“There’s a Great Day Coming” are the words to a familiar and favorite song. Christ’s return is a reality; it is neither some riddle to be solved nor a code to be broken, but it is a day to be anticipated. However, when that day will occur remains a mystery to all except God (Matthew 24:36). Therefore, it should not be when that day will come that concerns us the most but how we live until that day arrives. Peter taught how we should live from here to eternity – “in holy conduct and godliness” (2 Peter 3:11 NKJV). We should live Christ-like lives. Christ is our example (1 Peter 2:21). We should consider His “steps” (1 Peter 2:21), His “mind” (Philippians 2:5), and His deeds (Acts 10:38). Jesus’ life and teaching were in perfect harmony. He cared enough to die, loved unconditionally and did the Father’s will. We will walk in the paths of righteousness by living like Christ. We should strive to save our families. One man said, “I’ve gone the world over saving souls and lost my son.” Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5), and yet, he saved only his wife, three sons and three daughters-in-law (1 Peter 3:20). Joshua was a busy leader, but he said, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). The world needs more fathers like Noah and Joshua (Genesis 18:19; Ephesians 6:4). We should be supremely committed to the Church of Christ. Brethren, never be ashamed …

Deborah means “a bee.” By relying on God, Deborah and Barak were victorious over King Jabin of Canaan. Are you bold or a coward? Remember Revelation 21:8, which says the coward has no portion in the kingdom of God. Rely on God; work for Him cheerfully, lovingly and actively. Do not complain (Philippians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14). “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

We have this beautiful song in our song book. We usually use it, appropriately, as we leave an assembly to close it out. It is taken from the following passage in Numbers 6:22-27, which reads: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’ “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” (NKJV) This passage is a blessing that God commanded the priests to use for the Israelites. God stated to Moses the purpose of this blessing: “They shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” Let’s examine this blessing one phrase at a time: The Lord bless you and keep you. The priests were to call upon God to bless the people. When we close a service with this song, are we really listening to the words we are singing? It should be our prayer and hope that as we leave that place of worship those who have been assembled will be blessed by God. We need to recognize our dependence upon God, realizing that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there …

Moses was a Hebrew son who survived the massacre commanded by Pharaoh. He was raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter in Egypt but wound up fleeing to Midian and becoming a shepherd. God found him in the wilderness and commanded him to bring a message back to the king of Egypt: “Let my people go.” Exodus 5:2 records Pharaoh’s response to Yahweh’s charge, which is the title of the article. What follows in the next few chapters of Exodus is a brief introduction to who the Lord is. In particular, He (Yahweh) is the True Sovereign. The Lord is the One in control of nature. The Lord is more powerful than any god the Egyptians served. Yahweh was able to protect His people and defeat their enemies. Thousands of years later, these truths remain steadfast. God is still in control. He is still Sovereign. He is greater than any god anyone could worship because He is the True God. God is able to protect us and defeat our enemies. This is who the Lord is and why we should obey Him. [Editor’s Note: This article by brother Baxley is merely a brief account of what the entire Bible and the existence of the Bible itself reveal why we ought to obey God. Certainly, the Exodus account featuring the escape of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery demonstrates why we ought to obey the Lord. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

The Bible says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7 NKJV). This is true physically. One cannot sow potatoes and from that planting reap beans. This principle of reaping according to what is sown is also true spiritually. The Bible says the seed of the kingdom is the Word of God (Luke 8:11). If this seed (the Word of God) is planted in the 21st Century, it will produce the same thing it produced when planted in the first century – Christians and Christians only. When something other than the Word of God is sown in the hearts of people, something alien to the Word of God will be reaped. When the doctrines and the traditions of men are sown in human hearts, the result will be plants that the heavenly Father has not planted (Matthew 15:9). One cannot teach only the Word of God and produce anything except New Testament Christians. The seed of the kingdom will produce neither anything more nor less than members of the kingdom. The reason there are so many different churches today is because something other than the Word of God has been sown.

The “angel of the Lord” declared to Joseph, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 NKJV). The apostle Peter, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, declared, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). There is a beautiful hymn entitled “There’s Something about That Name,” with these meaningful lyrics: “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, There’s just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus like the fragrance after the rain; Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Let all Heaven and earth proclaim, Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, But there’s something about that name.” In our secular society, we often speak of politicians and especially do we mention the names of great athletes. Our children learn the names of entertainers, television celebrities and movie stars; however, it is on rare occasions that you hear the precious name of Jesus. There is a possibility that we might be classified as being extremist if we did. We should not be hesitant to speak of Jesus because He gave His life for us on Calvary so we could be saved. The apostle Paul wrote how the Heavenly Father exalted His Son as found in Philippians 2:9-11, which reads, “God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every …

Everyone is saddened by the thousands of young people, devout altar boys and female seminarians, sexually abused by priests, those who should have been their spiritual mentors representing Christ to them. The Roman Church hierarchy is corrupt both in doctrine and in morals. Corruption of doctrine leads to corruption in morality. The sexual drive is one of the strongest human urges, right alongside self-preservation, thirst and hunger, all implanted in us by our Creator. God speaks to this in Scripture. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (1 Corinthians 7:2-5 ESV) To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (1 Corinthians 7:8-9) Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God …

How many times have people hurt our feelings or treated us wrongfully? This number may seem to be too many to count. How many times has the person who mistreated you repeatedly done so? This number may also be a huge number. How many times were you the one needing forgiveness? The question may not seem as large as the other answers. Why? We seem to be forgetful when it comes to our wrongdoings. We can become just as forgetful about the wrongdoings of others. God practices true forgiveness. Listen to the writer of Hebrews, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12 NKJV). The phrase translated “remember no more” means “not to recall,” “not to call to mind” and “not to mention.” The Almighty God of the universe chooses not to keep a record of wrongs committed by His children. Why can God choose not to recall the wrongdoings? It is because love “thinks no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:5). The New American Standard Bible translates this phrase “does not keep an account of a wrong suffered.” God does not focus on the wrong committed but on His love for the individual child of God. He is faithful toward us even when we are faithless toward Him (2 Timothy 2:13). We can practice this type of love toward other individuals. Proverb 10:12 states, “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.” Peter points to this proverb …

We have sung those lines so many times, and yes at times, we may find ourselves lost and wandering aimlessly to find our way through times of toil and trouble. We, though, have lost our way, and we must find our way again. My question is this: “Does God, or His Son Jesus, have to seek us when we are lost?” I guess my point is that God and Christ both know exactly where we are. The omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God made us all and knows all things about us. “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether” (Psalm 139:1-4 NKJV). God has no need to “find” us because He knows who we are and where we are. [In one sense, Jesus Christ did come “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The word “seek” here can include the meaning of desiring, reasoning or requiring; clearly, the Godhead desires those lost in sin to be saved (2 Peter 3:9) and reasons with mankind regarding his salvation (Isaiah 1:18). Subsequently, God requires mankind to obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Hence, lost humanity must “seek” to “find” redemption (Matthew 7:7). “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell …

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV). The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings intended to convey general truths, and heeding these words of wisdom will surely help guide one’s life in a positive direction. However, the overabundant variables and uncertainties of this world preclude taking each proverb in an absolute sense as though the wise sayings were meant as inflexible rules with definitive outcomes and no possible exceptions. Note, for example, Proverbs 10:4, which states, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.” While this principle is generally true, mitigating circumstances could result in a lazy person being rich (e.g., by way of inheritance) and a diligent person being poor (e.g., via drought or stock market crash). Nevertheless, potential exemptions do not discount the wisdom of the stated proverb. Proverbs 22:6 affirms a general truth that ought to be heeded, although the freewill choices of each individual child means there will almost certainly be exceptions (cf., Genesis 4:1-7; Isaiah 1:2). Remember that the Bible is comprised of a variety of literary categories (historical, instructional, legislative, poetic, etc.), and not all are meant to be read and applied the same way. The books of Proverbs and Leviticus, for instance, represent very different types of literature and, therefore, should be interpreted accordingly. Parents, let us ensure that the Lord’s ways are always upheld and …

When we think of endurance, we do not usually think of the prophets of the Bible. Many times, we just read about them in short moments of their lives, such as Jonah, Obadiah, Nathan or even Elijah. We know really very little about them and sometimes do not know if they ministered their whole lives or just for a short time. Yet, there is one prophet that the Bible talks about who ministered during the reign of five kings of Judah. God called him while he was still in his mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). He was a prophet for more than forty years to kings, princes, false prophets, priests and people of all social classes. He preached and prophesied with many tears and was also known as the “Weeping Prophet.” He loved people and wanted the lost to return to God. Most of the people he loved mocked him, were hostile and apathetic toward his message. Often, the people ignored his messages and threatened his life. He even saw fellow prophets being murdered. He himself was beaten and put in prison many times (Jeremiah 37:15). One highlight in this prophet’s life was that he saw the revival in the nation of Judah under the reign of Josiah, only to be grieved again when he saw the Jews returning to idolatry. He warned and warned the nation of Judah about the coming of the Babylonians, and then he witnessed his prophecies come true, as the Babylonians came and destroyed Judah and …

The evolutionist boldly proclaims, “There is no God.” By this claim, he egotistically claims absolute knowledge of everything. If he does not so claim, how does he know that the very thing he admits to not knowing is or could be the Almighty God of the Bible? So, the two statements exhaust the entirety of the subject (i.e., “There is no God” and “The fool has said in his heart there is no God”). With this in mind, and with the fact that the evolutionist has exactly zero (0) proof for his position, let us consider the fact that all humanity – male and female – who has ever lived on this earth, which was created by Him, will one day meet God to be judged by Him. In the Book of Revelation, the apostle John wrote: Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of …

God is not bound by time like you and me. While you and I live in an existence that is started and ended by a measurement of time (at least this physical existence is), God’s existence is not measured the same way. Humanity has a time to be born and a time to die. “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NKJV). God is eternal in each direction (past and future). “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen” (Psalm 41:13). Were you to ask, “When was God born?” you would ask an illogical question because God was never born (excluding the birth of Jesus). He simply was and is. There was never a time God was not, and there will never be a time when God is not. So, Jesus said, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’” (Revelation 1:8). God judges outside of time. The Psalmist writer wanted God to remember that he, the Psalmist, is not eternal like Jehovah. He desired God to remember that He judges the sinfulness and imperfection of those who are frail and human. “I said, ‘O my God, Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all …

There is so much said about our Lord, Jesus Christ in the Bible. The entire history of the Old Testament was pointing toward Jesus. The four Gospel accounts tell us about His life. Truth is important with God. The word “true” is used referring to Jesus and His character. Let us look at a few instances. In John 1:9, we read, “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (NKJV). In the beginning of the book, John discussed the Word – Jesus – before He came to earth. Jesus came to earth to be our spiritual light. If we follow Him, we will never be in darkness. In John 6:32, we read, “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.’” When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, God gave them manna to eat. Jesus said He is the true bread that gives spiritual life. If we continue to feed on Jesus, we will never starve spiritually. We will have life. In John 15:1, we read, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” We must be branches of the spiritual vine – Jesus. If we stay connected to Him, we will receive the nutrients and water we need for a proper spiritual life. In 1 John 5:20, we read, “And we know that the Son of God has …

Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, the race of Adam has been failing spectacularly. God took mercy upon mankind and spared Noah and his family, but, even then, the human race let Him down. Later, He gave men the Law of Moses, but they couldn’t keep even the Ten Commandments without messing up. Israel tried obeying the law, but their sacrifices for sin were corrupted by priests and judged partial. They loved their prophets to be positive, and the kings were hopeless. The history of humanity is one of inhumanity and failure. The Holy Bible tells us of the catastrophe that we humans have made of things. What must God think of the world that we corrupted? What is the Holy Spirit telling us throughout the pages of the Old Testament? Human beings could not keep the Law and broke it over and over! We created idols to justify infanticide and sin, and nothing’s changed in the last 4,000 years! All of our sacrifices were insufficient for salvation; they only covered but did not blot out sin. The priests that we trusted were corrupt, such as the sons of Eli. “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:12 KJV). Samuel also addressed the religious leaders of Christ’s days on earth when He spoke of these self-righteous men. “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” …

“How Long, O Lord?” This prayer occurs eight times in the Scriptures. Obviously, many men of God wanted an answer to this question: How long, O Lord, must I wait, hurt, mourn, see trouble and lack justice until relief comes? When one considers the plight of Noah, waiting was the burden. He had to wait for God to act to save him from a violent world that threatened his family and him. Then, he had to wait in the ark God had him build. Imagine sweating it out in this huge box filled with wild animals while outside the weather was cutting loose to overwhelm all nature! Here’s the point: The wait was not forever. He got relief from the evil that surrounded him, and he got relief from the storm and the isolation of the ark. After a year in the great box, a new world opened to him, a gift from God, that he was free to use as he chose (Genesis 7:1-8:22). We, too, find ourselves waiting in isolation as contagion and death seem to swirl all around us. We may cry out to the Lord, “How long?” Know that God hears; God will take care of you, and He will bring you out of the storm to a safe place once more. Just wait! “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14 NKJV).

There are more than 125 questions found in Book of Matthew. Many of them were asked by the Lord. His questions helped men focus on things that really matter. Jesus Christ’s questions in Matthew 22:42 were asked within the last week of the His life. “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David” (NKJV). Our Lord posed this question to people who were interested in spiritual things. Jesus addressed the central issue, “What do you think about the Christ?” If the thinking is not right at this point, it will not be right in other areas. What do we think of our relationship with Jesus Christ? If the disciples thought of Jesus only as the son of David, they would have had only a partial view of the Lord. We know the answer to our Lord’s question if we accept what the Bible says about Him. Jesus continued by expanding the initial question. He said to them, How then does David in the Spirit call Him Lord, saying: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool? If David then calls Him Lord, how is He his Son? And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. (Matthew 22:43-46) As God (Deity), Jesus Christ is David’s Lord, but as a man, he is David’s Son. The disciples to whom …

The special group of men Jesus commissioned to carry the Gospel to the world after His ascension were known as the apostles. The word apostle means one sent out with a message. Every apostle was a disciple, but not every disciple was an apostle. The apostolic office was a special role fulfilled by those selected by Jesus Himself (Mark 3:13-14; Acts 1:24-25). Jesus prayed all night before He selected the men to serve in this capacity (Luke 6:12-13). Some of these men were trained and given power during Jesus’ earthly ministry as they saw Him teach, heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead (Matthew 10:1; 11:4-5). After Jesus’ return to Heaven, the apostles were guided into all the Truth, and they laid the foundation of God’s household (John 16:13; Ephesians 2:19-20) There are some apostles that we do not know much about. We are only told their names. There are other apostles about whom we know a great deal because Scripture allows us to look into their lives before and after Jesus called them (e.g., Peter, John, Paul). It is thought-provoking to consider the various types of men Jesus called to be His apostles. Let us notice a few things about some of the lesser-known apostles based on what we find in Scripture. As His disciples today, be encouraged that He can use us just like He used them. Matthew: The Tax Collector Turned Evangelist Before Jesus called Matthew (also known as Levi; cf., Mark 2:14) to …

In Matthew 10, we find a record of Jesus choosing and giving a commission to His apostles. Although their qualifications and original commission are different than ours, their basic job was the same. It was to proclaim a living Christ to a dying world. In view of that, it is probable that a study of some similarities between their calling and ours would be profitable. First, they were chosen of Christ, not in view of what they were, but in view of what they could become. It is hard to see in any of them except Paul any indication of any exceptional qualities or fitness for the remarkable task that confronted them. This should give great hope for all of us. Titus 3:5 probably puts this in as clear a fashion as the pen of inspiration can do. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (NKJV). When He first called them, before He made them apostles, He said to them, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). I do not think this point can be over emphasized. He did not say, “Come after me, and if you work hard enough studying how to use film strips, or do an open Bible study, you may become a fisher of men.” He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). It seems apparent that …

Although Song of Solomon 2:7 is frequently misunderstood, when seen in its context, it provides a valuable lesson about love. Here, the Shulamite woman talked to a group of women. These women, like most women of any age, longed for a loving relationship. The Shulamite woman said, in effect, “Don’t rush it.” In my years of marriage counseling, I have sadly heard a common refrain from numerous wives: “I wish I hadn’t jumped into this so quickly!” For various reasons, they seized the opportunity for marriage (financial security? get away from home? thought she would eventually grow into love? thought this might be her only chance? others thought he was the right man?). Yet, after a year or so (sometimes much sooner), she realized that she made a mistake. Jesus taught that marriage is for life (Matthew 19:3-6). Once one makes the decision, it is a decision with which one must live. As a matter of fact, He explained later (19:9) that the only reason for divorce and remarriage was if one’s mate committed fornication. This teaching led the disciples to say, “If such is the case… it is better not to marry” (Matthew 19:10). What they were saying is, “If you are bound to one for one’s whole life, you might think seriously about getting married at all!” Not all men can make such a choice. They need to have a wife (1 Corinthians 7:1). Yet, the general point of the disciples is a good one. This is far too important …

Fear of death. That is the bottom line. Whether people are afraid of their own death or the death of their loved ones, fear of death is the main reason why this virus has shut down America and much of the world. It is not really about sickness (which happens all the time) or politics (though plenty are seizing the “opportunity”); it is ultimately about the fear of death. Threats on life such as this are great times for us to reflect on our level of attachment to this life. Human Life Is Valuable There is no doubt that human life is inherently more valuable than any other life (Genesis 1:26-27). This is why that intentionally taking innocent human life is always sinful. This is also why only Jesus’ blood was sufficient (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:24-26; Revelation 1:5). Even Jesus knew the value of human life, including His own. Part of Him did not want to physically suffer. He prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44 NKJV). “This cup” refers to the suffering Jesus knew He would have to endure (Matthew 20:22). Thankfully, He desired to do His Father’s will above all else, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Thus, He joyfully “endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). If Jesus saw the value in preserving physical life, then so should we! …

A very powerful thought is recorded on the tomb of an Anglican bishop in Westminster Abbey. When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it too seemed immovable. As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it. And now as I lay on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world. (Anonymous. Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Patty Hansen, 1996.) That inscription reminds me of one of the most misunderstood incidents in the life of Christ, which occurred after His resurrection. Jesus had just told Peter that He would be bound and forced to go where he did not want to go when he was old. Peter looked around and saw John. He then asked, “But Lord, what about this man?” (John 21:21 NKJV). Jesus responded, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me” (John 21:22). John reported that a …

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11 NKJV). In the history of God’s people, from the sacrifice of Abel through the commanded sacrifices of the Law of Moses and up to the death of Christ, have you ever wondered about the amount of blood that was shed from animal sacrifices for sin? Just how many gallons were poured out for atonement? It is incalculable. The writer of Hebrews stated, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Yet, he continued, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Though all of that blood was shed, still, it could not offer forgiveness. All that shed blood prefigured the ultimate sacrifice that would be made by Christ when He died on the cross. If Jesus Christ had not lived a sinless life, and if He had not shed His blood as He did on the cross, we would still be in our sins. In addition, all who preceded us and all who may follow us would remain in their sins. This was the plan of God before anything was made, before we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; Ephesians 1:4). All that animal …