'Sound Words' Tagged Posts (Page 34)

Life’s Little Lessons XXIII  Only One Citizen “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). The King of Abyssinia once took a British subject named Cameron prisoner and incarcerated him in the high fortress of Magdala. No cause was assigned for his confinement. When Great Britain found out, she demanded an immediate release for her citizen. King Theodore refused. Within ten days after the refusal was received, ten thousand…

Life’s Little Lessons XXII Well Motivated #1 “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). When Cortez landed at Vera Cruz in 1519 to begin his conquest of Mexico with a small force of 700 men, he purposely set fire to his fleet of eleven ships. His men on the shore watched their only means of retreat sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. With…

The Devil’s Yard Sale By Alan Tison and James Fifth One day, the Devil laid out his gleaming, razor-edged tools upon a worn and ancient wooden table. He announced a “fire” sale and carefully marked the price upon each tool: ANGER: $100, RESENTMENT: $400, HATRED: $600, etc. Each tool sold almost as quickly as it was placed upon the table. Toward the end of the day, a crooked old man in tattered rags approached. The man eyed the tools that…

Life’s Little Lessons XXI Seeing in the Dark I once had to go and meet one of my brothers somewhere, and it was night, and I was walking. I remember that when I reached him, he mentioned that he had seen me coming a long way off, and that even in the dark he knew right away that it was me by the way that I walk. There are a lot of times in our lives when situations seem to…

One Solitary Life By Kent Heaton “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:18-19). Dr. James Allan Francis wrote a powerful story about the life of Jesus. He writes, “Let us turn…

Life’s Little Lessons XX  Practicing What You Preach “Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do” (Matt. 23:1-3). A certain fountain pen salesman persuaded a merchant to order 500 dozen pens. He was writing the order in his notebook when suddenly the…

Dealing with a Diotrephes By Paul R. Blake “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church” (3John 9-10). Many congregations have one; you know, a…

Life’s Little Lessons XIX The Heroic Dimension “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). Three military recruiters showed up to address high school seniors. Each recruiter, representing the Army, Navy, and Marines, was given fifteen minutes to speak. The Army and Navy recruiters got carried away, so when it came time for the Marine to speak, he had just two…