NOT FOR SUNDAY ONLY

Commentary by David Sisler
Columns from 2001

FOREVER CHANGES: How long is forever? Apparently not as long as we thought?
(December 31, 2001)
CHRISTMAS AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY CELEBRATED: "Happy Holidays" is heard everywhere. Seldom is there a mention of the Christ Mass, worshipping the Son of God.
(December 24, 2001)
VOICES: Whom do you trust?
(December 20, 2001)
WHAT KIND OF TRUST?: "I have no contractions, no pressure," the woman told the OBY-GYN nurse, "Then why are you here?" the nurse asked.
(December 17, 2001)
THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS: How do you measure success?
(December 13, 2001)
MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP: Suicide is painless? Don't bet your life!
(December 10, 2001)
ONE MORE SURPRISE: Hardships, surprises, and one more thing.
(December 6, 2001)
DON’T LOSE THE RAINBOW: The rainbow or the pot of gold? Which have you found? Which is more important?"
(December 3, 2001)
ONCE UPON A TIME: And they all lived happily ever after. Really?
(November 29, 2001)
HARRY POTTER – DANGER IN DISPUTE: Are the warnings not clear enough?
(November 19, 2001)
STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES: Forrest Gump and his kin. The list is endless.
(November 15, 2001)
TO AMERICA’S VETERANS – THANK YOU!: To think that we can honor those men and women with a half-price furniture sale dishonors them. And us.
(November 8, 2001)
ME AND THE DONALD: You have no money, no power, no influence. You cannot demand a better deal. What do you do?
(November 5, 2001)
THE LITTLE FOXES: The danger of little foxes is not a little danger.
(November 1, 2001)
APPLAUSE: There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. That is not always the case on earth.
(October 29, 2001)
THREE DOWN AND ONE TO GO (BUT NOT TOO SOON): A father's thoughts as the nest becomes emptier.
(October 25, 2001)
THE ULTIMATE QUESTION: Which is more important: the question or the answer?
(October 22, 2001)
NO MORE DUMPSTER BABIES!: This one is not rocket science, but rocket scientists may be dying.
(October 18, 2001)
THERE IS AN EAGLE: The price our nation paid to return to this point of prayer and patriotism was too high for it to be wasted.
(October 15, 2001)
FREE ENTERPRISE AND GREED: Just once, could the free enterprise system dare to draw back and hold the line?
(October 11, 2001)
AMERICA, BLESS GOD!: We have rediscovered our knees.
(October 8, 2001)
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE - KEEP THE FLAG FLYING!: What so proudly we hailed!
(October 3, 2001)
PERCEPTION: Perception is everything.
(October 1, 2001)
NEVER ALONE: If this were a perfect world?
(September 27, 2001)
COURAGE: What do most of us want out of life? The answer may surprise you.
(September 24, 2001)
PRAY SAINTS!: Since Tuesday, September 11, we have dared anyone, even the henchmen of Osama bin Laden, to stop us from praying.
(September 20, 2001)
AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US?: I asked God, "Does your command to forgive, in the same fashion as I have been forgiven, extend to the perpetrators of these desperately wicked deeds, the terrorist attacks on our nation?"
(September 17, 2001)
OH, THE HUMANITY!: Oh, the Savior!
(September 13, 2001)
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!: It's the number two topic discussed by Jesus.
(September 10, 2001)
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON?: Like father, like son. Is that a good thing?
(September 6, 2001)
HIDDEN MEANINGS: Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed.
(August 30, 2001)
HATRED IS ALL ONE COLOR: And it is neither black, nor white.
(August 27, 2001)
LEARNING FEAR: Fear is learned. Can it be unlearned?
(August 23, 2001)
THE EYES OF THE LORD: Outside or inside? Where is your vision focused?
(August 20, 2001)
THE DREAM IS ALIVE: Dreams, nightmares, and peace.
(August 16, 2001)
COMMITMENT: "My whole life was in that box!"
(August 13, 2001)
PIECES OF STRING, TOO SMALL TO SAVE: How small is too small? How much is too much?
(August 9, 2001)
OVERCOMING BITTERNESS: Better, not bitter. Is that possible?
(August 6, 2001)
ANGER AND THE CHRISTIAN: Can you be angry and still be a Christian?
(July 26, 2001)
I CAN DO ALL THINGS: I can! Who can?
(July 24, 2001)
WHAT'S MISSING?: The demand was outrageous, even laughable, but you did ask, "What one thing do I need to do?" So what will you do?
(July 19, 2001)
HIDDEN TREASURE: Almost a billion dollars in treasures was found in a wodden vessel. Would you believe there is more in just one clay pot?
(July 17, 2001)
TOO MANY VOLUNTEERS: Everyone who will help with this project take one step forward. That's too many. Some of you, take one step backward.
(July 16, 2001)
LOOK ON THE INSIDE: If you were asked to give a personal recommendation, how would you respond? You need to know that the person to be recommended is yourself.
(July 12, 2001)
IRONIES: The Visitors Bureau of San Mateo County in California ordered 50,000 new maps of the area from a map company. The delivery driver got lost and had to phone for directions. That's irony. There's more!
(July 9, 2001)
SURROUNDED BY ICEBERGS: With the best navigational charts available, the Titanic hit an iceberg. Could you trust that navigator again? What if God steers you into an iceberg?
(July 5, 2001)
LIBERTY!: Whom the Son makes free is free indeed!
(July 3, 2001)
GARBAGE, GOATS, AND GOD: Where do you dump your garbage?
(July 2, 2001)
SO YOU WANT TO BE A DISCIPLE?: The job description is the same today as it was for the first twelve to sign up.
(June 28, 2001)
A DIFFERENT ENDING: You can't reshoot your life's story, but you can be sure it has a different ending than the one you have written so far.
(June 26, 2001)
WHEN GOD FORGETS: "Memory, all alone in the moonlight." I am often forgetful. Is God?
(June 25, 2001)
IT WAS A TOUGH WEEK TO BE A PRESBYTERIAN, IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE MEANS WHAT IT SAYS, Part 3: Is Jesus really the Way, the Truth, and the Life, or is there another way, another truth, another life?
(June 20, 2001)
IT WAS A TOUGH WEEK TO BE A PRESBYTERIAN, IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE MEANS WHAT IT SAYS, Part 2: Can we trust God's Word, or is it okay to just make up our own book?
(June 19, 2001)
IT WAS A TOUGH WEEK TO BE A PRESBYTERIAN, IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE MEANS WHAT IT SAYS, Part 1: Does it matter whether or not a Genesis "day" is 24 hours?
(June 18, 2001)
THAT'S WHAT A FATHER IS FOR: Do you know who your Father is?
(June 14, 2001)
HOLY DAYS, HOLIDAYS, OR HOLLOW DAYS?: Most Russians have no idea what today, June 12, is. And most Americans have no idea what June 14 is. Or July 4. Or...
(June 12, 2001)
LIKE A LITTLE CHILD: Jesus said that admittance to heaven was only for those who were like little children. What did he mean by that?
(June 11, 2001)
WHEN DOES ALMOST COUNT?: Horse shoes, quoits, hand grenades, and atomic bombs. With God?
(June 7, 2001)
WE NEED OUR PROBLEMS: It could be a lesson to illustrate the saying, "leave well enough alone." It could be an object lesson in old fashioned humility.
(June 5, 2001)
GIVE LIFE A CHANCE: "I wanted to see who you were going to turn out to be."
(June 4, 2001)
I'M ADOPTED!: What does it mean to be adopted? A six year old boy, who was adopted, said, "That's when you have the same family, but not the same face."
(May 29, 2001)
SID BREAM WAS OUT!: Check the instant replay!
(May 28, 2001)
WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY: I would have expected it out of "Them." Instead it came from "Us." Why should I have been surprised?
(May 24, 2001)
SATISFACTION: What will it take to satisfy you?
(May 22, 2001)
TWO VICTORIES: It's a start!
(May 21, 2001)
NO COMMENT: These two stories from the news wires need no commentary.
(May 18, 2001)
NOBODY DOES IT BETTER!: You've convinced yourself you are the only one who can handle the situation. Are you absolutely certain?
(May 17, 2001)
TIMOTHY McVEIGH: WAITING FOR JUSTICE: A murderer must be put to death. Don't let murder spoil your land.
(May 15, 2001)
IF ONLY: "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!'" Those famous words written by John Greenleaf Whittier, have a fascinating appeal for most of us. Somewhere in each of our lives is an "if only."
(May 14, 2001)
THE NEEDS OF THE FEW OUTWEIGH THE NEEDS OF THE MANY: Star Trek fans remember the line. The rest of society has forgotten.
(May 9, 2001)
SIX EASY STEPS TO RUIN YOUR MARRIAGE: Practicing failure.
(May 8, 2001)
JOSEPH AND THE COQUETTE OF MANY CALLINGS: Resistance is not futile.
(May 7, 2001)
HELD ACCOUNTABLE: The first instinct of many is not to help.
(May 3, 2001)
PEACE, NOT A SWORD?: Our politically correct society wants diversity, infinite diversity in infinite combination. Diversity sometimes means division. It is a two-edged sword.
(May 1, 2001)
CORRECTION!: It is not often you have a chance to correct your mistakes.
(April 30, 2001)
TOLERANCE, DIVERSITY, AND HATE CRIMES: Thoughts on hate-crimes, domestic violence, and more.
(April 26, 2001)
"KNOWING" AND "DOING" REMAIN TWO DIFFERENT THINGS: Have you ever secretly rooted for a clever criminal in a movie to get away with his crime? Have you ever figured out a way to steal from a company where you worked without actually doing it?
(April 24, 2001)
CLICHES: "I'm having to depend on my non-Christian friends to help my wife," the man said. "My Christian friends are killing her."
(April 23, 2001)
WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, MR. ROBERTSON?: Put it down in your book of things you thought you would never live long enough to see.
(April 19, 2001)
WITH ALL YOUR HEART: The pilot asks if you'd like to fly the plane for a while. When you ask him to take back the stick, you realize he is dead of a massive heart attach. Now what do you do?
(April 17, 2001)
SUICIDE: You have miles to go before you sleep.
(April 16, 2001)
WHICH IS EASIER: TO START OR TO FINISH?: I am a starter. I am not always a finisher. I know someone who is both.
(April 12, 2001)
COMMUNIST CHINA AND THE RECOVERY OF AMERICAN BACKBONE: How refreshing to see America stand up to international bullies!
(April 11, 2001)
EVEN IF YOU KNOW IT'S A FAST BALL, YOU STILL HAVE TO HIT IT: Does it help to know what pitch is coming? Not unless you swing.
(April 10, 2001)
RABIES AND FORGIVENESS: How costly is forgiveness?
(April 9, 2001)
PRAYER, TOO SLOW?: "At 60 miles per hour, prayer is too slow." Is that right?
(April 5, 2001)
WHICH PRAYER?: "Even so, Come Lord Jesus!" or "Revival now!"
(April 3, 2001)
VLORA'S SCARS: Outside scars. Inside scars.
(April 2, 2001)
I BELIEVE IN THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES: But what do you mean by "believe."
(March 29, 2001)
NOTHING FOR SOMETHING: It doesn't seem fair to pay for something I will probably never use, or for something someone else will use.
(March 26, 2001)
A ZEALOUS AGENDA: The charges. The plea. Guilty or not guilty.
(March 22, 2001)
HUG ‘EM AND LOVE ‘EM AND KISS ‘EM AND SQUEEZE ‘EM: It is what teenagers desperately need. And seldom receive.
(March 20, 2001)
GRACE, THE FINAL FRONTIER: The idea that an unborn child could sin and therefore be punished by God repels most of us. Yet we fall into the same trap when we see a difficulty or calamity in an individual's life and immediately try to find what sin caused the problem.
(March 19, 2001)
PLEASE STAY CLOSE! AN INSIDE VIEW OF THE RECENT ELECTIONS IN MOLDOVA: Presidential and Parliamentary elections as seen from the writings of one of the candidates. A powerful treatise on freedom.
(March 13, 2001)
BUT THOU, WHEN THOU PRAYEST, ADD THY NEED TO AN INTERNET PRAYER CHAIN: Prayer-as-talk-show, vs prayer-as-community.
(March 12, 2001)
BE CONTENT WITH YOUR WAGES – UNLESS YOU CAN HIT MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHING: A word from God's Rule Book, spoken by his personally selected Arbiter.
(March 8, 2001)
DEATH GOES TO SCHOOL – AGAIN: This world needs Jesus! So does its schools!
(March 6, 2001)
THE FAIRY TALE: Do you remember when you insisted that every story end with, "And they all lived happily ever after?"
(March 5, 2001)
ONE LITTLE MISTAKE: How would you like to be remembered for one "error," one incident in your life that you cannot change?
(March 1, 2001)
LUCK: Luck. Another name for Jesus?
(February 27, 2001)
FREEDOM: SO FRAGILE: Freedom, so fragile, is consistently attacked, and inconsistently defended. How quickly we forget!
(February 26, 2001)
MEN'S DAY: Considering a patriotic celebration in Russia. How far behind are we?
(February 22, 2001)
WEST SIDE – INSIDE STORY: I don't know if it was Stephen Sondheim's intention that "Gee, Officer Krupke" be a portrait of the causes of society's problems generally and juvenile delinquency specifically. I do know that the downward spiral which the Jets trace is the downward direction of all of our lives.
(February 20, 2001)
LISTEN!: I don't know where she found it, but years ago my Mom sent me a clipping which talks about listening: "What you are doing speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you are saying."
(February 19, 2001)
ALL THEY TALK ABOUT IS MONEY!: As the title says. Talking baseball. And ...
(February 15, 2001)
JUST THAT QUICKLY: It all happened so quickly. Without warning.
(February 13, 2001)
THE KAZAKH HOLY BOOK: Can you imagine not being able to read? Can you imagine being able to read and having nothing available in your language?
(February 10, 2001)
THE EVASIONS OF PREACHING: I once scoffed at a man who described himself as a "pulpiteer." Until I became one.
(February 9, 2001)
PICTURE PAGES AND ICE CREAM CONES: If you were five years old and you had to choose between an ice cream cone or Picture Pages which would you choose? One more thing, your twin brother has enough money to buy both!
(February 8, 2001)
EVERYTHING I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM NOAH'S ARK: It is just that simple.
(February 7, 2001)
MY FAULT! MY FAULT? YOUR FAULT!: As long as we empower inappropriate behavior, inappropriate behavior will continue unabated.
(February 6, 2001)
IT WAS ONLY A WHIFF, BUT THE SMELL WAS UNMISTAKABLE: Gagging on gnats, swallowing camels, leaving a whiff.
(February 5, 2001)
IF THIS IS A JOKE, EXCUSE ME FOR NOT LAUGHING: Trash is okay on TV, let's all yuck it up, make religious people the butt of jokes, or portray them as pathological maniacs, but if someone of Faith wants to help, wants to make a difference in a world that has spawned such bilge, that's not okay.
(February 3, 2001)
SUPER BOWL ADS: The winners, and losers, in this year's "Sisler Superbowl Commercial Awards."
(January 28, 2001)
TAMPA, BILL CLINTON, AND "THE SET UP": It is all about entrapment.
(January 27, 2001)
SCRIPTURE FOR THE INAUGURATION: This passage should be required reading everytime leadership changes.
(January 20, 2001 – Extra)
GOD WITHIN: The kingdom of God, God within our lives, is life put right.
(January 20, 2001)
WRONG IDEAS ABOUT GOD EFFECT THE WAY YOU LIVE: How can you trust a God you do not know?
(January 13, 2001)
ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH – WATCH THE OIL: "Extra, extra! Read all about it! Gasoline prices soar."
That is old news. OPEC's projected production cutbacks were forecast by the Bible 20 centuries ago.
(January 11, 2001)
TO BE RIGHT AND ACKNOWLEDGED, OR TO WRONG AND ADMIT IT: Which is more important?
(January 6, 2001)

NOT FOR SUNDAY ONLY

Commentary by David Sisler Columns from 2001

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Commentary by David Sisler
Columns from 2001