May 2016, Vol. 35, No. 5 Archives

How The Devil Works

The worst enemy of man is Satan. His goals are wicked; his ways evil. In the Bible the devil is called “a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), and “that old serpent” (Revelation 20:2). Do we know how he works? The Bible says he works by: Telling lies (John 8:44). Satan told Adam and Eve, regarding…

Shepherd Style Evangelism

The world has been changed by shepherds… They shared their experience. They told everyone they met, they couldn’t stop talking about Jesus and what God had done for them: “When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child” (Luke 2.17). Question: Are we sharing Jesus with…

Rumors

Some time ago, Dr. Albert Cantril, a professor at Princeton University, conducted a series of experiments to demonstrate how quickly rumors spread. He called six students to his office and in strict confidence informed them that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were planning to attend a certain university dance. Within a week, this completely…

Characteristics of Good Bible Teachers

A good Bible teacher carefully examines the Master teacher’s life and methods. Here is a partial list. Consecration: A teacher must be dedicated to the task of teaching as well as to the Christian life (Gal. 2:20). Love: A faithful teacher has a strong love for God, His holy word and the Lord’s church (1…

Good Advice

In the blink of an eyeEverything can change.So forgive often, andLove with all your heart.You may never knowWhen you may not haveThat chance again…. We are sorry, but this content is for Annual and Lifetime members only. You either are not yet a member (Register), have yet to confirm your email address (Check your email),…

Motivation Inspection

If you are a Christian, probe the deep recesses of your heart and determine what’s motivating you to follow Jesus. What’s driving you? Is it fear? Fear has undoubtedly turned many people from their sinful ways. The thought of “the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10) has a way of humbling the proudest of people…

Jesus Loves Me (Senior Version)

Jesus loves me this I know Though my hair is white as snow. Though my sight is growing dim, Still He bids me trust in Him. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me, The Bible tells me so. Though my steps are oh, so slow, With my hand in His…

Cause for Celebration

“It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:32). Following both World Wars our nation celebrated! We did not necessarily celebrate the battles won, but the return of those brave men and women who went off to foreign lands…

God’s Plan Revealed

God had a planned the church before the creation of the world (Ephesians 3:10-11). But it was not made known until “the dispensation of the fullness of times” (1:9). The “dispensation of the fullness of times” is a statement filled with meaning. Jesus was sent into the world by the Father “in the fullness of…

A Matter of Perception

It is not a secret that people may have a different perception of the dame thing. Some people are always looking down only seeing the mud; others are always looking up seeing only blue skies. Now which perception is right? Well, in a sense they are both right because they only see what they are…

Wasting Time

I have heard others say, myself included, “This is a waste of time?” How do you define wasted time? By what standard or what measure do you utilize to determine if the use of your time has been worth it or wasted? For example, I have a friend who thinks he is funny. He always…

For The Love of Money

Ananias and Sapphira lied to God about the price of the land they had sold. They died for their greed (Acts 5:1-11). King Ahab pouted like a baby when Naboth refused to sell him his vineyard, so Jezebel killed Naboth and gave the land to her husband. But this evil pair paid for their covetousness…

Perfection

Christians struggle with the concept of perfection. We associate perfection with sinlessness. However, the New Testament word has reference to completeness. The word “teleios” is found 19 times in the New Testament and is translated “perfect” every time in the King James Version. While rendered “perfect” on several occasions in the New King James Version,…

Greetings

When you think of your home congregation, what are some words you would use to describe it? Active, warm, loving, sincere, giving, evangelistic or cold, dead, apathetic, stuck in a rut, cliquish. Part of how your home congregation can be described is directly related to your role in that same congregation. If you are consistently…

Burnt Biscuits

When I was a child, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned biscuits…

A Valuable Teacher

A little more than ten years ago, I went through a rather difficult time. I had noticed a small knot on my neck, went to the doctor, and was diagnosed with having a tumor in one of my salivary glands. According to what the doctors told me, tumors in this particular salivary glad typically have…

Combating Consumerism

As I sat eating lunch at Subway today, my view outside reminded me how much we have come to depend on the services that are provided to us. Restaurants of all types compete to feed us tasty meals. Doctors want to improve our health, while gas stations keep our cars running. Where would we be…

Lights In the Darkness

(from Ephesians 4-6) Lights in the darkness are Christians who: • Walk worthy of their calling (4:1) • Are humble (4:2) • Are gentle (4:2) • Are patient (4:2) • Bear with one another in love (4:2) • Are eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (4:3) • Are…

Who is Your Barnabas, Paul & Timothy?

Most young boys admire and look up to their father as they are growing up. I was no different. I wanted to be just like my father. Grow up to be strong, smart, funny, kind, loving, honest, hard working, a farmer, and many other things just like my father as I got older. As a…

Prayer Helps

The inspired apostle Paul affirmed that prayer helps. In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul described how there had been a time, in Asia, when he was in danger and facing the possibility of death (2 Corinthians 1:8). However, Paul was delivered from death by God and also by the prayers of the brethren…

Who Wants You to Have Salvation?

The answer may surprise you! God want you to have salvation. His grace is for everyone. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,” Titus 2:11. The grace of God came to all through Jesus His Son. He is the savior of all the world. When Peter and John were…

The Severest Sin of Christians

The severest sin of Christians is a numbing lack of concern, an anesthetized attitude of “I don’t care. I’m in the fold. Why should I concern myself? I have a fire insurance policy against hell.” When Gideon was through thinning out his frightened and indifferent soldiers, he discovered that only one out of one hundred…

The Importance of Family

Picture this Scene. A little baby boy is born in a hospital and everyone is so excited. However, when it comes time to take him home, the parents say, “we think he should stay here with you.” While such would never happen to a child born into a loving or even semi-loving family, the question…

Life More Abundant!

Our main purpose in life is reverencing God and following His directives. However, do we realize that God wants us to enjoy our lives glorifying Him? The devil always wants to make rule keeping and obedience a drudgery. God wants to make living for Him a satisfying and joyous way of life. “Oh, taste and…

Beware of Satan’s Nose and Foot!

The ancient Arabs had a saying: “Beware the camel’s nose” which means that if we let one small undesirable situation occur, then there would soon be a worsening to a disastrous predicament. The context is that if you let a camel get his nose into the tent, the whole body would soon follow. In America,…

We Wish To See Jesus

In John 12:21, it is recorded that some Greeks came to Philip and said, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” If someone said that to you, what would you do? When my kids ask me a tough question I’m likely to pull out my phone and look it up right away. However, such would not…

On the Lighter Side (April-May 2016)

Repentance: Tax Style After hearing a sermon on Psalm 52:3-4 (lies and deceit), a man wrote the IRS, “I can’t sleep knowing that I have cheated on my income tax. Enclosed is a check for $150. If I still can’t sleep, I’ll send the rest.” Renters’ Excuses These tenants gave landlords creative reasons for avoiding…