Introduction         Although salvation is one of the easiest things in the world to do, it is also one of the hardest things to maintain. Scripture states that you are to be faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10). But what if your life is threatened? Will you still be faithful? Will you show loyalty to God and the church; even if it means you forfeit your life? Where’s your Loyalty?         Several years ago, I was in one of the store’s Friday Morning Meetings and, in addition to the standard news of sales, profits, and other things; they announced that one of our supervisors was leaving the company.         They asked him to say some words; an impromptu farewell speech if you will. And for the next ten minutes he talked about how great a company it was for us all to work for. As he rambled on, I leaned in to one of my co-workers sitting next to me and asked, “If this...

Introduction When you hear the word “Preacher” most people think of someone like Father Flanagan, Pastor Kirby, Reverend Bradford, or even Rabbi Liebowitz. In other words, the word preacher to them means a person with a title. Someone who has elevated themselves above the others for their knowledge of the scriptures. But what does the bible say in regards to the use of titles? Sitting in Moses’ Seat In Matt. 23:1-12, Jesus was talking about the Pharisees and how they loved the attention their positions gave them. As religious leaders, they took advantage of the situation by getting the best seats at meals (vs. 6), they made their garments more extravagant (vs. 5), and they basked in the glory when they were greeted in the marketplace (vs. 7). Jesus, however, did not approve of this behavior as they elevated themselves above the common man. He went on to say in vs. 8-10, “But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Chr...

Introduction         Over the last couple of weeks, we have been discussing the subject of prayer. Is Prayer pointless? And what is the Purpose of Prayer ? This week we will look at what is called the Intercessory Prayer; praying on behalf of another individual.         If you recall, the whole basis for these articles came during a discussion on Social Media. I was told by an individual that praying to God, on behalf of our leaders, is the same thing as doing nothing. I will show from scripture that this is not true. The Meaning of Intercession         From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Intercession is prayer on behalf of another, and naturally arises from the instinct of the human heart—not merely prompted by affection and interest, but recognizing that God's relation to man is not merely individual, but social. Religion thus involves man's...

Written by Christopher Mentzer and Ben Franklin Introduction There are times when I wonder what it will take to convert people to the Lord.  We preach the gospel every week, show them book, chapter, and verse of where it can be found in scripture; warn them that they might not have tomorrow; and yet, no one goes forward to answer the invitation of our Lord.   Sometimes I believe certain people expect Jesus himself should come down and get people’s attention.  Of course, if that were to happen, we’d get more that we’d expect; as that would be the end of all things (1 Pet. 4:7; 1 Thess. 4:16-17). Other people might want their deceased relatives to come back from the dead and tell them to change their lives before it’s too late. A perfect example of this is found in Jesus’ discussion of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:20-31). Let’s picks up the story in verse 27, "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's h...

Introduction         Last week we asked the question, Is Prayer Pointless? And the answer is based on whether an individual believes in God or not. We also showed that action is just as necessary and that we (Christians) don’t believe that we are simply handing over our problems for God to fix for us.         This week we look at the purpose of prayer itself and look at some of the examples that are given in the scriptures. Why Do We Pray?         The main reason we pray is to talk to God. If God is, indeed, the creator of all things (Gen. 1:1) then we have a responsibility to talk to Him in regards to our life. Whether we are thanking Him for: the air we breathe, the ground we walk on, and the people we associate with; or when we voice our concerns for things that are going on in our life; whether good or bad.         We ...

(from 2007) Introduction Sometimes you hear the phrase “white elephant’ being used for a gift exchange during the holidays. A person brings an item they really don’t want but doesn’t hasn’t thrown it away and brings it to the party in exchange for another useless item that someone else doesn’t want. From the internet, I found an origin of this phrase: “A useless and troublesome possession that one cannot easily get rid of. Legend has it that rare albino elephants in ancient Siam automatically became the property of the king. At least one such monarch gave a white elephant to any courtier who fell out of favor; the subject was soon ruined by the cost of maintaining this precious gift.” Since the white elephant was so respected by all, the elephant couldn’t be used for work; thereby, it ruined an individual financially by the maintenance of it. Are You Useful? There are times when the Kingdom of God has “white elephants”. One example of this is when a m...

Introduction         Back in November we talked about the use of social media in spreading the gospel. Today’s article has to do with a discussion that came about on social media. As I stated before, more and more people seem to become religious as the years pass. But there are those who have become more cynical or remain uninterested in religion because things don’t work out the way they want or expect them. While others become offended by the very nature of religion. Three Little Words         A friend of mine mentioned online that he wasn’t happy with the results of one of the election races and that he hoped things would still be all right. I chimed in and said, “There’s always prayer.” To which he agreed; being a fellow Christian. However, those three words sparked a debate which made us forget the election and made us defend what we believed (1 Pet. 3:15; Jude 3).     ...

(To the Non-Christian) Introduction         The following is a 200-word story I wrote from the inspiration title of “Clean Slate”: New Year, New You December 31, 2014 Harry Sorenson said goodbye to his family. “Goodbye Rachel, you’ve been good to me all year. Take care of little Mikey and tell him all about me when I’m gone.”             “I wish it didn’t have to end this way,” said Rachel as she wiped away a tear.             “It’s what Dr. Martinson wants; I have to abide by it.”             “Goodbye then,” she said. December 31, 2015             “Goodbye Grace, I know we didn’t get along well this year but I’m glad to have known you.”        ...