Ecclesiastes 12:10

   German Chocolate isn't German.   It’s named after its creator, Samuel German, who developed a specific type of baking chocolate for Baker Chocolate Company.   Which wasn't named for the fact that it sells to bakers, but for its founder, Dr. James Baker.   You see this a lot in religion. People claim to be Christians but are not very Christian. Church that claim to be “Bible church” but teach things not found in the Bible.  Groups that have a practice in their name that they don’t teach are necessary. A church that claims to worship God but has a person as its name. A church that claims it is “of Christ” but rules itself by human traditions.   If we are going to use a name we better live up to it. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;  but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. 1 st Peter 4:15-16   If...

  There was a rancher in Oregon named Bill Brown. He was known for often writing checks on any paper available. This included things like envelopes, soup can labels, and newspaper margins. Now, most banks wouldn’t accept his kind of check, but Bill Brown was a very rich, therefore very important customer, so the banks in his area would cash the checks without question.   It wasn’t the surface the name was written on that mattered, but the name written on the surface.  In 2 nd Corinthians 4, Paul speaks about the privilege we have because of our involvement in the ministry of Christ. Yet he warns us that we, “ do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake . In fact, he tells us “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves ”  It is not about the person the message is written on but the person that has written the message....

    Abraham Lincoln once served as a character witness, although it is doubtful he did much good. When asked about the word of a man named Peter Lukins, Lincoln responded honestly, “Well, he is called Lyin’ Pete Lukins.       In the Scriptures, we get some insight into the nature of some biblical characters by the names they are given.   Jacob is called Israel or one who struggles with God. The Son of Encouragement, Barnabas, Simon Peter the Rock, The Sons of Thunder, James and John. Some of these names were imparted by Jesus himself.      So, what might Jesus give you as a nickname? He knows our hearts and our ways better than anyone.   Complainer? The Servant? Joy Killer? Learner? The Encourager? The Gossip?      What trait is the one that defines us in the eyes of others?   Is it one that is befitting of a Christian?     Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildo...

    Wars often lead to lawlessness and the American Revolution was no different.   So as the conflict spread south in Virginia, Charles was dismayed at the effect it had on his home in Bedford County. The courts had ceased to function. Guerrilla bands and militias on both sides roamed the countryside, and hooligans often ruled the streets. So Charles decided to take matters into his own hands.    So he set up his own unofficial court. He appointed officers and issued arrests of lawbreakers. Since they had no money to jail prisoners, he doled out punishments in fines or whippings.   Charles tried to judge with compassion and reason, but still, his actions created a great deal of animosity towards him.   Charles only had to enlist the death penalty once in his court. A plot by some Tories to destroy a lead mine vital to the war effort was discovered. The conspirators were found guilty and hanged. The friends and family of the men were upset...

  Word origin fascinates me. Taken for example the word character. Today it can mean a letter or symbol used in print or it can be the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. But both these meanings have the same origin.   In ancient times, (brick makers, engravers, etc.) used a symbol to mark the things they created to show that they were the makers. That symbol was his “character.” That symbol became a measure of the work being done.  The quality of the person and his work gave value to his credentials. If the work was good, so was the character. If it was bad, then the character was viewed as poor.  It isn’t any different today. We may want to label ourselves with certain words and phrases. But in the end, it is what we do that gives value to those words. If we call ourselves Christian and don’t act properly, it ruins the name. If we claim to be the church of Christ and behave like any other group, we dilute the meaning. They profe...

  Thomas Edison was a pioneer in electricity with his perfection of the light bulb but by 1887, his company that was attempting to light cites everywhere was struggling. The problem was in how the electricity was delivered. The truth was his direct current (DC) was not near as cost-effective as his bitter rival George Westinghouse’s alternate current (AC). Edison felt his current was the safer choice even if it wasn’t as cheap.   So when the state of New York came calling with a desire to buy up a generator, you might be shocked when Edison recommended his rival’s technology. He even recommended the new use be called “Westinhoused”   Why?   Because the new use was to kill. The generator was for the first electric chair.  Edison believed that DC current was dangerous and what better what to show that to the world than having it kill a man. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome med...

       A few weeks ago the nation was in an uprising over a severe national problem, the replacement refs in the NFL.  After several weeks of bad calls culminating in game deciding “missed” call, fans were fit to be tied. As I listened to the throng of opinions, one that I heard disturbed me the most.  The commentator said that while everyone was upset with the league, the buzz it had created was good.  As he quipped, “there is no such thing as bad publicity”.       That is not the only time I have heard this strategy promoted. We have seen in lots of forms of entertainment. Starlets leek their immoral trysts to jump-start careers, Bad boy rockers supplement their image with bad behavior. Political commentators say outrageous things.  All trying to gain publicity by any means necessary.       It might even work, in the short term. What they do not realize however is that the ...

What is the first thing you ask about a person when met them? What is the second?      Most of the time, we will ask “What is your name?” and “What do you do?” Both these question are about identity. Our names rarely tell us anything about a person. But "what we do” is a question of how we fit into society.    Rightly or wrongly, people will make judgments about our character by what they perceive is the value of what we do.    The opposite tends to be true when asked about religious groups. Many will simple ask “Where you go to church?”, assuming the name will tell all. But what we do as a church is as important as the name we have. Just having a biblical name does not mean that what is practiced is biblical. Only as we obey Christ’s teaching will we truly be a church of Christ. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “ By their fruits you will know them.”