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…

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…

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…

The Word Of God Is…

[286 words] Powerful: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

A New Car! (Just Kidding)

[202 words] A few years ago some friends and I attended the Fort Worth Stock Show. There a local radio station was having a drawing to win a truck. A girl from our group decided to fill out as many entry forms as she could. Turns out it worked!  The next week she gets a…

Thanksgiving Leftovers

[156 words] The Thanksgiving holiday is over and most of us are having leftovers until the food is gone. While we enjoy family and friends during such days, the significance of giving thanks to God every day is far more important than any earthly joy we receive from such a one-day event. “Behold what manner…

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…

Hold The Mayo

[245 words] “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8). Have you ever noticed the clever slogans at fast food chains? The concept each restaurant seeks to portray is that the customer is in complete and total control. For example, Burger King invites customers…

Stirring Waters

[372 words] Many times in my life the calm waters have been stirred. Stirring waters are signs of change. When the water stirs the course of time may be altered. One might be called upon to make some remarkable changes in their life. There was once a man who could do nothing to change his…

Credibility from Mountaintops

[363 words] There are many people who look on those who are religious as naïve, that is, people with good intentions, but devoted people deluded by ideas not based in reality. Though this is hardly the case, it matters not; some just choose to think this because they desire to live in accordance with what…

‘My’ Religion

[565 words] A famous country singer told how she got religion. When she was a child, her mother said the Holy Spirit told her that her daughter had a special gift. When she grew up and started singing, she said the gift had to come from God because she didn’t get it from her mother…

Honest Heart, Open Bible

[161 words] It takes two things to go to heaven. Those two things are an honest heart, and an open Bible. The fog of religious confusion and division makes finding true Christianity difficult in our day. We did not want nor cause the denominational division of our day; we were just born into a world…

We Have the Manual

[232 words] “Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born’” (Judges 13:8). I still remember the feeling when the hospital let us leave to take…

Emptying the Ocean

[361 words] When I was a young preacher student at International Bible College, now known as Heritage Christian University, I had the great privilege of sitting at the feet of a man by the name of Basil Overton. Brother Overton was in his mid-sixties and had been preaching since he was 14. He had a…

The Quran

[531 words] Last month marked thirteen years since radical adherents to the religion of Islam organized an attack against our country. It is hard to believe that it was that long ago. However, militants such as these continue to dominate the headlines. Groups like the Islamic State and Boko Haram seek to strike fear in…

Context Can Keep You From Drowning

[487 words] It is possible to twist the scriptures, particularly those portions which are harder to understand, to one’s own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). Satan misuses scripture to cloud the thinking of those he wishes to lead astray (Matthew 4:6), and he certainly has not gone out of business in the information age. We have…

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…

Destructive Weapons

[150 words] Bombs are destructive weapons of warfare. A hand grenade will not kill as many people as an atomic bomb but it is still deadly. Land mines are destructive even though they are hidden from view. Peter uses the word “destructive” when he describes false teachers (2 Peter 2:1). Peter is writing this to…

The World’s Most Important Book

[188 words] What was billed as the world’s most expensive new book went on display in 2008 at the New York Public Library. There are more expensive old books, but this is a new book produced by the Italian publisher Marilena Ferrari. Its cost: over $100,000! The book depicts the life and work of Michelangelo,…

Find True Power

[364 words] People often look in the wrong place to find real 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…

Read Kant

[310 words] My graduate philosophy instructor was a newly minted PhD, and he was an expert in Immanuel Kant. A well-informed, thoroughly devoted expert. His seminar on the German philosopher was, of course, excellent. His cardinal rule for our class was simple: Read Kant. Too many instructors present philosophy and philosophers through the writings of…

Hungry? Really?

[458 words] “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet” (Prov. 27:7). When you are full you don’t want anything else to eat. Even a delicious dessert has no appeal. If you are really hungry, however, you will eat what you can even if it is something…

How Gullible Are We?

[254 words] A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26, 1997. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.” And for plenty of good reasons, since: 1. It can cause excessive…

More

[274 words] Solomon knew what he was talking about when he said, “Much study is a weariness of the flesh” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). One of the challenges of Bible study/reading is staying awake and alert while you read. Jesus gave some encouraging words that may help with that problem. At the conclusion of the parable of…

God’s Desire to Bless All Men

[316 words] Psalm 67 is a beautiful passage that summarizes several powerful promises concerning God’s relationship with man. The chapter reads as follows: “God be merciful to us and bless us. And cause His face to shine upon us. That Your way may be known on earth. Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples…

Why Do You Love the Bible?

[129 words] I was asked this question at one time. How would you answer it? Of course there are a variety of reasons to love the Word of God, but what would be on your list? Here are a few reasons that I love the Bible: 1. It teaches me how to be saved. 2.…

Book of God 

  [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 necessary.…

By the Root 

  [313 words] Growing season for most things in gardens and flower beds is winding down. That means less weed pulling! This preacher remembers a weed in Georgia that we nicknamed “Monster Weed” because it grew very quickly, developed thorns and had a root system that made it nearly impossible to pull up by the…

The Indestructible Word

  [197 words] Many have tried to destroy the Bible. In a.d. 303, the Roman emperor Diocletian issued an edict to destroy Christians and their Bibles. Over a burned Bible, he built a monument on which he wrote the words, “Extincto momene Christianorum” (the name Christian is extinguished). Twenty years later, Diocletian was dead and…

The Truth

  [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 to…

Potholes

[192 words] Do you ever get upset with potholes? You know, life is often referred to as a journey with potholes. We begin our journey at birth. But much of our early life is dictated by someone else. Babies do not have to worry about potholes, a wrong turn, or any bumps in the road.…

Leaving Your Bible?

  [507 words] My father and mother used to carry a Bible to church with them every Sunday. My brothers and sisters and I, when we were old enough to read, were given a Bible so we could do the same. We didn’t leave the house without our Bible because my father would surely tell…

Power of the Scriptures

  [66 words] The story has been told of a South Sea islander who proudly displayed the Bible to a G.I. during World War II. “We’ve outgrown that sort of thing,” the soldier said. The native smiled back and said, “It’s a good thing we haven’t. If it were not for this Book, you’d have…

How to Remember How Many Books Are in the Bible

  [40 words] How many letters in the word “Old?” — 3 How many letters in the word “Testament?” — 9 There are 39 books in the Old Testament. Multiply 3 x 9 and you get 27. There are 27 books in the New Testament. via Findlay church of Christ Sparta, TN… This content is…

Doing it Right

[374 words] From the book of Exodus comes a great example of doing things right. In chapters 25-29, God gives Moses instructions concerning how the tabernacle is to be built. Many specific directions are given, and God emphasized the importance of following them exactly: “According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern…

Perils to the Soul

[322 words] Have you noticed the growing fascination that some have with other people’s perils? They pay good money to watch stunt drivers jump a string of cars, or a tightrope walker make his way across a tiny rope 200 feet above the pavement. We marvel when someone unnecessarily puts himself at risk. The greatest…