Don’t Break the Bank

[164 words] Ah, it’s that time of the year when we show people how much we love them…by spending money on them. I miss you Thanksgiving! Now I know when it comes to gifts, it’s supposed to be the thought that counts. But I also know that any gift, no matter how thoughtful or thoughtless…

Jesus CONQUERED Death!

[198 words] Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). A…

Don’t Forget the One Who Allows Us to Make the Memories

[202 words] We strive to avoid forgetting to make memories with family vacations, with having over friends, with watching our children grow older by going to their school and extra-curricular activities and seeing them graduate and succeed on various levels. But while we strive to avoid forgetting to make these memories, are we forgetting the…

Don’t Confuse God’s Love with God’s Salvation

[170 words] God’s wants no one to be lost—fact! (1 Tim. 2:3-4). Jesus Christ died for the sins of the entire world—fact! (1 John 2:1-2). God’s motivating factor behind the death of Jesus was salvation through love—fact! (John 3:16-17). Every sinner will go to Heaven after the judgment because of God’s love—false! (Matthew 7:13-14). There…

Do We Have A Direct Line To The Divine?

[191 words] Hillary Clinton, in a recent interview about the evolution of her view on homosexual marriage with Terry Gross, host of NPR’s “Fresh Air,” said, “One of my big problems right now is that too many people believe they have a direct line to the divine and they never want to change their mind…

You Don’t Need the Book of Mormon to Know the Truth of God

[349 words] If asked why it took approximately 1,800 years after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the book of Mormon to be revealed the Mormons will respond by say ing that the world was not ready for the truth. But is that true? Was the world living without the truth, the…

The Value of a Godly Grandparent

[119 words] Godly grandparents are an uncommon commodity. They share the one thing that each new generation needs—advice learned through experience. Few parents like to be told how to raise their child, but advice asked for and advice needed is two different things. When it comes to advice needed, godly grandparents need to do three…

Jesus is THE Prophet of God

[208 words] Moses told the people of God that a prophet was coming – a prophet whose words would carry with them a weight that would be remembered by God for all eternity (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; John 12:48). This coming prophet would continue to be the cornerstone, central focus and continuing hope for the people of…

How Will You Sleep?

[80 words] You’ve probably been asked, “How did you sleep?” But what about, “How will you sleep?” when it comes to death. We can sleep peacefully in Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:14) or we can sleep miserably in our own bed of spiritual failures only to wake up on the wrong side of eternity (Mark 13:34-37).…

Making Melody in Our Hearts to the Lord

[233 words] Sing, sang, sung or singing when it comes to worshiping God through it, it’s a verb no matter how you say it. Worship in song is not meant to be entertainment any more than prayer, preaching or partaking of communion. It’s meant to have a purpose, a direction and a result: from us…

Looking for What Can’t Be Seen…Yet

[456 words] A common theme with God’s people–and by that I mean people who were living in and going after a right relationship with God–all throughout the Bible was their yearning to see something that they couldn’t see at the time that they wanted to see it. They had a hope that looked forward to…

Think Before You Drink

[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 you drink!…

Did The Water Earn It For Them?

[112 words] Read Exodus 14. Now, did the use of water earn the children of Israel their freedom from Egyptian slavery? Read Exodus 30:17-21. Now, did the use of water earn the priests the right to serve within the Tabernacle? Read 2 Kings 5:1-14. Now, did the use of water earn Naaman his cleansing from…
Clock

You Have 24 Hours

  [92 words] Odds are that the vast majority of you who are reading this have more than 24 hours to live. But what are you going to do with the 24 hours that you have? Are you going to…  • give a word of encouragement?  • mend broken bridges?  • help someone in need? …

What Can You Say About Matthias?

[152 words] Everything that can biblically be said about Matthias is basically found in Acts 1:20-26, that being: Matthias had a great interest in spiritual matters, since, although not mentioned by name, he was present all throughout the various situations we read about in the gospels, and if not anything else, that alone shows great…

You Do Good by Thinking of Others

  [168 words] “…And so we went toward Rome. And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.” (Acts 28:14-15) When’s the last you “traveled” to “Appii Forum” and “The Three Inns”…

Freedom from Sin: Before or After?

  [105 words] Read Exodus 14:9-31 and 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. Now, when did Egypt lose their power over Israel? Before or after Israel was baptized into Moses? When did Israel find their freedom from bondage? Before or after they were baptized into Moses? How did Israel end up receiving their God-given freedom from slavery? By…

‘Get a Ph.D. in Knowing Me’

[124 words] It’s hard to believe, but there was a time other than today when higher education abounded yet so many remained ignorant of the simple principles of life – to be brutally honest, many such times have existed throughout history. Such a time even existed during the days of Jeremiah the prophet. Jeremiah preached…

10 Reasons to Take Our Salvation Seriously

[46 words] Ten virgins (Matthew 25:1). Nine lepers (Luke 17:17). Eight survivors (2 Peter 2:5). Seven wicked spirits (Luke 11:26). Sixth seal (Revelation 6:12). Five yoke of oxen (Luke 14:19). Four winds (Matthew 24:1). Three barren years (Luke 13:7). Two masters (Matthew 6:24). One talent man (Matthew 25:28-30). May the Lord help us to count…

When ‘Magor-Missabib’s’ Disguise Themselves as ‘Pashur’s’

[172 words] In Jeremiah 19, God’s prophet was instructed to warn the people of Judah and Jerusalem that, because of their unrestrained sin and stubbornness, a harsh, but just, judgment was coming. Despite the clarity of the message which spelled doom for the unrepentant people there were leaders who promised peace, and who also treated…

The Offensiveness of the Gospel

[168 words] For millennia the gospel of a crucified savior has offended people, and it continues to do so to this very day. Some are offended at the suggestion that a crucified savior was the actual Messiah of the Jewish people. Some are offended at the suggestion that a crucified savior was the prophesied and…

Washed or Wet?

[73 words] Intentions make a difference between getting washed and getting wet (Matthew 3:7-9). Purpose makes a difference between getting washed and getting wet (Acts 19:1-5). The origin of the act makes a difference between getting washed and getting wet (Matthew 28:18-19). The result makes a difference between getting washed and getting wet (Acts 2:38).…

Boost Your Budget by Missing Worship?

If you miss worship on the first day of week does that mean your pocket has a little extra in it to spend the rest of the week? If you answer yes, you have the wrong answer. Giving as we have been prospered means exactly that – giving as we have been prospered; not giving…

You Can’t Have a Rainbow Without the Rain…or Can You?

You can’t have a rainbow without the rain is the old saying. But is it true? I guess it depends on where you’re at. If you’re talking about life on Earth, the saying definitely holds water. Cloudy days and storms are the norm in mankind’s life (Job 14:1). Rich, poor, man, woman, young, old, red,…

Persistent and Passionate Prayer 

  [329 words] To pray or not to pray was not a question King David struggled with. David wrote in Psalm 55:17, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” Persistence was one of David’s goals when it came to prayer – is it one…