How Can a Polygamist Become a Christian? How can this problem be solved in a case of a Christian involved in a polygamous union before coming to know God? ~ Femi Temilola     Christians and non-Christians are amenable to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whether they realize it or not (Mark 16:15-16; Romans 1:15). The reason Jesus Christ came into the world was because mankind was already lost in sin; “Son of man came to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 ASV; Romans 3:10, 23 ).     Since all people are bound by the Gospel or New Testament even before they become Christians, part of the Gospel plan of salvation calls for repentance prior to forgiveness of one’s past sins; “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:28).     The New Testament allows a man or a woman one spouse (monogamy, not polygamy). “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband” (1 Corinthians 7:1-2). A second spouse under Christianity constitutes adultery (Matthew 5:32; 19:9). Apostolic instruction for the selection of elders emphasized monogamy rather than polygamy, since previously under Judaism and among non-Jews as well, polygamy was sometimes practiced (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6).    Therefore, a polygamist who wants to become a Christian must abide by the New …

Most people do not like to be told they are hardheaded. In fact, most people would be insulted if you told them they were hardheaded. In most instances, if you told someone he is hardheaded, you would be telling him that he is not reasonable. You are saying that he does not listen to all the evidence, and then make a proper decision on the evidence. You are saying that he will not change his mind, no matter what is said to him.     God said that the nation of Israel was hardheaded. In Ezekiel 3:7, God says, “…for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.” The word “impudent” is the translation of the Hebrew word for hardheaded. God condemned Israel for this characteristic. The Israelites refused to listen to God and His prophets.     Then God told Ezekiel in verse eight, “Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.” God was going to make Ezekiel hardheaded. God was not saying that He was going to make Ezekiel a bad person. God was saying He would strengthen Ezekiel so that he could withstand the arguments of the Israelites. God helped him withstand the mocking of the people of Israel. Always standing up for what is right is having the right kind of hardheadedness.    God was not only going to make Ezekiel as hardheaded as Israel; He was going to make him harder. In verse nine, God said He would make Ezekiel as hard as an “adamant.” This is …

The Golden Candlestick was in the Holy Place. It was made of pure gold. It had one main shaft and six branches. You can read about it in Exodus 25:31-40.    The Candlestick is representative of Christ. The only light in the Holy Place came from the Candlestick. Christ is the light of the church. If a church does not follow Jesus’ teachings, then there is no light in that congregation. The priest had to take care to keep the candlestick lit and burning. It was up to him not to allow the light to go out.    Christians must study the Bible and be diligent to properly teach and preach the Word. If they do not, the light will leave their congregation.     Why six branches? There may be several pictures in this but we will just look at one possibility. In Isaiah 11:1-2 we read, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out if his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Notice that there are six things that this Branch will have. Perhaps the six branches represent these six things that Christ demonstrated.     The Candlestick had bowls in the shape of almonds. The Hebrew word for almond can mean “to hasten” and “wakeful.” Christ hastened to preach the good news to man, and we are to …

In ancient times, most people wore loose fitting clothes. Even soldiers wore loose fitting shirts. The looseness allowed the individual to do many things without the arm being cramped. However, when it was time for the heat of battle, the soldier would roll his sleeve up and tuck it over his shoulder. This would completely free his arm so that he could swing his sword in any direction. When a normal worker was getting into very serious hard labor, he would also tuck his sleeve over his shoulder. When a person was seen with his arm bare, it was a sign that something serious was happening.     In Isaiah 52:10 we read, “The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” This chapter is full of prophecies about Christ. This verse is also about Christ. Christ is pictured as God’s bare arm. In Isaiah 51:9-11, the arm is described as the one who made the sea a dry ground for the Israelites to cross over.     When Christ came to earth, He did not preach and teach in secret. He did not do his miracles in secret. He did these things in the open so that all could hear and see. He allowed himself to be crucified in full view of the world. Then, He sent the Holy Spirit for the Christians during the first century so that they could do miracles. These …

There are some cultures where people are encouraged to have tattoos. These tattoos may have tribal significance. Other cultures may accept tattoos as simply pretty, and some cultures frown upon tattoos that are openly visible for all to see.     What is interesting is that God says he had a tattoo. In Isaiah 49:14, the people of Israel say that God has forgotten them. But God says he has not forgotten them. In verse sixteen we read, “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”     God does not have physical hands, but he uses this symbolism to make the point that he does not forget his people. He has his people’s names written on his palms. Most tattoos are on the side of a person’s arms, on the back or on the legs. If a tattoo is on these places, clothing will cover it up. However, clothing rarely covers up the palms of the hands. The palms of the hands are very visible and constantly in front of the eyes. Whatever is on the palms is a constant reminder.     Is your name written on God’s palms? Do you study your Bible? Do you obey the Bible? If you do not, your name is not written on God’s palms. Make sure God writes your name on his palms. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Ezekiel prophesied against the wickedness of the people of Judah. He condemned the false prophets. These prophets told the people anything they wanted to hear. They did not preach against the immorality of the people. They did not preach against the worship of false gods. They even joined the people in all the sins.     God said in Ezekiel 13:5, “Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.” During a real battle, the enemy might break through a portion of the city wall. Good and brave soldiers would rush to that place and fight to keep the enemy out of the city. They would also work hard to rebuild a defensive wall around the city.     God was talking here about a spiritual battle. The prophets of God were supposed to preach the truth. They were supposed to call the people to repentance. They were to lead the people in the battle against Satan. The prophets were to rush into the hole made in the spiritual wall of Israel. They were supposed to help rebuild the spiritual wall.    However, these prophets failed in their mission. God condemned them. They would die because of their sins.     Do not be like the false prophets of Israel. Stand for the Truth. Tell others the Truth. Be brave in the spiritual battle. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Under the Old Law, some people were not allowed to enter the Temple. Anyone with certain physical deformities could not enter. Eunuchs were not allowed in the Temple. Those who had not physically converted to Judaism and were of a foreign nation could not enter the Temple. Anyone who had become unclean by touching something dead was not allowed in the Temple. These people were allowed to worship God privately, but they could not join the congregation in the Temple. They were considered outcasts.     In Isaiah 56:8, we read, “The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.” Earlier in the chapter, God had said that the son of the stranger and the eunuch would be included in the new covenant He would bring.    When the New Covenant was instituted, any former outcast was immediately included if he obeyed God. Anyone who obeys God today can join in congregational worship. The key is that one must obey God. One must do what is necessary to enter the kingdom. Today, the only outcasts are those who refuse to obey.     I am glad that God is willing to allow anyone to worship him. It does not matter what nationality, sex, physical condition or former life one has. If a person will obey God, he can join in worship.     Study your Bible. Learn what is necessary to obey God. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help …

In Hosea 10:4 we read, “They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.”     Hosea condemned the people of Israel. They had said that they were God’s people, but they did not live by their words. They did not live by God’s Word. Instead, they had made false gods and worshipped them. Because of their disobedience, they would be punished. Because of making a covenant and then breaking it, they would be punished.     Later in the chapter, Hosea pictured the Israelites as having plowed their fields and sown their fields with evil. They should have been sowing and plowing righteousness. Because they had sown evil, their judgment would be like hemlock growing in the plowed field. Hemlock is a poison. Anyone eating it dies. Therefore, instead of reaping good, spiritual things, the Israelites had grown spiritual death.     The same thing can happen to us today. In Hebrews 12, we read that we must work to make sure that we stay faithful to God. We must be diligent in obeying God’s Word. In verse 15, we are told that if we do not do this, then roots of ‘bitterness’ will spring up and trouble us.     Do not be like the evil Israelites. Obey God. Do what He wants you to do. Help others to live right. Do not let hemlock grow up in your spiritual garden. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to …

Under the Old Law, God required animal sacrifices. Every sin or transgression required some type of sacrifice. Goats, lambs, bulls and birds were all part of this sacrificial system. Each individual was required to give sacrifices. The individual was to bring the sacrifice to the priests. In most instances, the individual killed the animal. The priest would then put the sacrifice on the altar.     However, God was not simply pleased by animal sacrifice. God wanted the individual to be repentant. God wanted the individual to have the right attitude of heart and mind. God was not pleased if the individual offered the animal sacrifice while not thinking about his sin and God’s mercy and grace.     In Isaiah Chapter One, God condemned the Israelites for their sins. He said that they offered sacrifices according to the Law, but that they did not offer them with the right attitude. He told them not to bring any more sacrifices. He was weary of them. In verse 15, He said their hands were full of blood.     There are two possible things that God was saying in reference to their hands being full of blood. He may have meant that all the blood from the sacrifices had done nothing but cover their hands. All of that animal blood was completely worthless in doing away with their sins. Thus, they did nothing but cover their hands with lots of animal blood.     The other possibility is that all men are guilty of the …

In Luke 6:47-49, Jesus says that a man should listen to his words. He is not talking about just letting the words fall on one’s ears. Just because a person is within hearing distance, and just because he is looking at the person talking, does not mean he is actually attempting to think about what is being spoken.     The same holds true for reading. Just because one allows his eyes to scan across words on a page, does not mean that one is actually reading and thinking about those words.     When Jesus said we are to “hear” his sayings, He means that, whether we are listening to someone teach or preach, or whether we are reading our Bible, we should think and contemplate on the words. Effort must be put forth in studying God’s Word. Knowledge and wisdom of his Word does not magically come to us.     In the referenced text, Jesus compares hearing with digging. In verse forty-eight, He says that the man who listens and does His Word is like the man who digs deep and lays the foundation of a house. Listening properly is digging deep. A house must have a proper foundation. That foundation must be solid. The foundation of a house in many Bible lands was set on rock. Thus, a person many times had to dig deep through sand and soil to find the rock.     We find the spiritual Rock, Jesus, by digging deep in the Scriptures. We must read and …

In Bible times, the vineyard was very important. One of the main foods was grapes. All kinds of grapes were grown. There were many dangers to the vineyard. The east and southwest winds could dry out the grapes or bring too much moisture. Locusts, wild animals and robbers were always potential enemies of the vineyard. Watchmen were appointed to keep constant oversight of the vineyards.     The watchman was there day and night. He was to frighten away animals and challenge or report on any intruders. He would roam about at night to make sure that no enemies were able to sneak into the vineyard. In the daytime, he sat in a booth that he built in a conspicuous place in the vineyard. This booth was made of four stout poles fixed into the ground. Halfway up, boarding was affixed and then covered with leaves, usually oak. The watchman could sit here and see all around the vineyard while being protected from the sun. When the season was over and the grapes had been harvested, the booth was no longer used. It would be ripped apart by the winds and heavy rains. With no watchman to repair it, it was a perfect picture of desolation.     In Isaiah 1:8, we read, “And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage [booth] in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.” God depicted the nation of Israel as the booth in the vineyard. Israel was the very picture of a desolate …

Most people have heard of King Solomon. Solomon was asked what he wanted from God. Solomon followed the advice of his father, King David, and asked for wisdom. God gave him more wisdom than any man had ever had. He even had more than any man will ever have. Solomon became known throughout the world for his wisdom. He also became one of the richest men ever to live. The Queen of Sheba heard of his wisdom and traveled to Jerusalem to see if what she had heard was correct. After spending time with Solomon, she was convinced that he did have the greatest wisdom of all men.     Jesus referred to this incident in Matthew 12:42. The Pharisees and scribes had witnessed Jesus performing great miracles. They had heard Him teaching and preaching with great wisdom. Yet, they did not desire to travel distances to listen to learn. They only wanted to follow Him to try to find something wrong with what He did or with what He said. They had no intention of being open-minded and sincere like the Queen of Sheba.     Jesus stated that the Queen of Sheba would rise in judgment against them. She traveled a long way to hear and see Solomon. She desired of the truth. Jesus said they had someone with them who was greater than Solomon, yet they refused to accept Him. They would be condemned for their unbelief.    Study your Bible. Learn all you can about the One who is greater than Solomon. …

Most people who study the Bible are familiar with the account about Jonah. He was told to preach repentance to the great city of Nineveh. The people there were very wicked. Jonah at first did not go. However, through God’s intervention, Jonah was convinced he should go. Jonah spent three days in the belly of a large fish. The fish then vomited him up. Jonah traveled to Nineveh and preached to the entire city. All of the people of Nineveh, including the king, repented at his preaching and turned to God. Jonah did not perform miracles for the people. They simply obeyed what Jonah preached to them.    Jesus refers to this incident in Matthew 12:39-41, after the scribes and Pharisees accused him of performing miracles by the power of Satan. After Jesus logically showed that He could not be of Satan, the scribes and Pharisees sarcastically asked him to perform a miracle for them.    Jesus stated that the only sign He would give to them was the sign of Jonah. He would be in the grave for three days and nights and then come out of the grave.    He then told them that the people of Nineveh would rise in judgment against them. Those Jesus spoke to had not only heard preaching of repentance, but they had witnessed great miracles by Jesus. Yet, unlike the people of Nineveh, they refused to believe the preaching or the miracles. Jesus was greater than Jonah, yet these people refused to accept His teaching. They would be condemned for their unbelief.   Study …

In ancient times, armies traveled by foot most of the time. When large armies traveled into very rocky areas, they needed the way cleared of many of the rocks. When traveling into forested areas, they needed trees cut down to make the way clear for them to travel. Sometimes, it was some of the soldiers who went ahead and did the clearing. Other times, it was civilians that were hired to do it, and sometimes it was slaves who were made to do it.     ll this work made it easier for the army to travel. This was very necessary work that had to be done so that the army could go where it was needed. We have instances where the word for this preparation is used in the Bible.     In Philippians 1:12, we read, “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.” The word for “furtherance” is the Greek word for that preparation.     Paul is saying that even though some bad things had happened to him, they always had made it in some way possible to preach the Gospel. Everything that happened allowed Paul to preach the Word of God to someone. Sometimes the things that happened to him made others want to listen to what he had to say. Other times, people were impressed with his commitment to overcome obstacles.     This is the way that we should look at the …

Have you ever had a vegetable garden? You prepared the soil by breaking it up and watering it. You may have even put fertilizer on the soil. Then, you planted the seed. After a short time, the seeds sprouted, and the plants started growing. The plants may have even grown to the point where they should start producing their fruit. The plants may have been corn, beans or peas. If you took good care of the garden, you made sure that no weeds grew up in it. You kept the garden clean of all weeds.     However, if you had not taken care to pull out weeds as they sprouted up, the weeds would have grown right alongside the vegetable plants. The weeds would take some of the nutrition and water from the soil for themselves. Eventually, the weeds would even overpower the vegetables and choke them out. The vegetables would not produce what they were supposed to produce. The vegetable plants might not die completely, but they would be unfruitful. You would eventually have to cut them down along with the weeds.     Jesus said there were some people like this situation. In Luke 7, 14; Mark 4:7, 18-19; and Matthew 13:7, 22, Jesus says that some people hear the Word of God and accept it. They begin to grow in the faith, but they allow cares of this world, and the desires for things of this world, to grow up in their spiritual soil. These thorns and weeds become more important …

Have you ever been to a wedding? Did you see the men dressed in their formal clothing? Did you see the women dressed in their formal clothing? Did you see the bride in her beautiful wedding dress?     The bride’s dress is very special. Sometimes the woman will wear the dress her mother wore at her wedding. Sometimes the woman will make her dress. She will find expensive, special materials to make it. Sometimes the woman will have someone else make the dress. The bride wants her dress to be attractive.     Can you imagine a bride getting to her wedding and forgetting her dress? Do you think she would forget such a special dress? Do you think she would want to get married without her dress? What would the groom think about his soon-to-be bride if she could not even remember her wedding dress?     Yet, the Israelites were said to be worse than the bride who forgot her wedding dress. In Jeremiah 2:32, we read, “Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.”     Remembering God and worshipping God is more important than anything in this world. God is our Creator. We are to worship God. We should love God. God wants us to obey Him. He has promised that if we will obey Him, that we can live with Him forever in heaven. It makes no sense to forget the Creator of the Universe. It makes …

In Ezekiel 12:22, we read, “Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?”     Ezekiel’s job was prophesying and warning about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian captivity. He was to preach about punishment for sin and the need for repentance.     However, the people of Judah had become so hard hearted that they did not believe any of the prophets. They had come to the point that they even scoffed and mocked them. They said that God’s prophets were telling things that were not true. They said God’s prophets had been foretelling of the fall of Jerusalem but it never happened. The leaders and false prophets of the people declared that all was safe and nothing bad was going to happen.    God through Ezekiel said that this proverb was going to end. Why? Because what He had been warning them about through the prophets was about to happen. There was no more time for repentance. There were no longer many days before destruction.     Some people had the same attitude in New Testament times. In 2 Peter 3, people were saying that Jesus was not returning to earth. They were saying that all the talk about Jesus’ return was false because nothing had changed. They even went so far as to say that nothing had changed since the beginning of the world. They were wrong. God had destroyed things with the flood.     There are people today who say that the Bible is …

Amos was chosen by God to prophesy to Israel. Amos lived during a time when Israel was at peace with most of the surrounding nations. There was a general state of wealth and prosperity in Israel. The northern and southern kingdoms had almost reached the same size as the kingdom had been under Solomon.     However, the people had become evil. They were arrogant and full of pride. They worshipped idols. The rich mistreated the poor. Many of the people were preoccupied with making money.     The people had reached the point that they even despised God. In Amos 2:4, we are told that God will punish the people because, “they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments.” The word “despised” comes from a Hebrew word that means a strong dislike. They were not just rejecting God’s law. They truly did not like it at all.     In Amos 5:21, we read, “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.” The people were still performing sacrifices to God, but their heart was not in it. They were simply going through the motions without thinking of or having any emotion toward God. Because of this, God said he despised them. God uses the same Hebrew word for “despise” that was used in Amos 2:4.     There is an old saying that says, “What goes around, comes around.” This means that what you do to others will eventually come back to haunt you. If you …

In Luke Chapter Two, we read about a man named Simeon. Simeon was a just and devout man. In verse twenty-five, we read that Simeon was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.”     Consolation means comfort or exhortation. Simeon knew that God was going to send the Messiah. The nation of Israel had been waiting for a very long time for that Messiah who would bring them comfort and exhortation.     Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before his own eyes had seen the Messiah. Then, the Holy Spirit told him that Messiah, the Christ, was at the Temple. Therefore, Simeon went to the Temple to see the child. Verses 29-32 record the words that Simeon spoke to God after seeing the baby. Notice that Simeon states that he has seen God’s salvation.     In 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, we read, “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.” Through Jesus, we can have everlasting consolation. That means that we have salvation through Jesus. True eternal hope can only come through Jesus.     I am thankful that Jesus was willing to come to earth to be our consolation. I am thankful that the Father is loving enough to have such a plan for us. Keep reading your Bible. Learn what is needed to have that consolation and salvation, and if any …

Those that fear the Lord speak often with one another. (See Malachi 3:16.) God-fearers want to help and encourage one another. They also want to spend time together worshipping God. They desire to meditate on His name and His will.     Read again the verse. “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.”     Those that truly love God and obey him, have their names written in a book. This is not a literal book. This is symbolism that we can understand. What it is really saying is that God remembers those that obey him, and he remembers their deeds. God will reward those who obey him.     There are other references to books of remembrance. Some of them are Exodus 32:32, Psalm 69:28 and Daniel 12:1. Notice that one’s name can be taken out of the book. In Revelation 20:12, we find that at the Judgment, books will be opened. Out of those books every person will be judged as to what he did while living. Read the Bible. Study it. Obey God. Have your name written in the good book of remembrance. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

In Matthew 5-7, we are given the record of a sermon that Jesus gave on a mountain. He began the sermon with what are known as the Beatitudes. These are recorded in verses three through 10. These give characteristics of the person who follows Christ.     What is interesting is that those who fulfill these traits are said to be in ‘the kingdom of heaven.’ This statement is made in verses three and verse ten. This is why they are sometimes said to be bookends. Just like books between bookends are inside the bookends, the person who has the beatitudes is within the kingdom of heaven.     The followers of Jesus will be humble, verse three. They will be sorrowful for their sins, but will do what is necessary to have them taken away, verse four. They will be meek, verse five. This word in the Greek was used for the wild horse that was domesticated. The energy of the horse was harnessed toward proper work. The meek individual is not a pushover, wimpish person. The meek person is strong spiritually and uses his energy to glorify God.    The followers of Jesus constantly desire to feed and drink from the Word of God, verse six. Further, they are always able to find enough to be filled each time they eat. These people will be kind, compassionate and merciful, verse seven. They do not hold grudges and try to ‘get back’ at others. These people keep their hearts pure, verse eight. They …

“Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save” (Isaiah 45:20).     Most commentators agree that Isaiah 45:20-25 is a prophecy relating to the church. The passage tells of the glory of God. It tells that He is the one to be worshipped. It tells that all men have the responsibility to obey God. It tells that all who do not come to God and obey Him will be ashamed.     The word assemble in verse 20 comes from a Hebrew word that means assemble into a specific group. This word means more than just a simple assembling. There is a special purpose for the assembling. Those assembling realize that they are a special group.     Many today profess to be Christians. Yet, they say that it is not necessary to be part of a special group. They say that a person can be a part of one of many different groups and still be a child of God. However, that is not what this passage says. This passage says that those who are followers of God draw near to one another. They are part of a special group. If one can be a follower of God and be a part of any one of 1000 different groups, then one is not a part of a special group. One is just part of any group.    Desire …

“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord” (Matthew 10:24). This statement was made by Christ to the twelve apostles. He had just given them power to perform miracles. He was sending them out to preach. They were to go only to Jewish cities.     He was telling them that as his disciples or apostles they should not expect to be treated any better than he had been treated. The Pharisees and Scribes followed him around (and continued to do so until His death). They constantly accused him of being from the Devil. In Matthew 9:32-35, they had done exactly that.     Later, Jesus was killed. The apostles were not to expect any better treatment. They taught the truth, but unfortunately, many individuals did not want to hear the truth.     Many professed Christians today need to consider this. Many today want to think that the life of a Christian is a bed of roses. Some preachers even preach that if one is a true Christian that he will be rich and live in luxury. They preach that all one’s material wants will be answered. Such is not true. A person may be very fortunate and be rich, but a Christian should not ‘expect’ any more than what Christ had. A Christian should not ‘expect’ to be treated any better than Christ was treated.     Christ did not have a permanent home in which to sleep during his three-year ministry. He was not believed by some …

In Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10, we read about a Roman centurion who wanted Jesus to heal his servant. This centurion lived in Capernaum where Jesus made his home for some time. Peter’s mother-in-law lived there. Jesus performed several miracles in Capernaum.     Evidently, the centurion knew about Jesus. He may have personally heard Christ preaching and teaching. He knew that Jesus could perform wonderful things and was convinced that Jesus could heal his servant.    The elders of the Jews in Capernaum thought highly of the centurion. He had built them a synagogue. His friends thought highly of him because they also approached Jesus with a message from the centurion.     However, one of the most amazing things about the centurion was his concern and love for his servant. The Romans normally did not have much concern for a slave. Aristotle, talking about friendships that were possible in life, stated, “There can be no friendship nor justice towards inanimate things; indeed, not even towards a horse or an ox, nor yet towards a slave as a slave. For master and slave have nothing in common; a slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an inanimate slave.” Peter Chrysologus wrote that, “Whatever a master does to a slave, undeservedly, in anger, willingly, unwillingly, in forgetfulness, after careful thought, knowingly, unknowingly, is judgment, justice and law.”     The centurion was not the normal Roman slave owner. He was a man of exceptional compassion and love. He was a man of war and a man of power, but he …

An interesting observation about the names of the 12 spies of Israel is that part of the message of their names was that they were hidden by the majesty of God. They were hidden by God as they spied out the land. Christians do not spy out lands like the Israelites did Canaan. We do not need that kind of miraculous hiding. Yet, there are ways that we need to be hidden by God.     Psalm 32:7, “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.” By obeying God’s laws, we keep ourselves from much trouble, and he will providentially take care of us.     Psalm 119:114, “Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in thy word.” God’s Word helps shield us from the darts of the Devil.     Psalm 64:2, “Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the tumult of the workers of iniquity.” God will always provide a way of escape from temptation. He will protect us providentially.     Colossians 3:1-3, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” When we become Christians, we dedicate ourselves to Christ. We are dead to the old life and make our life like Christ’s. We are hidden with …