September 2018, Vol. 37, No. 9

Is Our Attitude Worth Catching?

[279 words] During my first public job as a teenager, I demonstrated more immaturity than I care to talk about. I was trying to be funny in front of a customer. I wanted to be an “attention getter” with my comments, she stopped writing her check looked at me and said, “Allen, you can…

What Arnold Palmer Learned the Hard Way

[229 words] It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters Tournament, and golf legend Arnold Palmer had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. He felt he was in pretty good shape. As he approached his ball, he saw an old friend standing at the edge of the…

Take Charge

[249 words] When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem to commemorate the great exodus by observing the Passover, He found that the temple complex more resembled a marketplace and banking center than it did a place to offer worship to His Father (John 2:13-22). The place was filled with corrals full of livestock and kiosks for…

Same Fire, Different Result

[121 words] Take a piece of wax, a piece of meat, some sand, some clay, and some wood shavings, put them on the fire and see how they react. Each of them is being acted upon by the same agent, yet the wax melts, the meat fries, the sand dries up, the clay hardens,…

Planting a Forest

[338 words] He’s known as the “Forest Man of India.” Over the last 70 years, the Brahmaputra River has eroded over half of the world’s largest river island of Majuli in Assam, India. The mighty river has also claimed over 35 villages. Nearly 40 years ago, Jadav Payeng, then 16, in an effort to…

He Emptied Himself Completely

[448 words] Pride. There is a necessity in our culture today for pride in our country, pride in a job well done, and pride in the accomplishments of our children. But along with the recognition for such pride, there should also be a label warning of the dangers which accompany pride. Solomon, in his…

God’s Word Waits for No One

[444 words] “Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.’ Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should…

Don’t Quit

[321 words] Many times, we encounter challenges that make us rethink our commitment to Christ and the church. When we consider quitting or lessening our relationship with Christ and the church let’s: Remember why we started (cf. Revelation 2:5). The church at Ephesus left their first love. Go back and remember why we chose…

When Your Heart and Body Begin to Fail

[176 words] I and several members of our congregation have had heart issues or other serious physical problems in the last couple of years. Asaph the prophet noticed this about himself when he was inspired to write Psalm 73. In it he declares: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the…

How to Bring Greater Joy to Your Life

[443 words] Everyone wants to enjoy life more. Advertisements bombard us with “just buy this” or “just go there” or “just do that” and you will be happier. But we must realize that God already has a plan in place for greater joy of life. In Acts chapter 2, we read of people becoming…

The Unsettling Truth

[421 words] Jesus preached what is undoubtedly the most famous or popular sermon ever preached: the so-called Sermon on the Mount. In the course of that sermon, He preached things that many would deem as positive, such as “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this…

Elders Need to Lead With Compassion

[322 words] Elders face problems of all shapes, sizes, and colors. A few years of putting out fires can leave them burned out. They can come to rule with an iron fist rather than a velvet touch–more of the shepherd’s rod than his crook. Early Roman philosopher Publilius Syrus said, “You can accomplish by…

If the Lord Wills

[242 words] The greater host of humanity lives solely for the present. Perhaps half as many give occasional, fleeting thought to what may come tomorrow. Each generation rears its thinkers, its planners, who think in terms of a lifetime, and at times may even look philosophically at the hem of history’s garment. But few…

What is the Devil Like?

[476 words] “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8) While trying to rock my son to sleep late one night, I happened upon a special program on television’s Animal Planet channel about lions and how they hunt their…

Getting People to Listen

[168 words] “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psa. 66:16). If you think about it, there is good advice in that verse on telling others about the good news of Jesus Christ. To be honest, very few people we encounter respond…

On the Lighter Side (September 2018)

[266 words] Over the Counter “I would like vitamins for my son,” a mother said. “Vitamin A, B or C?” the pharmacist asked. “It doesn’t matter,” the mother replied. “He can’t read yet.” Not on the Same Page A little girl had just started kindergarten. After a few days, she came home and said,…