Tom's Pen

Reconciliation

2012-02-09T12:06:00.000-06:00

by Tom Wacaster There are certain words in the Bible that astound the mind and thrill the heart. Words like “redemption,” “forgiveness,” “grace,” and “salvation” are among those words. The worldly minded can never appreciate the magnitude nor the depth of those words as they relate to matters eternal. But those who have been rescued from the bondage of sin have an appreciation that cannot be

The Silencing of the Voice of Opposition

2012-02-09T11:52:00.004-06:00

by Tom Wacaster For slightly more than one year the Handley church of Christ has placed an article in the Meadowbrook News advertizing our services, location, and focusing on a wide variety of subject matter. Attempting to develop a lengthy discussion on any particular subject is futile in what limited space we were allotted. So, I would occasionally write two or more articles on one particular

Working With Jell-O

2012-01-02T10:34:00.002-06:00

Working With Jell-OBy Tom Wacaster Senator John Boehner used this analogy some months back when referring to attempts to “negotiate” with the President and his staff in matters concerning the economy, taxes, and balancing the budget. More precisely the Speaker of the House pointed out, “Dealing with them the last couple months has been like dealing with Jell-o,” Boehner said. “Some days it’s

Working With Jell-O

2012-01-02T10:24:00.003-06:00

Dog Ears

2011-02-14T10:45:00.000-06:00

by Tom Wacaster This may seem like a strange title for this week’s article. Before I get to the point I want to make, let me tell you something about my little five pound poodle. Millie is eleven years old, and stands about eight inches tall. Although she occasionally barks at strangers, her bark is worse than her bite. I really think she is begging for attention. Millie loves to have her

What Happened to Efficiency

2011-01-31T10:59:00.001-06:00

by Tom Wacaster “Postage by Mail!” That was the banner on the mass mail out by the United States Post Office a few years ago. Imagine the convenience; avoiding long lines at the post office; you could conduct all your business through the mail using the little order form that was attached. You could even purchase your 1st class stamps by filling out the form indicating how many books you

Climate For Church Growth

2011-01-03T11:05:00.002-06:00

by Tom Wacaster Were I to ask a business man if he had a successful year last year, likely he would gage success on “numbers.” That is to be expected; for who in his right mind would even suggest that his business was a success had said company lost inventory, or even worse, dollars? To a car dealer, successes is measured in the number of cars sold; to a financier, success is measured in

Is No The Only Word In Your Vocabulary?

2010-12-29T17:07:00.000-06:00

by Tom Wacaster In 1994 our pet poodle died of a stroke. My recollections of that dog are fond ones, particularly when it comes to how well disciplined she was. After several months of rigorous training, verbal commands, coupled with punishment and/or reward, that little 12 pound canine turned out to be a decent, well behaved, and without doubt, a loving companion for the family. It would be

Roots Or Reliability

2010-12-21T10:14:00.001-06:00

by Tom Wacaster A search of your ancestral tree will reveal that you may have had ancestors that hung by the neck, but never by the tail. Multitudes are feverishly involved in searching their “roots”; for exactly what reason depends upon the one doing the searching. Mormons search genealogies in hopes that they might find someone for whom they can be baptized; unfortunately proxy baptism is

In Search of a Home

2010-12-13T11:02:00.000-06:00

by Tom Wacaster Home! There is something about that word. Take those four letters and attempt to form all the English words possible and I think I can safely say that this word – “home” – is all you will get. I did not take Webster’s Dictionary and search it out, but I think a little effort on the part of any individual will prove it true! Those fortunate enough to have been raised in a

Calvary, Not Bethlehem

2010-11-29T09:03:00.000-06:00

by Tom Wacaster It happened almost 2,000 years ago; but the residual effect is still with us today. Every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper we are reminded of that moment in history when the sins of mankind were laid upon the back of our Savior and the Son of God bled and suffered on Calvary that you and I might live. But for some reason men have a desire to celebrate the birth of Christ

Giving Thanks In Every Situation

2010-11-22T10:32:00.002-06:00

by Tom Wacaster Once again we are approaching that one day in the year which our government leaders of a bygone era set aside in order to emphasize thanksgiving to our Creator for His abundant blessings. As God’s children, we realize that the giving of thanks is not an annual, but a daily part of our lives. Perhaps it would be good this Thanksgiving Day to include the following petition in our

New Numbers

2010-11-15T18:50:00.002-06:00

by Tom Wacaster This past October 16th my wife and I celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary. In those four plus decades we have moved a total of 26 times. We are presently engaged in yet another move, this time to the Forth Worth, Texas area. This move will make number 27 (if we have counted correctly). Some of those moves have been just “around the corner,” some across town, some out of

Back In The Saddle

2010-11-15T18:41:00.001-06:00

by Tom Wacaster Some of you country and western fans might remember a popular song with the above title. “Back in the Saddle Again” was the signature song of American cowboy entertainer Gene Autry. It was co-written by Autry with Ray Whitley and first released in1939. The song was associated with Autry throughout his career and was used as the name of Autry's autobiography in 1976. The song

Parachute Mentality

2010-09-27T06:04:00.003-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Having never worn a parachute, and fortunately never having needed one, I don't know if I can appreciate what a paratrooper goes through in the exercise of his basic skills as a skydiver. While serving in the Coast Guard in Corpus Christi, it was my privilege to work in the field of aviation search and rescue. Those of us who went on search and rescue missions were never issued

On A Hill Far Away

2010-09-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

by Tom Wacaster What is it about the cross of Christ that draws men to Jesus? Surely it is not the fact that it was some instrument of death, for other means of execution remain to this day as symbols of only infamy and disgrace. Who has ever written a song about the electric chair, or what poet has ever glorified the gas chamber or the hangman's noose? But let men erect a cross in their yard,

The Trumpet, Harp, Timbrel, Stringed Instruments and Loud Cymbals

2010-09-27T05:52:00.000-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Those who advocate the use of instruments of music in worship to God often appeal to Psalms 150:3-5 for support of such a practice. But does the chapter lend support for instruments of music? Should we take a passage that is quite obviously Hebrew poetry, interpret it as prose, and use it for authority to bring a piano, organ, stringed instruments, or cymbals into the worship of

Mission of Mercy

2010-09-26T04:38:00.000-05:00

by Tom Wacaster A couple of years ago one of the major television networks produced a made-for-television movie based on the true story of two pilots who attempted to fly two, single-engine crop dusters from the West Coast to Australia. As the story developed, one of the planes never got airborne from the lay over in Hawaii, and the second pilot, at the encouragement of the first, continued the

Passing By Graceland

2010-09-24T07:32:00.003-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Highway 51 once served as the major thoroughfare from Memphis, Tennessee to the quite community of Southaven, Mississippi. Prior to the building of the massive Interstate Highway system, that little country road leading from Memphis into Mississippi was occupied by small town travelers, truckers, and farmers taking their goods to market in Memphis. In the late 1950's that little

Good Works And Our Purpose

2010-09-24T07:20:00.001-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Paul told Titus, "And let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary purposes, that they be not unfruitful" (Titus 3:14), "in all things showing thyself an ensample of good works" (2:6). Christ, our example, "went about doing good....and healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38). While good works are both "necessary" and beneficial it is

Traversing The Potholes of Life

2010-09-11T08:20:00.002-05:00

by Tom Wacaster This week finds me in India, travelling the back roads to cities and villages in an effort to take the gospel to surrounding areas. We in America often take the condition of our roads for granted, and assume that most roads in the world are as good as, or perhaps even better than the worst of our bad roads. I can assure you that even our country roads are far superior to some of

Life's Tests

2010-08-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

by Tom Wacaster My data mail server recently sent out a “test email” to all of our subscribers which read as follows: “This is the tech support for Tom's Pen list. Please indulge me with this test message. Just trying to solve some problems. Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail” Perhaps some explanation is in order. The weekly “Tom’s Pen” that I send out cannot be generated using my AOL account

When The Euphrates Dries Up

2010-08-07T13:32:00.002-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Revelation chapter eight ends with the sobering words, “And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound” (Rev. 8:13). Three woes would come upon “them that dwell on the earth.” The doomsday prognosticators

Forsaking The Assembly

2010-08-04T11:17:00.002-05:00

by Tom Wacaster My travels in raising funds, giving reports, and filling in preaching at various locations has reminded me that our brethren continue to struggle with faithful attendance. I have visited congregations where the drop in attendance from Sunday morning to Sunday evening is shameful. A number of years ago I visited a congregation in Texas where the Sunday morning attendance was

The Power of Encouragement

2010-07-23T20:42:00.001-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Solomon said, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). An encouraging word can bring victory out of the jaws of defeat. Legion are those who, exhausted and defeated, have rebounded to great heights because of one little word of encouragement. I was reminded of the power of encouragement this week when I came across this little story in

The Eyes of the Lord

2010-07-21T20:44:00.001-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Second Chronicles is perhaps one of the most neglected of the inspired writings among otherwise good Bible students. I must admit that my yearly trek through the genealogies in 1 and 2 Chronicles takes some patience. Much of what we read in the Chronicles are a repeat of the material in 1 and 2 Kings with but little difference. It is interesting, therefore, that on my journey

Boxing With God

2010-07-20T21:16:00.002-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Boxing is not as popular as it was in the last century. Great pugilists such as Cacius Clay (Mohammed Ali), Joe Lewis, and George Foreman were as well known as popular baseball greats or football heroes of today. Old men often talk of the “fight of the century,” or the “match at Madison Square Garden that would go down in history.” As great as some of those boxing contests

Commitment

2010-07-19T16:06:00.001-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Lafayette, the Frenchman, is remembered in the history books as a bold, courageous individual. During the French Revolution he was dismissed from the army. He tried to escape to America, but was captured and imprisoned in Germany. It is reported that he was offered freedom on the condition that he join the conspiracy against

A Challenge to Atheists

2010-07-19T15:53:00.002-05:00

by William Jennings Bryan The following was taken from the address delivered by Mr.Bryan in Orchestra Hall, Chicago, Illinois, on May 4, 1911. "Is the Bible the work of man, or is it an inspired book? Is it the product of human wisdom, or did its authors speak as they were commanded by the Lord? Atheists and materialists declare that it is merely the work of man; that it was written under the

The Old Watch

2010-07-17T13:09:00.002-05:00

by Tom Wacaster It has been a few years since the old watch quit working. That old Timex watch succumbed to the ravages of time and age. Contrary to popular belief, even the watch that "takes a licking and keeps on ticking" finally gave up the ghost. I came across that old watch sometime back, and wondered why I had discarded it for a new one. It did not take me long to remember why I put

The Indestructible Bible

2010-07-13T01:08:00.003-05:00

by Tom Wacaster The Bible is, without doubt, the greatest book ever written. Consisting of 66 books, it stands as a monumental representation of heaven's love for mankind. From the moment that God's word has gone forth to man, Satan has scrutinized, criticized, de-emphasized and sought to minimize the Holy word. Critics have assailed its "contradictions" and "inconsistencies." But the honest

Truth Is Fallen In The Streets

2010-06-18T01:28:00.003-05:00

by Tom Wacaster When Israel turned away from God, the only direction morally, nationally, and socially, was a downward spiral into ungodly behavior and spiritual suicide. Isaiah was one of those fiery prophets who was sent to Judah to attempt repentance and reform on the part of the people. For the most part his efforts were futile, and eventually the nation was carried into Babylonian

Life Lock

2010-06-18T01:26:00.002-05:00

by Tom Wacaster If you listen enough to radio, and especially talk radio, one of the most frequently advertized services is from a company called “Life Lock.” Not only do they “guarantee” to protect your identity, they back that guarantee with more than $1 million in promised financial aid should your identity be stolen. In 1997 consumers and institutions lost an estimated $745 million to

Gathered To His People

2010-06-11T01:20:00.002-05:00

by Tom Wacaster In Genesis 25:8, the following is recorded concerning Abraham: “Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.” One of the marks of divine inspiration is the concise manner in which the writers presented the facts regarding individuals and events. In slightly more than two dozen words in our English

When God's Patience Runs Out

2010-06-02T01:22:00.002-05:00

by Tom Wacaster One of the great attributes of our heavenly Father is, without doubt, His longsuffering toward sinful man. The apostle Peter told us God is “longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Someone once asked, “What is the difference between ‘mercy’ and ‘grace’?” Some years ago I heard the following

1982: Not So Long Ago

2010-06-01T16:28:00.005-05:00

by Tom Wacaster I was looking for an illustration to make a point. So when I ran a check on my computer it took me to the 1982 Fort Worth Lectureship book, "Difficult Texts Of The Old Testament Explained." One thing led to another and I soon found myself perusing the book and looking at the names and the pictures of the speakers for that series of lectures. Some of those men have long since

Their Finest Hour

2010-05-29T01:13:00.000-05:00

by Tom Wacaster “Change”! How many times have you heard that word in your lifetime? The number is incalculable! The hippies of the 60’s clamored for change! And so America cast off the sexual morals of a previous generation and gave us the change that the baby boomers sought. The seeds of ungodliness were sown in the minds of a new generation via movies, rock music, and the “rap” mentality

The Power of Encouragement

2010-04-29T01:17:00.001-05:00

No Crocodiles in Heaven

2010-04-23T01:27:00.001-05:00

by Tom Wacaster This week’s “pen” has been some time in developing, as you might conclude from the title and gist of the article. It has been more than a year since the famous "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray during a diving expedition off the coast of Australia. Though I was no big fan of Mr. Irwin, I did have an occasion to watch his program from time to time, or to

Truth Or Consequences

2010-04-19T01:28:00.001-05:00

by Tom Wacaster The title of this week’s “pen” might conjure up a variety of thoughts, depending upon the individual. Most of us would think of the popular quiz show that aired from the early 50’s until the early 80’s. Guests on the show had to answer some crazy question (give the “truth” of the matter) and if answered wrong or not in time, the contestant would have to suffer the “consequences”

Beginning Again

2010-04-12T00:07:00.001-05:00

by Tom Wacaster In a musical production of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Albert Finney plays the part of Ebenezer Scrooge. The move is a delightful reproduction of the classic Charles Dickens novel wherein Mr. Scrooge, after being visited by three angels, comes to repent of his past life, and determine that he is, from that point forward, going to live a life that denies self and seeks to

Abraham Sows, Middle East Reaps

2010-03-20T13:56:00.000-05:00

by Tom Wacaster The point in this article is to set forth an examination of the Biblical background of the events that have transpired throughout history in the geographical location of what is now referred to as the Middle East. A failure to keep present day circumstances in their Biblical context has led to a number of fanciful theories regarding the promise to Abraham, the second coming of

Our Final Departure

2010-03-16T01:19:00.001-05:00

by Tom Wacaster Paul once beseeched the brethren to permit him a little "foolishness," so that he might reflect upon his labors with those to whom he was writing (2 Cor 11:1). His great concern was that the Corinthians might not be drawn away by false teachers claiming to be apostles of the Lord. Paul's great love for the church is most evident in his writings. One of his most tender epistles

Hidden Nuggets in 2 Chronicles

2010-03-09T01:25:00.001-06:00

by Tom WacasterThe books of First and Second Chronicles tend to be neglected, even by the most ardent of Bible students. Admittedly I have been prone to rush through these two books, due in no little part to the repetitious nature when compared with the books of First and Second Kings. Over the past three years I have made a diligent attempt to read through the Old Testament two times in each

Four Flat Tires

2010-03-01T23:05:00.001-06:00