HOW WERE YOU BAPTIZED? An English dictionary defines baptism according to how the word is currently used in the religious world, not according to its usage in the New Testament. However, even an English dictionary will tell us that the word “baptize” came from a Greek word which had the meaning of “dip, immerse, wash.” […]
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Never Go Back
We can learn much from the life of Abraham. One event in his life that instructs us is his search for a wife for his son Isaac (Genesis 24). After the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham called his chief servant and charged him with finding Isaac a wife. Abraham makes his servant promise that […]
Bible Study
Let’s discuss a topic we all have struggled with. How many times a day do we eat? Some start out with breakfast or coffee, second is lunch and third is dinner with a snack later. Food is energy that keeps our bodies working properly, but how many times a day do we feed our spiritual […]
Unexpected Visitors
For as long as I have been preaching, when it is around holiday time, I will hear some tell me that the reason they weren’t at church services was because they had “unexpected visitors.” This explanation is usually offered without any shame or embarrassment, indicating that in their way of thinking, their behavior was totally […]
I Can Do That!
It’s easy to become overwhelmed at the thought of a big assignment or a difficult challenge. Sometimes the contemplation of a long and hard task makes us weary even before we begin. In such instances it can be helpful to break the job down into smaller, ‘do-able’ segments. As these manageable ‘bites’ are accomplished, the […]
Second Mile Religion
There are two classes of men: those who act only when circumstances force them to do something, and those who gladly volunteer to act regardless of circumstances. One says: “What do I have to do?” The other says: “What may I do?” One is always looking for a way out of his duties. The other […]
A Better World
The following words seem especially fitting to our time and to the craziness lately gripping our country: “My favorite poet was Aeschylus. And he once wrote, ‘Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace […]
Are you sanctified?
“In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures” James 1.18 NASB 1995). In James 1.18, we learn about our identity as believers and what it means to be a new creation in Christ. James, the […]
Memorizing Scripture
It was Mr. Powell’s sixth grade class, and the plan was for a special celebration of Lincoln’s birthday. I was tall and skinny, and with a stove pipe hat made of construction paper and a fake black beard, I made a pretty fair ‘Abe Lincoln’. My assignment was to memorize the Gettysburg Address and recite […]
A Beauty Contest
It is obvious from America’s beauty contests with swimsuit and evening wear competitions that most people think of beauty in terms of shape and size. If there is a talent competition the winner is the one who is the most entertaining. So, it really interested me to hear of the “Miss Senegal” contest in Africa. […]