Topic(s): Humor

1. At lunchtime, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.
2. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.
3. Put decaf in the coffee maker for three weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
4. In the memo field of all your checks, write, “For Smuggling Diamonds.”
5. Finish all your sentences with “In Accordance with the prophecy.”
6. Order a “Diet Water” whenever you go out to eat—with a serious face.
7. Specify that your drive-through order is “To Go.”
8. When the money comes out of the ATM, scream, “I Won! I Won!”
9. When leaving the zoo, start running toward the parking lot yelling, “Run for your lives—they’re loose!”
10. Tell your children over dinner: “Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go.” —Austin Tucker

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine . . .” —Proverbs 17:22

Watch for Opportunities

Topic(s): Wisdom

• If you want to sing, you will find a song. —Anonymous
• The secret of happiness is not doing what one likes, but in liking what one has to do. —James M. Barrie
• I’ll study and get ready and be prepared for my opportunity when it comes. — Abraham Lincoln
• A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. —Francis Bacon
• If the heart can conceive it, and the mind can believe it, God can achieve it. —Charles Pollard
• One may walk over the highest mountain, one step at a time. —John Wanamaker

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” —Matthew 7:7

Attending When Out of Town: Part 1

Topic(s): Christian Life, Priorities, Worship

A great number of Christians have to travel to other places in connection with their jobs. Some Christians travel to visit family or friends. And many travel for recreation or vacation purposes. When members of the Lord’s church are away from their home congregation, what about attending services on the first day of the week or during midweek? Some saints of God make it a point to attend services when they are out of town, others are hit and miss, and then there are also those that seemingly make no effort to attend services anytime they are away. What can we say to these things?

First, the need for children of God to attend is not restricted to those times when they are home. Acts 20:6–7 records that Paul and those that were traveling with him assembled with the saints in Troas on the first day of the week. Troas was not the “home church” of Paul and his companions, yet when Sunday rolled around they met with other disciples. Consider also the command of Hebrews 10:25: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” The charge not to forsake the assembling of God’s people applies to all children of God, regardless of their geographic location. To say, “We’ll be out of town” does not relieve us of our obligation to worship God! Yea, if God’s cause is first in our hearts and lives like it should be, then everybody that is going to be traveling with us, as well as the brethren with whom we normally assemble back home, know full well that even though we are away from home, we will plan to attend services.

Second, when possible, plan ahead. Before leaving home, know where you will try to attend services. Many Christian families have made it a point that they will not purposely travel to any location unless they are sure that they will be able to attend services in that area. We commend them for this approach. Also, planning ahead includes actually finding the location of the meeting place and knowing the service times in advance. Many Christians have had the frustrating experience of missing services or arriving late because they were unsure about service times or the exact location of the building. Planning ahead can help avoid that.

Third, when traveling make every effort to find a sound church. If we would not feel comfortable attending an unsound or questionable church in our own neck of the woods, then why would we “just go anywhere” when we are away from home? We know that there are situations that sometimes arise which can make some matters out of our control. But the rule should be this: before leaving home, I’ll try my best to learn where I can attend a sound congregation. “Sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1) is the healthy teaching of the Christ. A sound church is one that adheres to that pure teaching. How can I learn the location of a sound church? Try asking for information and recommendations from sound brethren that you know. Some books are available that list the congregations in a given area. However, it is important that we recognize that those books do not guarantee the soundness of the churches that they list. Do not assume that just because a church is listed in a book, then it must be a good one. —Roger Campbell