Articles by Mike Mazzalongo

I'm on a one-man crusade against the movie industry. Here's why. The rating system will give a movie an R rating for graphic violence, sex, or repeated use of the dreaded "F" word, but relegates the profaning of the Lord's name to a benign PG13 slot. It seems that blasphemy against God is less pervasive to a young viewer than common vulgarity or simulated sex. What's even more insulting is that it...

In almost every edition of the weekly church bulletin there is a call for some kind of assistance.  Sometimes it is for teachers or some person to help clean the building.  At other times, we need a member to visit the sick or bring communion to a brother or sister who is a shut-in.  Whatever the situation we are usually asking someone to give up their time and energy, perhaps even ...

With the big day upon us I offer a few reminders to parents and kids to help get us started on the right foot: Parents: You are the primary teachers Even though the schools provide instruction in the Sciences and Arts, you remain the primary teachers and most influential figures. Moses reminded parents to, "…teach your sons." Deut. 1:18 School reflects the society we live in, parents r...

This is my 55th Christmas without my father. I thought of him recently while I browned some meatballs for a spaghetti sauce we were cooking up for guests over the holidays. This was his recipe. One handed down from his father and passed on to me by my mother years after he passed away.  The pungent smell of the garlic and Romano cheese filled the kitchen and flashed back his old ritual of tas...

Recently, ex-boxing champ Muhammad Ali died, and the media is filled with praise for both his athletic accomplishments, which are richly deserved, and his "social activism." Now is not the time to bring criticism upon this man who achieved many things during his life but I noticed that there are few, if any, articles that highlight the greatest impact that Ali had on American society. More than an...

According to the pundits, the possible presidency of Trump or Hillary would be the final step in the destruction of this nation. This election has so polarized the American people that each side views the other as the agent of the apocalypse should the other’s candidate ascend to the top position in the land. The fear on both the left and right of the political spectrum is palpable as each tries t...

I have happily recovered from a nasty cold that never seemed to end. The experience led me to think about some very basic things that even the common cold can teach us. Here are seven that mine taught me:Les.#1. A 7 day cold does not last 7 days.Contrary to popular belief that you’re in and out of a cold in seven days, the reality is that full recovery is often not realized until 10 days or beyond...

The applied math site Durangobill.com explains what the recent changes in Powerball lottery rulings meant for the “players” who buy tickets.Game Rules for the new Powerball game that went into effect for the Oct. 7, 2015 game. As “game players” (“suckers”) woke up to the fact that they were throwing money away trying to win the old 59/35 game, Powerball ticket sales slumped. Thus Powerball officia...

In part one of this article I said that we sometimes don’t recognize the full implications of the punishments or rewards that come our way when choosing to obey or disobey God’s commands. In this regard I mentioned the many rewards that await one who actively pursues sexual purity.Another reward that is seldom understood is that which results from generous giving or liberality. We are familiar wit...

When I was in Junior High my English teacher taught our class how to write a “precis”. A precis is a shortened version of an essay or article that maintains the meaning of the original piece of writing. He would do this by assigning us a 500 word essay on a particular topic and once completed would require the class to rewrite that same essay in 250 words, then 100 words and finally 50 words. This...

I recently baptized our eldest grandson, Christian. He is nine years old and because of his age I had some hesitation before going ahead with his baptism. There are many examples in the Bible of people who were spiritually sensitive at an early age. Samuel was a young boy when called by God to serve as prophet (1Sam.3:1-21); and it was said of Jesus as a boy that He grew in wisdom and stature (Lk....

Pope Francis has good teeth. I noticed this about him in a picture connected with his recent visit to the U.S. This is as it should be for one who strives to be the new face of the Catholic church witnessed by the carefully choreographed Papal appearances in New York and other cities recently.He is loved by the media because he preaches on their favorite themes of climate change, the plight of the...

Concerning fathers Solomon says, Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons is their fathers. - Proverbs 17:6 There was a special celebration of belonging to and coming forth from a man you could call your father in Solomon's day. Fathers took pride in children but the writer emphasizes that children also gloried in who their father was. If a child's glory was his father, then a...

The Wednesday night service is as inconvenient a habit as you can have. You have to rush home from work and rush through supper or delay supper until late. Cannot watch your favorite TV shows. Play havoc with sports schedules, hard to tell the coach you cannot make Wednesday night games or practice. If you have kids, it means organizing them when they are tired and getting them to sleep past their...

One of our seniors suffered chest pains and had to be rushed to the hospital recently. They told her to take it easy and not do so much, she wasn't getting any younger and neither was her heart.That same Wednesday evening she quietly took her place among the saints for the regular mid-week service. No clamor, no fanfare, just a member showing up for church as she has done all her life.The moment I...

The Jewish nation of Jesus' day sought a savior who could free them from Roman authority. They molded their religious hopes around this false human dream. When Jesus came along, He had all the marks of the Savior (miracles, fulfilled prophecy) but His humble demeanor and death on the cross conflicted with their view of what the Messiah should be. In the end they chose to cling to the shadow of the...

There has been a lot of talk concerning Social Security that has a lot of folks in a lather. The government is suggesting a variety of ways to save it or make it more profitable.Some groups want to abolish it in favor of private plans, others suggest delaying retirement or having part of the S.S. payments put into private funds. With the bulk of the population rapidly approaching retirement, it’s ...

It seems that the surest way to secure your fifteen minutes of fame in America these days is to declare to the world that you’re gay. Homosexuals are literally tripping over each other in order to be the first in their respective fields of endeavor to “come out” and thereby clinch their spot in the Gay Hall of Fame. Whether it be in sports or politics, entertainment or academia, being gay now come...

The earthquake woke me up.  I was napping last Saturday noon trying to ward off a nasty head cold when the 4.5 quake, centered in Jones, OK, rattled me out of a feverish sleep.  At that same moment my wife, Lise, came to the bedroom door to inform me that Charles Branch had died… two seismic events in a single moment. Dr. Charles Branch, noted neurosurgeon, father of five, elder in the L...

The church has always relied on men who could be counted on to carry out important matters discreetly and competently. In I Cor. 16:3 Paul refers to such men who were to safely transport a money gift from the Corinthian church to the church in Jerusalem, some 800 miles away:  “...When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem…”It’s inter...