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I’m All Petered Out
by Jefferson David Tant The sun was sinking, and the day’s work was done. The farmer shut off his tractor, walked to the house, and into the kitchen where his wife had his coffee waiting for him. As he sat, he wiped the sweat off his brow and said, “I’m all petered out.” Niels Frederik…
Read MoreI Believe in God
by Jefferson David Tant Although our nation is declining in its religious values, many still believe in God. And if you ask the average person if they believe in God, they will probably give you an affirmative answer. In fact, in a pleasant conversation I was having with a woman who was serving me some…
Read MoreAn Ordinary Christian
by Jefferson David Tant Do you know any “ordinary” Christians? Let’s define the word before you answer. As an adjective — “With no special or distinctive features; normal.” As a noun — “What is commonplace or standard.” Synonyms include — “common, usual, regular, normal, habitual, customary.” One man was told his name had been mentioned…
Read MoreObscenity and Profanity
by Marc Hinds I was ten years old in 1982 when I went and saw Steven Spielberg’s science-fiction blockbuster, E. T. It was the first time I remember hearing foul language. To make matters worse, it was a teenager in the movie who said it. While I was shocked, my parents were horrified. Over the…
Read MoreChoices (Weliever)
by Ken Weliever The other day Norma Jean and I discovered a quaint little breakfast spot on North Redington Beach, The Sweet Sage Café. It’s a combination café, gift shop, and boutique with a beautiful outdoor garden. After a delicious breakfast, we began browsing through the gift shop reading some of the clever plaques. Many…
Read MorePerfection or Perseverance?
by Ken Green “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy…
Read MoreGod’s Mornin’
by Whit Sasser Cameron S. Smith tells a wonderful story. It is about the only white person in the state of Georgia buried in a cemetery reserved exclusively for African-Americans. This man had lost his mother when he was just a baby. His father, who never married again, hired a black woman named Mandy to…
Read MoreThe Epidemic of Internet Pornography
by Art Adams Biblical Insights, July 2007 Cyberspace has opened an exciting world of enjoyment, business, educational, and networking opportunities. However, what exists in cyberspace via the Internet is merely a clone of the real world and real-time. The Internet can be used as a tool for growth or a weapon for destruction. The choice…
Read MoreHas the Media Desensitized Us to Sin?
by Jason Moore Biblical Insights, July 2007 Yes … and no. It is so that the media fills the airwaves with programs, movies, music, ads, games, and even news reports of sexual indulgence, sexual perversion, sexual innuendo, violence, irreverence, godlessness, shamelessness, and other deviant and damnable behaviors. It is true that every form of human…
Read MoreThe Authority of the Apostles (Johnson)
by Mike Johnson Many acknowledge the authority of God and Christ but do not accept or understand the authority of the Apostles. Some people today say we only need the words of Jesus to guide us. Some who take this position place a great deal of emphasis on the red-letter edition of the Bible —…
Read MoreThe Value of Positive “Peer Pressure”
by Greg Gwin I wasn’t ready to do it yet. I really didn’t want to get started at it. But, my neighbor had already mowed his grass two times, and my yard was looking pretty shabby. I figured if he mowed a third time before I mowed the first time, it would really make me look bad. So, even…
Read MoreThe Homosexual Agenda
by Jim Deason Biblical Insights, July 2007 I have heard it said that you can cook a live frog by placing him in a pan of water at room temperature then slowly but steadily increase the heat until the deed is done. I have always been skeptical of that tale (and have never been so…
Read MoreWhat Is Your Life?
by Fanning Yater Tant (1908-1997), 1955 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). “What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appears for…
Read MoreWhy Jesus Died
by Matthew W. Bassford How do you convict a sinless man of a crime serious enough to warrant His execution? It might sound like a logic puzzle to us, but for the chief priests, it was a serious problem. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they determined that He had to die. However, they…
Read MoreWhat Are Shepherds For?
by Jefferson David Tant We might assume that a 1st grader could answer that question. “Well, Duh, shepherds are supposed to take care of the sheep.” And that’s the correct answer. And how can one be a shepherd if there are no sheep? But just how do shepherds take care of their sheep? The Bible…
Read MoreThe Abortion Debate
by David Lanphear Biblical Insights, July 2007 Public debate about abortion has raged for decades. When Roe v. Wade altered the legal landscape for the unborn in 1973, the issue moved to the forefront of political discussion and activism and has not yielded its position. Abortion is a hot button topic for Presidential candidates and…
Read MoreWhatever Happened to Modesty?
by Denise Bowman Biblical Insights, July 2007 Modesty has been an issue for man since the beginning of time (Genesis 3:6-7). Isn’t it amazing that Adam and Eve, who were husband and wife and alone in the Garden, understood the need to cover their nakedness, and yet it is sometimes such a stumbling block for…
Read MoreAbounding Through Many Thanksgivings to God
by R. J. Evans We are so fortunate to live in a country that realizes the need to set aside a special day of “Thanksgiving.” Our nation celebrates this holiday on the fourth Thursday in November — this coming Thursday. However, as Christians, every day should be a day of “thanksgiving” because we have innumerable…
Read MoreA Young Soul Winner
by Jefferson David Tant “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19) Nancy Harber was only 14 (well, almost 15), and at this young age had already experienced one of the greatest joys of…
Read MoreWhat Is Your Legacy?
by Jefferson David Tant An old saying says there are only two things that are certain — death and taxes. And there is much truth in that. 😊 Something in today’s paper got my mind thinking about one of those certainties —death. And what about death? The word “legacy” came to mind, so I looked…
Read MoreThe Changing Morals in America
by Sewell Hall There was a time when the leaders of our country unashamedly proclaimed their trust in God. George Washington said, “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters.” Similar quotations…
Read MoreThe Battlefield: Your Family
by Mark Broyles Biblical Insights, July 2007 “And there arose another generation after them, who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). How could that happen? How could Satan get such a position of strength among God’s people in such a short time? The nation…
Read MoreSpreading the Word: Is Noah Our Last Resort?
by Floyd Chappelear Stand, October 15, 1993 If one were to ask what the purpose of Jesus’ coming to the earth was, what might we answer? One might say it was to establish the church and that answer would be acceptable because Jesus did come in fulfillment of prophecy; which included the establishment of the…
Read MoreTV and Religion
by Floyd Chappelear Stand, October 1993 I would like to add some thoughts concerning the way television networks treat the subject of religion. Numerous surveys have shown that “at best” the media treats religion as if it were an unimportant, insignificant part of people’s lives in spite of the fact that when surveyed the majority…
Read MoreTV May Be Bad for Children!
by Floyd Chappelear Stand, October 1993 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he …” (Proverbs 23:7). Image by Vidmir Raic from Pixabay Learned thought patterns can lead to sociologically unacceptable behavior, liberals have finally learned. According to an article by Mike Woods (Scripps Hoard pl; j News Service), “some kids spend more time watching TV…
Read MoreDarwin — the Father of Evolution, Racism, and Abortion
by Jefferson David Tant The world has changed since Charles Darwin concocted the idea that we have all evolved from the slime in a primeval swamp. In many ways, the development of scientific achievements has been a great blessing to us in the way of the comfort of living and other advances. But there is…
Read MoreJesus, the Light of the World
by Matthew W. Bassford In writing his gospel, the apostle John often likes to group Jesus’ “I am” statements with events that define that characteristic. “I am the bread of life,” follows the feeding of the 5000, “I am the resurrection and the life,” precedes the raising of Lazarus, and so on. This certainly is…
Read MoreCan We Pray Ever to Jesus?
by Terry Wane Benton This question is asking us to discern whether there is a pattern in scripture so restrictive that it never allows us to say a word to our mediator (a strange restrictive pattern that allows everyone to usually talk to their mediator or advocate but not in this case) or say a…
Read MoreObedience to God
by Paul Southern via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 10, August 1952. The subject of obedience is an important theme that should engage the thought of every responsible person. Rebellion against constituted authority seems to be a trait inherent with mankind. On every hand, we witness infractions of constitutional, statutory, and social laws. Hence, it…
Read MorePride in Our Culture
by Garry Floyd “And the LORD said to me, ‘Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, “Hear the words of this covenant and do them. For I solemnly warned your fathers in the day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to…
Read MoreThe United Church of Christ Is Not of Christ
by Kent Heaton The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “But thou shall say unto them, This is a nation that obeys not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receives correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth” (Jeremiah 7:28). The news unfolds daily how a nation once built upon the fundamental teachings…
Read MoreJust as I Am (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer Just as I am without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me. And that Thou bids’t me come to Thee O Lamb of God, I come. by Charlotte Elliot I have long thought that “Just as I am” is a beautiful, inspiring hymn. While I don’t know that it…
Read MoreComforter or Counselor?
by Matthew W. Bassford Translation is an art, not a science, and this is true even of translating the Bible. We cannot hope to establish a one-to-one correspondence between words in Koiné Greek and English so that one is an apt translation for the other every time. Instead, translators commonly are presented with several different…
Read MoreThe Bible’s Impact on Language
Many common phrases in American English have their roots in the Bible. Tell which book of the Bible each quote or allusion comes from: All things to all people Cast the first stone Doubting Thomas Eat, drink, and be merry Forbidden fruit Man after his own heart Salt of the earth Woe is me Writing…
Read MoreNew Testament Word Search
New Testament Word Search by Netagene Kirkpatrick R L U K E I W S N A I S E H P E O P T R P E T E R N E N I W H L I H H A G C I A S E M A J S I I V…
Read MoreChimney Corner Scriptures
sent by Vince Limburg There are many phrases in our language that we just “know” are in the Bible, but when we look they aren’t there. Which of the following are from the Bible and which are just a chimney-corner scripture? By the skin of my teeth All men are created equal An idle mind…
Read MoreCan You Find the Books?
OK, biblical scholars, folks who need to tear their hair out, and those folks, who have absolutely nothing else to do, here is a puzzle for you. There are thirty books of the Bible in the paragraph below — not all 66 books, only 30. See if you can locate them. Here are some hints:…
Read MoreBible Trivia (Relationships)
What woman’s advances were spurned by a handsome young slave? Who had three hundred concubines? Who deceived a man by substituting the bride’s older sister on their wedding night? Who said, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing”? Name two men who passed off their wives as their sisters. Who received the nickname…
Read MoreBible Trivia (In the Home)
He might not have been a baker, but who said “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Oops! Who broke three hundred pitchers in one night? Momma always told you, but who got into trouble because they did not wash their hands before eating? Who slept on an iron bed that was over 13 feet…
Read MoreBible Trivia (General Questions)
Though people refer to the Bible by this name, the name is not found in the Bible. What is the name? How did Elisha make iron float on water? What is the shortest verse in the New Testament? What is the shortest psalm? What is the longest verse in the Bible? Which books in the…
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