April 2013, Vol. 32, No. 4 Archives

Wife Asked Me to Take Another Woman Out

[591 words] EDITOR’S NOTE: This article appeared as a guest editorial in the April 2013 edition of Bulletin Digest, when Charles Beebe was still the editor and publisher. His original editor’s note read, “This man did, I didn’t. I have regretted that I didn’t many times. However, I did spend most of one day with…

When Weakness Is Strength

[505 words] “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said…

Conduct

[183 words] I just read a report from mission workers in India. The closing article reported on the rules of conduct expected in Sinclair High School in Bangalore. Nine rules were given covering everything from proper dress to items not acceptable in the classroom to respect for fellow students and teachers. And there was one…

Get Your Mouth From Your Heart

[299 words] Man can justify nearly anything as okay in the mind. The reality though is what Solomon said, “The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful” (Proverbs 12:5). Humans justify sin in their hearts when Satan is the adviser. That is why it is the job of the…

The Cumulative Weight of Bees?

[335 words] We often fail to consider the gradual, cumulative effect of sin in our lives. Keep reading. In Saint Louis in 1984, a woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home. Since there were only a few, she thought, she made no effort to deal with them. Over the summer,…

Do You Study Your Bible?

[489 words] The importance of Bible Study cannot be overstated. The Bible is abounding with statements of the importance of Bible knowledge, and knowledge can only come as a result of diligent Bible study. Notice the following verses: We Are To Grow In Knowledge. “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord…

Little Children

[67 words] Little ears are listening,Little minds run wild.Trying to be like mom or dad,Comes natural for a child. They want to do the things you do,And say the things you say,They’re watching and they’re listening,Even while they play! So mom and dad, be very sure,You’re always watching too,To say and do the things that…

Perfectly Joined Together

[655 words] Jesus had a vision of unity among believers that the apostles came to share. The Lord prayed for unity; “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in…

Good Sense vs. Lacking Sense

[393 words] With a name like “common sense,” one would think that everybody has it. That does not seem to be the case though. Someone with common sense would surely think they need to tie down trash bags in the back of their truck filled with junk if they are going to exceed 50 mile…

The Human Race!

[278 words] The Christian takes a different view of life and the world, than does the person who lives in and for the world. And that is true with regard to matters of race. There are things that are common to all of mankind. Feeling of joy, sorrow, pain, love of family, and the fear…

Let Your love Light Shine

[339 words] One of the most famous light houses in America is Minot’s Ledge Light House off shore from Scituate, Massachusetts. It is not known for its age or beauty. Though it has a rich, interesting history, it is perhaps best known for its light flashing, in nautical code, “1-4-3.” The flashing lantern was installed…

A Vital Ingredient

[235 words] One of the more honest t-shirt logos this preacher has noticed in recent years is, “Does not play well with others.” Of all the burdens that Paul mentioned bearing, the last was, “that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11 :28). Getting along with others is…

Get in the Wheelbarrow!

[370 words] There was a tightrope walker, who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris, he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding acts: he would do it blindfolded, then he would go across the tightrope, blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow. An American promoter read about this in the papers and…

I Should Add

[216 words] Did you know that William Shakespeare wrote the hymn, “I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me?” I should add that his full name was William Shakespeare Hayes, a journalist and songwriter who was born in 1837 in Louisville, Kentucky. So I told you the truth, but left out an important…

Bible Questions for Family Study

[197 words] 1. For what does the good shepherd give his life? 2. What type of chariot driver was Jehu? 3. By what other name was Queen Esther known? 4. Who was the brother of Nadab? 5. Why did David arrange to have Uriah killed? 6. Why did Haman want to kill the Jews? 7.…

Atonement

[448 words] From the time of the first sin in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, people have continually separated themselves from God by transgressing His law. God is Holy (1 Peter 1:16), that is, He is separate from sin, so when I defile myself by committing sin I create…

Got Hope?

[248 words] “We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You” (Psalm 33:20-22). Along with faith and love, hope is named…

Righteous

[460 words] Are you righteous? The word “righteous” (dikaios) appears 79 times in the New Testament. I offer this composite from a study of the original word: (a) a righteous person is one who fulfills his duty toward God and men, (b) a righteous person is one who observes divine and human laws, (c) a…

Puncture-Proof Christian

[147 words] You know, I like some of these new fangled inventions. The puncture-proof tire is the one I like especially well. If you’re driving along with the ordinary tires, and a nail goes through them—whiss—you lose all the air. But a puncture-proof tire is different. If a nail goes through it, some stuff inside…

Commands from Christ are Not Optional

[420 words] I recently received a daily devotional email sample from a denominational organization hoping I would be interested in signing up. After the devotional, they answered a question. The question was: “Can you go to heaven if you trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior but you are not yet baptized?” They began their…

Where Are You?

[136 words] In Eden, after man’s fall, God asked Adam, “Where are you?” Adam said, “I was afraid…and I hid myself” (Gen. 3:9-10). Having sinned against his Creator, Adam hid among the trees. It is impossible to hide from God. Adam found that out, and so did Jonah. Many think they can hide out from…

Will You Deny Him?

[370 words] Peter looked boldly into the eyes of the Lord and said without hesitation, “though all men shall be offended because of you, yet will I never be offended.” To which Jesus replied, “assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” But unwaveringly, Peter…

Who Are We?

[396 words] Many seem to be confused as to what it means to be a member of the church of Christ. The following observations will be helpful in clearing their minds. • We are a band of imperfect followers of Jesus. We have been saved, not because of our goodness or merit, but by the…

Eternal Punishment

[269 words] One of the most difficult teachings of the Bible involves the reality of eternal punishment for the lost. In order to make Christianity more appealing to a broader audience, some have taken it upon themselves to revise the Bible’s teaching on the subject. Some have preached universalism, claiming that no one will be…

Walking with God

[272 words] Very few people would be able to recall who Enoch was and what he did. This seventh generation descendant of Adam was one of only two whom God “took.” He did not feel death as humans usually do. Genesis 5:25, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” He…

Just Right!

[199 words] Some people will attend church if everything is just right. The weather is a controlling factor in church attendance. Many times the temperature is too hot or too cold. Occasionally there will be a Sunday that happens to be just right. Those people will attend, unless something else is wrong. Their physical body’s…

A Think Story

[111 words] A little boy once asked his dad what a “Christian” was. The dad replied that a Christian is a person who loves and obeys God. He loves his friends and neighbors and expresses his appreciation for other Christians. He even loves his enemies and prays for them that they might be blessed. He…

On the Lighter Side (April 2013)

Vengeance is mine,” thus sayeth the Little Guy. Three burly fellows on huge motorcycles pulled up to a highway cafe where a truck driver, just a little guy, was perched on a stool quietly eating his lunch. As the three fellows came in, they spotted him, grabbed his food away from him and laughed in…