I began rereading the New Testament tonight and was particularly impressed by Matthew 3:8 - "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."
If we have repented of our sins and have been saved, are our lives outwardly demonstrating what we have proclaimed to believe? Are our words and actions bearing witness to the One in whom we say we have placed our faith? Do we claim to have repented of our sins yet conduct ourselves in an unrepentant fashion? Are we nominal Christians with no outward...
While recently reading through Matthew 8 & 9, the emphasis on faith stood out to me – the faith of the leper (8:2), the faith of the centurion (8:5-13), the lack of faith of the disciples (8:26), the faith of the dead girl’s father (9:18), the faith of the bleeding woman (9:20-22), and the faith of the two blind men (9:27-29). In these two chapters alone, faith is mentioned in at least six instances. Later, in chapter 17, Jesus teaches that, even with a small amount of faith, we can move...
The commemorative 1972 Centennial Edition of my hometown newspaper, the Watauga Democrat, contained an article titled “Circus Leaves Girl in Boone Cemetery,” and, from the time I was a boy, I was intrigued by the story of Rita Sheridan, whose broken tombstone now lies flat in the Boone (North Carolina) City Cemetery. News articles from the Watauga Democrat in 1908 and 1912, as well as census and other records, provide additional details of the story.
Rita was born circa 1877. Her maiden name...
"...be quick to listen, slow to speak...." (James 1:19)
Have you ever listened to a friend in need as they shared some concern with you and, even though you didn't say anything in response, they thanked you at the end of the conversation for your helpful advice?
Oftentimes, people just need a sounding board...someone to bounce their innermost thoughts off of. In fact, I am convinced from my own experience of being on both ends of the conversation that one of the most basic human needs is to be...
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds." (James 1:2)
Say what?? Think of trials as pure joy??!! Isn't that going a bit overboard? How many of us respond to the trials of life this way? It seems very much against our human proclivity to do so. Who wants trials? And when they come, who likes them? Yet, James instructs us to change our mindsets and to think differently about the tough times. Why? Because, as he goes on to share, trials test our faith and...
Something that has been on my mind for the past week is the underestimation I sometimes give to my salvation. Although I do realize that salvation is a blessing and I am very thankful for it, I occasionally find myself wishing God would bless my life additionally in this way or that way or thinking that if He would only grant me X, Y, or Z, my life would be so happy and complete.
Of course, it is natural to want many/all of God’s blessings, great and small, and in every aspect of our lives....
1 Thessalonians 5:14 – “…BE PATIENT WITH EVERYONE.”
Among the characteristics for my Myers Briggs personality type is patience. Wow! That sounds pretty good. I have been told that I am a patient person, but the reality is, like anyone else in our fast-paced, automated, drive-through, smart phone, convenience-oriented world, I definitely have my impatient moments. Those are most often rooted in selfishness and particularly rear their ugly heads when the actions and behaviors of others interfere...
Last night I watched part of an interesting documentary, "Our Nixon," produced by CNN. I can't attest to the complete accuracy of the film's portrayal of President Nixon and his administration, but no one can deny that Nixon had really bad moments, particularly during the Watergate scandal - times where his language, demeanor, attitude, and actions seemed completely opposite of his public image. Tape recordings of his Oval Office telephone conversations are telling and reveal a man living a...
I've never been a person who particularly likes change, but with the exception of God and His love and salvation, which remain constant, nothing really stays the same and life brings change whether we like it or not.
Although a sobering thought, with each passing day, everyone gets older and one step closer to the end of his or her life. I have made several trips to the funeral home in recent years (including last night) to pay final respects to folks who, until their passing, were "always...
As I conclude my reading of the Book of Colossians, I reflect on chapter 4, verses 5 & 6:
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
This instruction is echoed in the following scriptures:
“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season….” 2 Timothy 4:2
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason...
In Philippians 4, Paul addresses what our mindsets and attitudes should be as believers:
* We should always rejoice in The Lord and learn to be content no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. The Lord will give us the needed strength.
* We should exhibit a gentleness that will be evident to all.
* We should not be anxious about anything because The Lord is near and we can go to Him in our times of need. He will grant us a peace that will transcend our understanding and will meet all...
In the second half of Philippians 3, Paul writes about the maturing process for believers. After we are saved, we are to be continually in growth mode, with the goal of being transformed more and more into Christlikeness. Obviously we need to be in an active relationship with Christ in order for our growth not to be stunted or stagnant. That includes being in the Word and in prayer and in fellowship with the body of believers.
Paul points out that this process of growth (i.e. sanctification or...
From Philippians 2:12 - "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling...."
You may have heard the phrase "hard sayings of Jesus." I am not sure if this is typically counted among them, but it can be hard for me personally because its meaning is not necessarily as obvious as a command like "thou shaIt not steal." I sometimes tend to forget what this passage means and have to periodically remind myself.
On the surface, it could be misinterpreted as talking about salvation by...
As a result of being God's spokesman, the prophet Jeremiah encountered opposition and persecution. In Chapter 20, we read that he was beaten and put in stocks. Proclaiming God's Word had brought him ridicule and insult and reproach, and he complained to The Lord.
There are several instances throughout this book of the Bible where Jeremiah complains about his circumstances and questions God's justice. This past weekend, I heard one well-known pastor/educator refer to Jeremiah as "a crybaby." I...
1. I am thankful that God understands me, remembers me, and cares for me and that He is long suffering (15:15). I am also thankful He has a good purpose for my life (15:11).
2. Sometimes we have to take unpopular stands against the majority. "I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation" (15:17). This brings to mind a time from my college days when a gathering at an apartment in Washington DC...
As many of you know, genealogy has been a big interest most of my life. This week I learned that this lady, Nancy Luce (1811-1890) of Tisbury, Massachusetts, is a distant cousin of mine. Described as “a strange woman who exalted barnyard fowl to the level of human intelligence and lived and died with hens as her sole companions far removed from all mankind, she shared her home with her feathered friends, and when death severed the tie between them she gave them a decent burial in a graveyard...
I am attending the annual Samaritan's Purse International Coordination Meeting at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. My favorite part of this meeting is when staff from around the world give testimony to the amazing works of love that God is doing in their locations and projects and in their personal lives. I am often in awe of the fact that I have been given the privilege to play some small, behind-the-scenes role in supporting those who are meeting people's needs and the sharing...
On any given weekday morning, hundreds of Wataugans make their commutes to and from their jobs in Boone. Most are likely retracing the footsteps of frontiersman Daniel Boone who passed through present-day Watauga County on various hunting trips as well as during his excursion from his home on the Yadkin River to the Cumberland Gap. The premier of Daniel Boone Days this September is a perfect time for celebrants to remember Boone’s passages through our county and the markers that have been...