Currently, the hottest pepper is officially the Carolina Reaper, cultivated by “Smokin” Ed Currie in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The official 2017 Guinness World Record heat level was 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Is your good influence detectable in a crowd? Jesus spoke of influence in the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the salt…

“MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9  Because the Jews had defended it so fanatically, the Roman general Pompey was anxious to see what was in the temple’s most sacred room, the Holy of Holies. He was surprised to find it empty. He wondered why so…

A funny story came out of the old Brooklyn Dodgers football team in the early years of professional football.  George Cafego played halfback for the Dodgers. One day they were playing the New York Giants, and Cafego brought the ball upfield on a punt return.  This was just moments before the first half ended, and…

Lovely works of art are often marred by accumulations of dirt and grime. Specialists are employed to restore them to their original beauty. They carefully remove the foreign matter that obscures the painting’s true nature. Fine furniture can become worn and damaged. Its beauty is hidden by tattered upholstery and layers of paint. To see…

Christians are not subject to man-made rules. Paul warned against commandments of men such as, “Do not touch . . . taste . . . handle” (Colossians 2:21–22). Such rules, he said, “have an appearance of wisdom” in man-made religion but are of no value in restraining fleshly indulgence (2:23).  Jesus rebuked those who were…

The book of Proverbs is filled with passages about parenting. Proverbs 29:15 says, “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” This passage shows the effects of both good and bad parenting. God did not create man to train himself by his own wisdom. Paul wrote,…

Yes, it’s that time again. It is the time of year when we usually commit ourselves to several worthy goals. We do this because we want to make our lives and faith better. We want to improve, and that is a worthy goal. I have noticed that most of our resolutions revolve around money, health,…

The Bible is every man’s book. To know the Bible and to handle it correctly is one of the greatest accomplishments within the reach of any person. One may know English, astronomy, literature, music, sociology, and philosophy, but if one does not know the Bible, one has failed in the only subject that brings all…

The builder built a temple; he wrought it with grace and skill. Pillars, walls, and arches—fashioned to his will. Men said as they saw its beauty, “It will never know decay. Great is thy skill, O, builder, thy fame shall live for aye.” The parent built a temple with loving and tender care, Planning each…

Ten Commandments of Human Relations 1. Thou Shalt Love People, Not Just Use Them (Matthew 22:39). The greatest thing in the world is a person. The greatest thing about a person is his motives, and the greatest motive is love. 2. Thou Shalt Develop Thine Understanding (Matthew 7:12; 1 Peter 3:7). “If every man’s care…