Monopolies are not highly regarded. A company or group that detains exclusive right or power to sell a product or service tends not to respect the client or buyer. They can charge the price they want. They are subject to few restraints. They are a law unto themselves.
God is a monopoly. He is one God with one product, so to speak, and to get it, everyone must go to him. He is the “God of all grace” 1 Peter 5.10. Continue reading “The divine monopoly”
by J. Randal Matheny, editor
Early this morning, as is his custom, elder Ron Thomas posted a short thought about Bible class teachers. He mentioned the difficulty of recruiting and keeping teachers. Some, he said, “would rather do nothing but be taught in a Bible class.” Rather than teaching children who may get no other Bible than in the Sunday school class or others who need quality lessons, some prefer to sit and be consumers rather than contributors in the church.
No one has an excuse for not serving in God’s kingdom. No one can say they have nothing to do, nor possess the conditions to do it. It is not a question of lacking some spiritual capacity. We all possess a gift because we have all received one or more from God. If we are children of God, we are gifted servants. Continue reading “Failure to use God's gifts deprives others of God's grace”
by Barry Newton
Inscribed upon what we know as the Liberty Bell are the words, “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” This bell with its words provides a wonderful example of how an intended message can be appropriated for other functions. Continue reading “Let freedom ring”
by Christine Berglund Winter, contrary to what you might suppose, is not kind to Southern gardens. While the cold may not be harsh enough to kill plants like Dahlias or Cannas, as in the North, that small mercy is countered … Continue reading Salvaging Salvia
The editor shares sundry thoughts and meditations, both personal and biblical. Continue reading Born for the jump to eternity
One of the big stories in sports is the release of Michael Vick. Vick, a sensational quarterback with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, was released Wednesday from federal prison. He spent 19 months in confinement after pleading guilty to charges of financing a dogfighting operation. Continue reading Deserving Of A Second Chance?