Ecclesiastes 12:10

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. Romans 13:11   It was just seemly a few years ago when I took some of the youth group to the local fair when one of my young people saw a ride and made an excellent point. The ride was called Starship 2000. It was meant to look all futuristic but the ride itself was well aged. The young man exclaimed, ‘you know that ride is old because when they made it the year 2000 was far into the future’. We laughed because it was 1999.     Now here we are staring down at the upcoming year 2019. That story is over 20 years old. Yet in some ways, the year 2000 still kind of seems far off to me. It can’t be that we this far into a new millennium.  How has time passed by so fast?   That is the funny thing about time. It is constant and runs the same no matter what yet for us it the speed seems ever-changing. Monday...

Herod The Herods were a major political family in the New Testament. Answer these question about the Herods What apostle was put to death by Herod? James the brother of John Simon Peter Phillip Steven Where did Joseph and Mary flee with Jesus when they heard Herod was seeking his life? Rome Arabia Egypt Damascus Why did Herod have John the Baptist imprisoned? He mocked his office To please the Jews Because of His wife Herodias To curb his growing popularity Which of these was NOT a reason a Herod feared that Jesus was? Resurrected John the Baptist The King of the Jews A former leader of a rebellion An innocent man Who became friends with Herod after he sent Jesus to him? Jarius Pilate Caiaphas John How was Herod killed when he didn't give glory to God? He was struck by lighting He seized up and died A stone fell from on high and crushed him He was eaten by worms What supporter of Jesus was Herod's steward? Joseph of Arimathea Barna...

Rusher Be fast, be strong and run along Who is compared to a roaring lion and a rushing bear by Proverbs? A wicked ruler over a poor people. A fool with money A hungry man at mealtime A wife with a complaint 'A violent rushing wind, ...that filled the whole house' marked the start of what important day for the Apostles? The day of Pentecost The day of Jesus' crucifixion The end of the flood The destruction of the temple What man hurried home to make preparations after Jesus told him he was coming to his house today? Simon Lazarus Zacchaeus Jarius What king was rushed out of the temple when his attempt to burn incense caused God to strike him with leprosy?  Ahab Azariah Naman Uzziah Who was forced to rush out of the room to weep when he saw his brother Benjamin? Joseph Reuben Othenial Jacob What women's hurried effort to feed David's men impressed David and led to the death of her husband? Sari Micah Abigail Bathsheba Wh...

  This year I’m not asking for much. We’re going to tone things back. Just get me a nice pair of socks. You know the fancy kind with lots of patterns. Maybe more than one set. And it would be nice if I got a sweater as well. Oh, I could use some accessories for my truck. A new side rail, seat covers, bed liner… it might just be easier to get a new truck. A recliner might be nice. One of those movie theater ones with the electronic adjustment with the cup holder and the place to charge your phone. Well if I got a place to charge the phone, I might need a new phone as well.  But not the newest model, I’m not greedy.   Ah, the creep of materialism. Maybe we notice more this time of year but it’s a struggle we all face. In a country as blessed as ours, it’s sad that it never seems like enough. We constantly want and get more stuff, thinking it will bring us joy. And it does… for a bit. Then we see something else, someone gets something better and the pulls start over...

Blocker Don't let the wrong answer get in your way Whom did Jesus call 'Satan' and a stumbling block to him? Herod The Pharisees The Scribes Peter What prophet of God does Revelation say taught to put a stumbling block in front of Israel? Ahab Balaam Mino Alexander What message did Paul say was a stumbling block to the Jews? Christ crucified Circumcision of the heart The Temple's destruction Baptism for the remission of sins Of whom did Jesus say "you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people"? Satan False Teachers The Scribes and Pharisees The Sadducees What people although related to Israel refused to let them pass thru their kingdom? Edom Midian Canaan Samaritans How did the angels at the home of Lot block the men trying to force entry into his house? Placed a stone in the way Struck them with blindness Raised a column of fire Placed a beam across the door Who after seeing the Holy Spirit come upon Cornelius h...

  In a recent radio segment, I heard Hall of Fame quarterback and current Fox broadcast Troy Aikman make an interesting observation. He said very early on in his career, he was told by his offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese that just because a play works or doesn’t work does not mean the play was bad or a bad call. The play can be a good play and called at a good time but if it is not executed well it will matter very little.   Often we, like lots of football fans, think the result always matches the quality of the idea it comes from. That just isn’t the case. Some good ideas fail because no one ran with it. Some good works never get anywhere because the way it was put into place wasn’t adequate. On the flip side, somethings succeed not because it was good but luck and chance gave it life when it should have withered away.   When it comes to success in our spiritual lives, we can’t just hope the outcome is good. We need to follow techniques that are good. Bi...

Trips Whom did Paul not want to take on his second missionary journey? Barnabas Silias Mark Peter Who joined the two disciples of Jesus traveling to Emmaus three days after he died? Peter Saul Herod Jesus Whose trip to Damascus was interrupted by a blinding light? Paul Peter John Mark What traveling companions of Paul were caught up in Ephesian riots Diotrophes & Alexander Mark and Barnabas Silas and Timothy Gaius and Aristarchus What couples child was born as they were traveling to take place in a census? Ruth And Boaz Mary And Joseph Abraham and Sari Manoah and Esther Who was arrested on false charges when the sons of Jacob traveled to Egypt to buy food? Reuban Benjamin Judah Joseph A levites late start force him to stay in what city that resulted in the death of his concubine? Sodom Gommorah Ramah Gibeah In the parable, what traveler helped the beaten and robbed man? The priest The Levitie The man form Toka A Samaritan What ...

   Uri was a soldier. He was a good soldier. No check that, he was a great soldier. One of the thirty best in the country. He wasn’t that rich or all that famous. He didn’t have a lot but he had one thing; a girl.   His girl was amazing. Absolutely beautiful. One look would have a man wanting to know more about her. She came from an important family. Her granddad was one of the top political advisors in the world. Who knows how Uri came to get a girl like her, but he did. He married her. He loved her, but Uri was a first and foremost a soldier.   Soldiers have a duty that often times calls them away from home. That absence can cause a strain in any marriage. Yet Uri knew his duty. So when the trumpets of war sounded, Uri backed up his gear and headed to the battlefield, leaving his girl home alone.   Uri was a man of duty and honor. God, family, and country. So when He received a special order to give a report to the commander in chief, Uri packe...