Topic(s): Christian Life, Encouragement

These statements were seen on church signs:

• The best vitamin for a Christian is B1.
• Under same management for over 2000 years.
• Don’t wait for the hearse to take you to church.
• Don’t give up. Moses was once a basket case.
• Life has many choices. Eternity has two. What’s yours?
• Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due.
• Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.
• Prevent truth decay. Brush up on your Bible.
• It’s hard to stumble when you’re down on your knees.
• What part of ‘Thou Shalt Not’ don’t you understand?”
• A clear conscience makes a soft pillow.
• The wages of sin is death. Repent before payday.
• Never give the devil a ride. He will always want to drive.
• Can’t sleep? Try counting your blessings.
• Forbidden fruit creates many jams.
• Christians, keep the faith—but not from others!
• Satan subtracts and divides. God adds and multiplies.
• If you don’t want to reap the fruits of sin, stay out of the devil’s orchard.
• To belittle is to be little.

“When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul” Proverbs 2:10

What Do They Have in Common?

Topic(s): Eternity & Judgment, Heaven, Hell

The following people all have something in common. Do you know what it is?
Princess Margaret, Jim Wakefield, Stephen J. Gould, Wilbur Bailey, Ann Landers, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Unitas and Lorayne Harper

All of these people had at least one thing in common; they all died last year.

It is important that we not trivialize death, nor make a joke about dying. But death is one thing all of us have in common, whether we are just common folk or national figures. last fall, the threat of death flew in the face of men and women all over our country with the Washington, D. C. area snipers. Over a year ago, the threat of death was felt at the hand of international terrorists; we were all touched by that threat.

This week a young lady (well, she was my age, and I still feel young) who had been in my class in college, died. She was vivacious and so alive. None of us were ready for her passing despite the fact that she had been battling cancer for years, and two weeks ago had been given just two weeks to live. Suddenly death seems nearer and more personal. This Christian sister leaves behind two daughters, both recent college graduates, a husband, and at least one sister. She also leaves behind lots of Christian friends who deeply admired her spirit.

Death is one thing that all men face, good or bad, famous or not, rich and poor, educated and uneducated. A familiar passage says: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

To some, death is not as fearful as it is to others. To a Christian, death is something expected but not feared.

The words of Paul should be ours as well: “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you” (Phil. 1:20-24). Even later in his life expecting certain death Paul would say: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

May his hope be ours. —Michael Moss
 

The Power of a Compliment

Topic(s): Christian Life

Helen Mrosla writes: In an earlier grade, I’d taped Mark’s mouth shut for talking too much in class. Now he was one of my students in junior high math.

His class had worked hard all week. By Friday the students were getting cranky. So, for a break, I asked them to write the nicest thing they could about every student and hand it in. I compiled the results for each student and gave out the lists.

Several years later, Mark was killed in Vietnam. After the funeral, most of his former classmates gathered with Mark’s parents and me for lunch. Mark’s father took a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed,” he said. He carefully removed a folded, refolded, and taped paper—the one on which I’d listed the good things Mark’s classmates had said about him.

Charlie smiled sheepishly and said, “I keep my list in my desk drawer.” Chuck’s wife said, “Chuck put his in our wedding album.” “I have mine, too,” Marilyn said, “in my diary.” Vicky reached into her pocketbook and brought out her frazzled list.

“The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary” Isaiah 50:4