Articles

Happiness is a state mind we can either choose or reject. Blessedness however, is a state of being conferred by God and is not dependent on how we feel. To see the difference between being blessed and being happy, just consider the behavior of the Israelites in ancient times. They cried out to God (Exodus 2:23-3:9) and hearing their cries he freed them from slavery. What a blessing, right? Well……....

One of the most obvious places where our devotion to Jesus should be apparent is our place of worship & Bible study. Well over two hundred of us meet here and we have several meetings each week. Things can get messy, but you & I can easily do something about that. “Somebody” needs to put my songbook back in the rack. There are upwards of 170 of them in our auditorium along with around 60 Bibles an...

God expects men to lead: Bible writers consistently refer to God as maleGod sent his Son through whom he created the worldGod fashioned the man first and the woman to help himThough Eve ate first, sin is traced through Adam – Romans 5:12-14All angels appear as maleGod addressed the Patriarchs rather than the MatriarchsAbraham was promised a son The 12 tribes “of Israel” were named of their fathers...

King Hezekiah was considered in the sight of God. In 2 Kings 20:1-11 we read that the king of Judah had fallen ill and was at the point of death. Isaiah came to the king and told him to get his house in order because he would not recover. Upon hearing this news, Hezekiah turned to the wall, wept bitterly, and prayed this prayer to God: “Now, O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in ...

Six wonderful young people with diplomas, now ready to move on with life! Remember the three Little Pigs? Sure, you’ve heard the story. Three pigs leave home to go out into the world on their own. Each one builds a house; one of straw, one of sticks, one of bricks. When the wolf shows up the only house that is safe is the one made of bricks. Straw & sticks are cheap & quick. We like cheap & quick....

Well, he wasn’t my dad at the time, but a young serviceman who flew a B-17 over Europe, was shot down and spent the last months of the war in a POW camp. Many others did not fare so well. Following are a few of dad’s notes from his log regarding some of his friends and fellow airmen: “November 29th, 1944 - primary target Ensbruk – accurate flack - ship (aircraft) 6652 direct hit in bomb bay. None ...

When we think of the word ‘obedience,’ we often think of having dominion over something. Like telling a dog to sit or lay down, or leading a horse by nudges and clicks, or even telling our children to do something. The idea we most often think of is, “Do what I say, when I say to do it.” Although this is an accurate representation of a type of obedience, this idea does not cover the full intention...

For the first time in 24 years, The Christian Chronicle has started to re-design it’s newspaper “look”. Some of the changes include taller & thinner pages and new style headline & text fonts. Like anything that introduces change, there are people who do not like the new changes. One such person’s opinion concerning the masthead was featured in the letters to the editor. The gentleman says that he ...

If you met Jesus’ bride, what would you do for her? He bought her with his life and put his Spirit within her. To do her good is to do Him good. Those that love Jesus love His bride. Because of Jesus I count myself privileged to be in her presence, to serve her and protect her from those who would do her harm. Unity is her preservation. Jesus prayed for her unity as He was going to the cross in he...

#10 – Don't need special clothing or haircut to be a member. #9 – No killing of others necessary. #8 – Men and women equal. #7 – No special perks for clergy. #6 – Founder is always alive. #5 – Teaching is always relevant. #4 – Lifestyle is always adaptable. #3 – Converts receive new life, not just new religion. #2 – Salvation is by faith, not human effort. #1 – NO MORE DEATH! “...the mystery which...

Luke records these two Godly people meeting Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus in the temple at 2:21-38. Simeon, informed by God’s Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s anointed, took the baby boy in his arms and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the pr...

What makes one bold? In my experience, boldness comes from conviction. If I am convicted by something, I am able to be bold about that thing because I not only believe it to be true, but also know morally, it is the right thing. I discipline my children, not because I have to, but because I am convicted in the belief that if they are disciplined properly, they will grow up to be respectful adults....

Closing the door on an empty shed. It had a bunch of junk in it. Our junk. Many things that held sentimental value that were difficult to let go. Why do many of us wrestle with letting go of such things?I have known all my life that this earth is not my home, this body will not last. I am confident that my mom will be one of the first to greet me when I cross over, but I still keep a card she sent...

Have you ever heard anyone say that they hated music? Not a certain type of music, but all music? I don’t think I have, although there are people out there who do not derive any pleasure from it, the numbers of people who have no connection to music is far outweighed by those that do. For so many, music is the thing that moves and touches our inner most being. Music can be the escape we need, a so...

Justin Martyr was a Samarian Christian who lived in the second century. He was a Platonist philosopher who was converted to Christianity and became a strong defender of the faith. In one of his works, “Apology of the Christian Religion”, written in around 150 AD, he describes a typical Christian worship service of that day. “On that day which is called after the sun, all who live in the cities or ...

Good morning! At the end of this bulletin article, you will find a link and a QR code. If you choose to scan the QR code with your smartphone, or type the link into your Internet browser, you will be directed to a YouTube video of a baby crying. This video is ten hours long. You might be thinking, “Charlie’s lost his mind!”, but please consider this thought with me before the elders carry me away....

We hear the phrase, “God works in mysterious ways.” all the time. We may even use that phrase ourselves. One of the benefits of having the biblical accounts is that we get to see how God works and His ‘mysteries’ are revealed right before our eyes. Take Saul for instance. A well-educated Pharisee of Roman birth, proficient in the knowledge of the Law of Moses, well spoken, highly thought of, and C...

Today’s technology is filled with marvels. A regular guy holds in his pocket a state-of-the-art camera, multiple means of media communication, advanced global satellite location capability, the means to buy and sell with the press of a finger, a whole plethora of ways to entertain himself and much more. Yes, technology has truly changed the world in many ways. But it has not changed everything. Th...

In Luke 7, Jesus is invited to have a meal with a Pharisee. While Jesus is reclining at the table, a woman who is known in that city as a sinner came to Jesus, fell at his feet weeping and began to wash his feet with her tears. As she is weeping, she cleaned and dried Jesus’ feet with her hair and after they were clean, she kissed and anointed his feet with the perfume from her alabaster flask. It...

It seems that there are three elements that help identify the "modern" church. One is a focus on music in worship. Orchestras, choirs, even drama with music are a must if a church is to appeal to today's church goer. Another is the preoccupation with the miraculous. People want to go to a place where God reveals Himself to the congregation through healings, tongues, and a sure vision and knowledge...