UNUSED 14 [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...
UNUSED 14 [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...
UNUSED 6 [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...
UNUSED 1 [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...
UNUSED 5 [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...
UNUSED 1 [121 words] Dr. Vance Havner has aptly described the present generation of Christians thus: “We are a generation of proud, fussy little Christians, experts but not examples. We know too much, or we think we do. We have heard all the preachers and read all the books. It is hard these days to be converted...
UNUSED 2 [231 words] There is an old story of a census taker who was making his rounds in the lower East side of New York, who interviewed an Irish woman bending over her washtub. “Lady, I am taking the census. What’s your name? How many children do you have?” She replied, “Well, let me...
UNUSED 0 [278 words] (1) I try never to say anything behind a man’s back that would give me the least embarrassment to say to his face. (2) I try never to speak back to personal critics. Friends do not need to hear the defense and enemies would not believe it. (3) Every day I...
UNUSED 12 [424 words] You might have more in common with a diamond than you think. Scientists believe that most diamonds are made of carbon about 100 miles below the surface of the earth under tremendous pressure where temperatures reach 2000 degrees. The high heat and pressure combine to crystalize the carbon changing the arrangement...
UNUSED 6 [302 words] Have you ever caught yourself being defensive? I know I have on more than one occasion. Defensiveness is a product of our desire for justice. We want others to treat us fairly, and when we perceive that isn’t happening, we get defensive. Defensiveness is also a mechanism for self-preservation. We assume...
UNUSED 3 [205 words] “How much are you willing to pay for peace of mind?” This is the question posed by a company that makes what they are calling a “Smart Water Bottle.” It will test and then purify your water if such is deemed necessary. Sounds amazing, right? They are charging more then $200...
UNUSED 7 [268 words] The Lord’s disciples had walked into the city of Samaria to find something to eat while Jesus conversed with a woman about eternal things (John 4:7-10). When they returned with lunch and encouraged Jesus to eat, he replied, “I have food to eat that you do not know about…My food is...
UNUSED 6 [215 words] Human beings are naturally curious, but sometimes our curiosity progresses to stubbornness. For instance, curiosity causes toddlers to always have the question “why?” on their lips, but it’s stubbornness that drives the teenager to ask the same question when they are receiving orders from their parents. Whether it’s curiosity or stubbornness...
UNUSED 12 [278 words] John 17 records one of the prayers of Jesus. In John 17:15, Jesus says, “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world but to keep them from the evil one.” He goes on to say in John 17:16, “They are not of the world, even as l...
UNUSED 16 [110 words] When a loser makes a mistake, he says, “It wasn’t my fault.” When a winner makes a mistake, he says, “I was wrong.” A loser says, “I’m not as bad as a lot of other people.” A winner says, “I’m not as good as I ought to be.” A loser says,...
UNUSED 17 [394 words] In 2 Kings 5, a very familiar story of the Old Testament is recorded. Naaman was the commander of the army of Syria – an enemy nation of Israel. He was a mighty man of valor, but he also suffered from leprosy. After one of his raids, he brought back a...
UNUSED 13 [382 words] We all have gone straight to the “Help Wanted” column of the classified section of the newspaper. When I needed a second or third job, I would spend a dollar in hopes of finding employment in the Sunday edition. Most of the time, we can find work if we are seeking....
UNUSED 6 [416 words] This past week I spent a little over 45 minutes with an allergy specialist to determine if I have any specific allergies with which to be concerned. After receiving the equivalent of about 64 needle pricks, it was determined that I indeed am allergic to grass. Somewhat disconcerting, but nothing that...
UNUSED 4 [399 words] “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David...
UNUSED 5 [287 words] Romanian Constantin Reliu strongly disputes the fact that he’s officially dead. In 1982, Reliu left Romania for Turkey in search of work, and after many years of hearing no news from her husband, his wife got an official death certificate for him. Earlier this year, Turkish authorities found Constantin and deported...
UNUSED 8 [190 words] There are times when we find those around us suffering. When a friend gets the call no one ever wants to get, the diagnosis comes back worse than expected, when tragedy strikes those around us. It can be a very helpless feeling to try and provide comfort to those is the...
UNUSED 4 [188 words] In Africa it is said that there is a certain fruit called the “taste berry.” This berry supposedly can affect one’s taste for several hours. Not only is the berry itself sweet, it makes other things seem sweeter when eaten. What a wonderful fruit this must be if it really exists...
UNUSED 3[341 words] Where is your focus? This is a question each Christian must answer for himself. Christianity is not something that we do for just a little while. It is a way of life that must be lived everyday. Neither is it like a coat that we put on and take off with the...
UNUSED 2[288 words] Many of you have seen the picture of Roxanne Chalifoux, the crying piccolo player from Villanova. Just after her team had lost a three point game to underdog North Carolina State in the NCAA basketball tourney, the cameras captured her sadness on the jumbo-tron and later on national TV. I was impressed...
UNUSED 1 [130 words] This is the phrase that is directed toward someone that is acting (or speaking) in a way that does not make much sense. We have all been called (or called someone else) crazy at least once. As Christians, we are called to be just that. No, not “crazy” in the literal...
UNUSED 0 [382 words] Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the local newspaper: “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before, and he died a...
UNUSED 0 [222 words] “I’ll never attend that church again,” some people say. “There are too many hypocrites in it.” If we think about this for a moment, we may come to understand that since the church is composed of human beings, there will always be imperfection. Should we, then, condemn the church and refuse...
UNUSED 1 [155 words] It’s very common for people to ask this question: “Why do good people suffer?” Why do good people get sick, have money problems, and simply struggle with difficult times? The basic answer to these questions is that we live in a physical world and along with being physical beings we both...
UNUSED 0 [293 words] Have you ever felt alone? If so, you understand how this one emotion can create a roller coaster of negative thoughts and feelings in one’s life. We hate being alone. Sure, there are times we probably prefer to be alone; after all, sometimes you just need to get away. However, at...
UNUSED 1 [202 words] Dead Members: Their activities for the Lord have ceased. They no longer attend services, do not worship the Lord together with the saints, do not partake of the Lord ‘s Supper. Stopped studying the word of God. Do not give to further the Lord’s cause. They are in danger of being...
UNUSED 14[387 words] It is always good for a person to do regular checkups on themselves and their lives. We know the importance of this physically, mentally, and even financially. But too often we neglect to do this spiritually – and this is the most important area of all. In Micah’s day, there were questions...
UNUSED 11 [257 words] It’s been said that the hardest instrument to learn to play is second fiddle! It is a difficult role. John the baptizer seemed to play it well. He denied the references to him being the Christ by saying he was not worthy to even untie Christ’s sandals (John 1:27). Instead of...
UNUSED 10[293 words] Why is it that some Christians seem to believe that their only responsibility in reaching the lost is to live a pure lifestyle before them? Will alien sinners become Christians by simply observing that Christians refrain from things like profanity, fornication, and drugs? Will simply being kind to others convert the lost?...
UNUSED 7[341 words] I have a good friend. He doesn’t drink alcohol, thus has never been involved in any alcohol-related crimes or embarrassments. He doesn’t destroy his mind through the use of illicit drugs. I’ve never once heard my friend gossip or tell a single lie. He never wastes his time in night clubs, casinos,...
UNUSED 3[261 words] “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). My brother has worked over 35 years in a produce department. He knows fresh fruit when he sees it and he easily recognizes fraudulent freshness, too. Daily,...
UNUSED 4[226 words] “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way…” (Colossians 1:10). We love because the Lord first loved us, though we were enemies to Him and separated from Him, and sent Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for our...
UNUSED 1 [364 words] Sometimes when we go through tough stretches (often made by our own hands!), we procrastinate about turning to God. We think that because we make dumb decisions that we must always figure out a way on our own. God would help us if we would tum to Him. At least if...
UNUSED 1 [268 words] Second Timothy 4:7 has often been referred to as Paul’s valedictory: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” It has also been observed that this statement had something for every group of people in the first century. The idea of fighting the...
UNUSED 1 [243 words] The USS Thresher was a nuclear submarine that was designed to go to great depths due to its great strength. The steel bulkheads were built to withstand great pressure from tons of sea water. But, on April 9, 1963, it went too deep during routine deep-diving tests, and was subsequently crushed...
UNUSED 1 [189 words] Shortly after he opened his first plant, Thomas Edison noticed that his employees had gotten into the bad habit of watching the factory clock, which was the only clock in the plant. To the indefatigable inventor who never thought about the time a task took, this was incomprehensible. He did not...
