November 2020, Vol. 39, No. 11

Thanksgiving or Turkey Day?

[321 words] ls it “Turkey Day” or “Thanksgiving?” This question came to me a few days ago as I read an ad in the newspaper regarding the upcoming holiday. But I wonder if the renaming of Thanksgiving is not filled with cultural overtones. Church attendance has been in decline for many years and the culture…

Thankful For What We Don’t Have

[214 words] “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;” (Psalms 103:2). This time of year we think about ‘counting our many blessings’. It’s easy to look at all of our stuff all our friends and family, our homes, our jobs and understand the need to be grateful. Yet do we…

Thanksgiving Leftovers

[156 words] The Thanksgiving holiday is over and most of us are having leftovers until the food is gone. While we enjoy family and friends during such days, the significance of giving thanks to God every day is far more important than any earthly joy we receive from such a one-day event. “Behold what manner…

The Thanksgiving Attitude

[222 words] In 1623, Governor William Bradford issued the first proclamation of American Thanksgiving. In that decree, he directed the Pilgrim Fathers to gather and “render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.” Since that time, there have been countless Thanksgiving proclamations by presidents and governors of our land. In the words of…

Your Example Matters

[426 words] It’s not just the doctrine, it’s the examples! While in the midst of the study of Daniel, we have been deep into the prophecies of chapters 7-12 for the last several weeks. The whole book reminds us of the chief doctrine, “God rules in the kingdoms of men” (4:17), but Daniel’s life (and…

Blessings of Worship

[204 words] First and Second Chronicles offers us several great reminders about what a wonderful blessing worship should be to our lives. Especially right now when our routines have been disrupted, we need to make sure we are participating with heart, soul, mind, and strength. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem,…

Light for the Road Ahead

[496 words] Change is stressful. Our country is torn apart and the world seems turned upside down. The Bible is balm for our hearts in these troubled times. One book in particular shows us how to think as we adjust. It is the book of Ecclesiastes. Here are some verses that will give us peace…

Not As Good As It Looks

[175 words] In one of the most powerful anti-smoking ads I’ve ever seen the promises of the cigarette ads are examined. You’ll look cool. Smoking makes you independent and mysterious. But then the curtain is pulled away and a man in a wheelchair who can barely breathe says: the reality is you could end up…

We Must Learn Our Lesson

[218 words] What was God’s response to the sins of Israel and what will His response be to our sins? God would beat His fist in anger at the violent crimes of Israel. “Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in…

God is Unchanging

[425 words] This world is full of changes. Yet, the God who created this world does not change. The Bible teaches that God is an eternal, timeless, changeless being. Consider the following passages: “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and…

Thorns in the Flesh

[460 words] We all have them. Those nagging thorns in the flesh. They come in different levels of severity, but they do come. Perhaps they are seen in the process of aging. We don’t like to deal with the changes our bodies and minds go through, but like it or not, it is a part…

Watching Them Drown

[327 words] It was shocking, to say the least. In July, 2017, James Dunn, a disabled man, drowned in a Florida retention pond. There is a disturbing video to prove it. Standing on the shore was a group of five teens – ages 14-19 – watching James Dunn drown. Instead of going into the water…

The Motivational Factor of Faith, Hope, and Love

[126 words] When Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he opened his letter with these words: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:2-3).…

I Long to Meet My Father

[74 words] As I gaze up to the skiesMy mind begins to wanderTo live with Him and dear onesI long to meet My Father Through blessings or trialsThat shall come my wayI long to meet My FatherMy love for Him will stay When I see the woe of the worldAnd all the pain it does…

Will You Not Tell It Today

[321 words] Samaria was under siege. The city was cut off from resupply. Prices for fuel and food skyrocketed. Things that would not be considered food became meals, even children (2nd Kings 6:24-29). It seemed all hope was lost. Yet God had a plan. The army that threatened would be gone. Food would be cheap.…

Forgiving Others

[224 words] Jesus told a parable about a king who forgave a servant who owed a very large sum of money. However, this same servant refused to forgive another a very small amount. In the story, when the king heard about the actions of this unmerciful servant, he was “white hot” with anger and punished…

The Old Clothesline

[363 words] My daddy was a man of many talents. He thawed frozen water pipes under the house during the winter, repaired bicycles, house fans, was a great cook and even overhauled a car engine in our drive-way. When I was old enough, my job was to always hold the flashlight, carry the toolbox, or…

When Small Fires Become Big Fires

[264 words] A few weeks ago, I was burning the wood from two trees that had to be cut down. I’d piled the wood as far from any other tree as possible, but the fire was so hot that a branch about 30 feet above and off to the side of the fire started to…

Love Jumps In

[470 words] In the earthly, material realm, “love” and “hate” are defined according to the way of thinking that belongs to this world. That means both words are fluid in meaning. In other words, how love is defined today may or may not correspond to how another generation defines it. The same with the word…

When Losers Are Finders

[253 words] Most of us have had the delight of finding something of value—a dollar bill on the sidewalk, a piece of jewelry in the grass, a tool by the wayside. I recall hearing this saying in my boyhood: “Finders keepers, losers weepers.” In the spiritual realm, however, the expression sounds like this: “Keepers weepers,…

Bible Quiz: James 5:13-15

[42 words] “Is anyone among you __? Let him __.”“Is anyone __? Let him sing __.”Who should a Christian call if they are sick?“And the __ of __ will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”“And if he has committed __, he will be __.” Solution: suffering, pray; cheerful, psalms; elders; prayer,…

Bible Quiz: James 5:16-18

[53 words] “Confess your __ to one another, and __ for one another, that you may be healed.”The prayer of what kind of man avails much?What prophet does James use as an example of effective prayer?Elijah prayed that it would not __.“And he __ again, and the heaven gave __, and the earth produced its…

Bible Quiz: James 5:19-20

[59 words] Who is to turn others back to the truth?“…if anyone among you __ from the __,”True or False: According to James, it is possible to lose your salvation.We are to turn sinners back from the “__ of his way.”If you help a sinner return to the truth, you will “save a soul from…

Bible Quiz: 1 Peter 1:1-5

[64 words] “Peter, an __ of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the __…”“…elect according to the __ of God the Father, in __ of the Spirit, for obedience and __ of the blood of Jesus Christ:”Peter says it is according to God’s abundant __ that He has begotten again to a living hope.Through the…

Bible Quiz: 1 Peter 1:6-12

[66 words] “In this you greatly __, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been __ by various trials,”“…that the __ of your __, being much more previous than gold that perishes,”“…though it is tested by __, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the __ of Jesus Christ,”What…

Quotes and Sayings (November 2020)

“More men have been elected between Sundown and Sunup than ever were elected between Sunup and Sundown.” — Will Rogers “For me, every hour is grace. And I feel gratitude in my heart each time I can meet someone and look at his or her smile.” — Elie Wiesel “To speak gratitude is courteous and…

On the Lighter Side (November 2020)

[152 words] Thanksgiving Funnies Q: Why did the farmer have to separate the chicken and the turkey?A: He sensed fowl play. Q: If you call a big turkey a gobbler, what do you call a small one?A: A goblet. Q: Why did they let the turkey join the band?A: Because he had his own drumsticks.”…