Hiawatha church of Christ

Today, people everywhere are looking forward to the New Year. Some will look at the upcoming future with hope and great anticipation. Others may look at the New Year with fear and uncertainty. If our desire is to take the optimistic approach, we would do well to heed the words of Jesus. He said, “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Luke 12:31) In context, Jesus was teaching the people not to be anxious about the future. He said that the unbeliever worries about what they are going to eat, or drink, or what they will wear. Jesus assures us that if we seek the kingdom of God first, we will not be anxious about such things. In fact, David declared, “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendant begging bread.” (Psalms 37:25). The question is, “How do we ensure we are seeking the kingdom of God first?” We accomplish this first by keeping our service and devotion to God as our top priority in life. Th...

       When you are learning to drive you receive a lot of advice. One such piece of advice that is good to heed is to see as far down the road as possible. This is important, especially if traffic ahead has slowed down or comes to a complete stop. When you are confronted with something of this caliber, you want as much time to prepare for it as possible. Seeing as far down the road as possible is not only good for driving but is applicable also to our spiritual lives as well. We must consider the path we are on and the direction it is taking us. Otherwise, the consequences could be disastrous. For example, in the book of Lamentations we read, “Her uncleanness is in her skirts; she did not consider her destiny; therefore, her collapse was awesome; she had no comforter. O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy is exalted!” (Lamentation 1:9) During the days before this writing, Jerusalem had been warned frequently to repent of their wicked ways. However, they...

       I often like to joke about loving the last minute. If it were not for the last minute, I would get nothing done. During this time of year, it becomes clear that a lot of people also love the last minute. You will find them in at Walmart one hour before closing on Christmas Eve. They scrabble around the sales floor trying to find that last minute gift before the personnel asks them to leave. However, this article is not about last-minute Christmas shopping. If you are one who waits until the last minute to finish Christmas shopping, you are among friends. This concerns the last-minute from a spiritual perspective. There is nothing more detrimental to the soul than waiting until the last minute to be right with God. Jesus told a parable about five virgins who were unprepared for meeting the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13).   While the others brought extra oil with them, these five did not. When it was announced that the bridegroom was coming, they begged t...

       Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” (1Peter 5:8-9) In the wild, the animals that are devoured by the enemy most often are the ones who stray from the others. They are alone, weak, and vulnerable. A hungry lion sees them as an opportunity. Likewise, as Christians we must keep in mind our enemy the devil. He is like that lion seeking whom he may devour. It is for this reason that our fellowship with one another is so vital. The moment we begin to believe that coming together as the unified body of Christ in unimportant, the devil smiles. Fellowship is vital for several reasons. First, it reminds us that we are not alone. Anytime one feels like they are alone in a cause, they quickly become overwhelmed with discouragement and run the risk of wan...

       It is good practice to make resolutions every year. Without a goal or a purpose, we tend to aimlessly wander through life. Resolutions enable us to focus our mind, give us a reason to rise every morning, and keep us moving toward our desired outcome. A common goal that many Christians set for themselves is to read the bible through in a year. It is a great goal to have. Paul would certainly endorse it. He wrote to Timothy saying, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV). There is also the blessed example of the Bereans who, “…received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) The trouble that some Christians encounter along the way is losing sight of the goal. This becomes evident around Spring Break. By this time there are some bibles that sitting around gathering dust....