Josprel's Articles
Display Category
|
Title
|
Newest
|
Oldest
The Archer of Paran
The Wilderness of Paran was a wild place. Bounded on three sides by mountains some 4000 feet high, its limestone tableland reached upward some 2000 to 2,500 feet. Consisting of rolling, gravelly plains it was graced with only a few springs of mostly impure water. The Wady el Arish – River of Egypt – also flowed through it, but it was dry most of the year. It was no wonder that, molded by this environment, Ishmael, whom Hagar had birthed at the whim of her long barren mistress, developed into the wild man supernaturally predicted to Hagar.
Who is This Child? [A Christmas Poem]
Who is This Child? [A Christmas Poem]
The Ultimate Submission - Based on an Actual Event
Chris had a temper. It flared up only when he felt he was wronged. When that happened - look out - he lost it! He tried to control it; that wasn't it. He just inherited this terrible temper that his mother claimed came from his paternal grandfather. Nevertheless, Chris didn't like it; it caused problems for him.
The Shepherd King
A good shepherd loves his sheep, but so does a wolf – only in another fashion. A wolf loves a meal of mutton; it considers such a meal delicious. So do lions, coyotes, bears, wild dogs, hyenas, and other predators. These all endanger the sheep and also the shepherd, without whose protection the flock has no chance of fending off the predators.
Captain Rainbrain and the Tanglevine
More than a century had past since Lord Logos first warned Noeman of impending destruction. Those one hundred and twenty years were not easy. Only a handful believed that the vineyardist had been commanded to build a ship. Now the ship was ready. Five hundred feet long, its eighty-foot beam supported four decks that reached upward fifty feet. Noeman already had received sailing orders; come the dawn, the passengers would begin embarking.
Audible Classroom Prayer to Whom?
Josprel invites positive or negative reader comments on this article. He may be reached at: josprel@yahoo.com
Again the topic of religion's role in education is being discussed. Should public funds be used for student tuition at religious schools? Is a voucher system acceptable? Should teachers of religion be permitted to teach religious classes on public school property during a release time program? Is a religious release time program constitutional? Which religion is to be taught? I
The Pastor of the No-Fault Church
The pastor of the no-fault church suffered martyrdom. He had served the Lord for eighty-six years and could have avoided being killed by denying Christ. His last words before he died were, "I am a Christian!"
What Happened to Holiness? Personification with a Purpose
Something has happened to Holiness! In the frenzy of our activities, we don't see her around anymore. Actually, come to think about it, it look as if she has been gone a long while. We didn’t evict her; but since we only recently noticed her absence, it is evident we have neglected her. Yes, our Holiness is missing!
The Lord’s Table Talk
There is an immense gulf between love that emanates from a momentary emotion and love that is demonstrated as an act of our free will, especially when we know the love will cost us something. Most often there is no emotion involved with the latter kind of love. It is a disinterested love, freely given, sometimes at great cost to the giver. Such disinterested love for our fellow believers, flowing forth without reservation, marks those who are genuine followers of Christ.
Bread Upon the Waters
He was twenty-six years old. As an infant, he lost his soldier father on a battlefield. Everyone who knew his Oriental mother, praised her as a wonderful Christian. She had done her best to instill this quality in her son. In most respects, she succeeded. Sadly, in his early teens, she died, too. Then, he had no one but himself.
Entertained by a Sinner
Christ Jesus seeks hospitality. Selecting you from among earth’s teeming population, He is asking that you open the door of your heart to receive Him. Hear His call for your hospitality, “Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into his house and eat with him, and he will eat with me” (Rev. 3:20; TEV).
Why Don't You Grow Up?
The urge to grow is not unique to the natural world; spiritual life also demands growth. And similar to the natural world, if growth is not accomplished, stunting occurs. Christians must grow to not experience stunting.
Wealth and the Christian
God does not define wealth by human standards. The writer of Proverbs 16:8 noted that, “Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right” (KJV). It is true, however, that there are obvious material requirements persons possess. Most people would rather be wealthy then merely comfortable; but for the Christian, material prosperity must be subordinate to spiritual prosperity.
What Are You Doing for God?
One Sunday, Dwight L. Moody, the great evangelist of two centuries ago was preaching at his church in Chicago. Suddenly he pointed a finger at a young woman in the pews.
“What are you doing for God?” he asked her.
Throwaways
America has a reputation of being a throwaway society. We discard things that those in some other nations would feel privileged to possess. We take food so much for granted that it often becomes a throwaway item. Our clothes are treated in the same cavalier manner.
American-Born Hyphenated-Americanism - Humor
I am American born, but not a hyphenated-American. There are many American born citizens who insist on qualifying their heritage by appending their ethnicity to it.
Who is This Child?
A Christmas Poem
To the Giving of Gifts There is No End
Sincere believers sometimes are at a loss regarding how to view the practice of gift-giving. The Bible offers the answer. God, himself, was the first Christmas gift-giver.
Old Landmarks
The Old Testament empathically prohibited the removal of a neighbor's landmark. Moses commanded Israel, "Do not move your neighbor’s property line, established long ago in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Deuteronomy 19:14). So sacrosanct did Moses consider landmarks that at the crossing of the Jordan River, he issued a directive that the Levites were to loudly proclaim, among other things, "God’s curse on anyone who moves a neighbor’s property line” (Deuteronomy 27:17).
Do Business Till My Return
The Lord in His infinite wisdom promotes only the obedient and the faithful for His work. We must listen patiently for Him and give heed to the Spirit’s prompting for His coming will not be secret. The Second Coming of Christ shall catch up the Church so unexpectedly, that there will be no time for those who are unprepared to ready themselves for it.
The Discipline of the Cross
The discipline of the cross focuses all that we are or ever hope to be, all our possessions and desires, in Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Master. He is our worldview. Though it may appear paradoxical to the carnal mind, it is our crucifixion with Jesus that authenticates our resurrection with Him. Like the risen Lord, our resurrection is validated by the marks of crucifixion.
Who is Praying for the Arabs?
Who is praying for the Arabs? In our zeal to experience the fulfillment of Bible prophecy in the Middle East, those Arabs who have been born again, have become the forgotten sector of the body of Christ. Is anyone praying for the Arabs?
Love’s Wise Gentle Correction
Reciprocal emotion as practiced by the world often is passed off as love. A by-in-large conditional emotion, it is a “love” that depends on being returned - “I love you, because you love me.” Not so with the love nature of God; His love imposes no conditions and is not a response to our love for Him. The love of God is an unconditional act of His infinite will. He wills to love us with no reservations.
Maximum Security - Attica!
When Josprel began his many years of ministry in the prison community of Attica, New York, the location of one of the most bloody, horrific prison rebellions in America's history, he possessed an extremely negative mindset regarding prison ministry. It required a work of God in his heart to change that mindset.
Lying in Color: Humor with a Purpose
Have you ever noticed that many people color the lies they tell? To them, lies apparently come in a verity of hues. There are white lies, black lies and lies in several shades between these two extremes. As may be expected, those who follow the art of color-lying grow more proficient the longer they practice it. They often claim the best of intentions when using color-lies.
The Agnostic Violinist - The Conversion of Josprel's Parents
Though he never used the term, The Violinist was an agnostic. He claimed that no one could know that a God really existed. He even attempted, unsuccessfully, to prevent his wife, Sara - a devout woman who was ill with a deadly illness - from going to church. Only through her perseverance was Joey, their infant son, baptized. It nonrtheless required a work of God's marvelous grace and healing power to bring the Violinist and Sara to a genuine saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Warfare
Born again Christians are at war; they are battling spiritual forces! Ever since Lucifer lost his exalted heavenly position and was cast from heaven, due to his pride and rebellion against God, he has been in a fury against the people of God. With lies
Quiet Moments with God
Believers in gentler eras understood the value of quiet moments with God. Long ago, an anonymous writer penned words apt to our times: "There is restlessness and fretfulness in these days, which stand like two granite walls against godliness. Contentment is almost necessary to godliness, and godliness is absolutely necessary to contentment. A very restless man will never be very godly, and a very godly man will never be a very restless man. 'Be still and know that I am God.'"
Things that can not be Shaken
There may be times when personal “earthquakes” shake our own lives. As we pass through them, it will stabilize and bless us to meditate on things that cannot be shaken.
Let there be Peace
In attempting to attain an ever-elusive world peace and inner peace, humanity disregards the reality that, until mankind is at peace with God, peace shall ever elude them.
Miracle in the Mud
Like most of the church's servicemen, Vito endured years of intense fighting. His twenty-six months of combat were served in Europe with the Thirty-fourth Infantry Division. He fought at Anzio and Cassino. At Cassino, his battalion suffered extreme casualties. From among some 1000 troops, he was one of only one hundred and ninety-eight men not killed or wounded. Vito told of the unseen protector who overshadowed him throughout his war years, rescuing him, at least twice, from certain death.
Jesus Loves the Little Children
In studying the earthly ministry of Jesus, one cannot help but notice that He loves children. He reserved then, and still does, a special place in His heart for them. Contrary even to some parents, the Lord never is too busy for children. During His earthly walk, He expressed a special tenderness towards them.
Gilgal Stones
After the death of Moses, the leadership of Israel fell to his protégé, Joshua. It now was time to cross over into Canaan; time to claim the land God already had given to His people; time to trust Him to remove all obstacles to complete victory and, of course, the first obstacle was the waters of the Jordan River that, normally so placid, now were at flood stage.
Adam and His Rib
Adam, the first man, had no previous experience; he had absolutely no criteria by which to make a valued judgment of any situation. The fact he just awakened from being anesthetized during an operation in which one of his ribs was surgically removed, put him in a preliminary grogginess that impaired his reasoning.
The Bandito and the Jungle Angels
The bandito and his robber band of horsemen intended to slaughter the missionaries as they traveled through the South American jungle. God, however, had different plans
Genetically Based Sin
Some time ago, this author read with interest the comments someone sent to a large urban newspaper. They had to do with the writer's concern on the implications of genetic research on the prevailing ideas regarding sin and man's free will. Is humanity really responsible for some acts condemned by the Western religions? A United Methodist bishop also was quoted as wondering if sin is centered exclusively in free will.
A Superlative Forgiveness
It’s been observed that forgiveness without forgetting is like vultures feeding on a dead carcass. It contaminates our prayers. If we want God to answer our prayers, we must forgive. Jesus coupled God’s forgiveness to our forgiveness of others.
Horses in Heaven
With infinite unpretentiousness, God anoints simplicity to seed His Word in receptive hearts. Heaven's horses opened a wedge for the Gospel.
Attaining Christian Maturity
Christians should primarily be concerned for the spiritual aspect of growth. The words of Jesus, when He was tempted by Satan to turn stone into bread, attest to this: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
A National Moral Insanity
Situational ethics, with its code of moral non-absolutes, has replaced our Judaic-Christian system of conduct in decision-making. Challenges are being leveled against the mention of God in all aspects of governmental functions. America now is defined as a "secular state." All this is occurring in the name of "good."
Sign Up
for a free account or
learn more
.
Submit Articles
Member Login
Top Authors
Most Popular Articles
Submission Guidelines
Email Notifications
Article RSS Feeds
News
About Us
Link to Us
Contact
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
©2007-2008
The Christian Article Resource
