UNUSED 0 [227 words] One of my sad duties as a minister is preaching funerals. One trend I have observed in recent years is the increasing number of cremations. Cremation is a subject I have often been asked about in 21 years of ministry. Many people are concerned if it is Scriptural to practice cremation....
UNUSED 0 [269 words] If any of the following situations are happening in your life, please dial the appropriate numbers: If you are unsure that God loves you, dial John 3:16. If you need faith, dial Hebrews 11. If you need comfort, dial 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. If you are worried, dial Matthew 6:25-34. If you...
UNUSED 0 [267 words] “To show partiality is not good” (Proverbs 28:21), but men do! God on the other hand does not and never has shown partiality the way men do. A good example of God’s impartiality is seen in comparing Ephesians 6:9 with Colossians 4:25. In Ephesians Paul tells the “masters” how they should...
UNUSED 0 [219 words] “Think Before You Drink” is a slogan used by the government and even the CDC to encourage people to keep the effects of alcohol in mind. And why must you “think before you drink?” Well, among a few other reasons, one that clearly stands out is because you can’t think while...
UNUSED 0 [269 words] THE SOCIAL GOSPEL is a philosophy in religion that the church should concern itself with worldly problems rather than spiritual ones. It is more interested in ecology, biology, psychology and sociology than in theology. It is more concerned about preserving the whooping crane and alligator than about preaching Christ the emancipator....
UNUSED 1 [217 words] The word gospel means “news that brings joy.” We often refer to it as “good news.” Writing about how gospel was used in the first century, Tim Keller provides this insight: A gospel was news of some event that changed things in a meaningful way. It could be an ascension to...
UNUSED 0 [269 words] The Lord’s day is my tower of strength. It is the day of days for soul refreshment. In my moments of quiet meditation I have often asked myself, “How long would strength remain in me and God’s reality remain in my heart, if it were not for the soul-renewing worship of...
UNUSED 0 [213 words] We all like to play the game “what if.” What if cell phones no longer worked, what if TV didn’t come on anymore, what if all of our laptops, iPads, etc., failed? If all that were to happen what could we do? Would all be lost? Now I enjoy all the...
UNUSED 0 [290 words] Deep down, most of us have at one time or another questioned the existence of God. That should not be surprising, as even the greatest minds in history have also struggled with that question. Consider Albert Einstein, for example. While Einstein did not believe in the God of the Bible, he...
UNUSED 0 [275 words] When a marriage is “on the rocks” and about to be broken, we urge that couple to get marriage counseling. Those with money problems can go to a financial adviser/planner for counseling. In fact, there are people and institutions that do nothing all day but debt-relief counseling. (Talk about specialization!) To...
UNUSED 0 [290 words] A man who had not attended one service of the church in four years told me he had never thought of quitting the church. I reminded him that he had: (1) Withdrawn his presence from the service; (2) Refused to give his moral support to the activities of the congregation; (3)...
UNUSED 0 [246 words] “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,Consider all the worlds thy hands have made;I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,Thy power throughout the universe displayed.” This wonderful song came from a Swedish Folk melody written in 1885. It was called “O Mighty God.” It was mostly forgotten...
UNUSED 0 [210 words] In a certain mountain village in Europe several centuries ago, a nobleman wondered what legacy he should leave to his townspeople. At last he decided to build them a church building. No one saw the complete plans for the church building until it was finished. When people gathered they marveled at...
UNUSED 1 [236 words] 1. Tell yourself over and over that since you are not perfect, you would not fit into a “perfect” congregation if one existed. 2. Instead of picking out the worldly members to point to, select the sincere, dedicated, spiritual members, and thank God for them. 3. If you are old, treat...
UNUSED 0 [214 words] The Bible is referred to in many different ways. We speak of it as God’s Word, the Good Book, the Holy Scriptures, and the Sword of the Spirit. It is also known as the Book of books and the Living Word. Some call it simply THE Book, for nothing else seems...
UNUSED 0 [274 words] One person had a dream about hell. She said, There was nothing but desolation and hopelessness. You walk toward the gates of hell knowing that you will never again be free. I got to the gate and the keeper said, “Hold it.” I stood outside hell, and I saw people whose...
UNUSED 0 [280 words] Bible study is great because it makes us set our minds on things we ought to consider. Two Sundays ago in our adult class, we studied Jesus’ miracle in Mark chapter 5 when he healed the man possessed by many demons. Our teacher brought up the point that people were upset...
UNUSED 0 [212 words] The Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus, but after they heard Him teach, they could not bring themselves to arrest Him, for they had never heard anyone speak like Him. The Pharisees then blasted the officers, asking if they were deceived, and that none of the rulers or Pharisees had believed...
UNUSED 0 [258 words] Blessed are the husband and wife who continue to be affectionate, considerate, and loving after the wedding bells have ceased ringing (Ephesians 5:23–25). Blessed are the husband and wife who are as polite and courteous to one another as they are to their friends (Romans 12:10). Blessed are they who have...
UNUSED 0 [222 words] “…many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men” (John 2:23-24). This passage has been highlighted in my Bible for a while. Early on, it seemed odd to my frail ear that Jesus would...
UNUSED 0 [236 words] (can you find the Bible references?) Some Do Not Please Him ___________ “They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto Him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their...
UNUSED 0 [224 words] “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” Matthew 6:6. A big theme to come out of the latest faith-based film, War Room, is that we, as...
UNUSED 0 [212 words] In the early 1800s, Billy Bray was known as a no-good drunken miner in the village of Twelveheads in Cornwall, England. But then he was converted to Christ and he was never the same again. He stopped drinking, became a productive member of society, and told everyone he met about his...
UNUSED 0 [266 words] In the old days, cities regulated downtown parking with meters. You park, drop in a nickel or dime and get some time on the meter. Then you’d go into the store and be sure to be back before the meter ran out of time. However, occasionally, you could find a spot...
UNUSED 0 [237 words] “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Hebrews 5:7). What is the one thing an omnipotent, omniscient, and omni-present God not...
UNUSED 0 [225 words] “What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” (Mark 13:37). When it’s raining, there’s no way to fix the leaky roof, and when the sun is shining, there’s no need. We are our own worst enemies, and God knows this. He tells Ezekiel that as a watchman, He is...
UNUSED 0 [237 words] “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Mark 14:38). In the midst of His own storm, our Savior prayed in the preparation He had made for Himself. He had brought three of his followers farther into the garden...
UNUSED 0 [212 words] “‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)....
UNUSED 0 [255 words] Marriage is a beautiful God-ordained union between men and women (Gen. 2:18,23,24). In marriage, there is a solemn vow to maintain faithfulness to one another until death. For this reason, it should never be entered haphazardly (Rom. 7:2; Mat. 19:6). Since God is the originator of marriage, He is the one...
UNUSED 0 [281 words] When I was a young boy in school the teachers often gave us a “True/False” quiz. I loved that kind of test. I could rip right through them marking “T” or “F” with abandon and very little thought. I was usually disappointed in my grade because a good teacher knows how...
UNUSED 0 [223 words] “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” Romans 12:21. My teens have posed the question: if you were a superhero, what superpower would you want to have? Answers range from extreme speed to flight, from x-ray vision to great strength. Everyone wants to be in control and...
UNUSED 0 [202 words] King Ahab called Elijah the prophet the “troubler of Israel” (1 Kings 18:17). Of course, the prophet wasted no time in pointing out that it was Ahab, not Elijah, who was the real trouble in Israel because he had abandoned the commandments of the LORD (1 Kings 18:18). A few years...
UNUSED 0 [282 words] I hate yellow jackets. Over the years, I’ve had many encounters with them. They are aggressive, mean and they hurt everyone they touch. Have you ever been around someone who is a “fault-finder?” All they can do is point out flaws and faults in folks. They, like yellow jackets, hurt whoever...
UNUSED 0 [268 words] Someone once said that “every man needs to hear the call of the Gospel message before he hears the trumpet call to Judgment!” I couldn’t agree more! God has entrusted within us, His earthen vessels, the Gospel treasure (2 Cor. 4:7), and He commands that we share it with those living...
UNUSED 0 [258 words] Have you ever wondered why strong nations fall? Think about it: strong nations always have the best armies, most up-to-date weapons, strongest economies, and the best citizens. So why do they fall? And we must admit that they do fall! The British Empire fell. Rome fell. Alexander’s Greek kingdom fell. Babylon,...
UNUSED 0 [289 words] God had heard the prayers of His people in Egypt. Though the Israelites murmured and complained most of the way, He had brought them from Egypt to the promised land. As they journeyed God protected them, fed them, clothed them, and had given them everything they needed. But the people still...
UNUSED 0 [270 words] “Not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us” (2 Thess. 3:9). As I look back to when I was growing up in the Church, the things that stand out to me are not what I would expect them to be....
UNUSED 0 [243 words] On August 28, 2007, just before 11 a.m., surfer Todd Endris’ worst nightmare came true: he was attacked by a great white shark, not once, but three times! Just as all hope seemed lost, Endris was saved by a pod of bottlenose dolphins that formed a protective ring around the surfer,...
UNUSED 0 [237 words] Occasionally, I have to sit down and take stock, remembering truths that ground me and blessings that lift me. 1. God is in control and guides all things toward the end that he desires. No one can block his will. 2. In Christ are all spiritual blessings, and I’m in Christ....
UNUSED 0 [213 words] Most of the hymns that we sing in worship service today are old. There are many greatest hymns. The hymn considered by many as the best in the English language is “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” written by Isaac Watts in 1707. This hymn was taken from Paul’s words, “Far...
