and our bondage to these sins is only broken through our identification with Christ and His cross (see Romans 6). A well-known psychiatrist wrote a book entitled, Whatever Happened to Sin? One might just as easily ask, “Whatever happened to the cross?” We sing songs with words like, “There is power, power, wonder working power; there is power in the blood of the Lamb.” But do we really believe this? If not, the false teachers have already arisen, and we have fallen for their false doctrines. Peter speaks of false teachers in this text, but he is speaking to each of us. He warns those

who would become false teachers of the destruction which lies ahead for them (compare James 3:1-12). He also warns every Christian to be on the alert, for false teachers will arise. While Christian leaders have a responsibility to guard the flock from false teachers (Acts 20:2839; 1 Timothy 1:3-11; 2 Timothy 2:23-26), this does not absolve us of our personal responsibility to be on guard for false teachers. There is only one way we will be able to spot false teachers: we must be knowledgeable concerning the truth of the Word of God. We dare not become lazy and expect others to do our studying and thinking for us (see 1 John 2:26-27). Finally, this text speaks to those who may not truly know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. You may believe in “Jesus.” You may believe in Him as the Son of God, as a great healer, or a great teacher. You may believe that He was a great leader and that He cared deeply for sinners. But to be saved, you must believe in His atoning work on your behalf on the cross of Calvary. You must believe that He was the God-man who bore the penalty for your sins, and that, as the risen Savior, His resurrection is, for you, life from the dead. Not until you believe in the real Jesus of the Bible will you be saved. May God grant you ears to hear and eyes to see, so that you might turn to Jesus for salvation this day.

The only sure prevention is to follow Him who is "the way, the truth, and the life", and to "continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine" cf. Jn 14:16; Ac 2:42 14 The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1416). These texts inform me that the unbeliever is incapable of grasping the full meaning of God's Word. The Holy Spirit was sent not only to inspire the writing of the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21; see also 2 Timothy 3:16), but to open the spiritual eyes of those who are blind, so that they will be convinced and convicted regarding what God has said (John 8:14-16). And as

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believers it is the Spirit of God who continues to convey the meaning of Scripture to believers (1 Corinthians 2). 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account (Hebrews 4:12-13).

CONCLUSION Paul says at the end of his life, "I have fought the good fight . . ." (2 Timothy 4:7). Besides fighting this sinful flesh that we're in, what's the "good fight?" Contending (fighting) for the faith is the good fight (Jude 3). Paul wrote, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. (1 John 5:10)

Hey honey, an old classmate of yours passed away last week, who was it? John Doe. Does it say what he died of? Just says unexpected. That’s an understatement!

John Doe’s Epitaph: Believed in God and His Son Jesus as his Lord and Savior. John 3: 16; John 5: 24. Repented of his sins. Lk.13: 3 Asked God for forgiveness. Acts 2: 38 Kept Gods commandments. Matt.19: 16-17 Was Baptized. Mk. 16: 16 He was a good servant. Matthew 25:14-30 Please click the link below to read all about the good servant. http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/03/t he-parable-of-the-talents/ If you believe there is a Heaven, will you be there? If not, for your sake hope there is no hell, but don’t hold your breath.

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So until next summer,

THE

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