“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it” (1 Chronicles 28:9-10 NKJV). David exhorted the people to fear God. Another record of the charge appears in 1 Kings 2:1-4, which reads: Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’” The servant of God must “know God.” Solomon was charged to “know the God of thy father” (2 …

Memorial Day is about remembering those Americans who lost their lives in war. Those of us on this side of life can only say “Thank You” to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure and maintain the freedoms we enjoy. It took faithfulness to the cause of freedom for them to have given their lives. However, there is an even greater cause than that of political freedom—the cause of Christ! We can all be encouraged by those we find in Scripture who paid the ultimate price for that cause. Stephen is one such example. The characteristics he displayed will also enable us to live for the Lord, even if that means paying the ultimate price in this life for our faithfulness. Like Stephen, we must be: Willing to Serve Tables Stephen first appears in Acts 6. The Jerusalem church was concerned about helping people in need, as should all Christians (James 1:27; Galatians 6:10). As their present situation stood, this church could not see to the needs of the Grecian widows (Acts 6:1). The apostles could not leave their work in “the word of God” to “serve tables” (Acts 6:2). Thus, they told the congregation, “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:3-4). Stephen was among the seven men that the congregation chose (Acts 6:5). …

“I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock and one Shepherd” (John 10:16). There are four outstanding points in this Scripture. Other Sheep, Not of this Fold Who were the sheep in the fold of Jesus Christ, the good shepherd? His disciples, the apostles and all who came to Him seeking salvation from sin, sorrow, trial and tribulation. There were many others who needed to be drawn to that sheepfold. Twelve or more were listed as listening to Peter’s sermon on that day of Pentecost, to say nothing of Jews, Greeks, Gentiles, Romans, as well as totally heathen pagan nations. Today there are 34,000 sects and denominations who claim some sort of connection with the Christ. They have created 3.5 million congregations, and claim a membership of 1.9 billion souls. There are sects which practice vile teachings of which Jesus would never approve. Millions still worship false gods, or even Satan himself. Would Jesus say I must bring them also? I Must Bring them Also Would Jesus say “I must bring them also” to just anyone? Yes, it is His will that all men come to repentance and be saved from their sins. The only way this can happen is if they “listen to my voice,” Jesus said. How can they believe in Him whom they have not heard, how shall they hear without a teacher, and what if no teacher comes …

Like most of us, I am fascinated with the wondrous makeup of the human body, and as far as that goes, the entire creation of God Almighty. It is also beyond me to wonder how the atheistic believers can reject our God who created all things. As we view our current population of folks, we observe that many can recognize the latest songs and movie stars but cannot identify George Washington. Concerning our young and older folks, we have observed repeatedly that in their understanding of many issues, they lack discerning or information. What they learn is generally from movies, TV sitcoms and liberal, non-believing so-called intellects. If everything here on earth and the universe was brought into existence by chance (the big-bang theory, which many folks earnestly believe), why should they not do whatever they want to do? I believe that is the answer for the increase of crudeness and evil in our society. No God means no rules of right and wrong. Consider the following written in the year 1929 and the mindset of our present era as additional data for our study. When men with dangerous imaginations began to destroy the faith of weak ones the older ones naturally sensed the alarm and have been on the defensive. The dangers have become so great that they must be met and handled as open foes. I have seen from every direction an alarming tendency on the part of the careless, unthinking, pleasure-bound people to take up with the …

My bags are packed and my passport is in my hand. I am going to a foreign land to teach the Word of God. I get into my car to drive to the airport with nothing else on my mind. As I am backing out of my driveway I see my neighbor. I do not know his name, but I wave politely and head on my way. I am going to a foreign land to teach the Word of God. As I am driving down the road, I see a homeless man standing on the corner begging for food or any kind of assistance. My flight is scheduled to leave in two hours. I have to get to the airport. I try not to make eye contact with the man and continue to head on my way. I am going to a foreign land to teach the Word of God. I arrive at the airport with time to spare and check in for my flight. After I have gone through security, I head to the nearest coffee shop to enjoy my $5 cup of coffee. I just want to sit in quiet for a few minutes before my flight begins to board. A woman is sitting next to me that is obviously having a bad day. She is sitting alone with tears in her eyes. Not wanting to be bothered or dragged into her situation, I pick up my coffee and head to my gate, hoping to find a place …

Flashes of memories sometimes go through my head. For some reason, I only remember a few things about when I was little. One memory I have is that of going around with my grandfather when I was very small. He was a Life of Georgia insurance man. I remember going with him in his big car and waiting as he went to the doors of his clients to collect their premiums. One day, he got out and told me not to open the door of the car. I sat there, and of course being 5-years-old, I thought that he had been gone forever and that something was wrong. I wanted to go find him. I knew, however, that he had said that I was not to open the car door. So, I rolled the window down and climbed out. Most of you won’t remember when cars had handles like this one did (it was in the early ‘60s), but somehow I got my belt caught on that door handle, and I hung there for what seemed to me like an eternity. I dangled there just imagining all the bad things that were going to happen to me when my grandfather came back. What worried me more than any kind of punishment, though, was I just knew that he would cancel our stop at Price’s Donuts. We always stopped there, and I would get a chocolate donut and a glass of chocolate milk. When my grandfather came back, he found me …

We are often overwhelmed with the adversities in life that are very difficult to accept and hard to understand. At such a moment, it seems that all is loss, that life is not worth living and that our sorrow is too much to bear. No doubt, Job felt this way when he experienced the tragedies in his life. The problem is with our perception of matters. We deal more with the immediate and not the overall view of life. That which is seemingly against us at the present may, in fact, work out for our good. The Psalmist declared, “Before I was afflicted I went astray; But now I observe thy word.” Again he wrote, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; That I may learn thy statutes” (Psalms 119:67, 71). The Psalmist had lived long enough beyond his traumatic experiences to grasp the significance of his sorrows. Not all men are able to perceive the silver lining amidst the clouds of despair. As finite beings, we are so limited in our knowledge, and we often fail to grasp the ultimate reasons for our conflicts and sorrows in life. In contrast, the infinite Heavenly Father, who is from everlasting to everlasting, is able to see the panoramic scene, and in His great providence, He is powerful enough to ultimately work out everything for our eternal welfare (Romans 8:28). It is a real challenge to our faith in God to seek the lessons to be learned from our …

Paul wrote, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in body, we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 KJV). Paul said that Christians living on earth are absent from the Lord. They have not in their human state gone to the place prepared for the saints (Matthew 25:46, Revelation 14:13). As absent from the Lord, we in the human body walk by faith, not by sight. That means that we are to trust in Lord’s words even though we are not in direct personal contact with the Lord. This does not mean that we can doubt God’s Word. Paul knew that Jesus is the Saviour even though he did not know Christ “after the flesh” (2 Corinthians 5:16; 2 Timothy 1:12). Jesus being in Heaven did not mean that men on earth could not know Him to be the Christ. There was a time when faith and sight went together. Men walked by faith because of sight. In John 20:29 we find, “Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Thomas believed the Lord’s resurrection only after personally seeing the Lord (John 4:39-42). He believed because of sight. Many during the Lord’s ministry came to believe on Him because of the things they saw …

In other words, you have a Father in Heaven who knows how you feel. Why not take that pain to Him and let Him bring you peace and healing? When we experience the absolute faithfulness of God, then it also helps us with our own faithfulness toward Him and toward others. In this day, take your hurts and pains to a Father who will never fail you. Grow not only in your understanding of who He is, but how you can be more faithful to Him.

To say the least, Habakkuk was frustrated with what he thought was God’s indifference to the problems of his day. In his cry, he said: O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds. (Habakkuk 1:2-4) Rather than being angry with this prophet, God went into some detail to explain some of the things that were unknown to him. In fact, the Lord told him to “Look among the nations and watch; Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs…” (Vs. 5-6). God continued to show the prophet the strength and fierceness of the Chaldeans. The prophet then seemed to complain about such harsh judgment, but finally stated, “I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.” I emphatically believe that God’s providential hand was present in …

Thomas Carlyle said, “Ten men banded together in love and unity can do what ten thousand separately would fail to do.” This quote points out that there is strength in unity. Jesus said in Matthew 12:25, “…Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” These two quotes are very applicable for the church of Christ today. The Church is faced with many trials from Satan (e.g., individualism, sexual immorality, the questioning of absolute truth and the lack of trusting God’s Word). This is why it is so important that we stand together and unite as one body in Christ (Ephesians 4:3-6). Christians in the New Testament based their unity upon Jesus Christ and His teachings. This is how Christians showed the world that they were one. It is just as important today as it was in the first century for Christians to show their unity with one another in Christ. Also, it is important that we base our unity upon Jesus Christ and His teachings. Someone may ask, “How do I help show unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ?” The answer to this question is the same way that the Christians in the Bible showed unity. First, we must assemble together in worship (Acts 2; 20:7; Hebrews 10:25). Second, we must continue in the teachings of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:20; Acts 2:42; 17:11). Third, we unite together in taking the Lord’s Supper on the first day …

The ideal membership sets an example for others in Christian living, whether another is a Christian or non-Christian, old or young. The apostle Paul, as he addressed the evangelist Timothy, said, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of believers…“ (1 Timothy 4:12a). Our personal example should be developed in speech, manner of life, love, spirit, faith and purity (1 Timothy 4:12b). One may observe that the areas in which we should spiritually develop to be a genuine example openly involve the whole of life. The apostle Paul did not give an exhortation that was impossible to fulfill. Knowing that the Lord is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35), may each of us strive to follow this exhortation from Paul. Along the way, we may influence our families to greater and better service (Ephesians 6:1-4), the impact of which will only be measured in eternity. We may also make timely efforts to influence our spouses to become faithful Christians (1 Peter 3:1-6). The potential good that may come from such efforts is certainly worth our investment of time to so do. An influential example for others is a worthy pursuit; let each of us truly dedicate ourselves to the task!

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). In this verse, Paul described the fact that by looking at the “things that are made” we can “clearly see” “invisible things” that show the “eternal power and Godhead” of the Creator. In 2015 a discovery from the “creation of the world” shows again the mystery and the wisdom of our Creator. Let’s take a look at the discovery and the amazing life of the Crypt-Keeper Wasp. In the summer of 2015, a scientist walking through the woods in the southeastern United States noticed small swellings on the twigs of sand live oak trees. He was familiar with gall insects where the mother lays her eggs in oak trees and the larva develops in the limb in a small enclosed area called a “gall,” taking nutrients from the host tree. So he collected a few twigs and watched the development of these insects, and to his amazement, a story began to develop that was unlike anything known to science. His discovery was a new parasitic wasp species with a life cycle so diabolical, they named it after “Set,” the Egyptian god of evil and chaos; they named it the crypt-keeper wasp, Euderus set. The reason for such a dark name of this new species of wasp has to do with its hyperparasitic life style. …

Whatever hinders our prayer lives must be eliminated. However, right living will enhance our prayer lives! Notice 3 ways prayers are strengthened: (1) Faithful Husbandry (1 Peter 3:7). Pray with her! (2) Faithful Service (1 Peter 3:8-12). Pray for them! (3) Faithful Expectation (1 Peter 4:7). Pray for self! Prayer is an area that Satan attacks relentlessly because it is a great weapon against evil. May we always live in such a way that our prayers are never hindered.

“Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens”(Exodus 18:21). “There is no greater art in the world than to develop the latent capacities of those around us by yoking them to useful service” (F.B. Meyer). Second Timothy 2:2 is a good biblical example of that principle. Among those with whom we would do well to be yoked are: (1) Men of ability: able men. Are you ready to do God’s work? (2) Men of godliness: such as fear God. Job was such a man! (3) Men of God’s Word: men of truth. Buy the truth and sell it not! (4) Men of honor: hating covetousness. My treasure is in Heaven! Are you a man of God worthy of His work delegated into your care? Are you one of the few good men?

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live’” (John 11:25). The Divinity of Jesus rests on His resurrection (Romans 1:4). The Sovereignty of Jesus, likewise, rests on His resurrection (Romans 14:9). Our justification rests on Jesus’ resurrection, too (Romans 4:25). In addition, our regeneration rests on Jesus’ resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). Finally, our ultimate resurrection rests on Jesus’ resurrection (Romans 8:11).

When some individuals read of destructive events in the Bible, it is easy for them to draw wrong conclusions if they do not have a working knowledge of the nature of God. The Bible teaches that God never does anything without a morally justified reason. Our God is never out of control as charged by some, but He always does things consistent with His nature, which is holy, just and righteous. The truth as found in the Word of God is far more important than any man’s attitude toward it; it is more important than nations or individuals. The following are some of the cases concerning wrong conclusions often drawn by some people when they call the ethics of God into question: (1) The account of Rahab the harlot (Joshua 2:1-24). (2) The destruction of the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 20:13-18). (3) The family of Achan (Joshua 7:21). (4) The biblical doctrine of Hell (Matthew 25:46). (5) The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:4-29). We shall address only in this article the question: Was God Justified in His Extermination of the Canaanites? Before examining this question, let us remember the principle set forth in 2 Chronicles 19:7, “…for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God…” Since there is no iniquity with God, there must be a rational explanation as to His orders that caused the death of many people, some of them being even innocent women and children. The Destruction of the Canaanites Those who call into question the …

A friend once faced a situation where he was told to preach nothing but love for three months; some were tired of hearing about commandment-keeping. When he asked what I would do, I said, “I think I’d preach through 1 John.” Written by the one who became known as the “apostle of love,” the command to love one another drips from its pages. That is how I would introduce the sermon series. I’d bounce from the command of Jesus in the same author’s Gospel, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). From there, I would introduce one of that great apostle’s famed passages as an introduction to the series. “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21). Then, I might ask if anyone noticed that the “C”word was in that last verse. There was a commandment. Then, I would try to elucidate, kindly and over several weeks, how the apostle weaves love together with commandment-keeping throughout the letter. There is 1 John 2:3-5, which reads, “Now by …

“…there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 3:19). I once thought Solomon was having a bad day when he wrote that! Well, looking back, it actually had nothing to do with being in a bad mood on a particular day. Solomon essentially was challenging men to fear God (3:14). Men are not going to fear God without a proper perspective of themselves. Note these important truths. Death is the common denominator for both man and beast. This is what Solomon really was saying when he noted “there is no difference.” Before that statement he said, “for the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As the one dies so dies the other” (3:19). The prospect of death should humble every person. The writer of Hebrews noted that “…it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We are not going to be able to escape the grave (unless Jesus comes first). So, we will join the beast in death. Men must not have an inflated view of themselves. Pride and arrogance lead to many sins. When we get to thinking that we are most important, we remove God from our lives. This is why God “tests us” with earthly trials (James 1:2-5) and reminds us that “we are but dust” (Psalm 103:14; Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 3:20; 12:7). Notice carefully what Solomon said: “I said to myself concerning the sons of men, ‘God has …

Although I am totally opposed to the idea that our preaching and teaching must be of such a wishy-washy, generalized platitudinous nature that our listeners neither know what is wrong in their lives nor how to correct it, I strongly urge all preachers and teachers to consider the scriptural basis, psychological and pedagogical values of the proper kind of praise for the proper kind of attitudes and action at the proper time. While recognizing the value and necessity of the admonition of Paul to “Reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2) and that the One who loved us above our ability to comprehend said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten” (Revelation 3:19), my thoughts today deal with another scriptural theme—the value of proper praise. We cannot read the Bible without seeing that God is set forth throughout as One to be praised and honored. Why? It is because He has superlatively done that which is worthy of praise! There are some who seem to think that since God deserves all that praise, men do not deserve any. Yet, Paul wrote in Romans 13:7, “Honor to whom honor.” We not only have the right, but the responsibility to give honor and praise to those who act in a praiseworthy manner. Even when Solomon presented a negative side, the positive is evidenced when he said, “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth, A stranger, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2) The virtuous …

A sacrifice is defined as “the giving up of one thing for another.” This happens when someone perhaps has two goals to accomplish as a public servant and cannot serve in both capacities. Therefore, he has to sacrifice one dream to succeed at the other. A sacrifice is also defined as “a loss brought about by getting rid of something below its value.” This occurs rather frequently when someone selling a home has a buyer “in hand” who offers less than what is being asked, and the owner sells at the lower amount because he needs the money now. Another definition of sacrifice is “destruction or surrender of something valued or desired for the sake of a higher object or more pressing claim.” In other words, someone might choose to give up what he really wants in order to accomplish something that would be of more value overall. Our military really doesn’t want to go to battle, but it is willing to do so and stand in harm’s way because it is more concerned for its families and country. Most baseball fans know what a “sacrifice hit” is, but for those who don’t know, it is a bunt or fly ball that enables a base runner to advance a base although the batter is put out. The batter doesn’t do that for himself, for he’d rather hit a homerun. However, he does makes an out for the overall good of the team. Do you realize we are describing the actions …

Our attitudes are very important. They will either help us to be pleasing to God, or they will keep us from pleasing Him. Scripture says, “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43). These men knew the truth, but knowing is not enough. They were unwilling to live the truth, and stand for the truth, because they were afraid of others. Or, perhaps more correctly, they were afraid of being rejected and persecuted by others. Statistics reveal that, for the second year in a row, Christians are the most persecuted group in the world. This survey considers everyone who identifies with Christ and suffers for doing so as a Christian. Radical Islam is also identified as the leading source of persecution against Christianity. While this may be true elsewhere in the world, we tend to believe such is not possible here. However, the president for International Christian Concern recently stated, “Persecution in the US isn’t comparable to overseas. Yet there have been too many Christians fired or sued, and too many negative court cases and laws, to miss a clear trend. Most governments don’t publicly declare their hostility toward religion; they use laws like zoning or employment to push it out of the public square. Religious freedom in the US is being pushed toward private expression.” If …

Jesus set forth the only exception to God’s law for marriage when He included “except for sexual immorality.” The word Jesus used includes any sexual sin. God only intended such intimacy for the two companions within a marriage. Jesus was speaking to “Jews who knew nothing of a woman divorcing her husband” (Lenski, The Interpretation of Matthew’s Gospel 230). The rule applies to both men and women who divorce their spouses (Mark 10:12). [Mark was writing to non-Jews, and therefore, by inspiration, he made sure that his readers understood that our Lord’s teaching applied to both men and women. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor] Part of 1 Corinthians was written in response to questions. One question seems to have been, “Should a Christian, who is joined to Christ, separate from the union of marriage?” (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). The Lord answered this, likely in the verses we have already examined. The general rule was that they should not even separate. “If she and her husband cannot live harmoniously together let her remain unmarried. She is not permitted to marry again. That would be adulterous” (Lipscomb, First Corinthians, Gospel Advocate 98). “The Christian woman who has separated from her husband, but found that she cannot live the single life and remain pure has only one path open to her. She is to be reconciled to the husband whom she has injured” (Lipscomb). Paul spoke regarding “the rest,” which seems to involve the marriage of a “believer and an unbeliever (1 Corinthians 7:12-13). Paul, as an inspired …