Judgment

Warning!

[154 words] 9:00 a.m., 1:42 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9:40 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. During the course of April 14, 1912, the R.M.S. Titanic received six warnings concerning icebergs. She received the last warning only 40 minutes before her collision. Six warnings! All of which were ignored! As a result, 1500 passengers and crew…

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”…

The Haste of the Hermandads

[438 words] In the 1100s, in an effort to protect travelers going from northern Spain over the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (Dogs of God, Reston, 50), a military force known as the hermandads (“the brotherhood”) was organized. Soon, these vigilantes spread across Spain and offered themselves as protectors of roads and merchants.…

Proper Fear

[329 words] It seems as though the world is talking about the Ebola virus right now. Many are in a panic. Many are terrified. Proper fear can be a good thing. Recognizing something to be a threat is good. Formulating a plan to stay safe is good. Putting the safety plan into action is good.…

What If Jesus Had Returned Yesterday?

[342 words] The title of this article is a question of no little importance. And when we reflect upon Jesus’ own words that “many” will choose to walk the way of eternal destruction and that “few” will ultimately make it to the gates of Heaven (cf. Matthew 7:13-14), this question becomes even richer in significance.…

Am I Your Enemy…?

[393 words] (Galatians 4:16) …if l encourage you (as a young adult) to work through emotions and look realistically (as much as possible) upon the person you are about to marry? …if l note your sincerity and effort in serving Christ and compliment you at every chance I get? …if I take note of your…

Have I Waited Too Long?

[368 words] Tuesday morning I went to get the oil changed in my car because it was long past due. So I finally woke up early one morning and drove to Wal-Mart to have them take care of it. As I sat and watched the men prepare to work I noticed one of them shaking…

Polar Vortex

[336 words] Climate change activists have seized upon the recent frigid temperatures to promote their ever-evolving theory of “global warming.” They claim that this “polar vortex” is further proof that our climate is changing and that if drastic measures aren’t taken soon to reverse it, the world as we know it will be destroyed. I…

Watch!

[303 words] To “watch” is to be on the lookout, to be alert and vigilant. “Watch” is a constant admonition in Scripture. In addition to other words translated “watch,” the Greek word “gregoreo” appears 22 times in the New Testament. God wants us to watch, but for what? Many of the admonitions to “watch” have…

Reality Check

[184 words] “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). If we were to video tape ourselves for a day, would the viewing of that tape be consistent with how we perceived ourselves? Watching the tape…

The Perfect Day

  [385 words] Most of us have some idea of what it would take to make a perfect day for us. Solomon gave us a key consideration that leads to the perfect day. As he invites his readers to pursue wisdom, he warns against walking in the path of the wicked. In contrast to that…

Out of Options

  [418 words] l don’t know about you, but l have a hard time being told what to do. l feel as though, being an adult and overall responsible and trustworthy, l should not have to be forced to comply to any command or request of anyone walking the face of this earth. If and…

Tap to Snooze

[510 words] I generally use an Apple iOS device as a wake-up alarm. When the alarm sounds, text appears on the screen of my device and gives me this option: “Tap to snooze.” All I have to do is tap the screen of my nifty device and I’m right back to my comfortable, peaceful sleep…

Judgment Day Excuses That Won’t Work

[287 words] We can imagine that on “the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6), there will be many excuses. Let’s consider some. “But, Lord, what about all of the good that I have done?” This sounds like Matthew 7:22, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord have we not…done many wonderful…

The Coming Disaster

[389 words] The internet buzzes with sensational predictions of looming disaster. Titles read, “Collapse of the Dollar,” “Food Shortages Ahead,” “Polar Icecaps Melting,” Hyperinflation on the Horizon,” “Terrorism on the Rise” and so on. YouTube especially has numerous videos telling how to prepare for the imminent and abrupt end to life as we know it…

A Judgment Worse Than The Flood Looms!

[325 words] “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth… ” (Gen. 6:5). Before moving in judgment against the most evil and corrupt society in history, God commanded Noah to build an ark. It soon became a symbol of life and salvation to the few who believed God. Even though…

Are You On the Lookout?

Back in my high school days, I had some friends who convinced me to be a monitoring judge for a road rally. There was a course set throughout the county for contestants to decipher clues and then drive down certain roads ending up back at a designated place. The judges were strategically placed in secret…

Are You Ready?

One of the questions that is asked frequently in my house is, “Are You Ready?” It is a question of preparation that always comes before something that is about to happen. This question is asked before we do a number of physical things: before leaving the house, before bedtime, before meals, before school, before sports,…

Who Will The Lord Find Watching?

“Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he comes shall find watching…” (Luke 12:37). Fanny J. Crosby’s grand hymn is based on the above passage. Watching is an important spiritual exercise denoting a perpetual state of vigilance and readiness (Matthew 26:41; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Colossians 4:2). It also denotes a constant condition of soberness…

He Was a Very Meticulous Man

[143 words] He always took his trash to the curb on the day it was to be picked up. He never let his grass grow above two inches tall. He paid his bills a week ahead of time to avoid late fees. He never had over two cups of coffee in the morning. He washed…

What a Day That Will Be!

[211 words] Some years ago Paul Harvey reported that a poll indicated just 27.4 percent of the people in this country attend worship services at least once a week. That’s slightly more than one-fourth! There are many legitimate things such as illness, health, necessary work, and other things that can prevent us from attending worship.…

When the Time Is Ripe

  [470 words] We often wonder what the world is coming to; just how long will evil progress in our world? The Bible ought to be at the forefront of our focus when we have such questions. That God wrote the Bible is evident from many of its characteristics, one of which is its controlled…

What If Jesus Had Returned Yesterday?

[347 words] The title of this article is a question of no little importance. And when we reflect upon Jesus’ own words that “many” will choose to walk the way of eternal destruction and that “few” will ultimately make it to the gates of Heaven (cf. Matthew 7:13-14), this question becomes even richer in significance.…

The Judgment Seat of Christ: Looking For Loopholes

One of the most popular entertainers of the Vaudeville era was W.C. Fields (1880-1946). While Fields could make audiences roar with laughter, he was certainly not a Christian and made no pretense of his disdain for the Bible. Thus, it came as a great shock when one of Fields’ friends, visiting him in the hospital…