July 2021, Vol. 40, No. 7 Archives

Equal Before God

[510 words] “There is no partiality with God” (Rom. 2:11). “All men are created equal” (Declaration of Independence). People are different and life is not fair. No government program can change this. These may be cold hard facts but they are the truth. God did not make everyone the same. He could have made us…

H.O.P.E.S

[519 words] One of the great needs of the church today is for our members to be more evangelistic. We have more people living in our world today and yet fewer people becoming Christians and being involved in the life of the church. There are people all around us, we have neighbors, co-workers, family, and…

Things for Which We Must Pray

[392 words] It’s a simple enough title and concept, but for each season and busy opportunity in our lives, there ought to be a reminder, “this is something for which I MUST pray” (Ps. 55:7; Zech. 8:21; 1 Thess. 5:17). Here are some things God’s people need to be lifting up and praying about NOW: …

Times Change

[354 words] Most of the time, change is good. We all want to grow, get stronger, learn more, see more places, etc. Certainly we are aware of the fact that our methods and tactics must change and adapt when we become ineffective. We must take advantage of opportunities as they are presented. On and on…

What a Pitcher!

[187 words] Last November, Lindy McDaniel passed away. If you look him up in the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, you will notice that he was well-known in baseball circles. His pitching career spanned 21 years (from 1955-1975). He was an amazing relief pitcher who “saved” many games. Wikipedia makes one additional brief mention. It states: “He…

God Already Knew

[162 words] After a week of binge drinking, a man stumbled home, drunk, sick, and weak. As he fell into his bed, he asked his brother who was a preacher to pray for him. The brother agreed and prayed, “O Lord, please help this old miserable drunken fool…” When the drunken man heard this, he…

Why Should I Attend VBS?

[235 words] Vacation Bible School is upon us again and you may be asking, “Why should I attend VBS?” VBS is another opportunity for spiritual growth! Jesus established His church as a community of His followers to worship God, encourage one another, and spread the Good News. Attending VBS will allow you to grow closer…

Behold, I Thought; Now I Know

[287 words] Despite being a leper, Naaman the Syrian army commander retained his pride. Didn’t his status merit a dramatic healing ceremony from Elijah? “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal…

A Different Spirit

[403 words] At Kadesh Israel caught a terminal case of “the grasshopper complex” from the ten faithless spies. The reports of giants and walled cities blinded them to the greatness of God and deafened them to His promises. What a sad day in Israel’s history! Moses wrote, “we were like grasshoppers in our own sight,…

The Endurance Test

[68 words] 1. “He that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) 2. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9) 3. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that…

“Listen” to the Sky

[64 words] Each and every shining starTestifies from vast afarAll the planets do agreeThe moon joins in with unityThe marching clouds e’er proclaimAs does the sun with heat and flameThe brilliant sky and all beyondShouts “it’s through God that we spawned” “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”…

Empty Spaces

[396 words] Empty space gets filled. Have you never noticed this phenomenon when you move into a larger house? You think to yourself “oh, I’ll have so much room now!” But no…as time goes on various things encroach upon that space. You thought you were going to have a home office? Joke’s on you when…

Warning!

[154 words] 9:00 a.m., 1:42 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9:40 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. During the course of April 14, 1912, the R.M.S. Titanic received six warnings concerning icebergs. She received the last warning only 40 minutes before her collision. Six warnings! All of which were ignored! As a result, 1500 passengers and crew…

The Good Confession of Romans 10:9-10

[395 words] “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved” (Romans 9:9-10). When Bobbie was 9 years…

Everyone Needs a Sword!

[340 words] Growing up I often played with sticks, gift paper cardboard rolls, and basically anything that could have even resembled a sword. Thinking back, I realize that the image of a sword was something that I was exposed to in literature, TV, movies, and video games. Shows like Zorro, He-Man, Star Wars, Thunder Cats,…

When the Water is Still

[339 words] I went fishing for a couple of hours recently, caught one fish, and learned a lot. I drifted into a daydream as the ripples kept a steady rhythm on top of the water. As I thought a little deeper, I thought of the little ripples in the pond as kind of like the…

If You Stand Firm

[287 words] Paul was worried about the brethren in Thessalonica. He barely had any time with them before circumstances have driven him from the city. Paul had wanted to return to them but Satan had kept that from happening. All he really wanted to know was ‘were they faithful”? Finally, when he receives the news…

Wrong Revenge

[336 words] In September of 1982, relatively healthy people around the Chicago area began dying unexpectedly. Soon it was discovered they all had been poisoned with cyanide ingested from Tylenol they had taken. Panic ensued. Tylenol was taken off the shelves and police searched for any clues to who had done the tampering. Authorities asked…

The Fear of the Lord

[419 words] I read a devotional thought earlier this week that made me stop to consider for a little while longer (Selah). It is a thought I have struggled with for a time now and a thought I share with you in the hopes that it will cause each of us to consider more deeply…

Stand Fast

[415 words] According to the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, the phrase “stand fast” means, “to be firm or unyielding.” It also reveals that: “This idiom, dating from the early 1600s, originally was applied to an army holding its territory against the enemy.” The phrase “stand fast” occurs in our English Bibles, as well. Actually…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 1:1-4

[90 words] True or False: The apostle John says he was a witness of all the things about Jesus.“That which was from the beginning, which we have __, which we have __ with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have __, concerning the Word of life”“…and declare to you that eternal…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 1:5-10

[90 words] “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is __ and in Him is no __ at all.”Can one walk in darkness and at the same time have fellowship with God?”But if we __ in the light as He is in the light, we have…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 2:1-6

[88 words] True or False: John says he is writing these things to Christians that they may not sin.“And He Himself is the __ for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole __.”True or False: If we claim to know Him, but do not obey His will, we are lying.“But…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 2:7-11

[94 words] “Brethren, I write no __ commandment to you, but an __ commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the __ which you heard from the beginning.”“…because the __ is passing away, and the true __ is already shining.”True or False: If you hate your brother, you are still…

Quotes and Sayings (July 2021)

[327 words] “America believes in education: the average professor earns more money in a year than a professional athlete earns in a whole week.” — Evan Esar “Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.” — B.F. Skinner “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to…

On the Lighter Side (July 2021)

[168 words] Back to School FunniesWhat kind of school do you go to if you’re……an ice cream man? Sundae school.…a giant? High school.…a surfer? Boarding school.…King Arthur? Knight school. Mom: What did you do at school today?Mark: We did a guessing game.Mom: But I thought you were having a math exam.Mark: That’s right! Teacher: Daniel,…