Articles

The Egyptians are coming!  The Egyptians are coming!  What will we do!?  Oh look, God parted the sea for us and then brought the sea back again to destroy the Egyptian army.  Did not see that coming. We are going to die of thirst in this desert!  God doesn’t care about us!  Oh look, God brought abundant water from a rock after having Moses strike it with his staff.&nb...

Oft told has been the story of the lad who explained his falling out of bed with the words, “I went to sleep too close to where I got in!” That might be the sobering and sad epithet of some members of the church. Too many have mistakenly taught, “...and now complete your obedience by being baptized into Christ” (cf. Galatians 3:26f; Romans 6:3,4). That converting act is not a completion, but a new...

Does fake news makes you angry? Not as angry as fake worship likely makes God. Jesus said, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers”- John 4:23 Jesus had just said that the Samaritans did not know what they were doing with regard to worship in 4:22. Is it possible to not...

God is ever evident, while the best of men are quite limited! Watching major TV analysts, who are skilled, highly trained professionals, batter one another over some moral issue or legal procedure, it breeds skepticism that a man like Moses could lift a staff over the Red Sea and make dry land appear (Exodus 14:10-16) until...I take a breath of fresh air, and realize over 7 billion people all arou...

Larry Jon Wilson, singer and song writer in the 70"s, wrote a song titled "Through the Eyes of Little Children". It was a poignant reminder that children are observing our behavior, and most likely will develop much of their own ways by patterning ours.In March, the elders began encouraging us as parents and grandparents to read & study the scriptures with our kids and grandkids, and to pray with ...

While there can be a danger or an abuse in comparing ourselves with other brethren (II Corinthians 10:12), Paul did exhort Timothy to be an example (II Timothy 4:12f), and Peter presents Jesus as an example, in whose steps we are to follow (I Peter 2:21-24). Note an example of some Bible students Jim Waldron presented in his Newsletter (Vol. 51; No. 3; May, 2017). These students were graduate...

We hear almost weekly of some one being a victim of "road rage" on our streets and highways. Don't get me wrong, a driver who becomes angry and then turns their anger on another driver is not the "road rage" I condone nor endorse. It's unacceptable in any case. But there is an acceptable road rage for Christians. Anger against sin which would try to hinder us on the "road to heaven". Our pilgrim p...

Tim Furrow said to fathers: “Live so that your son, when people tell him that he reminds them of you, will stick out his chest, not his tongue.”¹ The sobering influence of a father on his child was written by Herbert Parker: “To get his good night kiss he stood beside my chair one night, And raised an eager face to me, A face with love alight. And as I gathered in my arms the son God gave to ...

Jesus prayed for his apostles, but also for all of his disciples, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth……. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in you…..”, John 17:16-17 & 20-21 Jesus is affirming tha...

Below is some century old advice that is just as current as it could be. It was written originally by a preacher for preachers, but the principles are applicable to any Christian working in any vocation. “Keep about your work! Do not flinch because the lion roars, do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs, do not fool away your time chasing the devil’s rabbits; do your work! Win souls to Christ! ...

One of the most difficult trials I have faced was seeing my mother lose her memory. “She is not who she once was”, I would say, and no one ever asked me to explain what I meant. They knew. Without our memory, we lose track of our identity. Our memory helps us carry along our experiences in life, our responses to them and especially our relationships to others and everything else that makes us...

Jefferson created two collections of excerpts from the scriptures that have been called "versions" of the Bible. His purpose for each has been misinterpreted and maligned. Jefferson wrote letters explaining the reasoning behind the "Bibles" he created. Sadly, his writings are seldom used to explain his works. Instead, we often hear that his personal views on the Bible cast doubts on it's legi...

Every life can be criticized. Yours will be; but probably more by yourself than anyone else. In any case, avoiding criticism is not the point of life. The point of life is to honor God in what we do each day of our lives, Ecclesiastes 12:13. Remember that no one honored God more than Jesus, and he was crucified for it. We can accomplish “things” in life, but accomplishments are not the point ...

Balaam, a prophet of God, being tempted with cold hard cash from Israel’s enemies, came up with the idea of leading Israel into fornication and idolatrous worship with “the daughters of Moab”. You can read about this whole sordid affair in the book of Numbers 22-25, 2nd Peter 2:15-16 & Jude 11. God instructed Moses to execute those who had lead Israel to do so. When a man came brazenly amongs...

I recently saw where a fellow claimed that Jesus only commissioned the apostles to spread the gospel, arguing that such was not the responsibility of individual saints. Really? Is he kidding? Was disciple making to end once the apostles died? I seriously doubt that was Jesus’ intention. If so, why then did the Holy Spirit inspire Luke to tell us of so many who were not apostles, but who ...

If you read Mark’s gospel, you will be able to see that he records nine times when Jesus told the apostles very clearly that he would be arrested, tried, crucified and then three days later, be resurrected from the dead (8:27-33, 9:1-13, 9:30-32, 10:32-34, 10:35-45, 12:1-11, 14:3-9, 14:17-25 & 14:26-31).Mark, however, does not record the time that Jesus said, “…….for just as Jonah was three days a...

Many of you may have seen this quote on Facebook: "The tongue has no bones but it can break hearts." I thought this was a great statement and helps remind us to be careful what we say. It is so easy to let our brains slip out of gear while engaging our tongues. A tongue, without cerebral guidance, is a vehicle out of control. Someone is most likely to get hurt. The scriptures have m...

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” …….. Jesus, from the gospel of John the apostle, 8:44 Who does not value truth? The best liars want to know th...

Why did God record his reasons for choosing Abraham? For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him”, - Genesis 18:19 I confess that there was a time when I wanted the above passage to say that God chose Abraham becau...

Larry Jon Wilson, singer and song writer in the 70’s, wrote a song titled "Through the Eyes of Little Children". It was a poignant reminder that children are observing our behavior, and most likely will develop much of their own ways by patterning ours. In March, the elders began encouraging us as parents and grandparents to read & study the scriptures with our kids and grandkids, and to pray...