Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 7, 2010
The "Oath of Allegiance" taken by all who choose to become naturalized citizens of the United States follows. Immediately after saying the oath one's citizenship is in effect.
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Apr 19, 2010
R.C. Sproul gives us a simple way to grasp God's holiness:
"The first prayer I learned as a child was the simple table grace: 'God is great, God is good, and we thank Him for this food.' The two virtues assigned to God in this prayer, greatness and
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Apr 6, 2010
A TREE GROWS IN ENGLAND
In Tewin, England's St. Peter's churchyard stands a great four-trunked tree growing out of a grave. Its presence there is a constant reminder of resurrection for residents in the community. The grave from which it grows is that of the 18th century's Lady Anne
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Apr 6, 2010
"The Harrowing of Hell" -- "I have the keys to death and Hades"
An ancient Christian hymn found in the old hymn book "Odes of Solomon" (from the first one hundred years of the Christian church) has a climactic celebration of "The harrowing (robbing) of Hell." It gives us insight into the first
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Nov 2, 2009
Bruce Longenecker’s book, “The Lost Letters of Pergamum” (pp. 165-166) illustrates their teaching in a story about a Nicolaitan (Kalandion) that attended the Pergamum church. Kalandion is visiting a Christian who has been imprisoned for his faith.
“Kalandion had already visited him on several
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Oct 19, 2009
In the book “101 Romantic Ideas” Laura Jeanne Allen tells the following story.
My Grandfather and Grandmother were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word "SHMILY" in a surprise place
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Years ago a young black child was growing up in Cleveland, in a home which he later described as “ materially poor but spiritually rich.”
One day a famous athlete, Charlie Paddock, came to his school to speak to
the students. At the time Paddock was considered “ the fastest human being
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Contributed by Dan Stires on Aug 12, 2009
CROCODILE DUNDEE
Do you remember the movie called "Crocodile Dundee?" It was a good one.
Crocodile Dundee comes from the land down under. He is completely out of his realm when he came from Australia to New York City. Crocodile Dundee and his girlfriend are out for a walk at night, when all of a
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 21, 2009
In the story, A Wart Hog from Hell: Revelation, written by Flannery O’Connor, Mrs. Turpin is a self-righteous woman who turns on God when life takes a bad turn.
Out on the farm she screams to God, "Just who do you think you are!?"
Momentarily the question returns to her as it echoes off the
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 22, 2009
When I was a youth living in south Texas, we had … a fireplace. And we used it in the winter. REALLY! Those 60 degree winter nights can chill the bones ya know!!!!
Well, guess who split most on the firewood we used … me. Dad helped … sometimes. But mostly what dad did was teach me how to do it and
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Feb 3, 2009
If you have ever flown to California over the vast desert you have undoubtedly noticed the occasional small green square that is a thriving farm surrounded by shifting sand. You might have wondered how it survives in the midst of all the hostility around it.
It survives because the fertile oasis
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Contributed by Gregg Rustulka on Dec 20, 2008
Jesus is Better than Santa!
Santa lives at the North Pole. JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh. JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year. JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Sep 29, 2008
I watched one of my favorite movies last night. It is an old comedy called "The God's Must Be Crazy." It is about a bush tribe that lives in the Kalahari Desert; they have no earthly possessions. They are happy, content, and self sufficient.
A bush plane flies overhead (which they mistake for a
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Contributed by Mark Hiehle on Sep 25, 2008
On Monday, September 15, 2008, a very interesting panel of men was assembled and interviewed as a PBS special. The program aired on Friday night, September 19th. The gathering was of past and current White House Chief of Staff. One of the questions that was posed to the men was, “In your
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Contributed by Mark Hiehle on Sep 24, 2008
On Monday, September 15, 2008, a very interesting panel of men was assembled and interviewed as a PBS special. The program aired on Friday night, September 19th. The gathering was of past and current White House Chief of Staff. One of the questions that was posed to the men was, “In your
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Nazarene
Contributed by Ken Pell on Sep 14, 2008
In Tom Hanks’ movie “The Terminal” Hanks plays Viktor Navorski a man from a fictional country called Krakozhia. While Hanks is flying from his home country to the U.S., there is a coup in Krakozhia and the government is overthrown. The U.S. refuses to acknowledge the new government and, as a
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 27, 2008
Fred Douglas Shepard was born on September 11, 1855 in Ellenburg, New York in Clinton County. His father died while he was very young and his mother spent most of her adult life as an invalid. It was probably through this that Fred became associated with illness and caring for the sick. Fred lived
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Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 19, 2008
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THE CLUTTERED CLOSET
Mark 12:29-31
Object: Picture of a cluttered closet
Objective: Sometimes we must take the time to pull all the "stuff" out of the closet and go through it piece by piece if we want to bring order to chaos.
In my house there is a closet that I call the "junk closet." This
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Contributed by Gregg Rustulka on Apr 19, 2008
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Two elderly, excited Southern women were sitting together in the front pew of church listening to a fiery preacher.
When this preacher condemned the sin of stealing, these two ladies cried out at the tops of their lungs, "AMEN, BROTHER!" When the preacher condemned the sin of lust, they yelled
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Let me close with this story from Rick Labate King Henry III grew tired of court life and the pressures of being the king so he applied to a monastery to be accepted for a life of contemplation. The religious superior said to him, “Your Majesty, do you understand that the pledge here is one of
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Nazarene