By The Rev. Thomas M. Boles PhD., DMin. D.D.

Sadhu Sundar Singh was born into an Indian family of high caste. When he became a Christian and told his parents of his decision to follow Christ, they said, “You have broken caste. You cannot live here any longer.”

They immediately banished him from their home.

It was the wet season and the rain was coming down hard as he left his home, clad in only his insubstantial Indian robes. He sat under a nearby tree all night, soaked to the skin.

He said that he felt so radiantly happy, however, that he forgot any physical discomfort. He had the freedom to travel throughout the region telling the Gospel story.

He became known as the apostle of India. Once, he went into Tibet, where he was arrested, put into a pit, and branded with irons.

He bore those scars the rest of his life. While speaking in England he said, “I am going back to do what I have done. I am quite aware of the cost.”

Some time after his return, he disappeared and appears to have suffered a martyr’s death.

Singh moved from “high caste” in India into a “servant’s caste” for the gospel. His position in Christ was not only marked by the privilege of eternal life, but by the responsibility to serve others and share Christ’s love.

Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility.

“For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much required; and of him to whom men entrust much, they will require and demand all the more.”

Luke 12:48

By the Rev. Thomas M. Boles PhD., DMin, D.D.

Edmond once vowed that he  and his family would never be homeless. But, a short time later, he lost his job, and then fire destroyed their home. Suddenly, they were homeless. Their only option was a shelter.

At the end of the first day there, Edmond’s prayer was, “Lord, get me out of here.” His attitude was extremely negative. In his opinion, the shelter’s rules were humiliating. Residents had to be escorted across the street to the mission hall for their meals.

They had to attend a church thathelped support the shelter. When residents found work, they were expected to put 70 percent of their paycheck in a savings fund toward the day when they could move out of the shelter.

After pouring out all his complaints to the shelter’s director, Edmond had a restless night. He realized that he had been focusing all his attention on getting out, rather than on what he might do to make things easier for his family. That night, he changed his attitude. He started by

taking a glass of water to a coughing man in the next. room.

Nine months later, Edmond and his family had a home again. But

he didn’t forget what he had learned. He still visits the shelter, saying,

“Wherever you are, God is there too.” Attitude, not circumstances, made

the real difference to his life.”

The right train of thought can take

you to a better station in life.

For as he thinks within himself, so he is

Proverbs 23.7

By The Rev. Thomas M. Boles Phd., DMin, D.D.

An unusual band of 13 business and professional men in Toronto,

Canada, respond in a unique way to multiple-alarm fires in their city.

They have formed a volunteer firefighting unit, although they don’t directly

fight fires.

Dressed in their own rubber firefighting uniforms, they are armed with police passes.

The truck they man is a red mobile canteen.

The firefighters appreciate their service, in fact, the firefighters union

bought the canteen truck for them, and also purchases all supplies for the truck.

When a fire alarm is received, a “must” call goes to them.

These firefighters describe themselves as “middle-aged business men who never

outgrew their childhood dream.”

What is it that you dreamed of doing as a child?

In the most reflective moments of your life, do you still nurture that dream?

Do you wonder “what might have been if …?”

Dreams are not only a great source of hope and courage, they are often

windows to one’s destiny. Revisit your childhood dreams.

Perhaps it’s time for you to give them expression. The poorest of

all men is not the man without a cent but the man without a dream.

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Proverbs 29:18

By The Rev. Thomas M. Boles, PhD., DMin. D.D.

The story is told of a missionary who was lost at sea and

by chance, washed up on an island near a remote native village.

Finding him half-dead from starvation and exposure, the people

of the village nursed him back to health. He subsequently lived

among the people for some 20 years. During that time he

confessed no faith, sang no gospel songs, preached no sermons.

He neither read nor recited Scripture and made no claim of personal faith.

However, when the people were sick, he attended them. When

they were hungry, he gave them food. When they were

lonely, he kept them company. He taught the ignorant, and came

to the aid of those who were wronged.

One day missionaries came to the village and began

talking to the people about a man called Jesus. After hearing

what they had to say of Jesus’ ministry and teachings, they

insisted that He had been living among them for 20 years.

“Come, we will introduce you to the man about whom you have

been speaking.”

They led the missionaries to a hut where they

found a long-lost friend, the missionary, whom all had thought dead.

Your true witness for Christ is the sum of all you do, not

just what you say.

As I grow older, I pay less attention

to what men say. I just watch what

they do.

Show me your faith without deed, and

I will show you my faith by what I do.

James 2:18

By The Rev. Thomas M. Boles, PhD., DMin. D.D.

An early American evangelist once generalized that all infidels were fools. Furthermore, he said, he could prove his statement to be true for any given case within 10 minutes. A man in the audience stood up and proclaimed himself an infidel, but no fool.

The preacher looked him over and said, “So you are an infidel?” “Certainly, sir, I deny that there is anything at all in religion.”

“Nothing at all in religion? Are you willing to go on record as saying that?”

“Go on record?” the infidel replied. “Why, I have been writing and lecturing against religion for 20 years.”

The evangelist glanced at his watch and said, “Well, I said I could prove an infidel a fool in 10 minutes, and still have seven minutes left. I’ll leave it to the audience to decide if a man isn’t a fool to write and lecture for 20 years against a thing that supposedly has nothing whatever in it!”

Before you speak your mind, make certain that there’s something in your mind worth speaking.

Smart people speak from experience, smarter people from experience don’t speak!

He who restrains his lips is wise.

Proverbs 10:19

Whittier Presbyterian Church, 6030 S. El Rancho Drive in Whittier, is presenting an Interfaith Community event called “Longest Nights” at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, 2013.
“When life gets tough, the nights get long. This service is for those who find life too heavy to join in holiday celebrations. It is a time to lay down those burdens and give them to God,” reads a press release.
There will be original music and readings of comfort, shared prayer and candles of remembrance.
‘Longest Nights’ is sponsored by members of the Whittier Area Clergy Association, WACA.
For more information call 562-692-3748 or visit whitpresby@whitpresby.org

By The Rev. Thomas M. Boles, PhD., DMin., D.D.

Edmond once vowed that he and his family would never be homeless. But, a short time later, he lost his job, and then fire destroyed their home. Suddenly, they were homeless. Their only option was a shelter.

At the end of the first day there, Edmond’s prayer was, “Lord, get me out of here.” His attitude was extremely negative. In his opinion, the shelter’s rules were humiliating. Residents had to be escorted across the street to the mission hall for their meals. They had to attend a church that helped support the shelter. When residents found work, they were expected to put 70 percent of their paycheck in a savings fund toward the day when they could move out of the shelter.

After pouring out all his complaints to the shelter’s director, Edmond had a restless night. He realized that he had been focusing all his attention on getting out, rather than on what he might do to make things easier for his family. That night, he changed his attitude. He started by taking a glass of water to a coughing man in the next room.

Nine months later, Edmond and his family had a home again. But he didn’t forget what he had learned. He still visits the shelter, saying, “Wherever you are, God is there too. Attitude, not circumstances, made the real difference to his life.”

The right train of thought can take you to a better station in life.

For as he thinks within himself, so he is

Proverbs 23:7

By The Rev. Thomas M. Boles PhD, D.D.

It’s not easy to control our tongues. But as these words from the poem,

“Drop a Pebble in the Water,” by James W. Foley illustrate, a careless

word can have far-reaching effects. Fortunately, so can a careful word!

Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;

But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea

And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;

But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.

They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,

And there is no way to stop them, once you’ve started them to flow.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you forget;

But there’s gladness still a-swelling, and there’s joy a-circling, yet,

And you’ve rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard

Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

Our talks are often in first drafts –

Lots of corrections necessary!

For in many things we offend all. If any

man offend not in word, the same is a

perfect man, and able also t

Virginia and Tom Boles share smiles in their La Habra home of 55 years on June 13, 2013. They both were recently awarded the 2013 Myron Claxton Distinguished YMCA Service Award for their many years of contributions to the ‘Y.’

o bridle

the whole body

James 3:2