Have we ever procrastinated (put off) doing something, because that something makes us so uncomfortable to the point that we become afraid of the outcome? (Matthew 25:18,24-25).
In Genesis 2:7 KJV, we read, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” When reading those verses, I am reminded of God’s perfect work in our lives. He turned dust of the ground into something […]
One day, a good brother complained that the sermon had the whole congregation disturbed. This was found to be highly exaggerated, but it does point up one interesting fact. We all, in one way or another, resent being disturbed. If we are resting, if we are busily engaged in a very useful work, or even […]
If we’ve ever visited a large zoo, we are saddened when we see the majestic eagle confined to a cage. It’s very difficult to see these God-created birds just sitting on their perches day after day, for they were created to soar to great heights — to dance among the clouds — not to be […]
There is a warfare going on between you and Satan. Therefore, it is essential that you know your adversary and what he is after. The apostle Paul urged the saints in Corinth to be on guard, “to keep Satan from gaining the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his designs” (2 Corinthians […]
This morning at approximately 9:30 a.m., MST, my little miniature dachshund dog, Abbie, was put to rest by her veterinarian. She was experiencing multiple health problems, including two tumors and congestive heart failure. Thus, it was time for her to be put to rest. She was a faithful and loving companion to my wife and […]
In our daily walk, we see the importance of having a name that belongs to us for legal purposes. For example, when we write our name on a legal document, it means something, no matter if we are endorsing a check, signing a contract, or signing a car title. If we’re a government employee at […]
The Lord’s church often passes through different stages of spiritual development. For example, the church at Thyatira was improving, though plagued with false teaching (Revelation 2:19-20). The church at Sardis was past its prime — it was already dead, spiritually speaking (Revelation 3:1-3). Paul does brings out some good points regarding the church at Corinth (1 […]
The formation of a natural pearl begins when a foreign substance (such as a grain of sand) slips into an oyster between its mantle and shell, irritating the mantle (see illustration).
Anyone who has undergone any kind of adversity, knows that adversity tests whether or not we will turn tail and run or stand up to life’s challenges as people of faith (cf. Acts 4:1-21; Acts 5:17-41). One might think that the opposite of adversity is prosperity, but that’s not so. Rather, prosperity is a character […]
The title of this devotional might be confusing or perhaps even misunderstood. Let me explain. As I was reading Psalm 46:10, God inspired David to write, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Have we ever gone to the store to buy a needed item, later to discover we already had the very thing we wanted — tucked away and forgotten?
There’s no question in this writer’s mind that our present-day secular educational system is being “dumbed down” by secular humanists in our schools. My question is, are we “dumbing down” our young people in the Lord’s church, and as a result, “dumbing down” the Lord’s church?
The following linked article provides us with some good information regarding the question, “What Is Love?” True biblical love is expressed in Romans 15:1-3 (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:24; Philippians 2:1-4), where Paul emphasizes a selfless committed love. See also the principle of the Golden Rule in Matthew 7:12 (see commentary). The characteristics of agape love […]
In a time when David was being pursued by enemies who were seeking to take his life, he cried, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest” (Psalm 55:6). When we’re facing pressure, mistreatment, or hardship, we often wish we could sprout wings and fly away — […]
Many religious people have concluded that the bottom line in any matter of faith, is personal preference. To them, choices about churches and their practices should be made upon the basis of what suits the individual.
In Luke 9:23, the text reads: “And he said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Brother Edwin Crozier, preacher for the Brownsburg congregation in Brownsburg, Indiana, provides us with the following interpretation of the above verse in this […]
While growing up on a farm back in the 1940’s, I experienced similar times to Wendell Ingram, who wrote the following article entitled, “High Profit Pecan Trees.” As Mr. Ingram states in his good article regarding conversing with our family:
Have we ever been stuck in an foreign airport four thousand miles from home due to flight delays caused by inclement weather? While most of us would find such an inconvenience intolerable, one man experienced God’s providence in his delay. As he waited out his forced stay, he looked for opportunities to connect with his […]
While taking my morning walk, I observed a penny on the concrete walkway. I thought about bypassing the penny, but then returned and picked it up, for we never know how valuable that one penny might turn out to be. The penny incident reminded me of the following poem, written by an unknown author (source):