Hiawatha church of Christ

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Building on the Good Foundation

The duration of any building is determined by its foundation. If the foundation is good, the building will stand the test of time. Otherwise, if the foundation is weak, the building will soon come to ruin. At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus discussed two very distinct foundations. One foundation was made of sand and the other was made of stone. Jesus taught of the foolishness of building on the sand. During the time of storm, the building upon the sand would suffer great destruction. The house built upon the rock, however, would endure even the most violent of storms raging against it. Jesus said that the one building his house upon the rock, was the one who heard His sayings and performed them. If we are to ensure that we are building upon the proper foundation, we too must hear the words of Christ and make them a part of our daily practice. Remember the words of James who said, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” ...

What We Must Hear

There are a great number of things that we hear, but not really listen to. Other things, however, grab our attention right away. Certain messages can be so important that we shut out the rest of the world to ensure that we understand all that is being said. For example, when we are listening to the doctor who is giving detailed inst ructions on what we must do to overcome a disease, we listen attentively. If we are under a tornado warning, we will listen closely to the meteorologist to ensure our safety and the safety of our family. However, the most important message that we must hear is what we hav e received from God. The Hebrew writer said, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;” Hebrews 1:1-2. When Jesus was transfigured upon the mountain, Peter thought it would be good to build three taberna...

Halley’s Comet Returns in 2061

Perhaps many of us are old enough to remember the arrival of Halley’s Comet in 1986. This famous comet makes its way to earth only once every seventy-six years. On December 8, 2023, at 8:00pm Eastern Time, Halley’s comet reached its aphelion, the far end of its orbit. At this point, Halley’s Comet was 3.27 billion miles from the sun. At this point, it began its thirty-eight-year journey back toward the sun. Halley Comet will be passing by earth beginning on June 19, 2061. At first, H alley’s Comet will be visible during the morning hours. As August begins, however, Halley’s Comet will be visible exclusively at night. On August 1, 2061, the full moon will distract from seeing the comet. However, by the fourth of August, Halley Comet will be in full view. Seeing the beauty of Halley’s Comet is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Today, we are still thirty-seven years away from seeing this comet pass by. Some questions I want to raise for the purpose of this article are these, “How can...

Kicking Against the Goads

Saul of Tarsus was a force to be reckoned with. He was relentless at persecuting Christians wherever they were to be found. Any time a vote was made whether the Christian would live or die, Paul always voted that the Christian should be put to death. When Saul was confronted by the Lord on the road to Damascus, the Lord said unto him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” When Paul asked, “Who are You Lord?” The Lor d responded, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 9:4-5) A goad was a long pole with a point on the end. It was used to guide oxen in the direction the owner chose. When the oxen would rebel against the master by kicking against the goads, he would only injure himself. When Jesus told Paul it was “hard for him to kick against the goads”, He was telling him that he would not avail against His divine authority. Saul repented of his actions and became a mighty instrument in the hand of the Almighty. Still, there a...

Finding Contentment

We live in a world that is always reaching for more. Satisfaction is a scarce commodity. One day you can purchase the latest and greatest cellular phone and just about the time you figure out all its new features, the next model is already being placed upon shelves in stores everywhere. Trying to stay on top of the newest products is like trying to apprehend your own shadow, or as Solomon said it, its like trying “to grasp the wind”. The apostle Paul wrote, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13) The question is, “How do we find contentment while living in a culture striving to keep up with the Joneses?” The answer is found in Scripture. First, remember that contentment is not bas...

When We Meet Together

David wrote in the book of Psalms, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’. Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!” (Psalms 122:1-2) David recognized the great joy that only comes from going into the house of the Lord. He wrote many Psalms of praise unto God. Many of these we sing today. He loved to meditate on God’s holy word. He recognized the necessity of His word for guiding through all the pitfalls of this life. Today, we also recognize the unmistakable joy that comes when we gather together on the first day of the week. It is during which that we take a timeout from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives and focus our minds back to what is most important. We focus on God, His great love for us, and the great hope that we as Christians have. Think about some of the great benefits we receive when we come together. We exhort one another. The Hebrew writer stated, “And let us consider one another in order to stir ...