November 2017, Vol. 36, No. 11 Archives

Think-fulness Leads to Thankfulness

[195 words] Did you know that our English words “think” and “thank” come from the same root? I believe that brings forth an important concept. Our thankfulness is based upon our “think”fullness. In other words, we can always give thanks if we just give it some thought. That’s what David seems to be doing in…

Some Unusual Things for Which to Be Thankful

[325 words] Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire…it means you have something to look forward to. Be thankful when you don’t know…it gives you opportunity to learn. Be thankful for difficult times…it is during those times you grow. Be thankful for limitations…they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for a…

Expecting Unexpected Turbulence

[276 words] On a recent overseas flight, first the flight attendant and then the captain announced over the intercom that the seatbelt signs had been turned on because they were “expecting unexpected turbulence.” There’s nothing like a good oxymoron to entertain exhausted airplane passengers. However, the long flight gave me ample time to contemplate the…

You Can’t Fool God

[88 words] You can fool the hapless public, You can be a subtle fraud, You can hide your little meanness, But you can’t fool God! You can advertise your virtues, You can self achievement laud, You can load yourself with riches, But you can’t fool God! You can criticize the Bible You can be a…

I Can’t Go To Church Today

[257 words] “I cannot go to church today,” Said little Peggy Ann Mckay. “I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash and purple bumps. My mouth is wet, my throat is dry, I’m going blind in my right eye. My tonsils are as big as rocks, I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox And…

Who Is God?

[116 words] He is the Creator of all that exists (Gen. 1:1). He is a Spirit (John 4:23-24). He is all-powerful (Psalms 89:8), all-knowing (Rom. 8:27), present everywhere (Psalms 139:7-10), and does not change (Malachi 3:6; James 1:7). He is great (Duet. 5:24) and He is good (Psalm 33:5). He is loving (John 3:16),…

The Colors of Love

[142 words] Purple was the robe, the beaten Jesus wore (Matt. 27:28) Brown, the thorny crown which in much pain He bore (Matt. 27:19) White, the sinlessness from which He didn’t shrink (Heb. 4:15) Yellow, the bitter gall that He’d refuse to drink (Matt. 27:34) Green, the lovely plants nearby Calvary’s hill (John 19:41) Red,…

Ten Things to Avoid

[52 words] 1. Remorse over yesterday’s failure. 2. Anxiety over today’s problems. 3. Worry over tomorrow’s uncertainty. 4. Procrastination with one’s duty. 5. Resentment of someone’s success. 6. Criticism of a neighbor’s imperfections. 7. Hatred of another’s differences. 8. Impatience with youth’s inexperience. 9. Skepticism of the church’s future. 10. Unbelief in God’s providence…. We…

Thanks

[390 words] We have so much for which to be thankful! Every single day our Might God blesses us with numerous good things. As those who have been blessed, we have a responsibility to Our Lord to show Him gratitude. In fact, Jesus actually expects us to say “thanks” when He blesses (Luke 17:17). With…

Be All You Can Be

[297 words] As Christians are we being ALL WE CAN BE? We all have talent that allows us to make contributions to the expansion of God’s Kingdom. When we don’t utilize our talents we have a tendency to utilize excuses. Moses struggled with this as well. We know Moses as a Leader but he also…

Don’t ‘Just Say No!’

[331 words] During the 1980’s when the War On Drugs began, one of the phrases developed to deter teens and young adults to stay away from drugs was called, “Just Say No!” Of course the idea was if you were approached to partake in drug use, everyone was encouraged to “Just Say No!” If you…

Lest We Think God Doesn’t Care About How We Worship

[531 words] Worship is vital to the church. Reading the New Testament, we find the church coming together for worship each Lord’s day (Acts 20:7) and Christians being encouraged not to fall into a habit of being absent (Hebrews 10:25). We find that worship was regulated and that God, through the inspired writers, gave five…

Singing Brings Us into God’s Presence

[232 words] Psalms 100 was intended to be a song of praise in the Old Testament worship. There is evidence that this psalm (among others) was part of New Testament worship, as well.* The psalm, in its entirety, is quoted here. “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Serve the Lord with…

Jesus Never Had an Obituary

[583 words] Many of us often make it a habit of reading the obituaries to see which one of our classmates, co-workers, friends, and family have gone on to meet their reward. Obituaries tell us about where a person was born, lived, one’s immediate family history, one’s occupation, hobbies, and many other things, as well…

A Solid Foundation

[237 words] Earthquakes capture the interest of the world. The tragedy is indescribable. Homes, office buildings, and highways were built and people were assured they were safe. Yet the buildings and roadways have proven to be extremely unsafe. Great damage was done and lives were lost as a result. Almost 2,000 years ago Jesus said…

On The Lighter Side (November 2017)

[205 words] Heavy Holidays The checkout clerk at the supermarket was unusually cheerful even though it was near closing time. “You must have picked up a ton of groceries today,” a customer said to the checker. “How can you stay so pleasant?” “We can all count our blessings,” the clerk replied. “The hardest part of…