God’s love through Jesus Christ is multileveled and manifold in source, force, and course! Notice the following. God’s love has a source! “God is love”(1 John 4:8 NKJV). God is light (1 John 1:5); God is Spirit (John 4:24) and God is Fire (Hebrews 12:29). However, the most glorious attribute of His essence is love (Ephesians 2:4). In matters of Truth – unity! In matters of opinion – liberty! In all things – love! God’s love is wide enough to include all humans! God’s love is long enough to last through all eternity! God’s love is deep enough to reach the lowest sinner! God’s love is high enough to take us to Heaven! God’s love has a force! “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). God is able to raise children from rocks (Matthew 3:9), restore the fallen (Romans 11:20), abound in grace (2 Corinthians 9:8), deliver (Daniel 3:17), protect (Jude 24) and more (Ephesians 3:20-21). One of the greatest abilities of God, though, is to completely save those who come to Him through Jesus (Hebrews 7:25). This salvation is unchanging, secure and permanent (John 14:6). “Uttermost” means, “completely, perfectly, utterly.” We know power (force): light that can blind, wind that can topple and fire that can melt, but God’s power is greater. “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). God is omnipotent (i.e., unlimited power)! God’s love is the most powerful force in the universe! God’s love has a course! “For God …

Amos, the sheep breeder and sycamore tree farmer, was a bold prophet of the Lord, called to work for the Lord (Amos 7:14-15). Amaziah was not a prophet of the Lord. We briefly compare and contrast Amos and Amaziah [not to be confused with a king of Judah by the same name, 2 Chronicles 25:1] and note that man’s debilities and inadequacies are no limitations to God when He resolves to use someone. Amaziah was not a priest of the Lord, either. Rather, he was the priest of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was the first king in the northern kingdom of divided Israel. He created idols in Dan (north) and Bethel (south) for the northern faction of Israel to worship (1 Kings 12:25-29). He abandoned his Maker for dumb idols, to his ruin and the annihilation of his entire family. Amaziah was a priest of the idol at Bethel. Amos was not a priest, but a prophet of the Living God; he was not a prophet of King Jeroboam and of idols. The name Amaziah, which was borne by four persons in the Old Testament, means “The Strength of the Lord” (Amos 7:10, 12, 14; 1 Chronicles 4:34; 6:45; 2 Chronicles 25:27). Amos, from Tekoa in Judah, means “Burden” (Amos 1:1). Amaziah lied against the prophet Amos that he conspired against the king and that “the land is not able to bear all his words” (Amos 7:10 NKJV). Amaziah could not withstand the truth in Amos’s message, so he demanded his …

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7 NKJV). The context of this passage is that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by God, but Cain’s was not. As God questioned him about what he had done, God offered this rebuke. God told him three things. 1.  “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” What the exact nature of the sacrifice of Cain was that made it unacceptable is not clear. One thing is clear, however. Cain did not offer what God told him to offer. Note: Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…” Abel offered by faith, and obviously, Cain did not offer by faith. What does that mean? Further Note: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). If Abel offered by faith, and the Scriptures say he did, then he offered according to the Word of God. Conversely, if Cain did not offer by faith (inherently implied in the Scripture), then he did not offer as God commanded. The bottom line is that God told him that he could not blame anyone but himself. He killed his brother because he showed him up, as we would say in today’s vernacular. God said he was the only one responsible. If he had done what God said to do, there would …

“Because I said so” is a phrase I thought I wouldn’t use as a parent. When I was a child, I hated hearing that from my parents; I thought I deserved an explanation. So, I told myself that I’ll always tell my kids why. As you can probably guess, my mind changed; as a parent I have used the phrase multiple times for multiple reasons. My children will not always understand my reasoning, and I know they will not always like it. Yet, it’s important for them to trust me that I know what’s best for them and have their best interests at heart. It’s the same way with God and us. We will not always know the why behind what He says, but it’s important for us to trust Him. He most definitely knows what’s best for us, and God has our best interests at heart. When the Bible speaks, we should listen and follow its instructions, regardless of how difficult or unpopular they might be. Trust God. Stand your ground.

Quite often, we wonder why we can’t be more effective in interesting our friends and neighbors in the Gospel of Christ. We hear sermons impressing us with our duty, and we go forth and make what we think is an honest effort to convert the lost. Yet, why are we no more successful than we are? The fault may be with the one we are trying to reach. Man is a product of his environment, and by his environment he will determine his religious attitudes. This background may have caused him to become indifferent toward religion in general because of the hypocrisy he has seen in those who claim to be religious. Or, he may be so deeply set in error that he has become prejudiced against truth. We must learn ways to break down these barriers so we can teach him the truth. However, the fault may also be in us. We are often our own worst enemy in the most important work on earth. Let’s examine some of these faults and, if guilty, cast the beam out of our own eye before we begin with the mote that is in our neighbor’s eye. It may be that I can’t convert my neighbor because I am not truly converted to Christ myself. When my neighbor sees that less important things take precedent over my loyalty to Christ, how can I expect to have any influence on him? He sees that I give only lip service, and he concludes that …

The church’s first priority is evangelism. In practical terms, that means saving the lost and keeping the saved. Everything else connected with the church is secondary. People are more important than programs. Nothing the church could ever undertake (from the construction of a new building to the organization of the work categories) ranks near the supreme goal of saving souls and keeping them saved. In fact, that’s what the church is all about. If we lose our evangelistic zeal, we have lost our right to exist. The following questions about soul-winning have helped me realize my responsibility. Perhaps they will help you, too. As you apply these questions to yourself, remember that with every good work, the devil provides an objection, and with every sin he provides an excuse. “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16 NKJV).

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother” (Matthew 18:15 NKJV). Among professing Christians, that may be the most disobeyed passage in the Bible. The normal reaction to “If your brother sins against you” is “Go tell several other people what he has done.” Incidentally, if you realize you have offended a brother, Jesus says, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). Whether you are the offender or the offendee, you should meet one another on the way to make it right.

The prophet Habakkuk had a problem. He saw the evil, pain and suffering inflicted by the wicked upon the righteous. Listen to his plea. 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 NKJV) Habakkuk desired to see the wicked punished for their actions. He called for the Lord to intercede on behalf of the righteous. He wanted to see justice. The Lord answered his pleas by giving him an answer. The Lord would raise up the Chaldeans to bring a judgment against His people. The Lord’s explanations displeased and confused Habakkuk. The truth was the Lord had a reason for the plan that He revealed to Habakkuk. Today, the earth is still full of evil, pain and suffering. One cannot deny this fact when it is ever present in television and social media. The news continually speaks about it. People make posts about the hurt and pain happening around them. The evil of this world readily works itself into the normal conversations of life. The temptation to cry out “How long!” remains today. Peter enlightened the reader to the longsuffering of God. Hear his words. “The Lord is …

Jesus told us to evangelize the world. Here are four steppingstones from Scripture that can make you a successful evangelist for the Lord Jesus. [Editor’s Note: Belief or faith is more than a mental assent; otherwise, demons would be saved (James 2:19). True biblical faith requires action (James 2:20, 26), for faith without activity – “not by faith only” (James 2:24) – will not save anyone from anything. Regarding salvation, faith must be coupled with repentance (Acts 20:21), confessing Christ (Romans 10:9-10) and baptism (Mark 16:16). After conversion, one must be faithful even in the face of death, awaiting the Second Coming (Revelation 2:10). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Is the Bible from God? You say, “Yes!” Yet, how do you know? To answer the question by pointing to Scriptures that say that God wrote it is round-robin reasoning – circular reasoning – assuming what is to be proved. Your faith has to rest on more solid ground than circular reasoning. However, is there more solid ground? Oh, yes! Let’s look at some of it. Two points of faith stand on their own that can then help us know whether to trust the Bible as God’s Word. The first is God’s existence. Whether the Bible is God’s Word or not, He exists. The order of the universe, the existence of the intangible (like love, mind, intelligence, emotion, etc.), the moral compass of man and the very concept of God itself demand the reality of God’s existence. There is no other reasonable answer. The second is the Old Testament. Once God’s existence is demonstrated, then the Old Testament is appropriate to study to see if it points toward God’s existence. A major concern here is prophecy. Since many New Testament persons, places and events have been verified independently, then these historically established data can be used to check the veracity of Old Testament prophecy. If prophecy shows itself fulfilled, then it can only be the work of God. Using Old Testament prophecy, we can investigate Old as well as New Testament fulfillment. The invasion of Canaan and the establishment of Israel, the failure of Assyria to capture Jerusalem, the Babylonian …

We read in Jeremiah 18:18 that after Jeremiah finished his preaching on repentance, the people did not like what they heard. Therefore, they decided to carry a malicious report of what he had said to King Jehoiakim to make the king angry toward Jeremiah. They attacked Jeremiah’s character and his message from the Lord. These people knew that the tongue is a weapon that is more powerful than any other weapon known to humans. One of the evils of the tongue is gossip. Gossip is defined as “a person who chatters or repeats idle talk and rumors about the private affairs of others.” Rick Warren gave a great definition of gossip and how we know when we are gossiping. He said, “When we are talking about a situation with somebody who is neither part of the problem or part of the solution, then we are probably gossiping.” Notice what the Bible teaches about gossip. The Bible teaches that gossip comes from an evil heart (Luke 6:45), often arises from hatred (Psalms 109:3) and happens when people are idle (1 Timothy 5:13). It is a characteristic of the devil (Revelation 12:10). The Bible also reminds us to keep private matters private (Proverbs 11:13; 25:9-10). Knowing this to be true, why would anyone, especially a Christian want to gossip? Yet, many still do like Harriet. Harriet, the church gossip and self-appointed supervisor of the church’s morals kept sticking her nose into other people’s business. Several church members were unappreciative of her activities …

As Americans, we naturally do not like the idea of someone having authority over us. After all, our constitution guarantees us certain inalienable rights. We have engaged in wars to protect and sustain these rights. As a result of our way of life, we have an almost inborn resistance to anyone telling us what, when, where and how a thing is to be done. We feel that we have a right to “have our say” and that no one has a right to impose anything on us. Tragically, this kind of thinking has invaded the church. There are members who express the attitude that no one has the right to exercise any authority over them unless they want to submit to it. A thing that some church members, and we are talking about the Lord’s church, never seemed to have grasped is that the church is not a democracy or a republic. Rather, the church is a monarchy. The King – Jesus – has all authority, and He is Head over all things to the church (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:22-23). Our King designated that in His kingdom there should be a plurality of elders who serve and oversee a local congregation. These men must meet certain qualifications, none of them requiring absolute perfection or sinlessness. Further, they are to exercise their authority in the areas of human judgment and expediency. Seldom, if ever, will the decisions made by these men be pleasing to every member of the congregation. However, it …

“Dodge Trucks are Ram Tough.” Slogans about the toughness of a product are everywhere. Some things in this life are tough, and they do not crumble upon impact. Some things are built to be tough. Other things are tender. Some things are supposed to be easy to mold – to change. God wants your heart to be tender. Life can cause it to become tough. Life can cause it to become hardened. God wants you to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. Ephesians 4:32 reads, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (NKJV). Mark 3:5 is one of the few occasions where the Scriptures describe Jesus as angry. It reads, “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts” (NKJV). When we become hard and refuse to listen to God, we also fail to act like God. When we refuse to extend the grace we receive from God, then we lose that grace. Jesus spoke, “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The opposite is also true; unhappy is the unmerciful, for they shall not obtain mercy. Jesus further declared, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26). We are to see others’ needs and …

The Holy Bible consists of 66 books of varied lengths. Its name in English originates from the Greek word, “Biblos,” which means a book or a scroll. Written over a 1500-year span (from circa 1400 B.C to A.D. 100) and across three continents (Asia, Africa and Europe), it was written in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic [Chaldee] and Greek). It’s 40 writers record over 10,000 events, and yet it contains no contradictions in its purpose and meaning. The Bible is the most remarkable work ever written. You will find inside the Old Testament 23,145 verses. Inside the New Testament, there are 7,957 verses, for a total in both testaments of 31,102 verses. There are 783,137 words, 3,116,480 letters, 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. It has 18 history books, 4 Gospel accounts, 5 poetical books, 18 prophetical books and 21 epistles. Its shortest verse in English is John 11:35 (2 words: “Jesus wept”); its longest verse is Esther 8:9 (78 words). It is nothing less than the very mind of God revealed! You may find in some editions of the Bible the apocryphal books. These are not considered Scripture and are, in some editions, included as a study tool, designed to help us understand what may have happened during the 400-year gap between the testaments. They are not inspired, though some denominations see them as sacred Scripture, which led to many false doctrines. These books should be regarded as being in the same category …

When Solomon became King of Israel, his father instructed him to faithfully follow and obey his Lord (1 Kings 2:1-4). Solomon reigned as King of Israel for forty years, though he did not always follow the advice of his father. Yet, as long as he did, he was successful (1 Kings 11:41-43). When God invited Solomon to ask God for whatever he desired as king, he asked for wisdom. God granted Solomon’s request and gave him wisdom that would far surpass any king before or after him in Israel (1 Kings 3:5-12). Solomon’s wisdom was on display through his problem-solving skills (1 Kings 3:16-28), building projects (1 Kings 5-9) and the various proverbs and songs that he spoke (1 Kings 4:32). Fortunately for students of Scripture, Solomon’s wisdom did not die with him but is preserved for us through many of his writings, especially the Book of Proverbs. Notice a few important lessons about wisdom that we learn from the wisest king in Israel’s history. Fear the Lord (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10) While our world equates wisdom with reading many books, a high IQ and lots of degrees, Solomon painted a different picture. Solomon said the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). The wise person is one who understands his or her role in relation to the Creator of the universe. True wisdom realizes that God is the omnipotent and omniscient One before Whom we should bow and honor. Solomon received his wisdom …

Sometimes the word “work” seems like a “dirty word” to us. Although some of you won’t be old enough to remember it, there was an old TV show in which the character of Maynard B. Kreps considered “work” to be a bad thing; every time the word was mentioned, he went ballistic! Hopefully, none of us is that bad about work, but some of us do object to certain types and amounts of work. A good biblical example of what good old elbow grease [figurative expression for hard work] can accomplish is found in the Book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a Jew and waited on the king of Persia as his cupbearer, which was a position of means. When Nehemiah heard of the distress of his people in Jerusalem, he couldn’t conceal his sadness but admitted that he “had never been sad in his presence before” (Nehemiah 2:1 NKJV). The king asked him what was wrong, and he answered, “Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?” (v. 3). Not only did the king grant permission for Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem to repair the city, but he gave Nehemiah letters to neighboring peoples to give him safe passage on his way to Jerusalem. Nehemiah also asked for the king to give him a letter to the keeper of the king’s forest that he might be able to get timbers from the forest to help …

The Book of Job teaches us that Satan is relentless in his efforts to capture men (1:7; 2:2). Peter added that Satan is constantly looking for men to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Paul indicated that he knew Satan employed a number of different devices to discourage and hold back the progress of the church (2 Corinthians 2:11). The devil sends wolves from outside to destroy God’s flock by false teaching and employs even some church leaders to teach false doctrine and draw sheep away from the truth (Acts 20:28-31; 2 Timothy 4:3-5). He also uses division into groups following after men instead of the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). Job also teaches us that human philosophy falls short (16:2-3). The prophet Jeremiah penned that man does not have the wisdom to direct his own steps (Jeremiah 10:23). It is God’s wisdom that can teach us to do good works and set us on the path to perfection (1 Corinthians 2:6-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, Paul would have us to cast down human wisdom and pride (2 Corinthians 10:5). Total trust should be placed in God, as Job further demonstrates (42:1-6). The wise man of old would also instruct us to rely on God (Proverbs 3:5-7). Likewise, David, the singer of Israel, pointed to God for strength (Psalm 33:8-12). No wonder Paul asked the rhetorical question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The greatest lesson in the Book of Job is that all of life’s most …

Biblical terminology is instructive as we consider our feelings about our brethren. Collectively, brethren are spoken of as beloved in Rome (9:25), Corinth (1 Corinthians 10:14), Philippi (Philippians 2:12), Colosse (Colossians 3:12), Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 1:4) and Asia (1 Peter 2:11). Brethren are also described as beloved of God (Romans 1:7), beloved sons (1 Corinthians 4:14), beloved brethren (1 Corinthians 15:58) and portrayed as the beloved City (Revelation 20:9). Individually, the Bible describes several as beloved, including Paul (2 Peter 3:15), Luke (Colossians 4:14), Philemon (1:1), Onesimus (Colossians 4:9), Timothy (1 Corinthians 4:17), Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21) and the Christ (Ephesians 1:6). These mortal brethren were neither sinless nor without personal fault. Yet, the inspired writers freely used the above descriptive terms to illustrate their personal disposition of heart toward the brethren. May I suggest that we should do no less. As the challenges of life overtake each of us and as we fail to fulfill others’ expectations of us, may we maintain an endeared state with one another so that, regardless of our imperfections, we are still beloved one of another. Such a disposition will take us far as we maintain and exercise our mutual fellowship. May the Lord bless each of us as we commit ourselves anew to such a worthy goal.

Many times, I have said as I preached about some duty, “When you have done what you can, where you are, with what you have, this is all God expects of you.” I may have added on various occasions something like, “What more can you do? One can only do what he has the power to do.” Those statements may be basically true, but there is a more tremendous and significant truth in 2 Corinthians 8:3 where Paul said of the churches in Macedonia, “For according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord.” When I discovered that truth several years ago, although I continued to teach that every one of us should do what we can, where we are and with what we have, I added another greater truth. That is, when you do what you can, God will enable you to do what you cannot with what you did not have. You will be able not only to give beyond your power but to do many other things beyond your power. We could give examples from our own experiences and observations that prove this is true, but two illustrations from the Bible will be better. Peter did not have the power walk on water, but he did walk on water (Matthew 14:29). The key to it is simple. When he heard the command of Jesus, he did it. He did what he could, where he was, with what he …

“My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent!” (Proverbs 1:10). I find it interesting that once Solomon got past the introductory material for the Book of Proverbs, the very first topic he addressed with his son was his friends (or potential friends). Really, the very first topic? The wisest man to ever live (1 Kings 3:12) felt that he needed to start there? What about God? What about God’s Word? What about the Temple (or for us today, the church)? There are dozens of vital things to learn, but Solomon started with his son’s friends. That fact alone is deserving of pause. Solomon did this because he knew the following truths. First, one’s friends can determine his interests. You are going to be drawn to what they like. The music they like will become the music you like. The sports they think are dumb you will think that, too. The people they like, you guessed it. They will become the type of people you like as well. Solomon knew that if his son chose friends who were sinful, they would destroy any interest in God, His Word or the Temple. Second, one’s friends can shape a person’s character. Here Solomon was afraid that his son might choose to go with friends who were interested in robbing and stealing to get a lot of money. They were even prepared to kill the victim if necessary. How does one become like this? Well, in part it was because he chose bad friends. Solomon knew …

Luke summarized the first church of Christ, established in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). The term, “continued steadfastly” means to be devoted (Acts 1:14; 2:46; 6:4; Romans 12:12). There are four specific areas, all spiritual in nature, to which these early Christians were devoted. In this article, we will examine the third of these. They were devoted to “the breaking of bread.” The term “breaking of bread” can refer simply to a common meal, as it does in Acts 2:46. However, in the context of Acts 2:42, the term refers to a special “breaking of bread,” which is the Lord’s Supper (cf. Matthew 26:26-29). In Acts 2:42, the original language has two definite articles that do not come across in most English translations. The term literally reads, “the breaking of the bread,” which clearly distinguishes this from “breaking bread [from house to house]” (Acts 2:46). The day and frequency with which the Lord’s Supper was to be taken is not given here, but we find elsewhere that it was taken on the first day of every week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:20). The Lord’s Supper is communion with Christ (Matthew 26:29; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17), as worshipers remember His death (1 Corinthians 11:23-29). “The breaking of bread” likely serves as a synecdoche (a part used for the whole) to indicate all worship. Spiritual obligations were …

Herod Agrippa II might have been the subject of tabloid headlines, if such had existed in his day. His constant companion was his sister, Bernice. He spent most of his early years in the imperial household in Rome. Claudius, emperor of Rome, ultimately appointed him king over Chalcis, a small realm on the western slope of the Anti-Lebanon. Herod’s encounter with Paul came when he and Bernice went to Caesarea to salute the newly appointed governor, Festus. Paul’s challenging lesson on Jesus led him to say, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28). The power of the apostle’s message arose from three important points. First, Paul appealed to the Bible and known truth. He referenced Moses and the prophets (Acts 26:22-23). He said Agrippa knew about Jesus and His resurrection because everything happened in the open for all to see. He asked, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe” (Acts 26:25-27). Second, Paul persuaded men. Herod’s words refer to that persuasion. He similarly sought to persuade the people of Antioch in Pisidia, Corinth and Ephesus (Acts 13:43; 18:4; 19:8). The apostle’s enemies even realized that was his purpose. Demetrius told his fellow silversmiths, “Moreover you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands” (Acts 19:26). Third, Paul wanted men to be Christians – not almost but …

We live in the age that seeks “cancel culture.” It involves a denial of most that has come before, and its proponents will resort to destruction and violence to cancel it. So, monuments to the past are destroyed because they do not fit this culture’s sensibilities. Don’t like the reality of our nation having a Civil War? Tear down statues, not just of the Confederate states, but attack the Lincoln monument as well. Don’t like the Constitution? Then, try to eradicate everything in it. Think Christianity has been the problem with the world? Then, do everything possible to negate it and make it look irrelevant for today’s world. Almost everything that is rooted in the past is targeted. Yet, is removing everything from the past to manufacture a new reality even possible? The short answer is, “No.” Years ago, Solomon pointed out there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). As an illustration, many have become enamored with socialism and communism. Think that is new? Speak to those who lived under the regimes of Lenin and Stalin in Russia, or those who currently live in China or North Korea. Think you can do it differently? So did those who joined in overthrowing the czars, but the number of government executions and the poverty that became real for their lives was not what they bargained for either. You see, there was the same promise of change with each new Pharaoh, king or Emperor in so many nations that have come …