King Solomon said, “The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands” (Proverbs 14:1 NKJV). How? For one, sensible women do not expose their families to the foes by their utterances, and they do not engage in physical combat with others. “He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction” (Proverbs 17:19). A prudent woman bridles her tongue, realizing that life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). A sensible woman is a wise woman who builds her house by being industrious, providing for the family (Proverbs 31:10-31). Sensible women seek unity at home, in the church and everywhere (Ephesians 4:3). This is because in unity there is peace, rest of mind, growth and progress. “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion” (Roman 12:16). They serve the Lord persistently as Anna did, without allowing troubles and trials to obstruct their devotion, commitment and loyalty to God (Luke 2:36-38). Indeed, sensible women are godly women, seeking the things of the Lord always and first. Are you a home builder or a destroyer? Be a builder of good things. Be sensible and wise. Rely on God’s in errant Word in whatever you do.

When a very useful, loving, obedient and amiable person dies, folks often curse death. The deceased is already dead, and another person is dying elsewhere. Death inflicts sorrow and anguish daily. Why, then, do people curse death? Death is a persecutor and man’s foe (1 Corinthians 15:26). To curse death, other things or persons is using one’s mouth carelessly. James wrote that with our mouth, “We bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:9-10 NKJV). Do you know if the deceased was taken away because of evil days ahead? “The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil” (Isaiah 57:1). Do you know if the deceased completed his or her earthly assignment? Jesus said the mouth reveals the state of the heart. Besides, each person shall give account of how he or she uses the mouth. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Philippi from a Roman prison around A.D. 61-63 and told them, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NKJV). This passage is the theme of the Book of Philippians, one of the four prison epistles of Paul, aside from Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon. Christians are to rejoice always despite life challenges. King Solomon said that there is “a time to laugh” and “to rejoice, and to do good” (Ecclesiastes 3:4b, 12). However, there are occasions when it is not appropriate to rejoice, yes, to be glad. This is the thrust of this piece. It is inappropriate to rejoice at calamities, as the following passages note. Mull over what you read, and act fast on them. “…He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 17:5b). “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17). Christians are to rejoice always, however, this rejoice is a limited rejoice in that it does not cover rejoicing over enemies, haters, persecutors and calamities. Christians, as children of blessings, must not wish evil to their foes, but rather they must abide by what Christ said in Matthew 5:44-48, which reads, “…Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven… Therefore you shall be perfect, just as

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).

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

In Psalm 29:3-9, we read persistently about the voice of the Lord. What is the voice of the Lord? The voice of the Lord: Children of God, without hesitation, give glory and honour due to the wonderful name of God. “Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord Glory and Strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (v. 1-2). The Highest will hear our voice and shower His great blessings on us. The God, whose dwelling is in heaven and footstool is on earth, will be highly magnified in our lives. May God have mercy on us and answer our prayers. [Editor’s Note: While angels in Heaven and the children of God on earth willingly recognize the sovereignty, magnificence and powerfulness of Almighty God, the rest of mankind is reluctant to acknowledge His existence and certainly will not bend their wills to Him. While people ought to pause and recognize God in the created universe (Romans 1:19-20), no one can be oblivious to the voice of God resounding through roaring thunder and lightning strikes of a fierce storm. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

It has been rightly noted that there will be no grandchildren in Heaven (Rushmore 39-41). If there are no grandchildren in Heaven, will there be in-laws in Heaven? The Sadducees, unlike the Pharisees, did not believe in angels, spirits and the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 22:23). This wrong belief of the Sadducees is the backdrop to the question they asked Christ concerning a person who married a wife and died without offspring. In accordance with the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 25:5), the deceased six brothers had married the widow each in turn and died without leaving behind a child. Summing up their preamble, the Sadducees said, “Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her” (Matthew 22:27-28). The response of Jesus revealed the incorrect doctrine of the Sadducees, and other issues were pragmatically addressed. In addition, the living nature of God was manifested. To the Sadducees, Jesus said, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). The mistakes of the Sadducees were: They were ignorant of the Scriptures. Ignorance is destructive. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6). They did not know the “Power of God.” God’s power, as well as the righteousness of God, is great

The Word of God is powerful to change a sinner into a saint. These are ten characteristics of the Word of God. The Word of the Lord is… Do you read and study God’s Word? Never fail to read the inerrant Word of God daily (1 Timothy 4:13). “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Christians should be caring and loving, but how many Christians are truly loving and caring? As you read this piece, examine yourself to discern if, in reality, you are caring and loving. Here are a few benefits of loving and caring. Deliverance from enemies and troubles belong to those who do not oppress the poor (Psalm 41:1). To these kindhearted people belong preservation. “The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; you will not deliver him to the will of his enemies” (Psalm 41:2). For being caring, they will be strengthened and healed. “The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; you will sustain him on his sickbed” (Psalm 41:3). In asking us to love our neighbours as ourselves, Christ requested us to be caring and loving. We are to care for the needy and love the poor. The apostle Paul penned, “Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality” (Romans 12:13). Peter told all Christians to be caring also. “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tender-hearted, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8). Peter went further, writing, “Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). Share the blessing of God with other people. Encourage others spiritually and physically, within and without of the church (Galatians

My StrengthMy RockMy FortressMy DelivererMy GodMy ShieldThe Horn of my salvationMy StrongholdMy HopeMy RedeemerMy Shepherd (Psalm 18:1-2; 19:14; 59:11; 2 Samuel 22:2-3). “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:3).

We can learn some vital lessons reading through Amos 2:6-8. Oppression and sexual immorality are degrading; they were then, and they are now, too. Israel maltreated the poor, whereas God required that they were to be treated with respect and honour (Psalm 41:4; Proverbs 17:5; 14:31). However, it was obvious by Israel’s actions that the nation had no respect for God’s Word. The Israelites despised the commandments of God, for they could have treated the poor with respect and not oppressed them. The poor were considered valueless in the ancient nation of Israel, but God viewed them as priceless. Prophet Amos wrote concerning the way the rulers and nobles maltreated the upright and the poor. “They sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals” (Amos 2:6). Israel oppressed the poor so greatly that God had no option other than to discipline it. The nation of Israel engaged in large scale sexual immorality. Brethren, “flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” Since we are bought with the precious blood of Christ, we should glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits, rather than in immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Are you an oppressor? Flee oppression! Love your neighbors as yourself. All must learn to respect the poor. The poor must learn to respect themselves. “A poor man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no

Miriam was a woman of note in the Holy Bible, who had her strengths and weaknesses like any one of us. We offer some facts on who Miriam was, along with brief comments. Miriam, sister of Aaron, was: Miriam died at Kadesh (Numbers 20:1). Both males and females have their weaknesses and strengths. Kudos to Miriam for leading the women to appreciate God in praises to His great and glorious name. Never be rebellious in the church against church leaders because of the unsavory result (1 Timothy 5:1-2). Let all grievances be channeled to the leaders in the spirit of meekness and with a view to finding a solution, not to disrupt things. The church will do well to promptly attend to all problems that are brought before her as the apostles did in Acts 6:1-7. “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11).

Faith is good, and it is clearly defined in the Bible as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is required for answered prayers (Matthew 21:22) and before one is pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6). However, faith without virtue is useless. Virtue is good, for without holiness no one will see God (Hebrew 12:14). Yet, virtue without knowledge is destructive. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6a). Christians are God’s people through obedient faith in Christ. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). We, as “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (1 Peter 2:9), should add to our faith virtue and to virtue, knowledge. Knowledge is required in all things for success to smile on us. To break the depths and to permit the clouds to drop down the dew, God employed knowledge. The knowledge of the Holy One, which gives accurate direction and injects meaning to living and life, can be acquired through constant reading of the Bible (John 5:39; 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:15). By hearing the inerrant Word of God, we grow in knowledge and in His grace. By careful study of it, we have the intimate and profound power of God. The sincere student of the Gospel who uses the Word daily is insightful and powerful (2 Timothy 1:7). He or she gets power and superb understanding that the world

God told His people Israel to repent of their sins, especially that of idol worshipping, in order to continue to enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land. However, they declined! He promised to scatter them among all the nations of the world for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11). “A dog that will be lost,” the aphorism says, “will not listen to its owner’s whistle.” That was what happened to the Jews. First class violent and peak immorality characterized the Jewish nation, aside from widespread injustice and unrighteousness. Prophet Amos, a servant of God from Tekoa, cried out, “But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24). By around 721-722 B.C, the cup of God’s vengeance for the Northern Kingdom (Israel) had overflowed. God permitted the Assyrian Empire to whisk Israel away into captivity, leaving behind the Southern Kingdom (Judah). If only Judah were wise, she could have turned fully to God and been obedient to His commandments. Judah was hell-bent in sinning. God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to carry them into captivity in 586 B.C. If Israel and Judah had been wise, they would not have suffered great reproach and terrible shame in the hands of their foes; many of them would not have died also at great spiritual loss. Merciful God turned His back on Judah to be recklessly treated and murdered. What God decreed to do, that He would do! Are you wise? You should seek to be wise! Wise people, read the Bible