During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, a postal clerk by the name of George Wilson, robbed a federal payroll from a train, and in the process killed a guard. The Supreme Court convicted him and sentenced him to death by hanging. However, because of public sentiment against capital punishment at the time, a movement began […]
Generally speaking, few people enjoy following someone else. However, if there is to be any successful group effort, someone is going to have to take the lead. This implies that everyone else in the group must be willing to follow the leader. Being a successful follower is far more difficult than one might think. Successful […]
A querist asks, “Is the “book of life” an actual physical book, or a representation of some sort of list (or metaphysical thing such as God’s tally sheet), or is it figurative?”
The blood of Christ should cause the Christian’s mind to focus on the “incarnation” of Christ (Philippians 2:8; cf. Hebrews 2:14-18; Hebrews 4:14-15). In thinking of Christ’s death, Christians should be motivated to (1) think about the atonement Christ made for all mankind through the shedding of His blood at the cross (cf. Hebrews 9:12-14) […]
The success of Satan cannot be effectively measured by the number of Christians who have rejected righteousness for sin — although many Christians have fallen into this trap. Satan’s real success story is found in a Christian’s ‘tolerance of sin.’
More than just “interesting reading,” the Old Testament provides many spiritual lessons helpful to us today. One such lesson is found in Nehemiah 8:1-12 regarding our attitude towards the hearing, understanding and application of God’s Word.
America has become a land of “instant” everything. One can purchase instant soup, instant coffee, instant iced tea, instant mashed potatoes, and countless other instant items. The advent of the microwave oven also has increased this demand for instantaneous fulfillment. No longer must hungry consumers wait thirty minutes for a meal to be prepared; now […]
At one time or another, most of us have attended a dinner or reception where place cards are on tables with our names on them. Years ago, I remember my wife and I attending such a dinner, where I, along with other employees from a major gas pipeline company, was being honored with a plaque […]
A querist asks, “In Revelation 2:6,15, we read about the “deeds” and the “doctrine” of the Nicolaitans. Just who were the Nicolaitans, what were their deeds, and what was their doctrine?” The word, “Nicolaitans” means “destruction of people.” They were a sect or party of evil influence in early Christianity, especially in the seven churches […]
According to a February 26, 2003 Harris Poll, 31 percent of people do not believe in Hell (see tables). Many folks (even those who consider themselves religious) seldom consider what it will be like to be lost in Hell. Hell is a subject that the devil would like for us to forget about, but Jesus […]
In the great parable of the compassionate Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), we see illustrated three basic rules of human conduct. The first two of these rules are based on “selfish” attitudes toward our fellow man. The remaining rule is based on a “selfless” attitude toward our fellow man. Let us illustrate the three rules:
The above article title was also the headline of an article from an online newspaper I recently read. A church in Houston is opening a full-service McDonald’s restaurant inside the building complete with a drive-through window. It’s expected to open in July along with the church’s NBA regulation-size basketball court, a volleyball court, full locker […]
In today’s fast-paced society, a lack of sleep is a major issue for many people. A lack of sleep upsets the body’s biological rhythms, causing mood disorders and depression. However, like every other problem we face in life, God’s word provides a solution for folks who can’t sleep.
An American tourist in Paris, who purchased an inexpensive amber necklace in a trinket shop, was shocked when he had to pay quite a high duty on it to clear customs in New York. This aroused his curiosity, so he had it appraised. After looking at the object under a powerful magnifying glass, the jeweler […]
The story is told of an out-of-towner who drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Fortunately, a local farmer came to help with his strong horse named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, “Pull, Nellie, pull!” Buddy didn’t respond. Once more the farmer hollered, “Pull Buster, pull!” Buddy […]
In 1 Corinthians 9:27, the inspired apostle Paul wrote, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” The Holy Spirit’s teaching of “self-control” in the life of the apostle Paul can be further illustrated in […]
The following well-written article was written by Brother Arnold Kelley, preacher for the Laurel congregation in Laurel, Mississippi. You can find his article in the April-June edition of “The Magnolia Messenger” on page 9. In his article, Brother Kelley emphasizes our need to think about the fact that every day we live, might be our […]
In the context of Matthew 6:19-21, our Lord is emphasizing that we place what we value in heavenly things, rather than in earthly things (cf. Colossians 3:1-4). He then states this unchanging truth:
If you were to go up to someone on the street and ask them what one needs to do to be saved, they would probably respond, “I believe…” You could probably ask that same question to someone in the Lord’s church and receive the same kind of answer, “I believe…” You might be wondering what […]
The story is told of an elderly woman in her 90’s who one day decided to tell her life story to her preacher who wanted to know about the difficulties she had experienced during her long lifespan. She told him of the many trials and tribulations she had faced — the loss of her spouse […]