It may have been one of the most impressive funeral processions of all antiquity. There were chariots and horseman. There were the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. All of the house of Joseph, and Joseph’s brethren, and his father’s house, except for the small children. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
“Money is in some respects like fire;” once quipped, P. T. Barnum. “It is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master.”
Indeed many have been burned by an inordinate love of money. By their greed. Their selfishness. Their pride. And by their hard-heartedness.
While most preachers don’t relish the idea of talking about money or addressing the issue of giving, the Bible says a good bit about our attitude toward money. And the proper use of money Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Remember the Ukrainian born comedian Yakov Smirnoff who began his career in Russia, then migrated to the United States? He’s actually still performing in Branson.
When Smirnoff first came to the US he said that he was not prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in grocery stores. “On my first shopping trip, I saw powered milk. You just add water, and you get milk.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Did you receive any Christmas cards this year? Did you send any? Regardless, you’ll chuckle at this story.
Waiting until the last minute to send cards to 49 of her friends, a woman rushed into Wal-Mart picked up a pack of 50 cards with a cheery “Merry Christmas” greeting.
In her haste to get them mailed, she hurriedly signed the cards without closely reading the message inside. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
After preaching the first lesson introducing his sermon series on “The Sins of the Saints,” a sister chastised the preacher as she left the building.
When he asked her why she was upset about the sermon, she replied, “The sins of Christians are different from other people.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Isaac Watts was an 18th century English minister and hymn writer, who had become dissatisfied with the songs and quality of singing in British churches.
In his book, Then Sings My Soul, Robert J. Morgan credited Watts with ‘inventing” what he called “the English hymn.” Watts, however, had his critics, including minister Thomas Bradbury who called his songs “whims instead of hymns.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
Several years ago the pollster, George Barna, wrote a book entitled “What Americans Believe.” It contained his annual survey of the values and religious views of our citizens.
Those interviewed were asked, “Do you agree strongly, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat, or disagree strongly with the following statement: There is no such thing as absolute truth; different people can define truth in conflicting ways and still be correct.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Sunday our family visited the Skyview Church in Pinellas Park where Charles Murray serves as one of the pastors as well as a preacher.
His sermon text was from Psalm 136 on the topic of “Thanksgiving,” which is a wonderful passage for us to ponder prior to our American Thanksgiving Day. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
Bob Russell, a Kentucky preacher, recalls a class when his 5th grade Bible class teacher told about a King who was looking for a new chariot driver.
Three men sought the job and were taken up a winding mountain road to a dangerous precipice. As a test of their driving skills they were each asked, “How close could you drive your chariot to the edge of this cliff?”
The first replied, “I think I could bring the wheel of the chariot within six inches of the cliff.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
There’s an old saying regarding Biblical interpretation that “a text taken out of context is a pretext.” In other words, it speaks to the perils of proof texting, making the Bible say whatever you want it to mean.
In today’s passage (highlighted in Mark Robert’s 5 Day Bible Reading program this week) many have lifted verses from this section to apply them in ways Jesus never intended regarding the work of the Holy Spirit. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
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