Robert Jackson used to tell the story about a man who showed up one Sunday to worship in more formal, liturgical church than he was used to attending. The church was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. That made it all the more obvious when this visitor got excited about something the minister said and he shouted out “Praise the Lord!” Continue reading
Praise the Lord!
IT’S FRIDAY. BUT SUNDAY’S COMING! Faces Around the Cross: A Temple Servant
He was not a major character around the cross. His place in sacred history is reserved for Bible trivia. His name is only mentioned once in the Bible. In the History Channel’s movie, The Bible, we see his face quite often. He is correctly pictured as the servant of the High Priest. Ironically in one scene Caiaphas, The High Priest, requests that the servant keep his ears open for any disruption caused by this man Jesus.
The servant’s name? Continue reading
Filed under Cross, It's Friday. But Sunday's Coming!
Was America a Better Place in the 1950’s?
The death of Annette Funicello this week has sparked nostalgic reflections of the 1950’s and 60’s by many of us baby boomers. She was an iconic figure, one of the original “ Mouseketeers,” in the Mickey Mouse Club that aired from 1955-1958.
The America of that era was a more innocent time. A simpler time. A wholesome time. But was America a better place in the Fifties than it is today? This question was asked by Bill O’Reilly to Monica Crowly and Alan Colmes. That segment followed Bill’s talking points where in part he made these observations. Continue reading
She Did What She Could
LeRoy Brownlow, in one of his devotional books, tells a great story about a little lady in a small Northeastern town. Next door to her humble house was a vacant lot. It was untended. Growing only weeds. And was worrisome eyesore.
One day an idea occurred to her that would solve the problem. She decided to turn the lot into a vegetable garden. She would give away the produce to help needy people. What she didn’t use or give away, she would sell and give the money to her church.
Her name for the garden? God’s garden. Continue reading
Filed under Ministry
Rekindling Spiritual Enthusiasm
Last night Norma Jean I joined 74,326 pumped-up fans who watched the championship game of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament between Louisville and Michigan. Well, not from the Georgia Dome! But from our home.
The game was exciting. Both teams played with passion. The fans were boisterous. The coaches were high-spirited. The announcers were exuberant. The game and everything around it could be described in one word “enthusiastic”!
Yet none of this mattered. At least that’s what Dr. Keith Ablow said on Meghan Kelly’s American Live yesterday on Fox News. Continue reading
Filed under Life
Word of the Week: Truth
A businessman was interviewing applicants for the position of divisional manager. He devised a simple test to select the most suitable person for the job. He asked each applicant the question, “What is two and two?”
The first interviewee was a journalist. His answer was “twenty-two.”
The second applicant was an engineer. He pulled out a calculator and showed the answer to be between 3.999 and 4.001.
The next person was a lawyer. He stated that in the case of Jenkins v. Commr. of Stamp Duties, two and two was proven to be four.
The last applicant was an accountant. The businessman asked him, “How much is two and two?”
The accountant got up from his chair, went over to the door, closed it then came back and sat down. He leaned across the desk and said in a low voice, Continue reading
Filed under Word of the Week
AWESOME!
Friday night Norma Jean and I joined several friends from our Hickman church family for a meal in Overland Park, Kansas, at a restaurant called Wil Jenny’s. It was our first visit there. In fact, I had never heard of it. So, trying to get some recommendations, I asked the server about two or three menu items. Naturally he said they were all good. But then he surprised me by saying, “The meal loaf is awesome!” Really? Continue reading
Filed under God
Help and Hope For the Heavy Heart
Though written 3,000 years ago, the collection of Psalms are timeless as they address the human condition. They speak to hearts that are heavy with sorrow, consciences laden with sin, and spirits that are crushed by outside circumstances often beyond our control.
So, what can we do? Read Psalms 56-60. They provide wonderful insights and answers. Here are five things from these Psalms that will help and offer hope. Continue reading
IT’S FRIDAY. BUT SUNDAY’S COMING! Faces Around The Cross: The Political High Priests
“In looking at the faces around the cross, which do you think was the most sinister? On whose shoulders above all others rests the responsibility for this supreme crime of history? Whose hands are the most stained by this innocent blood? ”
These questions raised by Clovis Chappel, a preacher of the early 20th century, are interesting and intriguing.
Was it the betraying Judas? The denying Peter? The cowardly Pilate? The clamoring Jewish crowd? The suborned witnesses? The brutal Roman soldiers? Continue reading
Filed under Cross, It's Friday. But Sunday's Coming!
Does it Matter What We Believe?
In a Peanuts comic strip, Linus and Charlie Brown are engaged in serious conversation.
“I have a theological question,” says Linus, “When you die, and go to Heaven, are you graded on a percentage or on a curve?”
“On a curve, naturally,” Charlie responds.
Linus is clearly puzzled and asks, “How can you be so sure?”
Cheerfully Charlie answers, “I’m always sure about things that are a matter of opinion. Continue reading
Filed under Religion, Uncategorized
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