While the concept might have originated in Europe, it was William Morrison and John C. Wharton of Nashville who made it become a reality. In 1897, they created the machine which used air and sugar to popularize the spread of a new product. They called it fairy floss. It still has that name in Australia. In much of the world, it is…

As long as the mouse stays outside the house, we don’t pay him any attention and assume that he is just doing the things that a mouse would do.  But, as soon as we become aware that the lowly mouse has breached the security of our domain, we are intent on catching the little varmint.  We buy a mouse trap, bait the…

In order for a soul to be lost, deception has to happen. No one would knowingly embrace condemnation. The final and ultimate downfall for the majority of humanity will be negotiated through simple trickery. This is the basic tactic of our enemy. His first and best approach is to misrepresent reality. In Eden, he distorted God’s command about the tree, offering to…

It is remarkable how much our society contributes to our expectation for there to be instant gratification for whatever we want. James shows that this concept may not always have application in our lives. “Be patient, brethren…see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient.…

There are many illustrations used in the Bible to describe our lives as Christians. We are warriors in His army (Eph. 6) and harvesters in His vineyard (Matt. 20). We are boxers who do not simply throw blows into the air against an imaginary foe (1 Cor. 9:26).  One illustration used repeatedly is that we are competitors in a great race. This…

An elderly woman lay motionless on her bed, drawing shallow breaths, occasionally casting loving glances at her family and speaking ever-so softly.  In a few hours, she would take her final breath. This beautiful lady was the gentle matriarch of a wonderful Christian family.  She had raised three faithful children, lovingly stood by her husband’s side as he served as an elder…

We bring a lot of stuff to worship. Some of it gets left in the pews: Bibles, toys, assorted pillows, footstools, snacks/candy, sweaters and checkbooks, to name a few. Some of it we shouldn’t bring: #nodrinks. This short read isn’t about that. It is about what we must bring in order for our worship to be acceptable. We need to bring the…

That transformation which occurs when one becomes a Christian is so remarkable. The apostle Paul emphasized this to those new Christians in Corinth. In his second letter to that church he spoke of all he was in Judaism before becoming a follower of Jesus. No one excelled his credentials, yet he gave it all up. He reminded them of this truth and…