SACRIFICE Hilda Mason served as an active Washington D.C. city council member into her 80's. She didn't serve her city alone. Her husband, Charlie Mason, assisted her in her work for more than twenty years. How did he find the time? He went the second mile and gave up his law practice to be her assistant.…

RECONCILIATION As we sat waiting for the traffic light's permission to proceed, my son once again asked when I would fix the training wheels on his bicycle. I turned to look at him, saying I would fix them when we got home. Then I added, "But they will be different than what you are used to." With that…

053 Dying Words Of Believers • Matthew Henry—”Sin is bitter. I bless God I have inward supports.” • Martin Luther—”Our God is the God from whom cometh salvation: God is the Lord by whom we escape death.” • John Knox—Live in Christ, Live in Christ, and the flesh need not fear death. • John Calvin—”Thou,…

Pastor John MacArthur tells the story, "Some years ago a young man in our church was told by his doctors that he had only a short time to live. His response was not one of regret or bitterness but of joy at the prospect of soon being with his Savior. Because of his confident faith and contentment in…

FAITH The world is looking for a safe place to put their faith. Greed, power, the love of money and doubt destroy lives. The resulting hurt keeps people from trusting each other, and more importantly from trusting in God. The motion picture, “Miracle on 34th Street is a call to come back to a simple…

To those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, death has lost its sting – it is no longer something to be feared. What fear is there when we have the promise that one day we will live forever with Him in Heaven? A father and son were traveling down a country road on afternoon in the spring…

In 2009, a high school girl named Wanetta Gibson falsely accused a High school football star named Brian Banks of rape. That accusation caused the loss of several college scholarships and a five years sentence when he could have played college football. The future after than we will never know, for he…

In A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Eugene Peterson says, “Perseverance is not the result of our determination; it is the result of God’s faithfulness.” So when we are tempted to compromise our faith, or when we think we have no strength left to endure—we should remember God’s faithfulness. ––Jim…

In 2013, Michael Jordan celebrated his 50th birthday! Most people wouldn't believe that a man often praised as being the best basketball player of all time was actually cut from his high school basketball team. Fortunately, Jordan was able to overcome that discouraging setback! He refused to let it stop…

Missouri History Why Is Missouri Called the "Show-Me" State? There are a number of stories and legends behind Missouri's sobriquet "Show-Me" state. The slogan is not official, but is common throughout the state and is used on Missouri license plates. The most widely known legend attributes the phrase…

Why does God bring thunderclouds and disasters when we want green pastures and still waters? Bit by bit we find behind the clouds, the Father's feet; behind the lightning, an abiding day that has no night; behind the thunder, "a still, small voice" that comforts with a comfort that is unspeakable. --Oswald…

Neighborly Prayer Some of you may be familiar with a story by journalist Tom Junod. It is a true story of a young man afflicted with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy did not affect this young man’s mind, but it affected his motor skills and his ability to speak. The boy could only communicate through typing…

STRENGTH The threat of war is having a positive impact on soldiers preparing for a possible conflict with Iraq. On a recent Sunday morning, eight young men approached the altar in a canvas church, received blessings from a chaplain, and were baptized in a freshly dug pool. They emerged to applause from…

Valor Robert Preston Taylor had reason to pray. During World War II, he served as a chaplain in battle, participated in the Bataan Death March and spent more than three years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941, they also dropped bombs on Manila, where…

Life is Beautiful is a film about a man and his son captured by Nazis to a concentration camp. The father tried his best to entertain his son so that the boy would not realize their situation. He showed his love by keeping his son happy in the camp until he was taken away to be executed. Love is not…

PULASKI, Tenn. - A convicted murderer who escaped from an Indiana prison 35 years ago was found living quietly in a small Tennessee town, authorities said Tuesday. Linda Darby, 64, was arrested Friday in Pulaski, a small city near the Alabama border where she was going by the name Linda Joe McElroy.…

CONFESSION Estelle Fusco couldn't believe what her cousin was saying. Her cousin's husband is a Naval officer with a new duty station in Italy. When the movers delivered their belongings to their new quarters they smelled a terrible odor. Finally, after opening several boxes they found the source of…

LOST AND FOUND As of July 1, 2003 a new lifesaving technology became available to millions of Americans. Personal locator beacons similar to beacons used by mariners and aviators, allow lost hikers, campers, and others to be tracked in an emergency when they carry the devices. When activated in an emergency,…

William Wilberforce displayed extraordinary endurance. He was defeated regularly in his battle to free England of slave trade. The repeated defeats of his plans did not defeat him. His adversaries complained that, “Wilberforce jumped up whenever they knocked him down.” One said, “It is necessary to watch…

Australian worship leader Darlene Zschech says hope plays a big role in her life. The name of her church is Hope Unlimited Church, and its mission branch is called Hope: Global. On top of that, Zschech recently wrote a song for an upcoming outreach in America called My Hope America. Zschech said she…

Tourism officials in the city of Jericho hope a new museum will help attract more visitors to the area, because it highlights a tree that could date to the time of Jesus. The Bible records that a tax collector named Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a better of Jesus as he passed through the town. For…

"I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or elso not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith…

A Nurses’ Health Study analyzed by Harvard University researchers discovered that people who attend religious services a couple of times a week may live longer. The study was a survey of 74,534 healthy women beginning in 1992. Researchers tracked them for 20 years. By 2012, 13,537 of the women had died.…

After floodwaters from Hurricane Matthew filled her home, Jodi Gaddy prayed that someone would find her before the alligators swimming outside came into her home. Gaddy said there were helicopters overhead, but despite her attempts to contact them, no one noticed her signals. For three days, she lived…

"A revived church is the only hope for a dying world." Andrew Murray