Alva Review-Courier -

Have you ever felt called to do something? Maybe you have felt called to serve on the local school board or sit on the city council or the board of some charitable organization. You may have felt called to some profession such as a teacher, doctor...

Shhh! Did you hear that? Shhhhh! Did you hear that? It sounds like music coming from somewhere. I was driving my bus the other day when I heard music coming from somewhere in the back of the bus. I thought I might be hearing someone’s electronic d...

I know that Easter is now over but the thought of Jesus’ resurrection and overcoming death lingers in my mind. Many sermons this past Sunday spoke of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power he displayed by overcoming death! Not j...

We recently came to the end of studying the book of the prophet Ezekiel several weeks ago in our adult Bible class. I asked the group what we should study next, and a resounding request to study the book of Job was their reply. I was quite surprised...

As we finish up this week on the Beatitudes, we find that the last one is a little lengthier in description than the previous ones. One reason might be because, as the Christian lives out these calls to be Christ like, the world rejects any teaching...

We all have both good things and bad things that happen in our lives. Sometimes the bad things seem to come a little more often, and in sequences of two to three happenings at a time. It could be as severe as losing our job or a loved one, or it...

It’s so intriguing how the scriptures in the Bible fit together so well, especially when it comes to the teachings of God. This next Beatitude in Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” I’ve often t...

When we think of something that is pure, we usually think of it as the real deal, authentic, or genuine. This next Beatitude states that the “pure in heart” will see God. Christians are many times labeled as hypocrites because people may see the...

We are moving right along in the Beatitudes, and we come to one that is really hard for a lot of us. Matthew 5:7 says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” The Greek definition for the word “merciful” is basically having compass...

As we continue to study the beatitudes in Matthew Chapter 5, we turn to verse 6, which says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Now when we say that we’re hungry or thirsty in everyday life, that...

This beatitude is especially hard for me because I, by nature, am not a meek person. The definition for this word “meek” deals with being a submissive, mild mannered, easily-imposed-upon person. If you’re like me that is hard to do when you feel...

As we continue to take a good look at the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5, we’re going to concentrate this week on verse 4, which says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” The Greek word for “blessed” means to be fortunate...

In the gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, Jesus begins an incredible presentation we call the “Sermon on the Mount.” Verse two of this chapter begins by stating that Jesus sat down, his disciples came to him and “he opened his mouth and began to teach...

What is our worth? I mean, are we really worthy of anything? There is an old saying about people we consider to be not worthy of much, it goes something like “they aren’t worth a plug nickel.” In the New Testament scriptures, the word “wort...

I really wish that my life would go better. I wish I had a better job, I wish my car would run better, I wish my family would be healthier, I wish I could leap tall buildings with a single bound, I wish, I wish, I wish! We certainly wish for a lot...

Oh, it’s that time of the year again, yes, the very first of what we hope will be a fantastic one. Most of us have made plans or some kind of resolutions for the year 2024 that we are so excited to fulfill. Well, if you’re like me, sometimes those pl...

What is the most valuable item in this world today? Is it gold, silver or some precious stone? Maybe it’s a valuable piece of artwork or sports memorabilia, or a strategic parcel of land. There are a lot of highly intelligent people on this earth who...

As we continue to offer information on the events happening in Israel, please remember this is a short abbreviated biblical historical retelling of these events. After the Israelites were given the Land of Canaan by the Lord, they were supposed to...

The war going on in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank is having a ripple effect around the world. This ripple has come to the United States and has made many Jews afraid of being persecuted as well as it has many people protesting, not only against...

How many of us go camping, tent or trailer, it doesn’t matter? We enjoy the outdoors and love sitting around a campfire roasting hotdogs and marshmallows, telling tall tale fishing stories, and talking with friends and family. If you’re like me, you...

When I was growing up, I made some bad choices and then blamed that choice on my friends by saying, “Johnny did it, too.” My parents would always come back with the line, “if Johnny jumped off a cliff, would you do that too?” They would then sit me...

Something that is easier said than done is to love one another. Loving someone you like or already love is easy, but loving someone that you don’t know or even don’t like, is another story altogether! Our lives as Christians are a little more det...

This last week at our NWOSU Student Ministry Lunch, I addressed a very interesting question, “What will our bodies look like in heaven?” I like to quote a lot of scripture of God’s Word, because it always tells us the answers, and that’s one of the...

Do we ever think about how much we influence other people that we interact with, either on a day-to-day basis or meet for the first time? Do we think about how our actions and words could influence someone else? I mean, we might say or do something...

In the Holy Scriptures, in the book of II Chronicles chapters 24 and 35, we read about a little boy king named Josiah, who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He tore down altars to foreign gods, purged Israel of the high places, Asherah...