Month: June 2006

Eight Cows On The Altar

Pastor Ed Dobson was speaking to a congregation on “putting all on the altar” in total surrender to Christ. After the service, an old German farmer came forward. He told Dobson that he had eight cows that were dying, which would mean great financial loss, and he had been struggling with accepting this as God’s will. Then he said, “Because of your message, I have found peace. Tonight I put them all on the altar.”

Warnings In The Word

Swans frequently visit Mill Pond, England, where RBC Regional Director Howard Liverance lives. He writes, “It’s a beautiful place . . . where ducks, geese, and other waterfowl frolic playfully.” Yet even in this idyllic setting there has been danger. Across one corner of the pond are some power lines. A number of swans have been killed because they didn’t see them as they approached the pond.

Gratitude

Among the first words many of us were taught to say are please and thank you. No one gets quite as excited as a parent or grandparent when a toddler first utters those words and makes the connection between asking politely and receiving gratefully.

Virus

Some days my computer helps me fly like an eagle. Other times, it bogs me down like a hippopotamus. On “eagle days” I’m grateful for my computer. But there are those “hippo days” when I rue the day I bought one.

Two Great Fears

Psalm 107 tells of “those who go down to the sea in ships” (v.23). Along their journey at sea, they see God as the One behind the tempestuous storm and the One who calms it. In the world of sailing vessels there were two great fears. One fear was of a terrible gale, and the other was of having no wind at all.

Tug-Of-War

A college in our area has an interesting annual rite—a tug-of-war. Two teams train and prepare to pull together on their end of the rope to win the competition, hoping to avoid the mud-pit between the teams and gain campus bragging rights for another year. For a fun competition, it can become intense.

Dartboard Or Pipeline?

One day during my devotional time, this thought came to my mind: “Don’t let life happen to you. Let life happen through you.”

Giants Of The Deep

The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived. Some are 100 feet long and can weigh over 175 tons. The biggest one ever measured had a heart the size of a Volkswagen!

Millions!

The British film Millions tells the engaging story of two brothers who find a bag full of money with no apparent owner. The younger boy wants to use it to help the poor, while the older sibling sees it as his ticket to popularity and the good life. What unfolds is a story that vividly contrasts the freedom of a generous spirit with the frustration of a grasping hand.