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A4 WWW.THESUNGAZETTE.COM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2012 Sun-Gazette
CREED$CR[[B
Naaman Healed of Leprosy
The lion was proud of his
mastery of the animal kingdom.
One day he decided to make
sure all the other animals knew
he was the king of the jungle.
"Who is the king of the
.jungle?" the lion asked. The
bear replied, "Why you are, of
course" The lion gave a mighty
roar of approval. Next he asked
the tiger, "Who is' the king of
the jungle'?" The tiger quickly
responded, "Everyone knows
that you are, mighty lion."
Next on the list was the
elephant. The lion faced the
elephant and addressed his
question, "Who is the king of
the jungle?" The elephant im-
mediately grabbed the lion with
his trunk, whirled him around
in the air five or six times
and slammed him into a tree.
Then he pounded him onto the
ground several times, dunked
him tinder water in a nearby
lake, and finally dumped him
out on the shore. The lion--
beaten, braised, and battered--
struggled to his feet. He looked
at thc elephant through sad and
bloody eyes and said, "Look,
just because you don't know
the answer is no reason for to
get mean abbut it!"
Isn't it something how
everything can be right about
someone's life but it just takes
By Dr. Paul Leavens
one thing to mess things up.
This great General Naaman had
the world under his control. He
had everything right where he
wanted it. He was at the height
of his career. BUT there was
this little disease that destroyed
his body with nasty, pustur-
ous sores all over his body: .
When you had leprosy no one
wanted to be around you, you
were banned from life. In fact,
they had leprosy camps 'for all
of those who were, unclean.
Naaman's body had betrayed
him and he felt the whole world
had let him down. Then came
a little slave girl who said the
prophet Elisha could cure him.
So what does Naaman do? He
collects some very nice gifts.
He get's the king of Syria to
write a letter to the king of Is-
rael. He has a big escort of the'
military. Despite this enterouge
and display of power, Elisha
doesn't even invite him in.
"Elisha sent a messenger to
say tohim, 'Go, wash yourself
seven times in the Jordan, and
your flesh will be restored
and you will be cleansed.'" (2
Kings 5:10).
Namaan replied, "Are not
Abana and Pharpar, the rivers
of Damascus, better than all
the waters of Israel? Couldn't I
wash in them and be cleansed?"
(2 Kings 5:12).
Do we want to be healed or
not? If we don't want to be
healed then I guarantee you
this. We won't be. How many
of us have tried it our way?
Naaman had to set his pride out
of the way and have faith in.
Elisha.
"Then went he down, and
dipped himself seven times in
Jordan, according to the saying
of the man of God: and his
flesh came again like unto the
flesh of a little child, and he
See CREED on page A8
RITEHOW
The Rapture-
I)uring the past two weeks,
we have discovered what God's
word teaches about the second
coming of Christ. The word rap-
ture is not found in the Bible, but
the concelbt is. The word simply
means to be "caught up," and
that is what's going to happen
when Jesus comes back to Earth:
believers will be caught up into
the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air and then go to Heaven (see 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18).
The same Christ of flesh and
bones that went back to Heaven
is the same Chris' with a glori-
fied body who will come back
to Earth. He will not be invis-
ible. In fact, Revelation 1:7 says,
"behold, he cometh with clouds;
and EVERY EYE SHALL SEE
1tIM."
Everyone living at the end of
time will hear flae loud noise that
Christ's coming will produce.
His coming will not be invisible
or silent. Psahn 50:3 says, "our
God shall come, AND SHALL
NOT KEEP SILENCE." The
Apostle Peter states thatwhen
Jesus comes again, "the heav-
ens shall pass away WITH A
GREAT NOISE."
Christ's coming is described as
a "thief in the night" in the Bible.
By David Plkop
This is not because Christ's
coming will be invisible or silent,
and that believers will disappear
when it happens, but that the
world will be taken by surprise.
The same verse that talks about
the great noise that Christ's
coming will produc e begins by
saying:
"The day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night; IN
THE WHICH THE HEAVENS
SHALL PASS AWAY WITH
A GREAT NOISE, and the
elements shall melt with fervent
Part III
heat, the earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned
up," (2 Peter 3:10, emphasis
supplied).
Christ's coming will be like a
thief in night, but on that day the
sky will be ripped open with a
great noise and the Earth is going
to be in flames! So how could it
be invisible and silent?
1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 says
the same thing--"for yourselves
know perfectly that the day of
the Lord so cometh as a thief in
the night." In continues to say,
however, that "when they shall
sa}, Peace and safety; then SUD-
DEN DESTRUCTION cometh
upon them.., and they shall not
escape.." Verse 4 says, "but ye,
brethren, are not in darkness, that
that day should overtake you as
a thief."
What the above passage of
Scripture teaches us is that
Christ's coming will be sud-
den, inescapable destruction for
unbelievers. This is because they
are spiritually "sleeping," and
not watching for Jesus' coming
(verse 6). In this way, Christ's
coming w!ll be as a thief in the
night.
See RITE on page A8
CREMATION
St.. RPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE
Exeter woman was key
part of town's golden age
I!1 Hazel (Knox) Johnson worked at Santa Fe Rail Depot, was secretary at local
schools, office manager for local doctor, member of Garden Club, Woman's Club
at Exeter's Wilson School and
S uN-GAZETTE
During most of Hazel (Knox)
Johnson's life, she was an integral
part of Exeter's most exceptional
eras.
Hazel was bom on March 1,
1925 in Tennessee. Her family
moved to town when she was just
a toddler in the 1920s and she
lived and experienced all Exeter
had to offer at every stage of her
life until the last few years. Due to
her failing health, Johnson moved
to Sacramento tO be closer to her
daughter and eventually died on
July 22 at the age of 87.
Graveside services were held
July 27 at the Exeter District
Cemetery for Hazel, whose life,
livlihood and lifestyle framed
Exeter's past and helped shape its
present.
Hazel was the daughter of
Perry Knox, immortalized in the
downtown mural "Hometown
News" as the linotype operator of
The Exeter Sun newspaper. Her
mother, Bonnie, was a long-time
member of the Baptist Church.
Hazel attended schools in Ex-
eter and during WWII married
.her Exeter High School sweet-
Hazel (Knnx) Johnson
1925-20.12
heart, Weldon Johnson, a Marine
fighter pilot at the time. While he
was in the service she bought the
real estate lot where her father-in-
law, Jack, was to build their home
of 65 years.
AS a teenager she worked at
the Safeway market in down-
town Exeter. She later worked for
a time at the long gone Santa Fe
Railroad Depot, was a secretary
later at rural Union School. But
most will remember her for the
years as office manager for Dr.
Hickman in Exeter.
Though she worked fulltime,
she always had an active social
life. Much of this revolved around
the Exeter Lions Club (Weldon
was a member). She was a past
member of the Exeter Garden
Cltb and the Exeter Woman's
Club.
But most important of ali
was the "Bridge Group": eight
girls, newly married, fi'iends
from school days, began playing
bridge. They played for decades.
When their ranks began to dimin-
ish, they simply changed to a lun-
cheon every month. After Hazel
retired, she borrowed from Wel-
don's passion and began play-
ing golf, first in a ladies group at
Visalia CC, then several times a
week at the Exeter course.
She is preceded in death by
her husband of nearly 60 years,
Weldon; her parents, Perry and
Bonnie Knox; her younger sister,
Janice Knox Crow; and her oldest
See GOLDEN on page A8
Joe W. Hightower
Private services will be held
for Joe W. Hightower. He
passed away on July 23, at the
age of 84.
Joe was born on April 11,
1928. Condolences may be
made at www.smithfamilycha-
pel.com. Private arrangements
by Smith Family Chapel.
Joan Elaine Merritt
Mass of Christian Burial will
be said at 11 a.m., Thursday,
August 2 at St. Anne's Catholic
Church for Joan Elaine Merritt
of Camp Nelson. Interment will
follow at Lindsay Strathmore
Public Cemetery. No visitation
is planned. She passed away
July 28 at the age of 70. Webb
Sanders Funeral Home is in
charge of all arrangements.
Ralph Finfrock
There will be a Celebration of
Life from 1-3 p.m., Aug. 1] at
the family home for Ralph Fin-
frock.
Ralph passed away peacefully
in his home on the evening of
July 19. His wife, twin brother
and many family members were
all gathered at the home at the
time of his passing.
Ralph was born on July 2,
1931, 15 minutes after his twin
Obituaries
brother Robert in Santa Paula to
Asa Dwight and Mary Alta Fin-
frock.
He spent his
childhood on
the Oxnard
plains living on
Rancho La Rib-
era and in the
Santa Monica
Mountains on
Rancho Sierra
Vista. Ralph,
Robert and their
older brother Ralph
Wesley enjoyed Flnfrech
exploring the 1931-2012
lands surround-
ing their homes.
He graduated from Oxnard
Union High School in 1949 and
attended Ventura College for 2
years. Shortly after his brother
Robert was drafted into the
Army, Ralph joined the United
Sates Air Force. In 1953, while
in the Air Force, Ralph married
Daryle Flynn of Camarillo in
Biloxi, Mississippi. They had
three children, Christine, Ralph
Jr. and Daniel, while still living
in 'the South, and then returned
to California after serving four
years in the Air Force. A fourth
child, Robert, was born in 1963
but passed away at nine months.
Ralph and Daryle's youngest
child, Janice, was born in 1966.
,, e0000D434
Care & Concern From
559-592-9119 Locally Owned & Operated
Ralph started farming in 1963
in Ventura County and contin-
ued his love of farming when
the family moved from Ca-
marillo to Exeter in 1978. He
remained active in farming for
the rest of his life. Ralph was
aft avid sportsman who enjoyed
hunting and fishing in most of
the Western states.
Ralph was fortunate to have
lived a life doing all that he
loved from farming, hunting
and fishing to spending time
with his family and watching
with amazement as it grew with
the births of his grandchildren
and great-grandchildren. Ralph
was a humble patriarch, enjoy-
ing frequent family gatherings
and always preferring to listen
to stories from his immediate
and extended family rather than
brag about his own accomplish-
ments. Ralph and his wife trav-
eled extensively throughout the
western states, including trips
to Wyoming to visit family
and frequent getaways to Twin
Lakes, Calif. and Laughlin, Nev.
In 2010, they traveled to Alaska,
where Ralph caught a 20 lb King
Salmon in Sitka Sound.
Ralph was preceded in death
by his parents, his child Robert,
and his brother Wesley.
• He is survived by his wife of 59
years, Daryle, and their four chil-
dren, Christine Finfrock Dodson
(David Dodson) Of Camarillo,
Ralph "RIF" Finfi'ock, Jr. of
Exeter, Daniel Finfrock (Patty
Finfi'ock) of Clearlake, Calif.,
Janice Finfrock Bushnell (Ed
Bushnell) of Portland, Ore.; eight
grandchildren, Jami Dodson
O'Connor (Dennis O'Connor),
Ryan Dodson (Kristi Dodson),
Michelle Finfrock Weisser (Der-
ek Weisser), Jeremy Finfrock;
Travis Finfrock; Cody Finfrock;
Camille Bushnell and Natalie
Bushnell, and 6 great-grandchil-
dren: Sophie O'Connor, Char-
lotte O'Connor, Taylor Weisser,
Alden Weisser, Khloe Dodson
and Kasen Dodson.
In lieu of flowers, you may
contribute to Kaweah Delta
Hospice, 900 W. Oak, Visalia,
CA 93291 or a chiritable can-
cer organization of your choice.
Condolences may be sent to
the family at www.evansmil-
lerguinnchapel.com. Services
entrdsted to Evans Miller Guinn
Chapel.
See OBITUARIES on page A8
baugh,
Worshil:
Jon
Ch
Rusty
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