Sound Words (Page 14)
SOUND WORDS, MAR 27, 2022
Do Saved People Go Immediately to Heaven at Death? Part 1 In the course of my lifetime, I have spent a great deal of time at funeral homes, funerals, and graveside services. As we get older it appears to me that we spend more time in those places than when we were young. Solomon actually tells us that this experience is for our good. It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house…
SOUND WORDS, MAR 20, 2022
UNITY Unity is an ideal with universal appeal. In a world full of stark contrasts, the concept of oneness often takes root and motivates individuals to pursue a perceived utopia. While the concept is noble, the motivation is often selfish and the results a catastrophe. We must remember that the world was created with perfect balance, perfect unity. Mankind sacrificed a perfect relationship with God in favor of self-interest. Adam and Eve traded perfection for pain. Soon thereafter the first…
SOUND WORDS, MAR 13, 2022
WHY THERE ARE NO MEN IN YOUR CONGREGATION – PART 2 The Message In the religious world today what do you hear constantly? God is love, God is forgiveness, God is comfort. All very much true, but God is also power. He is judge, jury, and executioner. Churches today seem to emphasize the Lord’s softer qualities rather than his harsher ones. We, as humans, don’t like hearing about the suffering we will have to go through as Christians, along with…
SOUND WORDS, MAR 6, 2022
WHY THERE ARE NO MEN IN YOUR CONGREGATION – PART 1 In the beginning God created a man, Adam. Throughout the Old Testament men reigned as patriarchs, judges, prophets, and kings. Then Jesus came to Earth as a man and recruited 12 other men as his disciples to walk with Him and to carry on His work after He was gone. The Holy Spirit breathed the accounts, letters, and poems of men into what would be known as The Holy…
SOUND WORDS, FEB 27, 2022
VICTORY Everyone loves the feeling of elation that comes with winning. This is especially true when the victor comes from a disadvantage to pull off the win. It is one thing when your favorite team pulls off a win. It is even better when you are a contributing member of the winning team. Personal victories are exponentially more gratifying than all the others. There can only be one winner in any competition. For some, the thrill and glory of victory…
SOUND WORDS, FEB 20, 2022
For Who is our Hope…? As one reads Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, his love, care, and concern for this group of Christians was quite apparent. “…constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father. (1 Thessalonians 1:3)” Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy shared the greatest worldly connection possible with the Thessalonians: faith, love and hope in Jesus. When Paul…
SOUND WORDS, FEB 13, 2022
VIRTUE Ruth first caught Boaz’s eye as she gleaned in his fields. He made inquiry and learned that she was the young Moabite who accompanied her mother-in-law, Naomi, home. Boaz insisted Ruth remain with his young women to glean. He also ordered his young men not to touch her or to interfere with her work. Knowing of her relationship and devotion to Naomi, Boaz instructed the young men to intentionally leave additional stalks behind for Ruth’s benefit. Naomi sent Ruth…
SOUND WORDS, FEB 6, 2022
WAITING Sleeping, eating and other life sustaining activities consume a significant portion of our lives. We embrace these activities because they are necessary for survival. A multitude of recreational pastimes eat away at the balance of our waking hours. Waiting is also a necessary task, but we typically despise the hours spent in limbo. According to a Timex survey, Americans wait: on average 20 minutes a day for the bus or train, 32 minutes at the doctor, 28 minutes in…