How much influence do you have? How much influence do others have on you? How much influence does the television have on you? Three question that are asked now to show the power of influence. Answer each question before going to the next question. Write down your answers. Question #1: Write down the five sermons that have influenced you over your life time. Question #2: Write down the five events that have made the most impact in your life. Question #3: Write down five people that have influenced you the most in your life. Now...
Category: Obedience
If Jesus Came
If Jesus Came Would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in? Or hide some magazines, and put the Bible where they’d been? Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out? Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about? And I wonder… if the Savior spent a day or two with you Would you go right on doing, the things you always do? Would you to right on saying, the things you always say? Or would lift for you continue as it does from...Continue reading
“Are You for Us, or for Our Adversaries?”
This quote comes from Joshua 5:13 and is a good question for all of time. It is a question that one could even ask in this day and time. Joshua was asking this question of the “captain of the host of the Lord” (Joshua 5:14). He is also told to take his shoes off of his feet for the place whereon he stood was holy (Joshua 5:15). The answer then was implied for the answer Joshua got was that he was speaking to the “captain of the host of the Lord.” If we asked this...
Are You a Friend?
John 15:14-19 reads, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it your. These...Continue reading
Gambling with Sacrifice
The chicken and the pig were discussing what sacrifice means when considering the breakfast meal for humans. The chicken did not think that sacrifice was such a big deal, but the pig did. To the pig it meant total commitment but to the chicken it was just giving. Parents make sacrifices for their children. Some of those sacrifices may never be known to the children. Some sacrifices may become known later in life when the parents talk lovingly of the child’s upbringing. If those sacrifices were despised, it would subordinate them in the minds of...Continue reading
Confusing Messages
The advertising industry is big and a powerful industry. There are many proofs of this. Take for example the slogans of many products. Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, is the product line for Alka-Seltzer. “You deserve a break today” is one from a food franchise. “You can have it your way” is another one from the food industry. There are other slogans that you can think of to show which show how power this method of business. There is some well meaning but confusing messages that has been produced by these same people. Let us consider...Continue reading
Flu Shot
This is the time of year when many get their flu shot. The doctors warn many whose health is questionable to partake of this shot every year. There are those that are young who need it. There are those who are middle aged who need it. And there are those who are more mature who are to get this shot. It will do well to take this shot so that one will not get the flu. Likewise there is a flu shot for apostasy. Listen to what Paul discusses with Timothy, “If thou put the...Continue reading
There Is Nothing New Under the Sun
The writer of Ecclesiastes said, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). This was true then and the same is still true today. Consider when Eve was tempted. She “saw that the tree was good for good, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6). When Jesus had fasted for forty days He was then tempted. “The...
Charge!
When we first hear this word there may be different mental pictures develop within our mind. Paul uses this word with Timothy a number of times. There are different Greek words Paul uses that are translated “charge” in our New Testament but they have basically the same meaning. The meaning is “command.” Now go back to our pictures developed in our minds, with this meaning. A man might think of the command to charge an enemy. A woman might think of a plastic card with items to purchase. It is still a command! With this...Continue reading
Finally, Brethren!
Paul makes this statement as he is concluding the book of 2 Corinthians he states, “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mine, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11). We do not know when the last time will be when we will meet together. It may have already happen! It maybe sometime in the future; we need to be ready to say “finally.” Yet, as we think of the end of our meeting together, we must also think of...