In Search Of Mayberry

Dr. Mike Murphy Being like most men, I am an expert channel surfer.  I can wear the numbers off a remote in less than a month.  As I sat the other day to talk with a long time friend, I found myself with the phone in one hand and the remote in the other.  Over two hundred and fifty channels, and I still could not find a thing to watch. As I told my friend of my dilemma, he joked with me that maybe I could find an old episode of the Andy Griffith Show. Like so many others, I …

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God’s Silence

Esther 5:5-75 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.6 And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is; Since we are trapped in this earthbound cage, this little space where light is often diffused and God is sometimes …

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GETTING ISRAEL RIGHT – by Steve Schmutzer

A pastor, an atheist, a Bible class teacher, and a businessman walked into a bar…. You’re thinking this is the opening line of a joke, right? Wrong. I am the Bible class teacher, and before you get worked up about us being in a bar, it was the only part of the restaurant that had available seating. The lunch meeting was about a business matter. I knew all the parties, and I had made the introductions. There were mutual opportunities to provide some expertise. The meeting went well and the mood was relaxed. With the main agenda concluded, our conversations …

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The Future Belongs to God – by Jack Kinsella

More than 2600 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah recorded a challenge hurled by God to all those who laid claim to Divinity, saying, “Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.” (Isaiah 41:23) While many have picked up the challenge, including Mohammed, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, William Miller, Harold Camping, etc., all have failed to meet God’s exacting standard of 100% accuracy, 100% of the time. Consider what it means for Ezekiel to …

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The Ghost of a Good Thing

By Pete Garcia Recently, I was thinking of the woman Emily Letts, who gained her five, brief minutes of fame, by filming her own abortion. Through the murderous process, she smiles tentatively and tries to put a positive spin on the act of infanticide. Though admittedly, I could not watch it all, I kept thinking, […]

Bema Seat

Bema Seat – What Is It and When Is It?The concept of the Bema Seat comes from the ancient Olympics, where a judge would sit on the Bema Seat at the finish line. The judge’s purpose was to determine what position the runners came in-first, second, and so on-and then to give out the appropriate rewards. That is the imagery behind what is known as the Bema Seat. Also known as the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Bema Seat is described in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or …

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Where your treasure is…

he parable about the hidden treasure is among one of my favorites. Jesus begins by describing what the kingdom of heaven is like and explaining that within the kingdom is a treasure of great value. In fact, the treasure is so valuable that when found the searcher sells all his possessions to purchase the field and make it his own (Matthew 13:44).One example expanding on this parable is athletes training for the Olympics. They see the field of sports as a kingdom and within its domain of physical excellence the treasured medals of gold, silver, and bronze. Olympic athletes sacrifice …

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