Posts from February 2024

A few days ago, I passed an old farm that had suffered the ravages of neglect. The pastures were covered with weeds and briers as tall as my head. The tin on the old barn was missing and the wood was rotten. The old house was falling apart with weeds and bushes growing up around it. This farm once housed a happy family and was productive with crops and livestock. This scene reminded me how it is with so many…

In Valladolid, Spain, where Christopher Columbus died in 1506, stands a monument commemorating the great discoverer.  Perhaps the most interesting feature of the memorial is a statue of a lion destroying one of the Latin words that had been part of Spain’s motto for centuries.  Before Columbus made his voyages, the Spaniards thought they had reached the outer limits of earth.  Thus, their motto was “Ne Plus Ultra,” which means “No More Beyond.” The word being torn away by the…

There is one baptism commanded of all accountable people (Ephesians 4:5).  That is the correct, true baptism of the New Testament to last until the end of time (Matthew 28:18-20).  Peter wrote of making one’s calling and election sure, and we certainly want to make baptism sure.  The matter is too important to be otherwise.  One cannot afford to be wrong about it.  This baptism puts one into Christ (Galatians 3:27), puts one in contact with the blood of Christ…

The treasurer of a local congregation was disgusted and resigned. The church asked another person to take the position. He managed a local grain elevator. He agreed to take the position on two conditions. One, that no report from the treasurer be given for a whole year, and two, that no one ask him any questions concerning the finances of the church during that time. The church members gulped, but finally agreed, since he was a very trustworthy man in…