Today @ THIS IS THE WAY... 
Greetings, Clyde and Dee Kilough Secrets Wise people know that they should not be doing things that they would not want revealed to others. All too often we are fooled into thinking that if nobody is watching, we can get away with things. That is a flaw of character as well as a great misunderstanding. Things that we do have a tendency to become known. Jesus explained the benefit of doing good things in secret (Matthew 6:3-4). Good things, too, have a way of becoming known. What would we rather be known for—doing good deeds of doing evil deeds? A good name (reputation) is worth more than gold (Proverbs 22:1). Further Reading
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8/4/2008 - Secrets Greetings, Clyde and Dee Kilough Secrets Wise people know that they should not be doing things that they would not want revealed to others. All too often we are fooled into thinking that if nobody is watching, we can get away with things. That is a flaw of character as well as a great misunderstanding. Things that we do have a tendency to become known. Jesus explained the benefit of doing good things in secret (Matthew 6:3-4). Good things, too, have a way of becoming known. What would we rather be known for—doing good deeds of doing evil deeds? A good name (reputation) is worth more than gold (Proverbs 22:1). Further Reading |
8/1/2008 - Flatterer Greetings friends, Clyde and Dee Kilough Flatterer Flattery will get you everywhere, some believe. A flatterer is not one who is genuine—he has a motive and that motive is not for your good. The same person cannot be both flatterer and friend. A friend will tell you the truth, even at the risk of losing you as a friend because of his or her loyalty to you. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6). A friend has no selfish motives within his comments. She has your interests at heart. He cannot build up a false notion in his friend. But remember, the Proverb continues, “The kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Further Reading: |
7/30/2008 - Forbidden Fruit Hi friends, Clyde and Dee Kilough Forbidden Fruit The Bible clearly states that the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But somehow many have come to believe that a little bit of sin is acceptable. Some chafe at any restrictions—and yet we always have restrictions. We are restricted by tiredness, illness, physical laws and more. Yet God wants us to live a joyful life (Ecclesiastes 9:7). Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful. God gave His laws that define sin in order for humans to have the best and most joyful life possible now. He also gave them so we could learn to hate sin and live joyfully for eternity. We have a choice—choose life and leave the forbidden fruit alone. Further Reading: |
7/28/2008 - Marriage: Choose Wisely Greetings, Clyde and Dee Kilough Marriage: Choose Wisely Not long ago, parents were much more involved in choosing a mate for their children. Today most say they marry for “love,” but it seems few understand how to be happy. “Marry above thy match, and thou’lt get a master,” someone wrote. Marriage is built on respect (1 Peter 3:1-8). There must be something to respect and honor. A marriage that has huge differences in the “match” also has huge possibilities for troubles. An unhappy person in a marriage will become more unhappy with time. Choose wisely. Further Reading: |
7/25/2008 - Spiritual Restlessness Greetings friends, Clyde and Dee Kilough Spiritual Restlessness A recent survey says Americans are changing churches and faiths at an alarming rate. The religious landscape of the country is very fluid. More than 44 percent of adults have either switched religious affiliation or dropped any connection to a specific religious tradition altogether. All major religious groups see turnover, indicating that many are restless. Americans say they are highly “spiritual”—that is, they profess belief in God and look to a holy tradition for a basis in life. Many say they regularly attend church. But this survey shows there is also a restlessness among a high percentage of people, moving from church to church in search of something to satisfy a deep need and longing. When it comes to religion, it seems many people today are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). People “will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3). Religion must satisfy our deepest desires and needs. True religion can do that. But you have to find the truth, live it and stay with it for the rest of your life. True religion is not for the faint of heart. Have you found what you are looking for? Further Reading: |
7/23/2008 - The Path to Peace Hi, Clyde and Dee Kilough The Path to Peace It was Memorial Day, and a commentator was remembering the friends of his youth who died at war. His conclusion was powerful. He said it was time to learn a “new religion,” one that teaches the way to peace instead of war. This new religion will require a new way of thinking and a new heart, something that is hard to find in today’s world. An ancient prophet talked of the day when swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. Nations will no longer go to war, neither will the art of war be taught and studied in the war colleges (Isaiah 2:4). This “new religion” will have to be different from today’s religions. The kingdoms of this world will not bring this time to pass. Only the coming of the Kingdom of God will make it possible. It is time for us to start learning the ways of this Kingdom, this new path of life, the path to peace. Further Reading: |
7/21/2008 - Improving Your Chances Hello friends, Clyde and Dee Kilough Improving Your Chances You’ve probably heard people say, “It doesn’t matter what I do, because if it’s my time to die, I’ll die!” That line of thought says we are at the mercy of fate and have no real control or choice in life. Call it fatalism or chance, it is a pretty negative approach to life. It is why some people refuse to use seatbelts in cars and others keep smoking cigarettes in spite of all the evidence that avoiding such behavior increases the odds of living longer. It’s true that life is uncertain, and often it is not fair. But there are many areas of our lives where we can choose to make things better, safer and more secure. We can choose behavior that gives only temporary gratification or we can increase the odds of future benefits. One of the greatest of gifts is the freedom of choice. We do not need to surrender to fate. We just need to learn to make wise and good choices that lead us to a better quality of life. Further Reading: |
7/18/2008 - Reducing the Headaches Hi, readers, Clyde and Dee Kilough Reducing the Headaches When we have a headache, we usually go to the medicine cabinet and reach for the aspirin. Aspirin is a great pain reliever and works most of the time to remove the pain. But as many of us know, the cause of the pain is not always removed and in time the headache can return. The treatment can mask the pain but not remove the cause. There is a lesson here. We have to be careful that in life we learn there is a cause for every problem. Getting to the root cause of problems and understanding why something is wrong is a challenge. But there are principles that govern life and help make it successful. Living a principled life helps reduce the headaches and the need for aspirin. Don’t throw away the aspirin, but start asking yourself why you’re having the pain.
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7/16/2008 - Reflecting on Sunsets Hi friends, Clyde and Dee Kilough Reflecting on Sunsets Like snowflakes, no two sunsets are identical. Everyone has seen sunsets in which rays of the sun reflect off cloud formations to produce breathtaking arrays of color, which change continually and only last for a few minutes, never to be exactly duplicated again. What a peaceful, gentle and spectacular way for God to end each day and to mark off time for mankind. God chose one special period of time between two sunsets for mankind to pause and reflect on Him as the Creator, the only one who could create such a display for the whole world to see. Further Reading: |
7/14/2008 - The Making of The Ten Commandments Hi friends, Clyde and Dee Kilough The Making of The Ten Commandments Cecil B. DeMille’s greatest film, The Ten Commandments, is often shown on network television. It was the last film DeMille completed, and even today, half a century after its release, it continues to enthrall audiences of all ages. DeMille was a lifelong student of the Bible. He devoted over three years to research for the film. Why so much time? In November of 1956, at the New York premiere, DeMille himself answered that question when he pointed out that “the Ten Commandments are the principles by which man may live with God and…man.” Today, those words ring truer than ever! Further Reading: |
This is the Way e-mail messages and Website is provided by the publisher of The Good News magazine. If you have questions or comments please contact one of our offices. Clyde Kilough is president of the United Church of God, an International Association. |