Peter spoke of those in his day who distorted God’s word and brought on their own destruction by manipulating (wresting/twisting) it to make it appear to teach things it didn’t, 2nd Peter 3:14-18. He referred to such people as untaught, unstable, and unprincipled.
I believe that a good ‘modern day’ example of what Peter was talking about is what some are now doing with a passage in Ezekiel in an attempt to defend the practice of homosexual... read all »
Paul concluded his great chapter on the Resurrection with the climactic charge: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58-emphasis mine-dk). If every member of the church, because he or she believes in the ultimate victory of the resurrection, would heed Paul’s charge, how many good and glorious deeds would be done each ... read all »
A reprint from 2003
God came to visit His people on earth. He told them. “I have only one teaching for you to observe. In every locality, I want you to put up a simple wooden fence post for me. I want you to paint the post blue.” He then admonished them saying, “I am leaving, but some day I will return to take all of you who keep my teaching about the blue posts to be with me forever.”
The Good Lord left, and immediately, posts went up ... read all »
Being privileged to go visiting a few Sundays ago, I attended church in Springfield with our brothers and sisters there. I sat behind a young mother with 3 very active sons. They appeared to be in an age range from 3 to 6 years. She struggled valiantly to keep them quiet and occupied during the service. You could tell she was doing her best to keep her ‘brood’ from disturbing or distracting anyone’s worship.
I was very empathetic toward her prob... read all »
Oklahoma state representative Sally Kern recently made the headlines when she said that the ‘homosexual agenda’ in the United States is a greater threat to our nation than international terrorism. Anyone with a healthy grasp of Biblical history ought to be able to see that her statement is right on target.
What is the homosexual agenda all about? Grossly perverse sexual practices for one thing, but that’s something they do ‘among themselve... read all »
In the congregational survey, one of the areas frequently mentioned was an improvement in our parking. Much of the concrete at the west of the building has cracked over time and has become a bit of a tripping hazard because of uneven surfaces. I am aware of two incidents in which two of our members have caught the toe of their shoe and have fallen down on the concrete. This needs correction.
Other suggestions were that it would be very helpful if the parking spac... read all »
The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian church saying:
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 3:16
One of the central themes of all holy writ, is the resurrection of Jesus. This word, coming to light in the hearts of songwriters through the centuries, has been one of the most profound sources of inspiration f... read all »
In 2nd Chronicles chapter 34 we read of a great restoration of following the ways of God. This restoration and spiritual revival was fearlessly implemented by young king Josiah over 2600 years ago when he was only twenty years old.
What did Josiah do to restore Israel, and how can we follow his lead today?
Josiah removed the things that were leading Israel away from God, vs. 1-7
• And so should we rid our homes of sensual worldl... read all »
It surely seems hard for some to get to the Promised Land! At least 603,550 Israelites died in the wilderness (Ex. 38:26; Numb. 1:46; Deut. 1:29-38). However, more of us might relate to the ones who had just conquered Jericho and headed out for Ai! When God gave Israel mighty Jericho, without the loss of a man, they quite confidently laid out plans to take the small city of Ai (Joshua 7:1-3). They did not bother to consult with God! They did not bother to see if the... read all »
Moses was on his way to the promised land with God Almighty as his constant companion, guide and provider!
But the people he was trying to help get there, grumbled, complained and rebelled. None of them ever seemed grateful for anything he did. Because of them, he would not see the promised land for another forty years. His sister, Miriam, dies and seemingly before her body had time to grow cold, the ungrateful, contentious ‘mob’ comes at him again.
... read all »
We are all familiar with cold weather and the demands it puts upon us in so many ways. But, if you had lived in the mid-eighteenth century, the only way to heat your home was with a fireplace. They were not very efficient. Most of the heat escaped up the chimney or through the walls, because in most homes the only place for a fireplace was an outside wall.
But a great American recognized this problem and invented a means to heat a mid-1700’s home. A free-st... read all »
The book of Exodus tells us how God handed Moses and Israel a great victory over Pharaoh and freed them from slavery in Egypt. It tells how they came right up to the border of the land of Canaan which God had promised to them through Abraham 600 years before. With the promised land in sight, however, Israel faltered in their faith.
At God’s command, twelve Israelite spies (one from each tribe) were sent into the land of Canaan to take a look at what God wan... read all »
A few weeks ago, we asked this church family for suggestions/comments on several areas which included worship, Bible classes, youth work, fellowship events, sermon topics, office, building & grounds, and other categories. We received responses from 22 individuals. Every suggestion/comment has been reviewed. We are very thankful to those who took the time to respond because these have presented ideas for improvements. This entire effort has been very positive bec... read all »
Snooker is a type of billiard game, said to have been invented by British troops serving in India in the late 1800’s. The term ‘snooker’ apparently originated from this game due to the fact that a novice player can be easily cheated. To be snookered is to be fooled, and snookering did not begin with a billiard game.
The devil has sought to snooker the Lord’s people ever since the Garden of Eden, which of course, is where snookering got its... read all »
One of my most fun things is to get are Christmas cards from people who compress the past year into “moments to remember”. As I write this article I am trying to recall as much as I can remember that happened to my ‘church’ family this past year. My disclaimer is this, it is as accurate as I am capable of recalling…but we all know I can hide my own Easter eggs.
We baptized 11 souls into Jesus and counted 3 persons returning to the f... read all »