Satan is working hard on Saturday so that Sunday will be a “wrap!” In order to make sure that Sunday is a “wrap”—in vain as far as God is considered—Satan has a plan; make no mistake about it. Perhaps he works his scheming, devious, soul-destroying plan harder on Saturday than any other day of the week. It is not by chance that he dogs us constantly but by calculated design. His plan is simple: make sure that the highest and dearest of God’s creation is in hell with him eternally! Consider the following smooth and ever so subtle tactics that Satan uses on Saturdays to make Sundays an extension of our weekends. Satan uses these temptations and countless others to offer us choices and decisions that seem perfectly harmless and legitimate—not honoring God with our presence and attention in worship on Sunday. He talks to us in ways that make sense. Satan talks to us in ways that appeal to us. He dangles something that we desire and makes it appear to be totally innocent and appropriate— with the best part claiming no consequences, penalties, regrets or costs are necessary. Satan comes to us in ways that are not threatening, not challenging and certainly appear to be free of danger and destruction. With a setup like that from the master manipulator, it leaves nothing open to choose except what we desire. We must be able to see through this fog of lies and deceit. Our precious Savior Jesus the Christ …

I admit it; I don’t like snakes. I realize that there some people who have snakes as pets. I tend to look at them with a critical eye, thinking that they may be a little crazy. I don’t visit with them in their home. I pretty much subscribe to the old adage that the only good snake is a dead snake. There is an interesting and rather frightening incident about snakes in the Book of Numbers. The people of Israel were in the wilderness, and, as usual, they were murmuring and complaining against Moses. They cried, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in this wilderness?” (Numbers 21:5 NKJV). The very next verse states, “So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.” The Book of Hebrews tell us that “It is appointed for man to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). I know that I must one day die, but please, don’t let me die by snake bite. There are a few cobras in our general area here in India. The last time I was here, the students killed a couple of them. At least, they told me that they were cobras. Behead me, shoot me, let me die in my sleep or in some terrible crash of some kind, but not by being bitten by a venomous (fiery) snake! As the people began to die, the cry went up …

“And God spoke these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me’” (Exodus 20:1-3). The creation account in Genesis states very plainly that “in the beginning, God”! From that point, He created all things. He made everything that was made. It was a beautiful view: sun, moon, stars—the very universe in which He would soon place man. Mankind, then, could look upon the beauty of God’s total creation. Man has been looking farther and farther into the universe ever since. Man, which God created, was deceived by Satan into believing that he—man—could be as wise as God, knowing good and evil. This was a great lie that led to more trouble than man could imagine. Mankind fell deeper and deeper into the mire created by his own disobedience of God’s first command—“thou shalt not.” This led man into a spiral that eventually placed the children of Israel under bondage and slavery in Egypt. Even so, God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from that vile servitude. God, however, found it necessary to remind them just who He is. He was the one and only God. In His work of creation, there is no record of God creating other gods to compete with Him for supremacy in the whole of the universe. From where would the idea of “other gods” come? The answer is very simple. Other gods were the figment and …

“I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14 ASV). Evolutionists mock Christians because we believe in the God of the Bible and that Almighty God created us. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The atheistic community (which includes evolutionists), on the other hand, believes that all things came into being via the “Big Bang” or some other mode. Has anyone ever seen order come from disorder? The complexity of our universe and all living things is mind-boggling. However, we are told that to believe in God is stupid. The non-believing community admonishes us to believe that rocks, mud and slime are the true source of all life here on earth. Further, given enough time, eons of time, all sorts of living beings to include humans emerged. The truth is the evolution thesis cannot even tell us what came first, the egg or the chicken. How could an egg develop over time and without the chicken? Can one believe that a human baby came forth without a human mother? On and on we could go. However, people like Bill Maher think Christians are stupid. Some statisticians say that one percent of people here in the USA are atheists. However, these smartypants feel they are smarter than the rest of us. To teach nothing created itself and to be very militant about that belief seems radical. The fact is …

If I were to ask you to define the word “Christian,” how would you define it? For many people in the world, when they hear the word Christian, they immediately define Christian as someone who believes in God, Jesus Christ and the Bible. While I believe those things to be true, I also believe some clarification is in order. I believe that in order to be a Christian, one must submit his or her life to God, obey His Word, be buried with Him in baptism and follow Him all the days of one’s life. So many people weaken the meaning of the word “Christian” by focusing on belief and faith only and not including obedience and works. This same type of confusion happens with so many of us today when we hear the word “disciple.” What is a disciple? When some of us hear the word “disciple” or “disciples” of Christ, we think about a denominational group that exists today. Most of us, however, when we hear the word “disciple,” immediately think of the twelve apostles who were called by Jesus to follow Him in His ministry. While this is a correct understanding, let us also recognize that there were more disciples in Scripture than just those original twelve men who became apostles. Even when we include Matthias and Paul, we do not have a complete listing of every disciple. In Luke 10:1-4, Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples. While we do not know these men by name, we do …

The context of Acts 8:26 tells of Philip preaching to an Ethiopian eunuch who had visited Jerusalem to worship, but he was on his way back home. As Philip approached the eunuch in his chariot, he found him reading from the prophet Isaiah, specifically the passage of the suffering servant (Isaiah 53). The eunuch admitted he didn’t understand what or about whom the prophet was speaking. Therefore, Philip began to preach Jesus to him. As they traveled along, they came upon some water, and the eunuch requested to be baptized, to which Philip consented and baptized him. Why didn’t the eunuch just wait until he got back home? I submit it’s the same reason the 3,000 did not wait in Acts 2, why the Philippian jailer did not wait in Acts 16:25-34 and why Paul did not wait after Ananias came and told him what He needed to do (Acts 9:5-6; 22:16). There is no salvation without forgiveness of sin, and there is no forgiveness of sin without immersion into Christ (Acts 2:38).

All of the attributes of God are so important to the development of Christian character. It is necessary that as Christians we understand or have a working knowledge of the justice and righteousness of God. “Just” originally meant straight in a physical sense, while in a moral sense it referred to right. A thing is right when it is as it should be. Willmington says, “Righteousness can be defined as moral equity. Justice is the illustration of this moral equity. In righteousness, God reveals His love for holiness. In justice, God reveals His hatred for sin.” Lanier says, “That justice and righteousness, in God’s dealings with men, are simply manifestations of the holiness of God.” Burder says, “By the justice of God we understand that universal rectitude of His nature, whereby, in His government of the world, He does all things with perfect righteousness, giving to everyone his due.” Watson defines justice as follows, “Justice, in its principle, is holiness, and is often expressed by the term ‘righteousness’; but when it relates to matters of government, the universal rectitude of the divine nature shows itself in regard to what is right, and in opposition to wrong, which cannot be warped or altered in any degree.” With these definitions in mind, let us understand that the Bible speaks of three kinds of justice. First, there is “legislative justice,” sometimes called “mandatory holiness.” This is what determines man’s duty and binds upon him the performance of it. It also defines the rewards …

A modern dictionary defines the word “church” as “a building where Christians go to worship.” Most people have an unscriptural idea concerning the church, as a material building made of brick, mortar and stones. The word “church,” however, is never used in the New Testament of the Bible to convey such a meaning. The English word “church” is a translation of the Greek word “ekklesia,” which Christ actually used in Matthew 16:18 when He promised to build His church. The Greek word “ekklesia” means “the body of citizens or the assembly of a select people.” When the Bible was translated from Greek into the Latin language in the second century A.D., the Greek word “ekklesia” was translated in Latin as “chirche.” In the Roman world, the word “chirche” was used for a religious building or a place of worship. Later, John Wycliffe in his English translation of the Bible, in 1380-84, anglicized the word “chirche” and rendered it as “church.” The Bible meaning of the church, however, has never changed. The Bible still speaks of the church as the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23) and says, “He is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18). The church is also spoken of as the “house of God” (1 Timothy 3:15), and 1 Peter 2:5 says Christians are living stones which make up the house of God. To Christians at Corinth the apostle Paul wrote, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Another striking …

Just as there must have been those who cried out to Noah after the door of the Ark was shut and the water began to rise, no doubt, also, there will be those who will desire just one more day, hour or minute when the Judgment Day arrives! Things of importance should be taken care of immediately when we know the right course. Procrastination or putting off our obedience to the Gospel will have eternal consequences (Mark 16:15-16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)! All men have a choice to make between the Lord’s church and the world, right and wrong, good and evil, the “narrow way” and the “broad way” (Matthew 7:13-14). Yes, all men have a choice, but none will have a second chance! “Now is the day of salvation” is the message, while, also, the apostle Paul exhorted all to not “receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). The writer of Hebrews said, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28). Peter wrote to give the events of the sudden, unexpected appearance of Christ in these words. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord …

Numerous religious groups look to a dynamic personality to set their beliefs in motion. None, however, has a leader like Jesus. Jesus was “God with us.” The angel told Joseph that the child Mary was expecting was a fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 (Matthew 1:18-25). John added to our understanding when he told about the Word that was with God at the beginning and was God. He was the one who walked among men, displaying the Glory of the “only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-2, 14). Our Leader controlled the elements. He actually was the Creator. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). The apostles awakened our Lord in the midst of a terrible storm on the Sea of Galilee. “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:36-41). Our Lord offered love to His enemies by coming to die for them (Romans 5:6-11). He also commanded His followers to do the same (Matthew 5:44). The mocking mob before the cross heard Him pray, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). Judas, the Lord’s betrayer, recognized that our Master was sinless (Matthew 27:4). Pilate agreed with him (Luke 23:14b-15a). One of the thieves hanging with him referred to the unjust nature of the tortuous death the Lord endured (Luke 23:39-41). The …

In magazines, debates and studies, generally speaking, I have found only two alternative teachings for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. One is the indwelling through the Word only, and the second alternative is indwelling in the physical body (with variations). There is a third alternative concerning the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 3:9, the Lord first described the Corinthians as plants in God’s husbandry. Paul planted, and Apollos watered. In the same verse (1 Corinthians 3:9), He described the same brethren as being a building. In verse 16, He identified that building as being a temple. He, then, described the single foundation for this temple (1 Corinthians 3:10-11), being Jesus Christ Himself, testifying that no other foundation can be laid. In Ephesians 2:19-20, the Holy Spirit described Jesus Christ as being the chief cornerstone (as also indicated in 1 Peter 2:6-8), with the apostles and prophets being a part of that one foundation. Building on the 1 Corinthians 3:9 picture, the Spirit, then, described how the Corinthians were able to build on this foundation with varied materials, including wood, hay and stubble (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). Such a description precludes the temple in this chapter describing physical bodies. Having described the one spiritual temple, the apostle Paul declared that the Holy Spirit dwells in this temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). Once more, in the same verse, the inspired apostle declared that the Corinthians are this temple. The “ye” is plural, and the temple is singular. All the brethren in Corinth were this one temple. Thus, there is in fact, one spiritual temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. The same …

In 1981, I wrote an article about the power of using audiovisuals. A few moments ago, the thought came to me that we are teaching with audiovisuals whether or not we planned it that way. What we say and what we do are constantly teaching, either for good or for bad. The Lord’s Supper and baptism are audiovisual aids that God designed to help us appreciate the supreme sacrifice of Christ and respond properly. It is impossible for a person thoughtfully and regularly to meditate on the loving sacrifice of Christ and remain unmoved. With that thought in mind, I designed a little box that folds into a “piggy bank” with a message on it to serve as a visual aid to be used in every home and classroom that wants to use it. It is to be placed on the table or where it can be seen every day or week, and each time it is seen, it calls attention to the fact that Christ made a sacrifice for us, and we need to make some sacrifice for Him. The bank reminds children of the love of Christ and permits them respond to it. How you talk about it and use it will also be a vivid audiovisual presentation. Remember, “The love of Christ constrains us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). [Editor’s Note: Even without electricity and corresponding equipment, the sermons presented in our worship assemblies or via mass media of various kinds (e.g., TV, DVD, Internet) are all audiovisual presentations. Each …

A solar eclipse is when the moon is between the earth and sun. (A lunar eclipse is when the earth is between the moon and sun.) There are distinct types of solar eclipses: partial, annular, total and annular-total. There are 2-5 solar eclipses each year, but not all are viewable to us because of the rotational position of the Earth. What we witnessed on August 21, 2017 was a total solar eclipse. The last time one could observe a total solar eclipse in the United States was 1979, and the next solar eclipse to be viewable in the United States will be April 8, 2024. While I did not observe the eclipse, since my eyes are very sensitive to light, I did enjoy many pictures posted by friends on social media celebrating their view of this natural phenomenon. It sure was an exciting demonstration of God’s design of the universe! The sun, earth and moon all travel an orbit. The moon travels around the Earth at 2,288 mph, and it completes an orbit in about 28 days (a sidereal month). The earth travels around the sun at about 67,000 mph in its orbit, and it completes its orbit in about 365.256 days (a sidereal year). The sun travels 483,000 mph in its orbit in the Milky Way Galaxy, and it is estimated to complete its orbit in about 225 million years (a cosmic year). I was thinking about these rates of speed, time, orbits and the moments when these all …

Does the content of our speech really matter? Of course, it does! Does the content of our speech matter, whether in public or private settings, whether speaking with a friend or stranger and whether others are aware or perhaps even unaware of our speech? Of course, it does! The Bible affirms that the Lord hates a lying tongue and a false witness that speaks lies (Proverbs 6:16-19). Lying lips are an abomination to Him (Proverbs 12:22). Similarly, righteous men hate lying (Psalm 119:163; Proverbs 13:5). Accordingly, both the Old and the New testaments record divine commands relative to the matter of honesty in speech. The Old Testament demanded that one should not bear false witness against his neighbor (Exodus 20:16). The New Testament demands that lying should be put away and that every man should speak truth with his neighbor (Ephesians 4:25). Yes, lying must be removed (Psalm 119:29) and lying lips silenced (Psalm 31:18). May each of us always be emboldened to speak the truth—nothing more and nothing less. We will assuredly be blessed thereby, especially as we carry the Truth of the divine revelation to those in the world who need the saving knowledge of God’s Word.

In 1776, Thomas Paine, American Revolution patriot and writer, commented about the price of freedom. “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; ‘tis dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods, and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated.” As Paine noted, Independence Day is not just another holiday. History tells the price paid for freedom, many times over. It reminds us the price that must ever be paid if freedom will be maintained. How many have given of themselves, have given themselves, that we might enjoy liberty? We do well to remember and pay homage to those whose sacrifices permit us to enjoy the privileges we have today. What a sacrifice was made that we might be free in Christ! Our liberty from the bondage of sin was purchased at no small cost. The grace of God in offering us salvation is made possible only through the blood of His Son. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:1-2). In Christ, we are freed from the effects of sin and have the promise of eternity. The freedom Christ offers from sin comes from the love God has for each of us. Our love for Him should be reflected in …