300-399 words

Are You Missing Ingredients?

[373 words] Recently we had a lot of bananas get really ripe, so I started to make a big batch of banana muffins. I took them out of the oven, gave them a taste, and realized right away that something was wrong. I had forgotten to add the butter. I had put the amount of…

The Lord’s Supper: Save It From COVID-19

[340 words] One of the most disruptive things to me about COVID-19 has been the Lord’s Supper. For more than forty years, I’ve had a structured meditation for the Lord’s Supper. There are reflections while I’m eating the bread and another series of thoughts for the fruit of the vine.  During the year, we’ve visited…

The Good Word

[385 words] We are to hear and obey the word of God! The Master said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). We are often admonished from the pulpit and in Bible class to study and apply the Bible daily. This is good advice for the Bible is…

Don’t Forget to Light the Fire

[317 words] In one of Jack London’s short stories, he writes about a fellow who was a newcomer to the Alaska gold rush. As he outfits to go out to “stake his claim and strike it rich,” a seasoned veteran gives him some advice. “It’s winter, so whenever you pause from hiking, be sure to…

Handling the Pressure

[363 words] For ages, people have wondered what was on the ocean floor. On August 15, 1934, Otis Barton and William Beebe came closer than ever before. On that day, they descended to a depth of 3,028 feet into the dark ocean, a record that remained unbroken for 15 years. The way they achieved this…

The Road of Resolution

[348 words] It is this time of year many like to make New Year’s Resolutions. A resolution is defined as, “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” It is good to make godly resolutions or firm decisions. Maybe the following can help you to keep on the right road with God throughout…

The Important Question: Who Is Jesus?

[332 words] The Bible shows us two sides of the most important person in history. The Lord is like us “in every respect” (Hebrews 2:17). There is no shortage of biblical evidence concerning Christ’s humanity. He experienced physical reactions, such as hunger (Matthew 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), and weariness (John 4:6). He wept (John 11:35),…

Are You Starving?

[345 words] Are you starving? This is probably a funny question to ask, especially since we just celebrated Thanksgiving and most of us probably ate more than we needed to. For most of us the holiday season includes good food and more desserts than you can shake a stick at. I know I enjoy all…

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…

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…

Unemployed Christians?

[360 words] We continue to see unprecedented job opportunities in our nation and locally. It almost seems employers are literally begging people to work. We can find work if we are seeking. This is especially true in the work of the church.   Someone once told me, “there should never be any unemployed Christians.” Much…

‘I Am’ Able to Help You

[316 words] Each of the “I am” statements of Jesus in the book of John displays an important aspect of how He can meet our true needs. When Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), He stated that He can sustain our souls forevermore. He is that which nourishes and satisfies. When…

What Would You Take For It?

[363 words] When my dad bought me something or gave me something he knew I really wanted, after a period of time, he would grin and say, “What would you take for it?” Knowing I wouldn’t part with whatever gift he had bestowed upon me, he liked to test me and reassure himself he had…

Abraham’s Early Mornings

[363 words] I am not really a morning person. I loathe early alarms. Most days, it takes me a while to really get going. If, however, the day promises something out of the ordinary and pleasant, like the beginning of a vacation, I’ve been known to wake up before the alarm clock goes off. But…

Five Wise Sayings for Life

[381 words] I love sitting and listening to older, wiser folks than myself. I love history and learning it from people who loved it. There is something about sitting on a porch swing with someone old in days who has seen so much change and endured so much through their walk in life. The proverbial…

I Am the Only One!

[346 words] Have you ever felt like you were alone? Maybe at work you felt like you were the only one who does any real work. We can feel isolated like we are the only one going through struggles. The devil uses these feelings to break us down and attack us. We start to feel…

Shelter in the Storm

[391 words] A young man named Gus was taking a walk through the English countryside one day in 1753 when a sudden storm swept across the landscape. Running for cover, he spotted a wide rock formation with an opening where he sought shelter until the storm passed. He had been fortunate to find this hiding…

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

[398 words] Robert Lowry composed both the words and music of the beautiful hymn, “Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus.” In the hymn we are asked, “What can wash away my sins?” and “What can make me whole again?” Each time we respond, “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” In Lowry’s hymn we sing of…

Worship God

[335 words] Fact One: We are worshiping God! Fact Two: God sees our worship! Fact Three: Being conscious of these facts should greatly impact our worship! Fact One: We are worshiping God! When we sing, we sing “to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). When the lesson is taught, we are studying to present ourselves “approved to…

Inconvenient

[368 words] Power was off at the house and church building (and other places) Sunday night until about eleven o’clock Monday morning. Inconvenient! I came into work Tuesday morning ready for a day of working on sermon and class notes and found that the power had knocked out the church internet and phone lines. Inconvenient!…

What You Can’t See

[345 words] Sometimes I know when I’m in error. I’ve been around enough to know the sins that I am most tempted by. When my willpower fails and I commit one of these sins I know immediately afterward that I did wrong. God, forgive me for “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”…

Signs of Grace

[370 words] Paul began his second letter to the Thessalonian church with these encouraging words, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly…

Help in Time of Sadness

[322 words] Numerous are the occasions that may cause us to feel the emotion of sadness. Seeing someone we love make sinful choices will break our hearts. Seeing someone we love go away (either temporarily like moving or permanently like dying) will cause a wellspring of tears to overflow. Scripture prepares us to expect times…

Can Our Conscience Be Our Guide?

[316 words] “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another” (Romans 2:15). You may have been told, “Let your conscience be your guide.” The conscience sits in judgment of man’s actions. According to Romans 2:15…

Things for Which We Must Pray

[392 words] It’s a simple enough title and concept, but for each season and busy opportunity in our lives, there ought to be a reminder, “this is something for which I MUST pray” (Ps. 55:7; Zech. 8:21; 1 Thess. 5:17). Here are some things God’s people need to be lifting up and praying about NOW: …

Times Change

[354 words] Most of the time, change is good. We all want to grow, get stronger, learn more, see more places, etc. Certainly we are aware of the fact that our methods and tactics must change and adapt when we become ineffective. We must take advantage of opportunities as they are presented. On and on…

Empty Spaces

[396 words] Empty space gets filled. Have you never noticed this phenomenon when you move into a larger house? You think to yourself “oh, I’ll have so much room now!” But no…as time goes on various things encroach upon that space. You thought you were going to have a home office? Joke’s on you when…

The Good Confession of Romans 10:9-10

[395 words] “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved” (Romans 9:9-10). When Bobbie was 9 years…

Everyone Needs a Sword!

[340 words] Growing up I often played with sticks, gift paper cardboard rolls, and basically anything that could have even resembled a sword. Thinking back, I realize that the image of a sword was something that I was exposed to in literature, TV, movies, and video games. Shows like Zorro, He-Man, Star Wars, Thunder Cats,…

When the Water is Still

[339 words] I went fishing for a couple of hours recently, caught one fish, and learned a lot. I drifted into a daydream as the ripples kept a steady rhythm on top of the water. As I thought a little deeper, I thought of the little ripples in the pond as kind of like the…

Wrong Revenge

[336 words] In September of 1982, relatively healthy people around the Chicago area began dying unexpectedly. Soon it was discovered they all had been poisoned with cyanide ingested from Tylenol they had taken. Panic ensued.  Tylenol was taken off the shelves and police searched for any clues to who had done the tampering. Authorities asked…

True Happiness

[365 words] It is probably an understatement, but we live in a very unhappy world. Unhappiness is seen on the faces of so many as they try to maneuver through the difficult challenges of everyday life. Unhappiness is not only seen on the poor unfortunates of our world, but it can be seen on so…

God Still Wants Me!

[347 words] When it is first printed a $100 bill is crisp and clean and you can take that bill and buy $100 dollars worth of merchandise. That bill will then pass through many different hands in the next 15 years, the expected life of that bill. The bill will become crumpled, worn, wrinkled, possibly…

Who is Dad?

[361 words] Who is dad? He is a man of Faith, that is, he is committed to the Lord Jesus and leads his family is the straight and narrow way. For a man who is a husband and father to not do this is to let his family down.  He is a man Assured of…

Pain and Suffering

[332 words] We are dealing with pain and suffering. Our varying degrees of “hurt” are different because we all are on different journeys to the same place. Our labor and toil are met each day with emotional, social, financial, and physical pain. Our wounds can make us incapable of moving from one hour to another.…

Saved By The Book

[344 words] Rick Waggoner began driving his morning bus route just as he had for the last ten years. He was forced to pull over when his bus broke down. Three young men approached the bus and savagely proceeded to shoot Rick twice in the chest, once in the hip, and also stabbed him in…

If Not for Godly Mothers

[300 words] There are a lot of things in life that we might be able to do without, but the benefits of godly mothers are not one of them! Can anyone imagine what this world would be like if it were not for them? We would miss: The Teaching of Eunice. Timothy’s mother, along with…

Scars Tell a Story

[372 words] A few years ago, on a hot summer day in Florida, a young boy decided to go for a swim in the small pond behind his house. It was hot outside so the thought of a cool swim called to the lad. The boy ran and dove into the water – not realizing…

Sign Me Up!

[358 words] Have you ever received an offer that seemed too good to refuse? Perhaps at a department store the clerk entices with 25 percent off your purchase if you sign up for a credit card. Or, you watch a demonstration of a fantastic new product but the catch is you must buy it right…

The Lessons of Loss

[336 words] “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die,…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,2,4). I have not met anyone that really likes going…

Where Can We Find Peace?

[363 words] It seems this day and age there are not very many who are at peace. Nations are in dispute, families are in disarray, and people are dissatisfied. We rush about trying to bring peace and order to our lives, but to no avail. When we find a moment of peace, it seems to…

It’s a Small World After All

[393 words] While at Disney recently, our kids so enjoyed the “It’s a Small World” ride. If you have never had the “joy” of this, it is a boat trip through various animatronic cultures all singing the same song in different languages. Part of the song goes, “there’s so much that we share that it’s…

The Fading Beauty of the Flower

[364 words] “Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:12). I have always liked spring. The flowers of spring are beautiful and amazing in their detail and intricate design. Spring is a time of bright color and fragrance as…

Mistakes

[343 words] The dictionary defines the word “mistake” this way: “a misunderstanding of the the meaning or implication of something; a wrong action or statement proceeding from faulty judgment or inadequate knowledge.” Most of us would admit that we know plenty about mistakes, without having to consult a dictionary, because of personal experience. We know…

When This Last Barrier to Vice is Broken Down

[356 words] While recently reading from Moses Lard’s Commentary on Paul’s Letter to Romans, my attention was captured by a sentence from Lard on the following text: “There is no fear of God before their eyes” ( Romans  3:18). Among Lard’s comments on the preceding verse is this statement: “Where God is not feared, nothing…

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

[361 words] The story is told of a missionary who once visited a very primitive tribe of people. These people had very little contact with the outside world, and they were totally unfamiliar with many things we take for granted. One of the things they had never before seen was a mirror. The only way…

Take Care of Yourself!

[362 words] My grandpa once told me that, “If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.” What I took as a joke as a young kid, I now value in adulthood. People sometimes replace a goodbye with the phrase, “Take care of yourself.” Even though…

Freedom Will Answer

[386 words] The prophet Amos preached to a people hard of heart. As he spoke the words of the Lord, the Lord said through him, that He (the Lord) was the reason for their suffering. Though they suffered the people refused to give any attention to the instructive teaching experiences that came from the Lord.…

The Other Person That Heard the Sermon

[350 words] In Acts 24 we read of a sermon that was delivered to Felix: “But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix…

Psalm 103

[311 words] Psalm 103, attributed to David, is a wonderful psalm of thanksgiving. It would help us greatly if we read it frequently and remembered its lessons constantly. We immediately notice that expression “Bless the Lord,” repeated five times within the twenty-two verses. We are not really surprised to see these words come from David,…

A Little Birdie Told Me

[378 words] “Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known” (Ecclesiastes 10:20 NASU). “A birdie told me” Mom said, when I asked her how…

Who is Your Twin?

[376 words] A young girl of 14 gave birth to twins in a small town in Ohio. Afterwards, she disappeared — never to heard from again. The twin babies were adopted by two families in separate towns in Ohio. Jim Springer and Jim Lewis grew up not knowing each other although they had heard that…

A Lesson For Timothy

[346 words] “These are the things you are to teach and insist on” (1 Timothy 6:2). Paul makes this statement to Timothy in his letter making it clear that Timothy is to pass on to others what he has been taught. This is a message that needs to be passed on to us as well.…

The Awesome Word

[309 words] We have reduced the church to a counseling center helping people cope! God made the church a salvation center teaching people how to live. We do not merely need therapy—we need the WORD! We don’t just need Bible scholars—we need Bible lovers! If you honor the Word, God will bless you! You must…

Snow and the Bible

[323 words] I do not usually think of snow when I think of the events recorded in the Bible. Most of the time I think of the things that I read about taking place in an arid hot climate, but that is not the case at all. The climate around Jerusalem is surprisingly similar to…

No Value in Profanity

[310 words] Horace Porter, a lieutenant colonel and personal secretary to General Ulysses Grant during the American Civil War, wrote about a conversation he had with the famous general one evening while they were sitting by a campfire. Porter commented, “General, it seems singular that you should have gone through all the rough and tumble…

Christians And Earthly Governments

[321 words] Sometimes, it seems that during my daily Bible reading, scriptures come along that speaks to the moment. Politically, the United States has had a volatile year. We have been exposed to political unrest through TV and social media in vivid and sometimes, overwhelming detail. We now have a change through the election of…

Influence

[370 words] Influence is the force by which we have an effect upon the life of another person. We each have influence. The power of your influence is staggering. You want to be a good influence for Christ! Attempts are made to minimize the power of individual influence. We hear statements like, “I don’t have…

Words Of Truth

[306 words] The people of God desire and strive to honor Him above all else. We wake each morning with the call to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). We understand the need to “love…

False Signs

[304 words] “Need be bear monster.” With hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida in September of 2017, officials in Manatee County held a press conference aimed at warning residents of the impending danger. Being “in a pinch” to have a sign language interpreter at the news conference, officials brought in a member of the county…

Creation of the Master Artist

[304 words] I came across this article in the book, Grandma Says by Chrissy Lynn. “As a child, I watched my grandmother create magnificent quilts out of scraps. She was from a different time – almost a different culture. The Great Depression taught her to use what she had and to not waste anything. Her…

Are We A Denomination?

[356 words] Q: Has the term “church of Christ” become a denomination in the minds of people? A: Obviously, yes. Many people outside the church call us “church of Christer’s.” They do not understand what we mean by the phrase “the church.” In some people’s minds, a Christian has to be either a member of…

A Masterpiece Takes Time

[300 words] The stereotypical view of artistry is of the chaotic genius giving birth to great works of art and music in fits of creative energy. One moment a blank canvas, the next a masterpiece; one instant an empty score, the next a symphony. However, an investigation into the facts does not support this view. …

Jesus Never Quit!

[364 words] Jesus did not quit meeting with His disciples because Judas was a thief, nor because Peter was fickle at times. He didn’t quit preaching and living right because some of His brethren were unforgiving and unkind. He did not quit His post of leadership because He had in His presence the adulterous woman,…

Expensive Junk and Free Treasure

[376 words] The zeal with which people will pursue the toy that their kid wants most for Christmas is astounding. Every year seems to have a new fad—a new massively hard-to-purchase toy. A few years ago it was “Shopkins” (tiny collectable rubber toys). When stores sold out parents flocked to eBay and spent thousands of…

Comfort for Holiday Loneliness

[362 words] Although each person is different in how they respond, there are many common reasons why people may experience loneliness. Each of us will face events in our lives that may lead us to feel alone, rejected, or out of place. The Bible records many of these events in people’s lives: Lack of friends…

‘Twas the Night Jesus Came

[318 words] ‘Twas the night Jesus came and all through the house,not a person was praying, not me or my spouse.The Bible was left on the shelf without care,for no one had thought the Lord would come there.The children were dressing to crawl into bed,not once ever kneeling or bowing their head.And Mom in the…

If the Doors Are Blocked

[318 words] Mark chapter 2 (as well as Mathew 9 and Luke 5) records the time that Jesus Christ healed a paralyzed man—one who had to be carried by his friends. The report begins by telling us Jesus was wildly popular at this particular time: “And many were gathered together, so that there was no…

Why We Need Each Other

[323 words] The sole business of the church is souls. The church is souls in love with God and one another. The church is souls weeping and rejoicing together, laughing and praying together, eating and singing together. The church is souls looking upward, in praise, inward in penitence, outward in practice, and forward in promise.…

Talk to Someone Today

[370 words] In John 4, Jesus makes the decision to go from Judea to Galilee (v.3). Samaria lay between the two. John 4:4 states, “But He needed to go through Samaria” (v.4). Most of us well know that the Jews and the Samaritans were bitter enemies. In fact, many Jews making the same trek Jesus…

Signs of Grace

[370 words] Paul began his second letter to the Thessalonian church with these encouraging words, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly…

Can You Say, “Jesus Christ, My Lord”?

[394 words] In Rom. 5:21, Paul states that eternal life is through “Jesus Christ our Lord.” That threefold name of our Savior is an interesting progression that we must go through to truly have salvation in Him. Jesus. Jesus was His given name. Although it means “Savior” we have to remember that it was a…

Paper Dolls

[345 words] Paper dolls, paper people that came with paper clothes and could be cut out and played with. They never were a very durable toy, but they could be printed on the back of a cereal box cheaply and kids could get a free toy to play with. What happened when two kids wanted…

Psalm 27: A Message in Life

[342 words] Life is in need of Courage. Some men prepare themselves for the battle ahead mustering up courage to engage. For some, try as they might, it does not come easy. The battle is engaged, they learn they had more within than they realized. Some Christians wonder about themselves when they face the enemy.…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

After the Election

[388 words] One of the most divisive and chaotic election campaigns has come to an end. During this time Christians in America have faced many opportunities to exercise patience and let our faith shine. Chances are each of us have experienced some failures and some successes. Politicians and pundits will now judge and discuss the…

You Sure Are Mean to Those That Love You

[350 words] Madge Wallace hated Harry Truman. Well, it was said she didn’t care much for anyone in Independence, Missouri but she seemed to really have it in for Harry. To her, he was just a “filthy farm boy.” Early on, she might have a point. Harry lost his family farm and failed at two…

Legislate Morality? 

[394 words] Of course morality can be legislated. More than that, morality must be legislated. We all believe it to be so.  Consider theft: We demand our government protect our property and punish the thief because we know that it is immoral to steal.  Consider murder: We demand our government punish the one who has…

What Is Edification?

[300 words] “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19). Edification is not a word we use in everyday life. We don’t hear or read about it in the news. It’s not usually found on any TV drama or comedy. However, the Bible urges us…

Little Sharks, Big Jelly Fish

[350 words] Every time I go swimming in the ocean, someone inevitably warns me: watch out for sharks! I always do, but I’ve never seen one, I’ve never heard the “bom-bom-bom-bom” music that plays in the background when sharks come near! And it’s a good thing, because once you hear the music, it’s probably too…

Why Calamities?

[381 words] Webster’s dictionary defines calamity as: “a disastrous event marked by great loss and lasting distress and suffering.” Without a doubt 2020 could be deemed the year of calamities. When pandemics, hurricanes, or wildfires hit, the question is asked by some: “Why did God allow it to happen?” I don’t claim to have all…

Pardon Without Penalty? 

[333 words] According to Numbers 13, when the spies returned from their forty days of investigating the land God had promised them, there was a divided opinion presented to the people. It was not a difference involving facts. All twelve spies agreed that the land was good. In fact, it “flowed with milk and honey”…

Lessons for Life

[338 words] “Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life” (Proverbs 4:13). I won’t forget that day on the mountain. It was our first time for snow skiing, so lessons were suggested. Not me, I had been on water skis many times. I could do this. We…

Annie’s Death

[323 words] Charles and his wife were devastated. Their little girl, Annie, had died. Charles blamed himself and his wife because they were first cousins. While such inbreeding can cause birth defects, this was not the cause of Annie’s death. She, most likely, died of tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In other words, Annie…

l Will Fear No Evil

[322 words] “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4). We live in a fearful age: Covid-19, quarantines, economic uncertainty, riots, and Chinese communist belligerence. Many are incapacitated with uncertainty and fear. But Paul declares: “God has not given us a spirit of fear,…

The Ballad of Fort McHenry

[318 words] On the evening of September 13, 1814 an American diplomat found himself stuck on a British vessel watching a fierce bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry. The state of affairs looked grim. As he spent the night detained by the enemy, Francis Scott Key looked out across the waters towards the American fort. But…

Why Has All This Happened to Us?

[366 words] The history of Gideon is fascinating. There is a reason why his story is so commonly shared with young people at Vacation Bible School, etc. But before he was smashing jars and blowing trumpets (Judges 7:19-21), he was wrestling with difficult questions.  And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the LORD is…

Trees and Grace

[309 words] I have given a lot of thought on how to describe God’s grace, and I have come up with the following: Grace is like a tree. Now, stay with me on this: Only God can make a tree. As we know from the famous poem, only God can make a tree and only…

Lost in the Woods

[377 words] Everyone who has ever spent any time hiking or hunting in the forests of our land, knows of the possibility of getting lost. Some time ago, a teenager hunting in the Rocky Mountains with his father, discovered firsthand what it means to be lost. The young man did not see game in his…

Spiritual Growth

[344 words] Parents are rightly concerned about the physical development of their children. They will keep a close check on the height and weight of growing children. They will encourage them to eat food that will be healthy and will help them to grow stronger.  Christians of all ages need to be concerned about our…

Spiritual Myopathy

[335 words] Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen” (2 Cor. 4:18). Poor eyesight has plagued me for the most part of my life. After more than ten surgeries, I still have poor eyesight.…

Being a Good Neighbor in Difficult Times

[371 words] In recent days I have seen some concerning trends. With the increase in mask wearing and the need for social distancing, people are becoming more isolated than ever before in our society. People are not talking to each other in public places like they once did. We have real challenges when it comes…

How To Destroy A Country

[362 words] “One university after another is bowing before the violent demands of a small minority of radicals who intend to overthrow the existing government…The radicals fully intend to overthrow the national government and replace it according to their own fuzzy, undefined lines which they cannot explain. They have decided to seek as many confrontations…

Condescend to Men of Low Estate

[322 words] In chapter seven of his book Balance: A Tried and Tested Formula for Church Growth, Ira North points us to the importance of helping the poor, the downtrodden, and the “lowly.” Brother North quotes Romans 12:16 (KJV) which says, “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things but condescend…
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