Soldiers report a condition called the “fog of war.” It is a condition that causes one to be so concerned with immediate affairs that he loses site of the big picture. A soldier may become lost or disoriented or may behave in a way not typical. Sometimes even heinous war crimes are committed in the [...]
A rather interesting question don’t you think? After all, there are literally dozens and dozens of churches in our area and each preaches a fundamentally differing doctrine from the others. Can all of these be called churches?
Certainly society considers them churches as does the government. But our interest is in the Bible view. When is [...]
Every Lord’s Day, Christians assemble together to worship. The purpose of that worship is, first and foremost, to honor God through praise, devotion and thanksgiving and the joining together around the Lord’s table in commemoration of his death. It was, and is, God’s plan that his people join together weekly to worship him and encourage [...]
The willful disobedience of civil laws as a means of protest has a long and established history among world governments. Mahatma Ghandi, a civil organizer of the first half of the 20th century may be the best known advocate for civil disobedience. Known as the Father of India, Ghandi fought against an oppressive system through [...]
Last week preachers from across the nation used their Sunday sermons to publically endorse a single candidate for President of the United States. Aside from what one might think of the wisdom of such an endorsement, it put their congregations at odds with federal tax laws regarding the churches tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue [...]
American financial markets have struggled this week. The government seizure of key mortgage and insurance businesses and the bankruptcy of another cause great fear and trembling within that industry. Pictures of business executives wringing their hands and shaking their heads have been commonplace. One picture that stands out to me was taken in front of [...]
There are financial needs that must be met by every congregation. Those need aren’t met through some miracle but by the offerings and contributions of those who attend. To look at some you might think that anything goes in the realm of church financing but that would be an error. Jesus, through inspired writers, has [...]
Have you noticed the number of local churches working hard to raise money? This weekend a group was selling doughnuts at an intersection. Sometimes they sell nothing, only ask for contributions as you drive by. A month ago a local denomination sold fireworks from a portable building.
There is a great peace that comes from being content. It is a peace that arises from less stress and less pressure in life. It is a peace that is unknown to many but at the same is available to all people. Contentment is an acceptance of the present circumstances while working for improvement. [...]
Every week, people sit through a half hour or more of a sermon on Sunday morning and another one on Sunday evening. But some feel that they didn’t get much out of the lesson. It may seem that time could better be spent doing something else like singing or praying. Some congregations have almost no [...]