According to a blog posted at Joel Osteen’s website, “God is interested in all your needs, desires, and even, your prosperity. […] Heaven is full of blessings waiting to be bestowed upon you. […] He will cause rivers of blessings to flow into your financial desert. […] Expect supernatural provision in your life.” One scripture…
Usually, the church receives several calls a day from telemarketers. “Hello, this is the Seagoville Church of Christ.” “Yes, may I speak to the youth director?” “May I speak to the person who coordinates fund-raisers?” “May I speak to the person authorized to make changes in your phone service?” “May I speak to the pastor?”…
Cynthia Kelly is the editor of “Manhattan Project: The Birth of the Atomic Bomb in the Words of Its Creators, Eyewitnesses and Historians.” The book includes a fascinating story about Swiss physicist Paul Scherrer, who bombarded thorium with neutrons “and saw the fission fragments that [Lise] Meitner and [Otto] Frisch had identified. But Scherrer wouldn’t…
Shortly after the publication of his memoir “Hitch-22,” prominent atheist Christopher Hitchens was interviewed by radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt. In their conversation, Hitchens described how he visited Cuba in the 1960s and was relieved of his passport. Commenting on that distressing experience, he said something like this: “No matter how great a place may…
On the afternoon of December 19, 2011, workers at the Brown-Foreman plant in Louisville, Kentucky, were transferring liquor from one tank to another. Somebody forgot to close a valve, and 2,500 gallons of 70 proof alcohol poured into the sewer. The top comment on the story posted at a local news website read: “I think…
Jesus was devoted to prayer. The Gospels suggest that he made a habit of getting up long before dawn and finding a solitary place to talk to his Father. The apostle Paul encourages us to commit to prayer, too: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Why, then, do so many Christians fail to schedule daily…
In a typical congregation of the church, the atmosphere varies somewhat from week to week. On one Sunday, the crowd is good, guests are numerous, and the singing is spirited. But on another Lord’s day, many brothers and sisters are traveling, others are sick, and the people present seem reluctant to sing out. These very…
Herman was an elderly member of a congregation in Orlando, Florida. He used a wheelchair, which he either pushed or sat in, depending on his need. This disabled brother had a passion for reaching lost people with the saving grace of Christ. So, he created his own ad for Bible studies. Herman typed the words,…
[Eric is the evangelist of the Hamburg Pike Church of Christ in Jeffersonville, Indiana.] Most Americans love the Christmas season. They look forward to all the sights, sounds and smells it has to offer. Some people go all out. Decorations go up on November 1 and don’t come down until Valentine’s Day. They wear festive…
Have you noticed that the New Testament speaks of Christian worship in terms of old covenant offerings? For instance, the author of Hebrews says, “Through [Jesus] let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Heb. 13:15). When the church sings hymns of…