Dr. Walter B. Smith

                                                    DO DOGS/CATS GO TO HEAVEN? In recent days, in three separate incidents, I have been again reminded and made aware of the relationship that exists between pets and human beings. All of that again brought up the question, “Do Dogs Go to Heaven When The Die? When God created the world, the creation of man was set apart as unique from the animals on day six. It is described as God creating us in his image (Genesis 1:26-27) . So the soul of man is different from the coursing of blood and the breathing of life found in animals. Man is unique and is meant to have a unique destiny. When the Son of God enters history, he comes as a human being, not as an animal. And he saves humans. And he conforms humans to his own nature as the God- man , not the God- animal . By creation and redemption, God confers on man the unique standing as created in his image and redeemed into God’s very family. I want to emphasize the utter distinction between

                                                     Thoughts on Sunday School  Sunday school is a part of the church.  Jesus Christ recruited, taught, and trained his disciples (Matthew 4:18-24).  Vance Havner said he was on a train one day, and he looked up in the front and there sat the great R. A. Torrey! He approached the great man and was invited to have some conversation. R. A. Torrey asked, “What are you doing?” Brother Vance Havner said, “Well, some of this and some of that! Preaching here and there, evangelizing, and writing.” R. A. Torrey said, “Paul said this one thing I do. . .” The narration of the Sunday School school should deal with the one goal of recruiting, discipling, and training soldiers of the cross so they can do what they have been trained to do.

Showing Kindness Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Col 3:12-13 says: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Notice the words “put on”. God is saying here that when we wake up in morning we ought to get dressed spiritually as well as physically.  We should ask ourselves, “What kind of attitude am I going to put on today?” God says kindness is something we can choose to “put on”.  Kindness is a practical expression of love. It’s visible. Why should we be kind? If we’re nice to someone they might think, “Why is this person being so nice? What’s in it for him?” On the other hand if we are kind to people they m

For years, I've been told that there are two types of people: pessimists and optimists. I’ve also been told that there are realists, optimistic pessimists and pessimistic optimists. I suppose the variations could go on and on. I once heard a sermon that was very realistic. The preacher laid bare the bad, unembellished facts. As I left that service, the conclusion in my hearts was “Boy, things are really bad. Everything and everyone is bad. The church is bad. I must be really bad.” I left discouraged, defeated, more a pessimist than ever, even hurt. I didn’t want to do a thing but sit in my chair and languish. All hope was seemingly gone. Gradually, God brought healing to my heart through His written Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He showed me that although the facts may show things to be bad, God was still good, He was still on His throne in control, the sky wasn’t about to fall, and that although there was a lot of sin and even hate in this world, God’s amazing

Where is God? He is omnipresent. A Christian parent told his fearful children when closing their door after tucking them into bed, “God will be with you.” Years later, when they were teens, he asked if they wanted to go to store with him and they replied, "No, but God will be with you." Although God is everywhere, He is more present in some places than others - He said so. Notice where God says He is: In Church. Matthew 18:20 says “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Revelation 1:13 and 20 say “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man; the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”   He walks in midst of His churches! Revelation 2:1 – “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;” In Giving. As Jesus walked into Temple next to

DOING GOD’S WORK GOD’S WAY – PART 2 God's work must not be done superficially. In our text, I Corinthians 16:6, the Apostle Paul said, “And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.” Paul did winter at Corinth. Paul also said in verse 7, “For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit”. Here we see thoroughness in ministry, a long-term commitment. The Great Commission given in Matthew 28:19-20 says: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Part of the commission says “teach em to do all that I've commanded you.” That takes time. It’s no quick stopover.   Paul spent 18 months at Corinth the first time. Je spent a winter th