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The apostles had a vision problem and did not realize it. I’m not sure if there is a name for it, but I would call it “droopy-itus.” This disease had been around for several years and was widespread among the Jews of the first century. As strange as it may seem it is often found among many Christians today. John chapter four records the time when Jesus and the apostles were traveling from Judea, in the southern part of Palestine,…

If someone should ask you what the most difficult command of God is, what would you say? Would you say it has something to do with loving one’s enemy? Or being a liberal giver? Or keeping one’s thoughts pure? Perhaps these are difficult. But the most difficult command is the command to repent. Acts 17:30-31 says, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in…

When Jesus said, “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest” (John 4:35), His disciples really had trouble understanding what was being said. They were in Samaria and the apostles, because of their Jewish background, had never seen that Samaritans had souls. Jews avoided, as much as they could, any contact with this mixed race in Samaria. Jesus’ use of the word “already” shows that He saw Samaria as a field ready…

There are many religions in the world. Some are based on ancestor worship, some on philosophy, some on fabricated stories arising out of human imagination. God’s religion is based on his revealed word. A Christian’s source book is the Bible. A sad fact, though, is that many who profess Christianity do not use the Bible rightly, and some do not use it at all. A statement made to ancient Israel thousands of years ago could well apply to the U.S.A.…

In a time of sagging morals, Satan provides many rationalizations for improper behavior. Those who would live faithful Christian lives must not be “ignorant of his devices” (II Cor. 2:11). Wrong is wrong despite our efforts to excuse our actions. WRONG IS WRONG, EVEN IF YOU DON’T GET CAUGHT. From “little things” like littering the highways and breaking the speed limits to “more serious offenses” such as adultery and stealing, our society seems to think the only wrong is getting…

Sunday greetings my friends, I pray for you many blessings on this first day of the week. Several days ago I shared one of the songs I like to begin my day with, after listening to one of my favorite passages. Today, I want to share with you another scripture and another song that jumpstart my day. Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives…

“Does Jesus care when my heart is pained, Too deeply for mirth and song. As the burdens press, And cares distress, And the way grows weary and long. Does Jesus care when I’ve said good-bye To the Dearest on earth to me, And my sad heart aches Till it nearly breaks, Is it aught to Him, Does He see?” For decades this song has touched the hearts and given comfort to many. It answers this important question by saying: “Oh,…

Some might ask this question as they consider attending our worship services. While the question of course is incorrect, in that neither you nor I have a “church”, it is the Lord’s (Eph. 1:22-23). The reason they pose this question is because it is natural to enjoy being around people like yourself, so some look for a congregation filled with folks much like themselves. Some organizations are designed to include people who are alike, with similar backgrounds, abilities, education levels,…

The apprehension of a new year was captured by M. Louise Haskins in the following words spoken to the British Empire in the 1939 Christmas message of King George VI: “I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown,’ and he replied, ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light…

As one studies God and His actions down through the centuries, it becomes obvious that He has given leadership a prominent place in all generations. Whether we consider a patriarch over a family, a national leader like Moses, special judges, kings, elders, evangelists or teachers, they have all been very important to His guidance of mankind; and be assured that leadership today is still of great importance. In Judges 7, we have an example of leadership in action. Space does…

In just a few more days the big day that all the kids are looking for will be upon us. So pervasive is the influence of this holiday in our culture that Christians can hardly avoid being affected by it. To help us maintain our Christian perspective amidst all the clamor and pressures, we offer the following thoughts: Remember that Christ’s Mass is a religious holy day of human origin. See the article in the Americana Encyclopedia. Therefore, we cannot…

The NEED FOR THE BEST LEADERSHIP in the world for the Lord’s church is pointed up by some of the facts we face in the world today. The scientific study of God’s world is increasing so rapidly we are told we double our scientific knowledge every fifteen years. That means we have 16 times as much scientific knowledge now as we had 60 years ago. We are told that 75 percent of all the scientists the world has ever had…