August 2017, Vol. 36, No. 8

Real Reality

[373 words] Shortly after a Cub’s game, Yusef Dale, a blind man carrying a cane, was standing near the curb outside Wrigley Field in Chicago. He tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to ‘flag down” a taxi in order to travel home. Casey Spelman, from Indiana, was a stranger to Yusef and was standing nearby with her…

A Sermon Never Forgotten

[366 words] Throughout the years I have heard many wonderful sermons which I have forgotten, but one sermon have I seen, and it has remained in my heart until this day. It happened on a Sunday morning when I was on my way to one of the two small congregations in Munich, Germany, on a…

A Loyal Heart

[240 words] One of the strangest verses in the Bible (my opinion) is found in 2 Chronicles 25:2. It is about king Amaziah. It says “he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart” (NKJV). Normally I can’t see into your heart. But God can, and He…

Trusting God

[199 words] Many have memorized the 23rd Psalm, but have you ever noticed the prayer of David in the 25th Psalm? “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You, Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits…

Persons of Conviction

[432 words] A traveling preacher in pioneer days asked a backwoods woman if she had any religious convictions. She said, “Naw, nor my ole man neither. He was tried for hog stealin’ once, but he warn’t convicted.” Some people understand the word conviction about as much as this woman did. Yet conviction is the very…

Good Exercise

[149 words] Did you get your exercise today? What if we would walk with the Lord? Walking with the Lord in the Bible means living for the Lord daily. Second Corinthians 4:16 reminds us to be renewed day by day. We do this by: 1. Every day let God say something to you (Psalm 119:11,…

Withstand the Ridicule

[300 words] The first surviving visual representation of Jesus’ crucifixion comes from graffiti scratched on a stone in a guardroom on Palatine Hill near the Circus Maximus in Rome. (Open your web browser and Google ”The Alexamenos Graffito.”) It is a crude drawing of a man with the head of a donkey hanging on a…

Silent Violins

[202 words] Luigi Tarisio was found dead one morning with scarce a comfort in his home, but with 246 exquisite violins, which he had been collecting all his life, crammed into an attic, the best in the bottom drawer of an old rickety bureau. In his devotion to the violin, he had robbed the world…

Are You Too Busy?

[302 words] A merchant sat at his desk, and all around him were letters, bills and other evidences that he was much absorbed in the details of his business. A gospel preacher entered and said, “I have come to try to interest you in a matter of great importance. I would like to talk to…

She Invited a Friend!

[327 words] This is the true story of a four-year old girl. Each Sunday morning and Wednesday night a little girl named Becky would skip out her front door and over to the next door with a tender knock. Becky’s question was simply, “Can Denise come to church with us today?” Most of the time…

How to Have a Great Marriage

[211 words] Your marriage does not have to be just good. It can be great! What separates good marriages from great ones? Give God His place in your marriage. Remember that Solomon said, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Couples who strive to build a relationship with Christ at its center enjoy…

When is a Shark Not a Shark?

[225 words] Surely you saw it on TV about a man who was going to race a great white shark. I didn’t see the show but I believe the shark won the race. But then the rage started. People found out that the shark was not real. It really was all a stunt, a farce.…

Finding Ourselves

[293 words] She was described by those leading the search as “Asian, about 160 cm, in dark clothing and speaks English well.” The woman had been reported missing from an Icelandic tour bus after her fellow travelers claimed that she had gotten off the bus but never returned. It turned out that she had, in…

When We Walk With God, the Best is Yet to Come

[202 words] Youth! As children, we thought that there wasn’t anything we couldn’t achieve. And we believed we could become anything. Astronauts, famous scientists, sports stars, movie stars, presidents, and generals! But then we grew older. Life began to beat us down. Victories were fewer than defeats. Health began to wane. And most people my…

Long Walk Part of Gift

[316 words] A missionary’s wife was once teaching some children in Africa about the value of giving. She quoted Acts 20:35 where our Savior is quoted as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” One little African boy soaked in every word and then decided to live out her teaching, but he…

Beautiful

[387 words] We expect the artists of our day, such as poets, composers, and painters, to point the masses to another world by exciting the senses and exposing the world to that which is beautiful. Such was the case with the biblical poets as well. The Psalmist often spoke of the amazing beauty of God.…

I Wonder…

[101 words] If I were chosen to repeat the story of Jesus today, could I ably tell the powerful gospel as Philip, or Peter? If I were sought out to care for the sick and invalid would I do as well as Tabitha or the Samaritan? If I were asked to travel to an unfamiliar…

To Be More Like Jesus

[527 words] There is a wonderful transformation that takes place in the heart and mind of one who follows Jesus. Jesus’ disciples turn from darkness to light, and shift from serving sin to serving the Savior. This wonderful change produces peaceable fruit. No longer do we seek revenge or look to get even for every…

Only What You Bring In

[227 words] “You don’t get much sunshine in here, do you?” remarked a woman to an elevator operator as she entered a large department store. “Only what you bring in,” replied the elevator operator. “Some folks carry enough sunshine around with them to light others up a bit,” she replied. That’s really very true! We…

Back To School? Please Pray For Our Children!

[187 words] As school begins, we must monitor our kids each day. Brad Harrub identified reasons we are losing our children along with solutions to ensure our kids will remain steadfast in their walk with Christ. Reasons We Are Losing Our Kids: 1. Lack of Knowledge (Hosea 4:6, 1 Peter 3:15). 2. Lack of Combat…

On The Lighter Side (August 2017)

[340 words] Nice Guy One night a teenage girl brought her new boyfriend home to meet her parents, and they were appalled by his appearance: leather jacket, motorcycle boots, tattoos, and a pierced nose. Later, the parents pulled their daughter aside and confessed their concern. “Dear,” said the mother diplomatically, “he doesn’t seem very nice.”…