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WITandWISDOM(tm) - March 14, 2007 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Seek the truth, Listen to the truth, Teach the truth, Love the truth, Abide by the truth and Defend the truth…Unto death.” - John Huss (C. 1370-1415) Submitted by Malladi Murthy ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Years ago, when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show, he interviewed an eight-year-old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends in a coalmine outside his hometown in West Virginia. As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian. So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school. When the boy said he did Johnny inquired, "What are you learning in Sunday school?" "Last week," came his reply, "our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and turned water into wine." The audience roared, but Johnny tried to keep a straight face. Then he said, "And what did you learn from that story?" The boy squirmed in his chair. It was apparent he hadn't thought about this. But then he lifted up his face and said, "If you're going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!" Source: Preaching Now, http://www.preaching.com/newsletter/subscribe.html ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Bible IQ The Taxman Cometh By J. Stephen Lang In Bible times, as in our own, people thought of taxes as a necessary evil—and probably more evil than necessary. With Tax Day ahead of us, see if you can answer these questions about taxation in the Bible. (If you get them all right, consider yourself in a "higher bracket.") 1. What "wee little" tax collector climbed a sycamore tree to get a glimpse of Jesus? 2. What emperor's taxation edict led to Jesus being born in Bethlehem? 3. Who advised that the Egyptians be taxed 20 percent of their produce in order to prepare for a famine? 4. By what other name was the tax collector Matthew known? 5. What rich king was said to have placed a "heavy yoke" of taxation on Israel? 6. In what peculiar place did the disciple Peter find a coin for paying taxes? 7. What Old Testament leader warned the Israelites that having a king would involve oppressive taxation? 8. In one of Jesus' parables, what person is contrasted with the humble, contrite tax collector? 9. In what letter did Paul tell Christians, "If you owe taxes, pay taxes"? 10. Which book records a tax being imposed on the whole Persian empire? ANSWERS 1. Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). 2. Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1-7). This tax was also a census of the Roman Empire, and people were required to register in their hometowns, which is why Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem. 3. Joseph (Gen. 41:34). 4. Levi (Luke 5:29-32). 5. Solomon (1 Kings 12:1-14). 6. In the mouth of a fish he caught with a hook (Matt. 17:24-27). 7. Samuel (1 Sam. 8), whose prediction came true. 8. A Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14). 9. Romans (13:7). 10. Esther (10:1). Submitted by Malladi Murthy in India ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Doris E. Fletcher of Kendall Park, New Jersey, once contributed a story to "Reader's Digest" (August 1990), about her daughter's struggle to lose weight. She wrote that one day, as a slender friend walked up their driveway, the daughter lamented, "Linda's so skinny it makes me sick." The mother suggested gently, "If it bothers you, why don't you do something about it?" The daughter answered, "Good idea, Mom." Then turning to her friend, she called out, "Hey, Linda, have a piece of chocolate cake!" Source: The Timothy Report, Copyright (c) 2007 Swan Lake Communications, http://www.timothyreport.com ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: BEIJING, Feb 8 (Reuters Life!) - A Chinese zoo is running a Big Brother style competition with a difference -- the contestants have to live in a monkey enclosure. Six people will live with the monkeys in the zoo in the northwestern province of Shaanxi "to experience the lack of freedom the animals have," the China Daily said on Thursday. The last person remaining will win 11,888 yuan ($1,534) and title of honorary animal lover, the newspaper said. "It is the first such activity in China, and any Chinese from 18 to 60 years old, in good psychological condition with wild animal protection and survival knowledge may participate," the report added, without elaborating. © Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved. Source: Reuters, http://reuters.com