These four words are found in Luke 23:33. How few words to explain such an incredible event! Consider their magnitude. “There” The place of Jesus’ crucifixion is called “Golgotha” in the Hebrew and “Calvary” in Latin. Both mean, “Skull.” Whether there were skulls lying around or the place resembled a skull, it was a terrible place of pain and execution. It was “outside” the city (Hebrews 13:12), which indicates that Jesus was like the scapegoat of Leviticus 16. He bore “our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). “They” This pronoun included more than just the soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross. It includes the Jewish leader, Jewish people, Pilate, Herod and all mankind. It includes you and me because His death was caused by our sins (Isaiah 53:5; Romans 3:23; 5:8). “Crucified” The Persians invented crucifixion, but the Romans perfected it. It was a horrible means of death. It caused incredible pain and prolonged agony. The Scripture is true – “Christ also suffered for us” (1 Peter 2:21).  “Him” Jesus not only died for our sins, but He actually took our place. Reflecting on the cross should cause us to remember: “That should have been me! However, Jesus took my place” (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; 2 Corinthians 5:19). His death for us was sacrificial, suffering, saving, sufficient and substitutionary. In the words of Paul, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Wickedness – moral, ethical and religious – abounds. Ungodly men in special garb of miters, robes and gowns, though they are religious, defy God and His law. However, such men and women will not stand in that day when they will appear before their Maker. Solomon put it this way in Proverbs 12:7: “The wicked are overthrown and are no more, But the house of the righteous will stand.” Notice that Solomon did not say, “The house of the religious shall stand.” Jesus forcefully stated: “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted,” and this is in the context of those who were worshiping according to men’s doctrines. Then, Paul rather bluntly stated, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption…” Thus, Solomon, Jesus and Paul are in complete agreement that the wicked will be overthrown while the righteous will stand. What about you? Are you just religiously following the denominational doctrines, all of which have not been planted by the Father, or are you righteous according to God’s definition?

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9). When we fail, do we blame God? Maybe the thought has never crossed your mind. If so, then you would be truly unique indeed, given man’s propensity to pass the buck and fail to take responsibility for his thoughts, words and actions. If we are honest and have lived long enough, then, we will see the day when we at least silently ponder the question of whether or not God is to blame for our circumstances, whether it is couched in this obvious language or found in terms like “God is punishing me.” In those moments, after we are first honest with our doubts, we do well to remember several of the attributes of God that place Him beyond and above our situation and circumstances. Thus, He is above the notion of human failure. First, He is omniscient. In other words, He knows all. He sees even time, which binds our thinking, as a fluid ribbon with a beginning and end, which are also in His perception. We see a single point on the line. He sees it all. He sees our weakness, our hurts and the things we need to bring us to wisdom and maturity, which are often mistaken for trials and tragedy. Second, He is omnibenevolent or all loving. With His great knowledge and …

n 2 Corinthians 12, Paul told about him being allowed to see and hear things in heaven. He said that he could not tell what he was told. God does not allow any man to tell others the secrets of heaven. It is interesting that no one in the Bible who died and came back to life told anything about heaven. You would think that they would go around telling everyone what they had seen and heard. John was only allowed to tell certain things in the Revelation that he saw. Today, there are individuals who say they have been to heaven and were told certain things. Some write books and boast about the special information they were chosen to reveal. It would be easy to brag and even get a bloated image of oneself if one had really been shown and told the secret things of heaven. Yet, Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 told why he did not get a bloated image of himself. In verse seven, he said God gave him a thorn in the flesh so that he would not be exalted above measure. The first thing to notice is the word “given.” In the Greek, it is the word for “gift.” God gave Paul the thorn as a gift. We normally think of gifts as something to aid us or to show our love and respect for others. God believed this gift was necessary for Paul and gave it to him in love. The second thing to notice …

Have you wondered why we have Bible Classes each Sunday and Wednesday evening? Or why preaching of the Word of God is so essential to our Sunday worship? Or why the Lord encourages us to read and study the Bible daily (Psalm 1:2)? It is because Bible study is a faith growing event. Romans 10:17, states, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” If the “hearing,” that is, getting the word of Christ into our heads and acting positively upon it, produces faith, shouldn’t the Christian be more diligent to spend time with God and His Word? Who reading this article can say they have enough faith? Isn’t our faith being challenged every day? Are we not bombarded by sin and “hearing” things that do not produce faith? Ephesians 6:16 reminds us, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” Notice again how essential faith is, not only does it produce faith, but it helps us overcome our sin! Seeing how necessary growing our faith is, why would we as Christians want to neglect an opportunity to spend time reading and studying God’s Word? Why do we let the TV, ballgames or other self-interests prevent us from daily Bible study and the services of the church? Are these things more important than spending time with the Almighty? Can the TV help us get to Heaven? Can sports draw us closer to God …

Highways (or roads) take us to many different places. Sometimes they take us to where we want to go. Sometimes they lead us to unexpected places. Sometimes they lead us to dead ends. The one thing every highway has in common is that they all lead somewhere (and for each of us personally, hopefully to the destinations we are trying to reach). Each of us has traveled on many highways in our lives. We take specific highways in order to reach our desired destinations. Sometimes (and really many times) proper directions are needed to get us to where we want to go. Hence, road maps and GPS are handy tools to use in finding the right highways (or roads or interstates) to take in getting to where we want to go. A failure to heed the directions will result in us taking the wrong highway and winding up somewhere we never intended to be. In this life, each of us is traveling towards that unknown thing called eternity. Each of us will be somewhere in eternity, either in heaven with God or in hell with the devil. The choices we make in this life will determine where we will live in eternity. We must make the choice of which highway we will take into eternity. In His great sermon on the mount, Christ plainly declared there are two roads (“highways”) through this life, and every individual (then and today) will travel one of these two roads. However, these two roads …

We are free from the power of sin, as Paul taught in Romans 6. We are also free from the power of the law, as he went on to tell us in Chapter 7. The context is found in Romans 7:1-6 where Paul used an example from the field of law in general. He picked his example very carefully because he wanted to bring out two points – that we are set free from a law relationship and that we are free to enter into a new relationship. So here it is. Verse 1: Law can apply only to people when they are alive. Verse 2: The law for marriage ceases to be in force when one of the marriage partners has died. Verse 3: As long as one’s spouse is living, a person breaks the law when he gives himself to another. However, after the death of one’s partner, this law no longer applies. In verse 4 is the application. Romans 7:4 says, “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” With our death “through the body of Christ,” we are no longer under the law but ready for a new relationship. We are going to be married to Christ by His Spirit. This is the new covenant. This seems an elaborate way of making a point, and while Paul gave his example about …

Godly love (agape) was unique to religion until New Testament times. The word is found a few times in the Greek version of the Old Testament. It is more common in the New Testament. In noun form, “agape” is found 116 times in the New Testament. In verb form, “agapao” appears 142 times in the New Testament. A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament defines “agape” as “the love which springs from admiration and is a decision of will…” “Agape” commits a self-denying and compassionate devotion to the one so loved. “Agape” is different from other words for love in that it has to do with the mind, not the emotions. This type of love is “willed” love. “Agape” love is not simply an emotion that comes from the heart unbidden, but it is a principle by which one lives. To love our enemies (to have their best interest at heart) is contrary to our natural inclinations and emotions. Christ Jesus doesn’t demand that we love enemies with the same feelings and emotions that we have for family or spouse. We express emotional, feeling love toward loved ones and intellectual, decided love (agape) to all. “Agape” is a love that wills good for all. We love our enemies that we may be like God (Matthew 5:43-48). No matter what man does or what he is like, God still loves him. God seeks nothing but his good. “Agape” contains two basic ideas. It seeks man’s highest good …

One of the most well-known events in the year 1912 was the sinking of the luxury liner, Titanic, on April 15th. Another significant event occurred a week later on April 23, 1912: a little girl was born to Mattie and Freddie Hicks of Coffeeville, AL. They named her “Virgie Mae.” Her birth did not make national headlines, but she was a “treasure” to all who knew and loved her. And, little did anyone know but this little girl would live to see her 100th birthday! Can you imagine the changes that Ms. Virgie Mae witnessed in her lifetime? In addition to the incredible changes in technology and transportation, she went through many transitions in her own life. Born and raised in the small town of Coffeeville, Virgie moved to the city of Mobile, AL, and began working as a seamstress at a clothing mill. In 1942, she married Claude Ravier. They later had one child, Linda. During most of her married life Virgie helped her husband in his business, Ravier Brothers Florists. Claude died in 1983, and several years later she went to live with Linda and her husband, Joe. In the last few years, her health declined more and more until she died peacefully in her home on October 20, 2012, six months after her 100th birthday. Some refer to the “seasons” of a person’s life. Perhaps one could summarize Ms. Virgie Mae’s life that way: In the winter of her life, I once asked Ms. Virgie Mae to identify …

Many of God’s gifts are like wild flowers. We can take some flowers out of a field and enjoy their beauty in other places. Many other gifts from God are like flowers in a special garden. The owners invite us into their garden to enjoy an abundance of rare and glorious flowers. However, they do not let us take any of these flowers away. As long as we are in the garden, we can enjoy the beauty of all the flowers. Consider God’s free gift of eternal Life. Some people have reasoned this way. “After a person has received eternal life, he cannot lose it. If a person could lose eternal life, it was not really eternal.” That statement contains a mistake about location. Eternal life is always located in one place – in Christ. Before God made our temporary world, before time began, He prepared eternal gifts for all who would choose to love Him and come to Him. He put His gifts of saving grace and eternal life in Christ. He ”…has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…” (2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:3). The Holy Spirit tells us how to enter “into Christ.” When we are in Christ, we have eternal life now, because we are in the location where God placed eternal life (Romans 6:3-4; 8:1; Galatians 3:26-27; see Acts 2:38; 8:36-38; 22:16; 1 John 5:11, 20). A saved person can choose to leave Christ, but he cannot take the gift …

What does not make any sense is that Muslims say they believe that Jesus is a prophet of God. Now, that presents some problems. If Jesus is a prophet of God, but lied about who He is (being the Son of God and eternal, John 8:58), then He is a false prophet. If Jesus told the truth about who He is and mankind neither believes in Him nor obeys Him, men are in serious trouble (John 8:24; Luke 6:46). It kind of reminds me of what Jesus asked the Pharisees of His day and of the circumstances and implications of that event. And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one question, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, From men; we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these …

While on the cross, Jesus spoke seven sayings that have been recorded. The first three were uttered during the period between 9:00 a.m. and noon. Roman execution of criminals was public and prolonged. It was customary to affix a small sign above the condemned person’s head naming his offense. Since there was no valid crime to report for Jesus, Pilate had a tri-lingual sign posted, which read: “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews” (John 19:19-20). Along with Jesus, two other men received their torture and death. Many who passed nearby ridiculed Jesus, and “the robbers also cast upon him the same reproach” (Matthew 27:44). However, later, one of the thieves seemed to soften his attitude. He said to his fellow: “We receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:41). The second saying of Jesus, while on the cross, was spoken to this man. “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Through the years, this thief has been popular. Many say they want to be saved “just like the thief on the cross.” Is it even possible to be saved today in the way he was? An examination of some simple Bible truths will answer the question. Jesus shed His blood upon the cross for His New Testament (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25). A will or testament, though, goes into force once the will-maker dies. “For a testament is of force where there …

One of these days you and I will be part of the greatest assembly ever when we appear before the Judge of all the earth to give account of the deeds we have done while living in our physical bodies (2 Corinthians 5:10). Talk about a moment of truth! What a moment of revelation as the hidden secrets of our hearts are exposed and judged (Romans 2:16)! By His mercy, for some, God has given the gift of today to experience forgiveness and begin a new life in Christ (Romans 6:4). For others, God has given the gift of today with the opportunity to repent and be restored to fidelity. For the rest, God has given the gift of today with the occasion to serve with joy, expressing to Him our deep love and gratitude. Love and gratitude are the greatest of motivators. We see it in our filial relationships: Moms and Dads go to the greatest lengths to care for and to comfort their new-born babies, to provide for and to nurture their young sons and daughters as they develop into adulthood. Grown children, with hearts of love and gratitude, will do everything in their power to help and comfort their parents as they face the sometimes difficult challenges of their golden years. However, there is another relationship that is more vitally important to us than even this blood kinship. It is a unique spiritual relationship with our Heavenly Father that was made possible by the blood of Jesus …

As you and I look at the complexity of our universe, our earth and the huge variety of living life forms (e.g., animals, humans, etc.), we are caught up in astonishment. We are in awe of the great intricacy of our planet called Earth. The evolutionist demands we reject our God and accept their theory that all living things just happened. For Christians who continue to be believers in the God Almighty of the Bible, we also reject evolution because we know the theory that all living beings simply happened is mathematically impossible. No Complex System of SuchLiving Beings Can Evolve by Chance In the real world of scientific observation, as opposed to metaphysical speculation, however, no more complex system can ever “evolve” out of a less complex system, so the probability of the naturalistic origin of even the simplest imaginary form of life is zero. The existence of complexity of any kind is evidence of God and creation. “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth” (Isaiah 40:26). (https://www.icr.org/article/mathematical-impossibility- evolution/) If living matter is not, then, caused by the interplay of atoms, natural forces and radiation, how has it come into being? …I think, however, that we must… admit that the only acceptable explanation is creation. I know that this is anathema to physicists, as …

It is amazing almost beyond belief that there are those who profess to be preachers of the Gospel, who in years past would be expected to call Bible things by Bible names, who use the word “miracle” to refer to a baby being born, an astounding event that would not be normally expected or almost anything that cannot be explained logically. We, therefore, think it proper to write on a theme that we thought had been reasonably well settled in the minds of most members of the Lord’s church. Perhaps this should impress upon us that we must never assume that we are more than one generation away from apostasy, and there needs to be a continual emphasis on every biblical doctrine, however simple it may sound to some of us. There are many preachers of various denominations who claim the ability to perform miracles. The Bible teaches that although God still has the same eternal and unlimited power He always had, miracles in the Bible sense are no longer being done. A miracle, by definition, is an instance of God’s direct action, in such a fashion that it was a sign of special power in the one who performed it, as distinguished from His indirect action through natural laws. For example, when Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish, it was a miracle. Two fish multiplying in accordance with natural laws is an act of God, and demonstrates the power and wisdom of God, but would …

Motivator – Mom always had a way of getting me going and making me do right. Many times it was with the help of a belt, but the Lord disciplines those whom He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:5-6), and so does a good mother. Observant – Mom always seemed to know what was going on; she was quick to correct, but she was also quick to praise. Therapist – Whenever I had a problem, I could always tell Mom about it. She would listen and give council, though she never got paid for it. Healer – I can still remember getting hurt, and my first response was that I wanted Mom. I don’t know why that is, but I always wanted her to know. Somehow she made me feel better; somehow she made me better. Educator – Though mom did not teach in schools or have degrees in education, I learned lessons from her that I never could learn in school. She raised me from my youth to fear God, to be respectful and to take care of my family. I am still continuing my education as I learn to be a parent; I will learn how to teach my child (Proverbs 22:6). Real – Mom told me how it was, and she still does. She tells me what I need to hear, not necessarily what I want to hear. She does not try to deceive with flattering words, but rather she speaks the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

When we think about someone burning, our minds probably go to the idea of eternal fire in hell, and of course, that would be a terrible thing to contemplate. However, the idea of fire is also used in a good way in Scripture. In Jeremiah 23:29, we find God saying that His Word is like a fire. A similar idea is found in Jeremiah 5:14 when God told Jeremiah that He would make His Word like a fire in his mouth. Jeremiah wrote in 20:9 that God’s Word was like a fire in his bones. Thus, we see God’s Word compared to fire within us. We know that fire burns; therefore, we might say that we need to be burning. God’s Word should be within us. “Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom…” (Colossians 3:16). Notice that the Word should be dwelling within us. Thus, if the Word dwells within us, and His Word is like a fire, then we should be burning within. Obviously, this is figurative language; nevertheless, this is an idea that we should not overlook. As long as a fire is burning, it influences everything around it. Even if something is not consumed by the fire, it will absorb the heat from the fire. Is the Word influencing us in our lives and others around us? If the Word is dwelling in us, then certainly the Word will influence our lives, and other people will be able to see it. Our …

“Righteousness exalts a nation; but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 NASB). As God is our Creator and Sustainer, it should not surprise us that He desires nations to walk according to His will – to live by His principles of righteousness. That nations do not always walk in righteousness is understood by what John tells us in 1 John 5:19, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” We should not be surprised, then, that God responds to the unrighteousness a nation commits, either against itself or against other nations. To Jeremiah He said, “If it does evil in my sight, by not obeying my voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it” (Jeremiah 18:10). Sin in any nation can bring God’s judgment against it, to warn, to punish or to destroy. God’s desire, however, is not to condemn, but to restore and to bless. When Jonah was sent to Nineveh, the message he was given to preach was short but powerful. “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). The people believed in God and repented, and showed the sincerity of their belief by reforming their lifestyles. This is what God desired, not to overthrow them, but to bring them to His righteousness so that He could bless them. Jonah knew this about God and wanted Nineveh destroyed since they were enemies of Israel. “For I knew that you are a …

During His personal ministry on earth, a large number of people had believed on Christ, especially by seeing His mighty and wonderful works. However, there were many who no longer went about with Him because they could not make the complete surrender of themselves in an obedient faith – so they turned back. They were offended at His teaching and said, “This is a hard saying who can understand it? …from that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:60, 66). They walked with Him no more because His teaching did not find an abiding place in their hearts. Jesus attached a condition to being truly His disciples. “If you continue in my word,” he told them, “then indeed you are My disciples” (John 8:31). The point is, it is not enough to just accept Jesus and believe in Him, as many do today. Instead, the true disciple is obedient to His Word. “But why do you call Me Lord, Lord,” Christ said in one place, “and not do the things I say?” A disciple is a follower of Christ, a learner who has believed, obeyed and continues to follow and abide in His teaching. To those who had believed in Him, He did not say, “You have believed in Me and therefore you are saved.” Rather He said in effect, “Now that you have believed, if you really want to be my disciples, do what I have commanded.” In John 15:14 He …

Mirrors do not lie! If a person looks into a mirror, the truth is always present. No matter how a person may feel, the mirror shows the truth. Often, mirrors are quite shocking. While we may feel we look a certain a way, feelings are proven to be irrelevant through the reality of the looking glass. On different occasions, God referred to His Word as a mirror (1 Corinthians 13:12; James 1:23ff). Consequently, God’s Word is irrefutably telling indeed! It shows a person’s actual spiritual state. Firstly, God’s mirror clearly shows the unsaved. Sadly, most everyone believes they are going to heaven. In fact, the secular criterion for entering heaven is simply to die. However, God’s mirror shows a vastly different picture. Those who reject Christ and His Gospel will be in serious trouble at the judgment (John 12:48). If a person has not obeyed God’s plan of salvation, he or she is “without God” and “without Christ” (Ephesians 2:12). The truth that God’s mirror clearly shows is that most people are in fact lost (Matthew 7:21ff; Romans 3:23; 6:23). While most people do not “feel” lost, the Divine looking glass shows quite a different picture! Secondly, God’s mirror visibly shows the unfaithful. For many Christians faithfulness is only determined by their attendance record at the assembly. While it is true that the faithful regularly attend the services of the church (Matthew 6:33), faithfulness is not based solely on attendance. Far too many Christians attend regularly, but they never take the time to teach their relatives …