DISCIPLE

    “And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer” (Rev. 10:6).        The Bible teaches us that our lives are fragile and our time is short. “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psa. 90:10).  We should be humbled by this, and strive to use time wisely (Psa. 90:12; Eph. 5:16), since we have none to spare.    We who are Christians are greatly blessed to know that the Lord is with us always – to the end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20 ), and will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). But the unsaved have no such promises.     David, in troubled times, looked heavenward and said, “My times are in thy hand” (Psa. 31:15).  As believers we can echo these

 Note: The following is not from an actual dream or experience, but simply the use of a story to convey certain thoughts. THE CHRISTMAS THAT JESUS  CAME TO MY HOUSE by Carl T. Knott, Jr. the watercolor illustrations were done by Emily R. Knott de González It was the first morning of the Christmas holidays. School was out, and my wife and children had just left for some last-minute gift shopping. I sat quietly at my desk addressing Christmas cards while "Silver Bells" played on my stereo radio. It was then that I heard a knock on the front door. I put down the pen and listened. There it was again. Who could that be? A friend dropping by for a visit? Maybe bringing a gift? The mailman with a holiday package? One of the neighborhood children? I turned down the stereo, walked to the door, and opened it. There He was. He didn't look like the Bible storybook pictures of Him. He was different, yet, somehow I sensed instantly who He was. Maybe it was the look in His eyes. But whe

          In today’s society it’s increasingly common to see men with long hair. Sports figures, singers, actors and other artists are among those setting a bad example for young people in this and other areas. For example, many male athletes display long flowing locks, earrings, and bodies covered with tattoos. When the rich and famous, popular athletes, singers or actors have long hair, dreadlocks, ponytails, piercings, earrings, tattoos, or wear bracelets, necklaces, or a certain style or brand of clothes, the tendency is to imitate them. Others say they just like to wear their hair long; it’s a personal thing. This article focuses on men, but women are equally guilty of imitating the world’s fashions, and use the same excuses.      “Be not conformed to this world,” Romans 12:2 exhorts. Phillips in his paraphrase of the New Testament puts it this way, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.” That’s exactly what happens when Christians take their cues from th