“Motherhood is priced of God, at price no man may dareto lessen or misunderstand” (Helen Fiske Hunt Jackson). God has indeed given an inestimable value to mothers, which all too often has been reduced by humanity, through a vision colored by sin and worldliness. We are deceived and denied so many blessings when we buy in to such a philosophy. As Solomon expressed in Proverbs, in praise of the worthy woman, “Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: ‘Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all’” (Proverbs 31:28-29 NASB). While the world may denigrate the concept of motherhood, there is another perspective to be considered. What is it that gives motherhood its noble calling, its priceless value, its importance to our world? The blessings mothers bring to our lives are not fully released until they are activated by the power of God, when the spiritual is understood and practiced by mothers. This is the element so missing in many mothers today. None of us are complete without God, none of us are able to be what we should be, what we can be, without God at work in our lives. So it is for those who would fulfill the work of being a mother. Those women in Scripture who are commended as examples to us of what being a mother is all about are united in putting God first in their lives and living by His will for them. How …

The parent/child relationship is very special (cf. Psalm 127:3-5). This relationship is so special that God used it to describe His relationship to the Church (Ephesians 5, 6). However, it seems no matter where we look in modern society, we see antagonism, division and rebellion against the home and the parent/child relationship. We need to improve our families, and in doing so, we will improve the church. What is the answer? We must submit to the Lordship of Christ. We must “gather together in one all things in Christ”(Ephesians 1:10). The parent/child relationship must be studied with four words in mind (cf. Ephesians 6:1-3; Philippians 2:22; Ephesians 6:4): obey, honor, serve and nurture. First, Paul set forth what is called a natural law. Ephesians 6:1 reads, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Children should obey their parents for it is the “right” thing to do! The Greek word translated “obey” comes from one word, meaning, “under” and another word meaning, “to listen.” Thus, it literally means, “to listen under.” However, a parent must be worthy of obedience and listening (i.e., “in the Lord”). Children are to obey their parents in those things that are consistent with Christ and His Word. Second, Paul made use of a divine law. Ephesians 6:2-3 says, “Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Paul refers to the 5th Commandment in Exodus 20:12. Commandment #5 was the first …

There is a Bible doctrine clearly taught in God’s Word. You can read in the New Testament about the one church doctrine. The word church is translated from a Greek word which means the called out. Therefore, the church is the body of believers that are called out and gathered for a specific reason. God calls men out of the world through the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14). Jesus committed to build His church (Matthew 16:18 – note that the singular word “church,” not “churches,” is used). In that same context, He referred to the church as the kingdom (Matthew 16:19). Just prior to His transfiguration, Jesus promised this kingdom or church would come in the lifetime of those to whom he was speaking (Mark 9:1). He said the church or kingdom would come with power when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles (Acts 1:8). This took place on the Pentecost following the Ascension of our Lord as recorded in Acts 2. On that day, Peter and the other apostles taught the Gospel by which men were called out from sin. When the hearers were “pricked in their heart,” they asked what they were to do (Acts 2:37). When told, many (about 3,000) accepted the truth of the Gospel, turned from sin and were immersed to be forgiven of sins and to be saved (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). When they did this, they were added (by the Lord, v.47) to the one church that had come into being with power …

Most of us are familiar with the fact that the first major work produced by the newly invented Gutenberg printing press, which featured moveable type, was a copy of the Bible known as the Latin Vulgate. It was printed around 1450, and the next fifty years would see many copies of the Vulgate in over 100 different editions born from the press. So popular was it that many, even up to our age, have asserted the Bible was first rendered in Latin. However, it was not until 1514 that a Greek version of the New Testament, included in a work called the Complutensian Polyglot, was printed in any complete form. There are a number of reasons why this may have been the case. First, Koine Greek letters were very different in form from the letters we have in, say, the English language. Very often one letter can have many different forms. In addition, a system of accenting and breathing marks would change depending on the usage of the word, which made it necessary to create each variation of the letter to be placed on the printing press. Thus, the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet required the creation of over 200 different printing press pieces. Another reason, however, that it took so long had to do with a fear that if scholars were able to examine the Greek, then they would be able to point out the flaws in the much-venerated Latin Vulgate. They would be able to examine the …

It was sixty-seven years ago. It was on a Sunday. It was December 7, 1941. It was, our president would say the next day, “a date which will live in infamy.” On the sixtieth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I read an article by an Associated Press writer by the name of Paul Grassley. The first sentence of his article caught my attention. Seven years later, I am still disturbed by it. See what you think about it: “The attack on Pearl Harbor 60 years ago caught Americans in idle Sunday pursuits and changed many of them forever.” My concern with his opening sentence really involves the placement of just one word. If he had just put the word “many” somewhere else in that opening sentence (or used it twice), the sentence might leave a different impression than it does. It is definitely true that many Americans’ lives were changed forever on that Sunday years ago. It is definitely not true that all Americans were involved in “idle Sunday pursuits.” To be sure, some were. No doubt, many were relaxing, enjoying some recreation, getting caught up with some odd jobs, visiting relatives, etc. They were, indeed, involved in “idle Sunday pursuits.” However, all across this great nation of ours, there were people who were definitely not involved in any pursuit that could be described as idle. Their pursuit involved a closer relationship with and knowledge about God. On that Sunday morning, sixty-seven years ago, the first ship was struck at 7:56 a.m. (Hawaii …

There are plenty of Messianic prophecies scattered throughout the Old Testament, but none is more well known and beloved than Isaiah’s servant song in Isaiah 53. There, he beautifully foretold the coming of the Messiah, His existence, His punishment and His death for the world. Interestingly, Isaiah had much to say about the people Jesus would target. (Credit for this collection of passages goes to Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert in their book, When Helping Hurts). I know the following passages are lengthy, but every word is worth it. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:16-17) Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. (Isaiah 35:3-6) Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation …

A precious new baby is born and taken home from the hospital, and other siblings in the home begin to show animosity toward the newborn. Two young girls are out shopping with their mother who buys one of them a beautiful new dress. Three sons who all love sports are excited about an upcoming ballgame, but the father says only one of them can go with him to the game. A husband is out for an evening with his wife, and they run into a friend who seems to be flirting with his wife. All of these and many more situations have inspired jealousy since the beginning of time. The result is what we know as jealousy, and it often creates huge problems. What is jealousy? The dictionary describes it as being “fearful that a person one loves may love or prefer someone else.” It is a fear of being rejected and another being accepted. We all want to feel that no one else is loved or preferred above us by someone else. It brings about a feeling of loss and being “left out in the cold alone.” Jealousy has broken up families, caused people to murder and commit all sorts of heinous crimes. The Bible addresses such jealousy in Proverbs 6:34, “Jealousy is the rage of a man.” Rage throws a person into violent anger, and he acts upon it. The wise man said that “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave” (Song of Solomon 8:6). These reactions to …

The baby cries – but it’s ok – because of Mom. There is a hungry mouth – but it’s ok – it’s fed by Mom. There is a skinned knee – but it’s ok – it’s kissed by Mom. There is a broken heart – but it’s ok – it’s soothed by Mom. It is often said that the pinnacle of creation was when God made woman, and she took her station, but I cannot help but wonder if it was not the case, that pinnacle came when the first baby saw its Momma’s face. I ponder if there is any purer, unadulterated love (short of the Divine love that is from heaven up above), than the love that is found in a true mother’s heart, anchored there with the unborn child, from the very start. There is no stronger love, no fiercer love, no love as great as the love of a mother who will contemplate that some activities will be curtailed, some freedom lost, but the benefits far outweigh each insignificant cost. Moms do not know what it means to sleep at all, to have a day off, but they are always there on call. They never eat a complete meal all at one time. Sometimes it seems a mighty steep hill they have to climb. However, true moms, the ones who really know just how to care, learn to sleep with a baby on their chests in a rocking chair. They spend long nights awake at a …

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, But shall not find it. In that day the fair virgins And strong young men Shall faint from thirst.” (Amos 8:11-13) Most folks living in America today have no personal concept of what a famine is. All of their lives they have had the necessities of life. Yes, there are those who are in poverty, but not such poverty those have had who have lived in lands that have experienced famine. The word famine is defined as “an extreme scarcity of food” (Webster). It does not mean that it is just that one does not have the money to buy the needed food, but it means that there just is not any food available. Think of the awfulness of the reality of what Amos prophesied. There would be a famine, but it would not be of bread or of water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. Let me illustrate. An enemy comes into our land and is victorious in his attempt to defeat us. He is a hater of God and His Word. He gives his soldiers the order to destroy every Bible and every document wherein is …

Last year, I was picking blackberries when an inspiration for an article came to me. Today, however, I went again and was again inspired. It was not the kind of inspiration that Paul had, but it may be worth considering. As I picked berries, the thought occurred to me that there are many lessons that relate to principles of personal evangelism. First, if you are more concerned with being bitten by chiggers, stung by yellow jackets, scratched by briars or other trivial things than you are with picking berries, you will never be a great berry picker. If anything is more important to you than glorifying God by being a fisher of men, you will never be a great soul winner. Second, you may find them where you least expect. If you are really interested in picking berries, you will discover them by the side of the road or in little patches hidden here and there in the field. It does not really matter if you are ready. First Peter 3:15 says, “But sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear.” Third, you get them either when they are ripe and ready or you do not get them. In my 50 years of experience in trying to do personal evangelism, I have noted two significant things, both of which are bad. There are those who are …

A father advised his son who was struggling with some math problems in pre-algebra, “Don’t worry about the how’s or the why’s, son. Just learn the rules and apply them to the individual problems and everything will work out.” What a wise principle for us to follow in our relationship with God – simply to trust what He says, not worrying about the how’s or the why’s, just applying His commands and instructions to salvation and the routine of daily living. Everything will work out. The most wonderful topic of discussion that two minds may entertain pertains to the greatest story of heavenly love – the soul’s salvation from every form of besetting sin and deliverance from eternal ruin. In part, this is because the issue of sin has always, and always will be man’s greatest problem so long as we live in this mortal flesh. Therefore, we are presented with our greatest need in the world – a spiritual one – salvation. There are those who are not accountable, and thus, have no sin before God. These would include children, and those who are not mentally competent to understand the difference between right and wrong (Matthew 19:14). However, when we transgress God’s commands, we become sinners (1 John 3:4). Becoming sinners, we die spiritually and are enslaved by the captivating power of sin. In this defiled condition, we cannot stand before our holy God. We have alienated ourselves from Him. We become like the sheep God’s prophet described as …

Today, we hear a great deal of hair-raising talk about a coming great tribulation in which the world, but not the raptured church, is going to suffer unimaginable and excruciating misery and pain before they finally convert to Christ to enjoy a literal thousand year reign of peace on this earth. We are quite puzzled as to why anyone would take an interest in a religious doctrine that predicts this kind of terrible suffering at the hands of enemies before they are finally relieved by Christ. To say the Bible knows nothing of such a teaching as this is probably a great understatement, but the fact of the matter is, it does not! When we make statements like this, someone will almost immediately object by saying, “Oh, yes, this great tribulation is going to come to pass because Jesus talked about it. While it is true that Jesus spoke of “great tribulation,” it is not true that He spoke of such in the context in which it is being spoken of today. It is true that Jesus spoke of “great tribulation” when in Matthew 24:21 he said, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21 NKJV). However, this tribulation is not something that is future to us. It has been asserted that because Jesus used the future tense when he said, “there will be great tribulation.” Certainly, that of which …

I guess it is the times we live in. We Americans are not patient people. We want instant solutions to very complex problems. We all need to cultivate patience, longsuffering and steadfastness in our character makeup. Patience is part of the Christian graces to be developed as outlined in 2 Peter 1:6. James 1:3 reads, “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” Longsuffering is that quality of restraining oneself when trials come our way. We must never surrender or succumb under the pressures of this life. Christians are admonished not to “fall from your own steadfastness” (2 Peter 3:17). As individuals, we have very little control over many matters. We can control ourselves, however! The quest for patience starts with me. I am responsible to God Almighty, to do his will, to be patient, to be steadfast because, “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

It is always good to remember a godly mother. Jesus while on the cross of shame and suffering thought of His mother and instructed John to care for her after His death (John 19:26-27). One of the sweetest words in any language is “Mother.” A dictionary is not necessary to possess an understanding of such a meaningful term. Not all mothers are wives but they should be and not all wives are mothers, but God permitting they can be. One of the primary purposes of marriage is the propagating of the human race (Genesis 1:27). The role of motherhood should never be taken lightly nor should the status of being a mother be made light of in this modern age. There is no greater relation for a woman to sustain in this life than being a Christian mother. Perhaps the crowning act of creation by the Lord God was the forming of woman from the side of man. God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, and thus He gave to him a help suitable for him. Adam later named this woman “Eve” because she was the “mother of all living” (Genesis 2:18-25; 3:20). The wise man taught, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing” and that “a prudent wife is from Jehovah” (Proverbs 18:18; 19:14). In the bringing forth of a child, the husband and wife truly become one flesh. There is the binding together of the two. Motherhood is the highest honor given …

You and I are examples. Each of us is setting examples for good or bad for those around us, whether we realize it or not, whether we like it or not, whether we accept that responsibility or not. What is an example? It is a pattern, like a set of blueprints of one’s life. Others can see our lives; they can hear our speech and watch our relationships. They can observe our attitudes and reactions to people and things. They will be impressed for good or bad by what they see and hear. Onlookers, then, often will be influenced to some degree to do as we are doing. When we think about it like that, we can see the great and eternal importance of the example we are setting. If we are to be a good pattern for others, we need a good example to follow ourselves. Again, the people closest to us are likely to influence us strongly. If our lives are to be worthwhile, we need to stay away from bad company, but to whom can we look to as a good pattern for our lives? To answer that question, if we are familiar with the Scriptures, is to point to Jesus as being the best and greatest example of all, for me, for you and for all people. The apostle Peter said, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). …

Josh McDowell has related the following incident: An executive hirer, a “headhunter” who goes out and hires corporation executives for other firms, once told me, “When I get an executive that I’m trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him a drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he’s all relaxed. Then, when I think I’ve got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, ‘What’s your purpose in life?’ It’s amazing how top executives fall apart at that question. Well, I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up and said, ‘What’s your purpose in life, Bob?’ And he said, without blinking an eye, ‘To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.’ For the first time in my career I was speechless.” In light of this conversation, Brett Petrillo challenges us: “Put yourself in this interview for a minute. What would you have said to this executive headhunter? Would you have an answer or would you fumble around trying to think about the right thing to say?” What is your purpose in life? For too many, life will simply end without them ever knowing why it began. Some have made prosperity their purpose in life. These will “spend” their lives making money to …