the Centrist

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”

Quotations to live by: (http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/death/) Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives. A. Sachs

A Prayer for America and her people:

God our Father, walk through our nation, take away our idolatries, and restore Your presence to our society.  Please watch over, strengthen, and heal our families.  We beg You to draw us to You, forgive us our great national sin of apathy (i.e. using Your name in vain, accepting abortion, denying public prayer and public worship, placing the god of materialism before You, questioning your authority in marriage, etc) and forgive us our individual trespasses’, as well as empowering us to forgive those who trespass against us… Lord Jesus please help us with your matchless mercy and grace.

We ask this in the name of Jesus our Savior and Messiah

Amen.

WDB

Dr. B’s three most recent books: Rural Dentist, Rebirth Pains, and Roman Baptist are available through Amazon.com… And two local bookstores:

The Book Shoppe

519 Main Street

Medina, NY 14103

And

Bindings Bookstore

26 Bank Street

Albion, NY 14411

If you desire a signed copy (Rural Dentist) please send $20 to the following address… the book sells for $16.99 on Amazon, the $3.01 hopefully will cover shipping and handling…

WD Bellavia, DDS

2289 Oak Orchard River Road

Waterport, New York

14571

Best of Bones

This morning I heard a segment on new bill board signs being rented by atheists.  Their message is one of logic.  They champion the rational.  Well, as Christians, as the great St. Augustine stated: ‘Never be afraid to learn truth, because all truth emanates from God.’

Moreover, why do atheists abandon reason when they take up arguments for abortion or evolution?  Why do they abandon reason when they examine miracles?  Why do they abandon reason when they discuss science, i.e. Big Bang, creation from nothing, or subatomic particles (waves)?

Their advertisement campaign is an effort in futility.  They care only to argue to the ignorant, not the educated.  When it comes to the historicity of something as basic as the Book of Acts (written by Luke the most authoritative historian of the period) for the apostles and disciples to witness is one thing, but for them to be tortured to death and not recant their beliefs defy the imagination… as well as logic.  Each apostle was literally tortured to death, yet with the knowledge that they saw the Risen Savior went to their demise, in no easy manner, with the assurance of life after death.

Marilyn sent me the following:
DO YOU KNOW HOW THE APOSTLES DIED?

WOW~~

1		Matthew Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia,  killed by a sword wound
2		Mark Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.
3		Luke Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
4		John Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome . However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos . He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
5		Peter He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

6		James Just The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club. * This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.
7		James the Great Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem . The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian
8		Bartholomew Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia . He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey . Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.
9		Andrew Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras , Greece . After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: ‘I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.’ He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.
10		Thomas Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent

11		Jude Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
12		Matthias The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
13		Paul Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire . These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are in deed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times.  They endured this torture to spread the TRUTH of the Gospel.

But Mr. Atheist, this just isn’t rational, why would any human endure this torture for a lie?  It doesn’t make sense, unless, well, unless, it is true.

Jesus said: “And ye shall be hated

of all men for my name’s sake:

But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Matthew 10:22

Lighter Side

From website: http://reallyshortfunnyjokes.com/Kids-Jokes/9229.html

One day, Tim’s mathematics teacher looked at his homework and saw that he had got all his sums right. The teacher was very pleased-and rather surprised.
He called Tim to his desk and said to him, “You got all your homework right this time, Tim. What happened? Did your father help you?”
“No, sir. He was too busy last night, so I had to do it all myself,” said Tim.

A drunk man stumbled into a church where there were baptisms being performed.
The priest noticed him and asked him if he wanted to find Jesus.

Sure, said the drunken man.

I’ll find Jesus.

So the priest took the drunken man’s head and dunked it into the baptismal
waters. When he came up for air, he was sputtering and coughing..

Are you sure he fell in there? said the drunken man

An exhausted looking blond dragged herself in to the doctor’s office. “Doctor, there are dogs all over my neighborhood. They bark all day and all night, and I can’t get a wink of sleep.”
“I have good news for you,” the doctor answered, rummaging through a drawer full of sample medications. “Here are some new sleeping pills that work like a dream. A few of these and your trouble will be over.”

“Great,” the blond answered, “I’ll try anything. Let’s give it a shot.”
A few weeks later the blond returned, looking worse than ever. “Doc, your plan is no good. I’m more tired than before!”
“I don’t understand how that could be”, said the doctor, shaking his head. “Those are the strongest pills on the market!”
“That may be true,” answered the blond wearily, “but I’m still up all night chasing those dogs and when I finally catch one it’s hard getting him to swallow the pill!”

Insights:

The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either… The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.

1.  Don’t pick a fight with an old man.  If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
2.   I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.
3.   When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
4.  A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers.  The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him ‘Why do you carry a 45?’ The Ranger responded, ‘Because they don’t make a 46.’
5.  The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm “Sheriff, I see you have your pistol, are you expecting trouble?”

No Ma’am.  If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my shotgun.’
6.   Beware the man who only carries one gun.  HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!!
7. I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house.  I said I did. She said ‘Well I certainly hope it isn’t loaded!’

To which I said, of course it is loaded, it can’t work without bullets!’

She then asked, ‘Are you that afraid of someone evil coming into your house?’

“No not at all.  I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too”.

Prayer Update:

Brother Les, (Valerie’s husband, Marilyn’s sister) went home to be with our Lord early on Saturday morning.  Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray for their family.

Jim Knapp’s sister Joan died suddenly Tues. 11/23… keep Jim and the family in prayer

Dave Eggerton has been hospitalized after internal bleeding complications from his bypass surgery

Pastor Lyle in Idaho attending services after the passing of his oldest brother.

Be Blessed and be a Blessing,

Dr B

Prayer Update:

Brother Les, (Valerie’s husband, Marilyn’s sister) went home to be with our Lord early on Saturday morning.  Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray for their family.

Jim Knapp’s sister Joan died suddenly Tues. 11/23… keep Jim and the family in prayer

Dave Eggerton has been hospitalized after internal bleeding complications from his bypass surgery

Pastor Lyle in Idaho attending services after the passing of his oldest brother.

Be Blessed and be a Blessing,

Dr B

Prayer Update:

Brother Les, (Valerie’s husband, ‘Sister Val’ is Marilyn’s sister) went home to be with our Lord early on Saturday morning.  Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray for their family.  Services will be this Thursday and Friday.

Jim Knapp’s sister Joan died suddenly Tues. 11/23… keep Jim and the family in prayer

Dave Eggerton has been hospitalized after internal bleeding complications from his bypass surgery

Pastor Lyle in Idaho attending services after the passing of his oldest brother.

Be Blessed and be a Blessing,

Dr B