400-499 words

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…

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…

Concealed Carrier

[488 words] To get your concealed carry permit for a firearm in Kentucky, you can expect to undergo a background check, complete gun safety training, and pay a fee. There is a minimum age requirement, and there are other conditions to meet while holding a permit (which can be revoked or suspended). Did you know…

‘My Precioussss…’

[470 words]  Gollum/Smeagol is one of my favorite literary characters in Tolkien’s Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Gollum talks to himself obsessively over the One Ring—even after he loses it in the deep caverns of the Misty Mountains. He constantly seeks his “precious” ring which Baggins finds. While Peter writes some two thousand…

We Gather Together

[438 words] As a young teenager, I was introduced to the song, “We Gather Together.” Some of you may remember it as a song used to celebrate Thanksgiving. I never really gave it much thought until this week when it came to mind as I read a bulletin article on worship. I googled the song…

A Different Spirit

[403 words] At Kadesh Israel caught a terminal case of “the grasshopper complex” from the ten faithless spies. The reports of giants and walled cities blinded them to the greatness of God and deafened them to His promises. What a sad day in Israel’s history! Moses wrote, “we were like grasshoppers in our own sight,…

The Fear of the Lord

[419 words] I read a devotional thought earlier this week that made me stop to consider for a little while longer (Selah). It is a thought I have struggled with for a time now and a thought I share with you in the hopes that it will cause each of us to consider more deeply…

Stand Fast

[415 words] According to the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, the phrase “stand fast” means, “to be firm or unyielding.” It also reveals that: “This idiom, dating from the early 1600s, originally was applied to an army holding its territory against the enemy.” The phrase “stand fast” occurs in our English Bibles, as well. Actually…

You Are of Your Father

[453 words] In the heart-felt book of John, Jesus has several confrontations with the Jews of that day to prove to them His deity. Of note, the discussion in John 8 is particularly passionate. The hardness of heart of these people broke the Savior’s heart as they claimed allegiance to God, to the things of…

What’s Good About Guilt?

[440 words] Guilt is defined as “a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc.” What is good about this? When sin is committed and guilt follows, it could lead someone to repentance. It is good guilt that burdens the soul to the point that the need of a change is seen.…

Who Is Jesus?

[474 words] Divine names are extremely significant and packed full of meaning Men like Abraham, Jacob, Moses and David received a progressive revelation of the character of God by means of those names. B.F. Westcott once wrote, “Each name authoritatively given to God is, so to speak, a fresh and lasting revelation of his nature.…

Jesus Wants to Be Your Friend

[449 words] Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships.” We all like to have friends, but having close friends is a great blessing. The reason for this is that in close friendships, we have companionship, sympathy, encouragement, support, acceptance, love, trust—the positive list goes on and…

I Don’t Care What the Bible Says

[472 words] I really do try to avoid watching the news on a regular basis. It seems to me more and more that each day is a repeat of the day before, and very little “good” news is reported. I also limit the “news” I see on social media, because it does very little in…

Share the Cup!

[413 words] In a land far away (as in it only exists in my own mind) a certain villager was given a cup. He was told by the old, bearded man who gave it to him that anyone who drinks from this cup would be made well from whatever afflicted them. Right after saying this…

Drifting

[420 words] “…And remember, brethren, we are drifting.” With that ominous catchphrase, J.D. Tant closed the many articles he wrote in the early twentieth century for the Firm Foundation and for the Gospel Advocate. He also often used this warning to close sermons in gospel meetings. Tant was applying to his day the warning of…

A Heart like Paul’s

[452 words] “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to…

Who is the Greatest?

[437 words] “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them,  and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.…

Unshakeable Faith in the Immoveable Kingdom

[489 words] In the heat of the Civil War, Moses Lard penned this “Note to the Brotherhood” to encourage Christians: “More now than ever before in this country; do even Christians need to be placed completely under the influence of Christianity. In mind and heart they are deeply and painfully agitated. Christianity alone can tranquillize…

In Times of Trouble

[404 words] The days seem filled with trouble. Job said, “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). We have seen COVID-19 take the lives and good health away from loved ones and friends. Many homes and much property were destroyed by wildfires. We have seen…

Check Your Flight Pattern

[416 words] Ornithologists (those who study birds) tell us that birds navigate in the air one of three ways: 1) By flapping. This is very labor intensive. It requires that the birds continuously beat their wings against the air so as to create lift. But if the bird stops flapping, then it will very quickly…

Teach Your Children Well

[437 words] Last March when the pandemic reached our country, churches were instructed to limit gatherings to no more than 10 individuals. At the time, I was concerned that perhaps our government had overstepped their authority. My father-in-law and I had several conversations at that time discussing how this was all going to play out…

Accomplishing Your New Year’s Resolutions

[408 words] What New Year’s resolutions have you made? Most will have made ones that were designed to make their lives or the lives around them better. Such resolutions may include: losing weight, stopping a bad habit, exercising more, becoming more organized, or having a better attitude. Now, I’m not going to be sarcastic like…

To The End

[471 words] I was looking at a display in a Civil War Museum when I noticed an old letter. A Confederate soldier wrote the letter to his wife in August 1864. He mentioned some interesting things about the war and the times, but what really impressed me was how he closed the letter. I expected…

Craving Perspective in the Valley

[439 words] People in the valley often have little perspective on how big the mountains really are, how long the range is, or what is waiting on the other side. Isn’t it wonderful to know that whatever valleys life tries to shove us into, God has provided perspective we badly need, yes, even crave? What…

Details

[439 words] I am a “detail” oriented person. As a music director, I spent much time paying attention to the smallest of details. At least, that is what most of my students thought. They always questioned the need to repeat a section of music, or the need to do a marching formation “one more time.”…

What Does Christmas Mean to You?

[440 words] Soon it will be Christmas day. To children, it seems that day will never come. They dream about their time off from school, the presents they hope to receive, and seeing family they may seldom see during the rest of the year. These are things that make Christmas special for children, but what…

They Gave Till They Heard ‘Stop Giving’

[421 words] It was a plethora! In fact, the two lead craftsmen of the tabernacle said that they had, “more than enough for doing the work of the Lord” (Ex. 36:5). What a statement to be made about God’s people. There was work to be done, there was a godly plan to be executed, and…

Who Sees You?

[467 words] Michael was a sculptor. At age 33, he was just starting to make his mark in the art world, working on a piece for the biggest art patron in the world. So when that patron asked him to switch projects from the one he had his heart set on and paint a fresco…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Will Our Kids Tear Their Clothes?

[415 words] When I was a kid in the 70’s, tearing your clothes was a horrible event. A mother’s admonition was, “Don’t tear a hole in your jeans, or I’ll have to patch them!” It was an accidental, tragic thing, usually occurring due to a child’s negligence.  In Bible times, though, tearing one’s clothes was…

What Makes a Good Judge?

[412 words] Our nation is once again in the midst of controversy regarding the appointing of a Supreme Court justice. Those on the left and those on the right will wrangle and grapple through the process, each having their own opinions on what makes a good judge. But does the Bible have any guidance for…

Maturing in the Lord

[432 words] I enjoy doing the occasional woodworking project. It keeps my hands busy and allows extra time for thinking on life. To help improve my abilities in woodworking I subscribed to a wood magazine. I was excited to get my first issue and began the process of becoming a master craftsman! As I perused…

Fighting in Our Streets and God

[414 words] Nations reap what they sow just as individuals do. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psa. 9:17). This happens partly because rebellion against God is by nature self-destructive and partly because God providentially intervenes to chastise evil societies. In terms of the latter, one of…

The Providence of God

[472 words] We often rehearse what God has done for us in centuries now past, and such is proper. God created the world, made man, provided our salvation though Christ, and established the church. We are thankful for these mighty works of the past. Yet, we must not ignore the fact that God is still…

Bulimic Christians

[433 words] A couple of weeks ago I shared some observations from the book Point Man by Steve Farrar. The specific observation was dealing with Christians who are starving (anorexic) due to a lack of time spent in reading God’s Word and in prayer. Mr. Farrar also observes that there are Christians battling spiritual bulimia.…
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