Posts from 2020

“On Sale, NOW!”

The holidays are almost over. Everyone will soon be settling back into a rhythm that will take most people through the remainder of the winter and through the first part of spring. However, every day I check my “junk email” account, I see hundreds of email subject lines from hundreds of different companies such as this: “Christmas sale! You don’t want to miss this event.” “Treat yourself NOW!” “Don’t miss an EXTRA 40% off year end.” After months of Christmas…

Home, Sweet Home

The headline reads, “Archaeologists Believe They’ve Unearthed Jesus’s Childhood Home (Popular Mechanics, December 1, 2020).” Professor Ken Dark has been credited with making what has been described as “an astonishing find.” It seems that after 14 years of examining a particular dwelling in modern-day Nazareth, Professor Dark has become convinced that it is the house in which Jesus was raised. It’s interesting to note that a convent of nuns carried out excavations at the site from 1888 until the 1930’s,…

An Important Question

The question asked in Psalm 116:12, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?”, could only come from the lips of humans. Humans alone are endowed with the ability to be concerned about gratitude and its obligations Two thoughts might be considered in regard to that question. They are telling when we relate them to ourselves. GOD’S BENEFITS Do we acknowledge God’s “benefits” toward us? Some spend more time complaining about what they do not…

Philippines Mission Letter: November 2020

Click/tap for full PDF Dear Brethren, May the gracious and merciful Father in heaven continue to watch over you and your loved ones. Our whole province of Pangasinan is placed under modified general community quarantine for the rest of the year. In our town, those who are 15 to 65 years old are allowed to go out, provided, that the minimum public health standards such as the wearing of masks and the maintenance of social distancing protocols are observed. Public…

They Gave Till They Heard “Stop Giving”

It was a plethora! In fact, the two lead craftsmen of the tabernacle said that they had, “more than enough for doing the work of the Lord” (Ex.36:5). What a statement to be made about God’s people. There was work to be done, there was a godly plan to be executed, and the people were right there with what was, “sufficient to do all the work, and more” (Ex. 36:5). How does that happen? The Lord committed a charge. Through…

Peddlers or Preachers?

“You have no desire to help anyone as a preacher. You just want to get rich off of us!” As a preacher, the apostle Paul had to defend himself against those who accused him with words like the above statement. As a preacher, it hurts when accusations are made like that. In fact, he had to confirm his work and apostleship again to some of the very people he had helped and converted (2 Corinthians 2:14 -3:3)! Notice some things…

Your Example Matters!

It’s not just the doctrine, it’s the examples! While in the midst of the study of Daniel, we have been deep into the prophecies of chapters 7-12 for the last several weeks. The whole book reminds us of the chief doctrine, “God rules in the kingdoms of men” (4:17), but Daniel’s life (and the lives of his friends) are examples of what a steadfast confidence of that fundamental truth looks like. Said another way, Daniel is exhibit A for this:…

Philippines Mission Letter: October 2020

Click/tap for full PDF  Dear Brethren,  May our loving and caring Father in heaven keep you and your loved ones strong and healthy, both physically and spiritually.  We are so thankful to the Lord for protecting us from the devastation of the typhoon that hit our country recently. During the typhoon, our whole province was under signal number 2 bringing moderate rains and winds. My family and I and the brethren here are doing fine. Please pray for the people…

What’s in the Mix?

Years ago, when the Betty Crocker Company first began selling their cake mixes, they offered a product which only needed water. All you had to do was add water to the mix which came in the box, and you would get a perfect, delicious cake every time. It bombed. No one bought it and the company couldn’t understand why, so they commissioned a study which brought back a surprising answer. It seemed that people weren’t buying the cake mix because…

When Small Fires Become Big Fires

A few weeks ago, I was burning the wood from two trees that had to be cut down. I’d piled the wood as far from any other tree as possible, but the fire was so hot that a branch about 30 feet above and off to the side of the fire started to smoke in several places. Even though I was spraying water on the fire the whole time and had wet down the nearest trees, the heat continued to…
News

Worship Option in the Annex

The elders want to inform the Graeber Road family of an additional opportunity for “in-person” worship. We realize there are members of our congregation who are unable to gather in large groups without masks for a number of reasons. Because of this situation, we will provide a “live feed” during our worship and Bible class times to the church annex located on the south side of the building. We will also provide a dedicated entrance and exit to this area…

Consider Job

Feeling sorry for yourself? Is it because of the “inconvenience” you have had to suffer during recent days? Wouldn’t honesty force most of us to say that is about all we have experienced? The question God asked Satan two times (Job 1:8, 2:3) might be worth thinking about if you are feeling sorry for yourself. Remember how it began? “Have you considered My servant Job. . . ?” Why should we consider Job? For one thing, we will see a…