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The apostle Paul, after making his defense before the Roman governor, Festus and Jewish King Agrippa, and in response to Agrippa’s statement about “almost” being persuaded tells Agrippa” I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains” Acts 26:29. If we could superimpose our own names for Paul and wish that all could become as we currently are, what would…

My wife and I have a date every Tuesday for lunch. We usually grab a bite to eat at one of our local establishments. As we left one restaurant, we noticed that if we filled out a survey, we could get a free sandwich. I started wondering whether a person could survive just by filling out surveys. My wife said, “Try it!” I said, “No.” I have filled out a survey on occasion to get free food, but I don’t…

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” That was a very common taunt when I was growing up. It helped the one saying this phrase that it is only words being used. It does not mean the insult is true. But… words have power. A constant barrage of words can change the way I think about myself and my worth. Consider the word- JUST. Just is define differently by the way it is used…

We often use this time of year to notice some things in our personal life that need to change– good or bad. We take the opportunity to restart or revamp our daily schedule and daily habits. It seems like the perfect time to do so. While our physical bodies and life need to be addressed from time to time, so does our spiritual life. We are given that opportunity each time we meditate in the Word of God. Today let’s…

Imagine this: you walk into a fast-food restaurant and order a hamburger, fries, and a coke – the all-American meal! But then, you notice that it seems to take an unusually long time to get your food. Finally, the gal at the counter brings up your order – piles of food on three separate trays! “What’s all of this?” you ask. “Well,” answers the waitress, “it’s one of every item on our menu. Your bill comes to $85.68.” You protest:…

I really had no clue that I was going to die today. I hadn’t scheduled it or set a reminder. It wasn’t something I had even been thinking about. Yet, here I am, dead. I knew eventually it would happen, but not like this. I had wanted to go peacefully in my sleep at some undetermined but appropriate age—at an age when I had all my affairs in order, nothing left undone or unsaid. I wanted to go out with…

I try to do as the Apostle Paul did, to preach the whole counsel of God.” I try to preach that every man ought to love every other man on this Earth; that if there is any answer to the racism we find in the world, it is in the religion of Jesus Christ; that the gospel has the great purpose of drawing all men into one body, that we may all be one in Christ, no matter whether you…

Just a few years ago no member of the church known to me would have contended that humming would be acceptable in Christian worship. Yet, some time ago I received a phone call from a preacher in another state; and during our conversation, he stated that he was disturbed that a well known song director had recently visited in his section of the country, and while there participated in a worship service, during which he sang a solo while the…

The Bible says that we should “Pray without ceasing” (1Th.5:17). Those prayers can be “effective” (Jm.5:16) – or, by implication, ineffective. One thing that is necessary to make our prayers effective, is to pray in faith (Jm.1:6). In fact, if we don’t pray in faith, we need not expect an answer from God (v.7)! But what does it mean to pray in faith? What kinds of things are involved in this admonition? Let’s examine some of them here. We must…

Some seem to have the idea that the Bible is only a book for preachers to find a text in. I have known some preachers whose sermons showed that is what they thought. They selected a text and never got back to it or else paid no attention to its context. Preachers have no monopoly on understanding the Bible. Preachers gain a knowledge of the Bible in the same way as anyone else, through study. It is a mistake to…

Where did God come from? Most everyone knows the Christian’s response to this question: “God is eternal. He did not ‘come from’ anywhere.” Although atheists may think that this answer is unscientific and merely an attempt to avoid the question, in truth, observation and reason declare otherwise. The question “Where did God come from?” (or “What caused God?”) assumes that God had a cause. However, by definition, an eternal spirit (“the everlasting God”) cannot logically have a cause. Asking about…

A young set of parents were discussing how they wanted to raise their child. They ultimately settled on the fact that they would let the child make his own choices- good, bad, or indifferent. They figured that the child would probably make some good decisions and some bad ones. They also thought as the poor choices were made, the child would learn from that and change. So, through the years, the child never brushes his teeth, never ate well, nor…