October 2021, Vol. 40, No. 10

Masks

[383 words] Do you wear a mask? I can remember being so excited one year at Halloween. I found a mask on clearance. It was a full head mask with light up eyes and a voice changer built in. That thing was so hot, and my breath condensed on the inside, but man, I can…

Not a Joking Matter

[367 words] There was once a farmer who was going broke farming, so he quit and started selling hammers. He would buy hammers for $3 apiece and sell them for $2 each. He was selling a lot of hammers and seemed happier than before. A friend soon reminded him that for every hammer he sold…

How Often Do I Really Have to Go?

[160 words] In this unusual time of a pandemic due to the COVID virus, of course we seek to be compassionate, flexible, and understanding. We must do our best to take care of each other (Matt. 7:12; Phil. 2:4). That being said, how much is “enough” when it comes to assembling with the saints? At…

Only One Right Way

[237 words] There is only right and wrong. In true religion, there is only one right way, and that way is made plain in the Bible. King David learned this. His decision to have an adulterous affair with Uriah the Hittite’s wife was wrong. His adultery with her violated God’s law in the Ten Commandments…

He is Always the Majority

[228 words] Abraham Lincoln understood that while he was in charge of a democracy, his office wasn’t one. Once at the end of a disagreement with his cabinet, he announced the vote, “Seven nays, one aye; the ayes have it.” He was the one aye and that was all that mattered. Some folks have got…

Eat This, Not That…Maybe

[217 words] Many of us are trying to “eat right”, but it can often be difficult to figure out what is really good for you. Products have all kinds of health claims on the label but how do you figure out which ones are really true? Well, that is why the FDA has a website…

Finding True Power

[365 words] People sometimes look in the wrong place to find power. Sometimes, folks look for power in the teachings of human beings. We humans are sometimes amazing. But, when it comes to true power we suddenly find ourselves unable to do very much. The teachings of Confucius are great, but are not divinely inspired…

The Angry Man

[352 words] “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare” (Proverbs 22:24-25, ESV). When I was growing up, I had a friend with whom me and a couple of other hung around. He was a good fellow,…

Wisdom is Obeying God

[336 words] Jonah heard the call of the Lord. “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). Jonah, however, made an executive decision to ignore those clear instructions. By doing so he became one of the premier Biblical examples of what not…

Responding When You Are Blessed

[199 words] How do you respond when you’re blessed? Did you respond gratefully when someone said something nice to you, or did something for you? I hope so. Picture a wife who spends two hours making a delicious meal for her husband because she wants to give him something special. The husband eats it without…

A Life Without Disease

[195 words] At the time of this writing, I just got the news that another relative of mine has left this life due to Covid-19. Wouldn’t it be great to wake up tomorrow and read this headline? “Covid-19 Now Cured!” But despite the great gains medical science has made, disease and death is still a…

Lessons from a Skunk

[146 words] Back when I was a teenager, I and my brother were helping my dad with his lake cabin. While I was unloading some plumbing supplies, Gary was pulling off some trim from the crawlspace. Suddenly, my brother let out a yell, and a distinctive smell filled the air. It was the smell of…

No Excuses

[227 words] On September 26, 2021, Elijah Saolo was about to win the Quad Cities Marathon in Illinois. As he sprinted down the final stretch, not only was he in the lead, he was on pace to set a record time! But then, instead of turning right and following the designated path, he went straight…

A Dogged Servant

[297 words] If you were to go to the Shibuya train station in Tokyo, Japan, you would see a bronze statue honoring a dog named Hachiko. Hachiko was born in 1923. His master was a professor at the Tokyo Imperial University. The professor would commute home on the train, get-ting off at the Shibuya train…

Be Like God!

[404 words] The self-help industry has grown by leaps and bounds. Books, videos, podcasts, life coaches all claiming to teach you how to live and make your life better. I know that if you are like me, you have heard people complain about their lives. I hear complaints about how complex life is and how…

Who Do You Like More: Barnabas, or Ananias and Sapphira?

[426 words] My kids are into asking me who I like more in movies and literature (for example, Anakin Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi; Harry or Hagrid, etc.). We ask questions like this and compare names occasionally, but usually it doesn’t involve a comparison of one who has a good reputation with someone who doesn’t. It’s…

How to Be More Productive for Christ

[146 words] Start with the Root. Become well grounded in Christ and His word. Make sure He is the foundation of everything you think and do. Establish yourself in His principles. Grow a Shoot. A shoot is a new growth on a plant. Develop your talents and grow in a new direction. Keep feeding on…

The Bible Is Right!

[421 words] Willie Cato’s book, “His Hand and His Heart,” is about the wit and wisdom, dedication and sacrifice of the beloved Marshall Keeble. “Brother Keeble,” as he was affectionately known, was one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century. I highly recommend that you read about this great servant of God, listen to…

What Can We Do to Prevent Apostasy?

[143 words] We need to appoint and support faithful elders who will properly oversee the flock (Acts 20:28-32). We need to be busy now training other leaders to take their place. Consider Joshua’s training and the influence it wielded (Joshua 24:31). We need to learn again proper respect for the Word of God (Psalm 119:9-16).…

A Big Name

[257 words] When Walter P. Paepeke started a carton company and called it the Container Corporation of America, his attorney said it was “a big name for such a small company.” Mr. Paepeke’s reply was, “We’ll take the name and grow into it.” That’s the task we have before us. We have taken a big…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 3:21-24

[93 words] “Beloved, if our heart does not __ us, we have __ toward God.”True or False: John writes that whatever we ask of God, we receive from Him.Christians have their prayers answer because of two reasons. What are they?“And this is His __: that we should __ on the name of His Son Jesus…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 4:1-6

[103 words] “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but __ the spirits, whether they are of __; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”“Every spirit that __ that Jesus Christ has come in the __ is of God,”True or False: A spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 4:7-11

[93 words] “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of __; and everyone who loves is __ of God and knows God.”“He who does not __ does not know __, for God is love.”True or False: The love of God was shown by Him sending His Son into the world.“In this is love,…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 4:12-16

[79 words] True or False: No one has seen God at any time.“By this we know that we __ in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His __.”Did John see that God had send Jesus into the world?“Whoever __ that Jesus is the __ __ __, God abides in him,…

Bible Quiz: 1 John 4:17-21

[100 words] “Love has been __ among us in this: that we may have __ in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”True or False: There is no fear in love.“We __ Him because He first __ us.”“If someone says, “I love God,” and __ his brother, he…

Quotes and Sayings (October 2021)

[326 words] “Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.” — Henry Ward Beecher “Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to…

On the Lighter Side (October 2021)

Let’s Get CookingA new survey found that 80 percent of men claim they help cook Thanksgiving dinner. Which makes sense, when you hear they consider saying ‘that smells good’ to be helping. This morning, my wife said she wanted me to help fix Thanksgiving dinner. I said, “Why? Is it broken?” Q: How do you…