[177 words] The United States of America needs to make some serious changes toward serving God. We need to begin today to speak only kind, loving and respectful words. The faithful Christian speaks kind, loving words of appreciation to others. “Let your speech be...
[235 words] Most of us will live on the earth between 70 to 90 years. Why are we here? To fear God and keep His commandments according to Ecclesiastes 12:13. Why should be care? Because He will bring every work into judgment along with every secret things (Eccl....
[233 words] “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). Wait! Greater works than what Jesus did while He was here on this earth? There’s...
2 Corinthians 13:5 The apostle Paul told the Christians at Corinth to “examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5). What sort of Christians are we? Dead Christians. Their activities for the Lord have ceased and are in danger of being overcome...
[462 words] Galatians 5: 22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." This well-known passage commonly inspires us to set a goal of pursuing...
[198 words] A man was enjoying a relaxing day in the city park when he noticed two workers. One of the workers was furiously digging a hole. The other worker would come along after the first had finished and just as furiously fill it back in. The man stared in...
[262 words] An elderly woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the...
[401 words] When I was a kid I loved collecting and reading comic books. Several characters have stuck with me even today. Among them are a group of alien beings called The Watchers. The Watchers are beings that have great powers to manipulate time, material, and...
[362 words] The American League and National League division games in Major League Baseball have been great, haven’t they? Okay, so the Tigers didn't have the start we'd like, but there are more opportunities to win, aren't there? When one goes to a baseball, football...
[385 words] Occasionally, I see bulletins with an order of service for the Sunday worship period. They will include the phrase, 'Those privileged to serve" and follow with a list of the men who will be leading the services. I like that phrase, "Those privileged to...
[442 words] When we think of the great apostle Paul, we think of a rugged warrior for Christ – a courageous, daring, fearless man who laughed in the face of danger. After all, he was the man who got up and walked back into the town where folks had stoned him, drug him...
[374 words] This past summer, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost in the primary election. It was the first time that a House Majority Leader lost the primary election in American history. In his concession speech, Senator Cantor thanked all those who were loyal...
[640 words] One of the games my dad and I played when I was a teen was Ping-Pong. I played against my peers and generally won most games. But when I played my dad, he destroyed me every time. So, I practiced and I practiced and I practiced until one day we played each...
[426 words] When I was a small boy in North Georgia I used to hear the older folks speak of "Dog Days." I never quite understood what that meant but I got the idea it meant I couldn't go swimming for fear of catching a fever or something worse. I suppose every part of...
[321 words] "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread. hath lifted up his heel against me" (Psa. 41:9). We have heard it said that history often repeats itself, and this was certainly true relative to the circumstances surrounding...
[269 words] A lady from the city was visiting members of her family who owned a farm. As she talked to the farmer, she noticed a pig in the backyard with a wooden leg. "What happened to that pig!" the woman asked. "Oh, that's Betsy," the farmer said. "She's a fine...
[238 words] The tendency of some modern Christians is like that of our ancient brothers who received the New Testament epistle known as "Hebrews." These folks had not grown in their relationship with Christ (5:12-14); were beginning to forsake the assembly (10:25);...
[263 words] In Galatians 5:22-23 the apostle Paul wrote, "Now the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Using the analogy of fruit, Paul here describes the...
[247 words] He gave himself, making the ultimate sacrifice—dying—for others; he willingly laid down his life because of his love for the whole world. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son..." (Jn. 3:16). Jesus declared, "I lay down my life for the...
[418 words] There is this new movie, Frozen, which is a big hit with my kids, and a lot of others as well. One of the main story lines is about this princess born with great power, but she lives in fear of discovery. Her parents keep her hidden away in solitude. There...
[85 words] "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country!" This challenge, made famous during the Kennedy presidency, suggests a like principle that should guide every Christian’s attitude toward the church. We should be less...
[324 words] After completing many years as a journalist, Arthur Brisbane was offered six months of paid vacation time by William Randolph Hearst, the publisher of the San Francisco Examiner. Brisbane refused to accept the kind offer because of two reasons. He said,...
[192 words] Dr. Paul Faulkner once said, "Sometimes you have to grab your 'wanter' by your 'willer' and just get busy." In other words you must simply get up and do what needs to be done. Everything in life isn't fun, or easy, or pleasant. Who really likes to clean a...
[332 words] King David, not long after establishing Jerusalem as Israel's military, political and religious center, desired to build the Lord a house. His home of cedar was now complete, but the Ark of the Covenant still remained within a tent (2 Sam. 7:1-2). But the...
[290 words] A man who had not attended one service of the church in four years told me he had never thought of quitting the church. I reminded him that he had: (1) Withdrawn his presence from the service; (2) Refused to give his moral support to the activities of the...
[495 words] Recently I was asked why God repeated his question to Elijah during the incident recorded for us in 1 Kings 19. Before I give you my answer (opinion), let me briefly set the context for you. Elijah had just achieved great victories. He had confronted the...
[640 words] The truth of matter is that the only way to build up the church is to actively reach out—in word and deed—to the people that God places in our lives. While understanding the mission itself is not difficult, the reality is that seeking after the...
[266 words] In the old days, cities regulated downtown parking with meters. You park, drop in a nickel or dime and get some time on the meter. Then you’d go into the store and be sure to be back before the meter ran out of time. However, occasionally, you could...
[172 words] I'm enjoying watching Ninja Warriors on TV. Both men and women of all ages compete on a very difficult obstacle course that requires strength, agility and determination. The show gets you so involved that you begin to move and squirm in your chair...
[140 words] Experience is a trait that is very valuable for any organization. A person with experience in an area can usually do a job faster, easier and better than those without. However the Preacher tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:13 of a time when experience is...
[332 words] Unemployed is living without a job or without work to be completed. The national unemployment rate as of July 2, 2015 was 5.3% according to a study released by the U.S. Department of Labor. That 5.3% is roughly 8.3 million people in the United States...
[104 words] Amateur, haphazard, slipshod, hit-and-miss, inattentive, incomplete, mediocre, shallow, skill-less, unskillful, wanting. All these adjectives are ones we use to describe things that are done but not done well. It’s an attitude that is far too common today....
[203 words] “...I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1). A German soldier was wounded. He was ordered to go to the military hospital for treatment. When he arrived at the large and imposing building, he saw two doors,...
[394 words] The Impala is an amazing creature that has a vertical leap of more than 10 feet and can jump an amazing 30 feet. With such abilities, one would think zoos would have to take extraordinary measures to build enclosures to keep these nearly airborne creatures...
[459 words] “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Matt. 4:16). The world can be a dark place. “The whole world,” John wrote, “lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). Satan,...
[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...
[188 words] Apparently Japan is running out of ninjas. In the small city of Iga, the birthplace of the ancient ninja warriors, officials cannot find enough martial artists to perform for tourists, even though the job can pay up to $85,000 per year. Part of the...
[261 words] If you follow national news, you know that from time to time our leaders and representatives in Washington cannot come to terms on how to fund federal operations. This can sometimes lead to a “government shutdown,” which means many federal agencies...
[265 words] Sometimes things unintentionally fall through the cracks. We can have lots of events well-organized, well-oiled, and well-planned, and yet have a key event or responsibility go unnoticed or undone. Thus, it appears as if that part of it was unimportant in...
[489 words] People often wonder what the church can do for them. It seems that everyone wants to be part of a large congregation that has immaculate facilities, lots of activities for the young and old, children of all ages, and a large contribution. When someone is...
[297 words] Philippians 2:12-18 teaches us we how we can be light bearers for Christ while giving our all for Him. I would encourage you to read this passage along side this article. What is required of me? Paul writes that those who read his words demonstrate...
[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...
[367 words] “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the...
[140 words] Love is essential for one to be a Christian. So if we are to be a “good” (faithful) Christian then we must love Jesus. Jesus said that loving God with all our hearts is more important than any other commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). Yes, it’s even...
[229 words] The Book of Proverbs has so many wonderful lessons for us today. One of my favorite passages is Proverbs 6:6-11 wherein King Solomon said: “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,...
[313 words] Most of us “know” better than we “do.” And most of us intend better than we perform. But we feel as if time is on our side. We’ll get to it eventually. We’ll begin tomorrow. Sadly, many of us never “get to it” and tomorrow never comes. Procrastination is...
[216 words] An old Indian chief constantly spoke of the Lord Jesus and what He meant to him. “Why do you talk so much about Jesus?” asked a friend. The chief did not reply, but slowly, gathered some sticks and bits of grass. He made a circle of them and in the circle...
[200 words] One of the great things about the Lord’s church is that it is made up of such a diverse group of individuals. Each member brings unique personalities, gifts, and talents into the fold. Some have abilities to do one thing well, and others have different...
[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...
[416 words] This past week I spent a little over 45 minutes with an allergy specialist to determine if Ihave 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...