The One Thing Worse Than Being Lost

[404 words] When you read the title, you probably said to yourself, “What could possibly be worse than being lost?” Good question. Here is the answer: Being Lost Again! One of the great themes of the epistle of 2 Peter is faithful Christian living. Peter himself knew how easy it is to fall from a…

I Should Add

[216 words] Did you know that William Shakespeare wrote the hymn, “I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me?” I should add that his full name was William Shakespeare Hayes, a journalist and songwriter who was born in 1837 in Louisville, Kentucky. So I told you the truth, but left out an important…

Commands from Christ are Not Optional

[420 words] I recently received a daily devotional email sample from a denominational organization hoping I would be interested in signing up. After the devotional, they answered a question. The question was: “Can you go to heaven if you trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior but you are not yet baptized?” They began their…

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

[398 words] Robert Lowry composed both the words and music of the beautiful hymn, “Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus.” In the hymn we are asked, “What can wash away my sins?” and “What can make me whole again?” Each time we respond, “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” In Lowry’s hymn we sing of…

Inconvenient

[368 words] Power was off at the house and church building (and other places) Sunday night until about eleven o’clock Monday morning. Inconvenient! I came into work Tuesday morning ready for a day of working on sermon and class notes and found that the power had knocked out the church internet and phone lines. Inconvenient!…

Blood or Baptism?

[512 words] What saves us from our sins, is it the blood of Christ or baptism into Christ? This is a great question, one of which we should give great thought to, because our soul hangs in the balance. The New Testament speaks of those who obey not the Gospel receiving God’s wrath (2 Thess.…

Made for Another World

[160 words] C.S. Lewis once wrote, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” We know that we were made for another world. Scripture teaches it. Our own experience testifies to it. The Psalmist wrote, “As a…

United Again

[566 words] Ten months. That’s how long Dr. Anne Hampton was unable to see her father, Chris, age 87, face-to-face. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Steppes care home in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England where Chris resides, went on lockdown in March, 2020. Since then, Dr. Hampton has only been able to see her father through…

Can You Say, “Jesus Christ, My Lord”?

[394 words] In Rom. 5:21, Paul states that eternal life is through “Jesus Christ our Lord.” That threefold name of our Savior is an interesting progression that we must go through to truly have salvation in Him. Jesus. Jesus was His given name. Although it means “Savior” we have to remember that it was a…

Lost in the Woods

[377 words] Everyone who has ever spent any time hiking or hunting in the forests of our land, knows of the possibility of getting lost. Some time ago, a teenager hunting in the Rocky Mountains with his father, discovered firsthand what it means to be lost. The young man did not see game in his…

Into His Marvelous Light

[444 words] “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). I was reading this passage the other day, and a word struck me that I had…

The Christian’s Advantage

[257 words] There is not a person in the world who can live totally above sin. Paul told us in Romans 3:23 that “All have sinned” and in John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Everyone makes mistakes and fails a…

Are You Tired?

[351 words] “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue.” Job 14:1-2 reminds us life is hard and short.  This is not “news” to any of us! We are all aware…

God’s GPS of Salvation

[351 words] Our technological society has become very familiar with the “GPS” which facilitates navigating from point A to point B. When properly set, the GPS ideally prevents one from becoming “lost” when driving. I totally depend upon my GPS to navigate me through an unfamiliar city or location. I love it for the miles…

Moving the Comma

[426 words] Alexander III was Tsar of Russia from 1881-1894. His rule was marked by repression, and in particular by persecution of Jews. His wife, Maria Fedorovna, provided a stark contrast, being known for her generosity to those in need. On one occasion her husband had signed an order consigning a prisoner to life in…

Do You Need a Lawyer?

[133 words] I see billboards advertising lawyers. Do you need an attorney? Someone to plead your case. The psalmist said he did. “Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation” (Psalm 43:1). Because of sin, Satan, and unjust men we need an attorney to defend us today before a holy God.…

The Ultimate Prize

[190 words] In late 1989, Steven Covey wrote, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It quickly became a number one best seller. This book was the result of observing effective, successful people. In it, he noted that such people begin each day with the end in mind. In other words, they set important goals and…

How Bad Can I Be?

[445 words] With the winter holidays just around the corner, we will all be seeing items and hearing stories related to the season. As such, I just read about the fact that there is a website known as emailsanta.com where young ones may write an electronic letter to the North Pole. Several letters from these…

Vintage Gospel Advocate: A Call for Spurgeon to Preach Only the Truth

[353 words] Editor’s Note: Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) was a famous denominational preacher. Spurgeon collected a great following during his day, and his influence is still felt among the denominations today. The following comments regarding Spurgeon’s work and influence are from James A. Butler, a member of the Lord’s church, and were printed in the Gospel…

Whatcha Gonna Do Brother?

[289 words] It all came down to a missed phone call. Hulk Hogan, the famous wrestling star, missed a call from his agent about a possible endorsement deal. Now the story has shifted over the years, but basically, his agent had set up some potential sponsorship on some kitchen items. These companies felt a celebrity…

Useless or Useful?

[144 words] No one wants to feel useless. Onesimus was a slave to Philemon, Paul’s Christian brother. His name meant “useful.” But, Onesimus had become a runaway slave, and probably stole from his master to make his get away (Phile. 18). Onesimus met Paul in Rome in some way unknown to us, where Paul taught…

Will Jews Be Saved Without Obedience to Christ?

[546 words] The Jews, under the Old Law, were God’s chosen people. God dealt with them, and blessed them, in ways that He did not with Gentiles. But when Jesus died on the cross; that Old Law died with Him, for He “took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross” (Col. 2:14).…

Prepare to Meet Thy God

[290 words] Knowles Shaw was born October 13, 1834 in Ohio to Alban and Huldah Griffeth Shaw. At the age of 13 his father passed away. His dying words to his son, “Prepare to meet thy God.” Around the age of 18, Knowles began to consider his father’s dying words. He met two men, Gabriel…

The Worst Things That Can Happen to People

[380 words] We have all read the horror stories of terrible things that have happened to people.  The horrors of war.  The horrors of being kidnapped.  The horrors of years of abuse.  The horrors of dealing with a disease.  The horrors of addiction to drugs or alcohol.  There things are terrible.  We would never discount…

How Deep the Father’s Love

[263 words] (Lyrics By: Stuart Townsend) How deep the Father’s love for us,How vast beyond all measureThat He should give His only SonTo make a wretch His treasure. How great the pain of searing loss;The Father turns His face awayAs wounds which mar the chosen One,Bring many sons to glory. Behold the Man upon a…

Sin Has Created the Need

[260 words] Sin Has Created the Need “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”…

What We Believe

[440 words] Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). On another occasion the apostle Peter stated, “There is salvation in none other. For there is none other name under heaven given among men, wherein we must be saved’ (Acts…

There Are Only Two Ways

[295 words] Many times we hear people today say, “We are all headed for the same place, we are just going in different ways.” In a sense this is true in that we are all headed first to the Judgment. The Bible says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after…

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.…

On Becoming a Christian While Young

[575 words] As a young boy, I remember the excitement of the prospect of becoming a Christian and being allowed to take a part in the work of the church as an added benefit. All the boys and girls in the churches where I worshiped made decisions for Christ at reasonably early ages. I don’t…

Just One Number Off

[199 words] We understand the need to be exact when it comes to our daily life. Have you ever used a credit card to buy something on line? What happens if you are just one number off? You try to make a call and you miss just one number. What happened? You misread the price…

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…

Life is in the Blood

[423 words] If you have ever went to the doctor for a checkup and had a blood test done, likely you received a report that showed many results. Now, I remember from science class many moons ago that the blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to the body’s cells. But our blood carries so much more…

His Name Is Christian, But He Isn’t One

[500 words] Various and odd instances brought me into contact with a man whose first name is Christian. He had been through some trying times and needed help. In the process of things being done, I asked some of the usual background questions and in so doing received answers which seemed to indicate a possible…

Which Way Are You Going?

[271 words] Sometimes there are clues which help us to determine which way people are going. A man with a fishing pole and tackle box is going to the pond or lake; a boy with an armload of books is headed for school; a man carrying a lunch box or briefcase is headed for work.…

True Joy Was Never His

[414 words] Buck Owens has always been my favorite country singer. Throughout his career he had 21 number one songs, and 15 of those were consecutive hits. For 17 years he starred on the television show “Hee Haw,” from 1969 till 1986. In 1996 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He…

Selling the Old Collectibles

[323 words] While conversing with my father the other day we got on the subject of “collectibles.” I asked him if they (my folks) still had some of the old toys my brother and I used to have. He said they had several old toys boxed up in the basement. Turns out they had kept…

A Sense of Wonder

[418 words] One of the many joys of watching children grow is seeing the way that they approach life with a sense of wonder. They are inquisitive and want to know why things look the way they do and why they work the way they do. Then, and this is even better, they have the…

The Life of Moses

[307 words] Moses was God’s man! He delivered the Law of God, the first five books of the Bible (John 1:17), wrote a number of Psalms, and led God’s people out of bondage and through their wanderings in the desert (Ex. 3:10). Many over the years have brought to our attention that Moses’ life is…

Good News!

[217 words] The word gospel means “news that brings joy.” We often refer to it as “good news.” Writing about how gospel was used in the first century, Tim Keller provides this insight: A gospel was news of some event that changed things in a meaningful way. It could be an ascension to the throne,…