Submitted by Tim Perkins

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Yes! Jesus Cares!

Tim Perkins April 28, 2022 - Peter would write in I Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon Him for he careth for you” (KJV).

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Encouraging Words

April 21, 2022 - Most of us are familiar with the old hymn, “Angry Words, O Let Them Never” and though we have been singing it all of our lives, we never really have taken the words to heart. Well, I was thinking (dangerous you know!) how wonderful if someone wrote a companion song to that and titled it “Encouraging Words, O Let Them Always.”

Across the Preacher’s Desk: The Tomb Is Empty!

April 15, 2022 - Wouldn’t it have been a wonderful opportunity to be one of the first ones to visit the empty tomb of the risen Lord? I have tried to imagine how Mary Magdalene and the others must have felt early on that Sunday morning. They were undoubtedly weary and dreary due to their lack of sleep. Their hearts had been crushed by the tragedy of Calvary. Fresh in their mind was the great suffering of their Teacher, Deliverer, Healer and Friend. The horrific scenes of Friday were emblazoned on their hearts.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: The Pain Passes

April 7, 2022 - You have no doubt heard of the French artist, Pierre-Auguste Renoir. He was a leader in the development of the impressionist style. In his later years, he developed Rheumatoid Arthritis which severely limited his mobility. During the advanced stages of his condition, he had to have an assistant place the brush in his hands so that he could paint.

We are told that one day, a friend came while he was forcing himself to

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Don’t Be A Quitter

March 31, 2022 - Jesus didn’t quit assembling with the disciples because Judas was a hypocrite, or because Peter was always “buttin in”. Nor did he quit because James and John “flew off the handle” occasionally. His interest in these men was not lessened because they were envious and jealous of each other at times. He did not quit teaching the high standard of life because some of his close associates failed miserably to live as they should. He did not refuse to teach others because they were unkind and unbelieving.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Selfishness

March 24, 2022 - Jesus said, in Matthew 16:24, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” Phillips translation puts it this way, “If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps he must give up all right to himself.” The denial of self, the giving up rights to self is one of humanity’s most difficult problems. It is hard for us to come to the realization that “it’s not about me.” To be sure, it is one of the hardest lessons there is for us to learn.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Good Intentions

March 17, 2022 - My mother always was one who enjoyed doing “crafty” things. When we were cleaning out her house, we found numerous half-finished projects. Things like purses being made from lunch boxes, wooden trays to be painted, pictures she was going to decoupage and, well, you get the idea. If we are honest, all of us have a number of “unfinished projects” of our own. It seems we “run out of time.”

Across the Preacher’s Desk: In Remembrance

March 10, 2022 - It was one night a few weeks ago, my wife was watching Hallmark Movies and I just wasn’t in the mood for a Hallmark Movie. I was more in the mood for an old World War II Movie. Well, I started searching Amazon Prime and found an old movie I had only seen once before. I had watched it on the “Late Show” with my dad in the mid 1960’s. So I tuned in and watched the movie.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: The Brevity of Life

March 3, 2022 - I got a phone call this week informing me of the sudden passing of an old friend, someone I had known for more than 60 years. To be truthful, he was more family than friend and though I had not seen him in more than 10 years, I thought of him often. It made me think of a poem by Leigh Hodges, one I first read many years ago.

Across the Preacher’s Desk: Do Others See Jesus in You?

February 24, 2022 - I read a story the other day that came out of an era when Passenger Trains were the primary mode of transportation. It seems a little lame boy was carrying a basket of candy and fruit as he hurried to the passenger gate at the train station as fast as his crutches would permit. As the passengers were rushing through the gate, a fast-moving young business executive accidentally hit the boy’s basket, knocking its contents in every direction. He paused only long enough to severely scold the crippled boy for being in his way.

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