What's New?

                   "I still, in my armchair, preach in great revival
                     campaigns. I still vision hundreds walking the
                      the aisles to accept Christ. I still feel hot tears
                     for the lost. I still see God working miracles.
                    Oh, how I long to see great revivals, to hear
                   about revival crowds once again! I want no
                   Christmas without a burden for lost souls, a
                  message for sinners, a heart to bring in the
              lost sheep so dear to the Shepherd, the
               sinning souls for whom Christ died. May
                    food be tasteless, and music a discord, and
                 and Christmas a farce if I forget the dying
                 millions to whom I am a debtor; if this fire
                 in my bones does not still flame! Nor till I
                  die or till Jesus comes, will I ever be eased
                 of this burden, these tears, this toil to save
souls."

This was written a few days before his death,
December 1980-----Dr. John R. Rice

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 because you had received 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