In Scotland, as in many nations, there is a narrow and dangerous mountain road. There is no way around it; therefore, many must travel it to reach their destinations. So many have lost their lives traveling this dangerous road that many people have termed it, “the dark mile.” This is applicable to our lives. Between here and Heaven, we must travel the dark mile or the dark miles. There is no way around them. We must travel them to go to Heaven. They are treacherous, resulting in many spiritual causalities. We can travel this dark mile safely if we learn the nature of adversity. Adversity is certain. What person has been exempted from trials, adversity and difficult times? We know they come to all whether they are righteous or evil, young or old, educated or uneducated, rich or poor. All we have to do is to look around us or simply look closely at our own lives. Becoming a Christian does not exempt us from trials; therefore, none should be surprised when they are part of life. The Bible teaches that we should expect them. “Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). “Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). “We must through much tribulation [trials] enter into the kingdom of God [Heaven]” (Acts 14:22). Adversities are uncertain. Trials come to each of us, and they are uncertain. They are uncertain in the kind of trial we undergo. None knows what form

Every November our nation celebrates Thanksgiving Day. Such a celebration ought to be daily rather than a “day.” We ought to be provoked to great thought. We have so much for which to be thankful in America, but we have much more for which to be thankful in our spiritual blessings possessed in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Perhaps, it would be good for each of us to consider the words of David, “What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits to me?” (Psalm 116:12). David’s question is not commonly asked even by those of us who are God’s children, though to our shame. More commonly asked are questions like: “How can I find a better job?” “How can I have more fun?” “How can I make more money?” “How can I live longer and be happier?” Again, perhaps, the reason we do not often ask the question David asked in Psalm 116:12 is that we may be crediting our achievements wrongfully and successes in lives to our own credit, failing to realize our abundant blessings are from our God and not from our own doing. Only when we understand God as the Giver of gifts shall we turn our minds in thanksgiving to Him. Often when one of our peers does us a favor we respond, “What can I do for you in return?” Yet, living on God’s footstool and enjoying His offer of salvation and all of its attendant blessings, breathing His air, drinking His water, etc., we often

The words “God is” occur 157 times in both the Old and New Testaments. It is a tremendous affirmation. So much is held dear in the words, “God is.” We do not have to look too far to see the importance of the words, “God is.” Negatively, if ‘God is not,’ then there would be no creation. If ‘God is not,’ then, we have no adequate answer as to man’s origin. If ‘God is not,’ then, we would have no Word of God. If ‘God is not,’ then, we would have no Son of God and Savior. If ‘God is not,’ then, the church has no reason to exist. If ‘God is not,’ then, man would be lost forever. Men respond variously to the words, “God is.” The atheist says he knows that there is no God (Psalm 14:1). The agnostic says he is unable to know that God is or God is not. The materialist claims he does not need God; a biblical example is the rich farmer in Luke 12:13-21. However, what about the responses from the Christian? The Christian will tell you that there is nothing to this life without the existence of God. The Christian knows how vital the importance of a strong faith is in the fact that “God is.” ‘God is’ affirms God’s existence. The existence of God is inherent in the words, “God is.” God has not left man to grope in darkness about His existence. God has not left us in doubt about

An important and interesting study from the life of Jesus in the New Testament is that of Jesus’ attitude toward Scripture. The word “Scripture” is from graphe and is found 51 times in the New Testament. In the Gospels the word Scripture occurs 24 times and all refer to Jesus’ attitude toward and use of Scripture. There are also several other words directly related to Jesus and his attitude toward Scripture (i.e., speak, word, law, etc.). Jesus Believed Scripture Was Authoritative. In that Jesus believed that Scripture came from God that meant the Scripture was authoritative. He recognized Scripture “as the commandments of God” to be obeyed (Matthew 19:17; Mark 1:44; Luke 17:10), rather than to be transgressed by man (Matthew 15:1-9). When a lawyer attempted to trap him, he replied, “What is written in the law? How readest thou?” (Luke 10:26). There are two phrases that reoccur in the Gospels and used by Jesus: (1) “It is written” occurring 19 times and (2) “have ye not read” occurring five times. When asked questions, Jesus directed the querist to the Scriptures. Jesus stated, “The scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). The word “broken” means not able “to break, annul, cancel” (Abbott-Smith 274) and not “to deprive of authority” (Thayer 385). The quotation of John 10:34-35 is from Psalm 82 in the Septuagint. Jesus claims the Scripture, even the translation from the Hebrew into the Greek Septuagint, was authoritative and therefore could not be canceled or annulled. Jesus believed the Scriptures were authoritative. We can

The need for godly mothers and grandmothers is evident when one observes that the faith of many youth and those forming new homes is not what God wants it to be. An examination of the Scriptures makes clear that the roles of godly mothers and grandmothers play an important part in molding the life and faith of youth. Motherhood is Influential God’s last act on creation was the making of woman (Genesis 2:20-25). She was created as her husband’s “help-meet” (Genesis 2:18), to resolve man’s loneliness (Genesis 2:22) and with her husband to have oneness and purpose in their marriage and home (Genesis 2:24). Though she is to be subject to her husband (Ephesians 5:24), she was created to be the glory of man (1 Corinthians 11:7). Mothers have an influence on their children by their lives. Sometimes the influence of mothers is good on their children. Hannah could not but have influenced Samuel for good in service to the Lord. Samuel, though given to the Lord as Hannah had promised (1 Samuel 1:11), certainly would had to have been influenced by his mother, who was devout and a praying woman, in his service and godliness in the temple at Shiloh. Hannah, troubled because she had borne no children, knew where to take her troubles (1 Samuel 1:9-18). She was certain that God was able to help her with her petition. She came to God in prayer, with sincerity, reverence and faith (1 Samuel 1:10) and left as “her countenance

The name Christian is used only three times in the New Testament. It occurs as follows: (1) Luke records that “the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26); (2) Agrippa replied to Paul’s powerful, persuasive sermon, “almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28); (3) The apostle Peter states, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16). Surely it is the name Christian to which James refers when he writes, “Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called?” (James 2:7). The Berkley Version translates this verse, “Do they not slander the noble name by which you are distinguished?” The question is often asked, “How did it happen that the early disciples in Antioch began to use the name Christian?” This is a good question and a variety of answers have been offered. Some, within and without the church, contend that since the disciples were followers of Christ, they assumed the name or took the name Christian upon themselves; i.e. they began calling themselves Christians. Others object to this reasoning and credit the name Christian to non-Christians who spoke in derision of the early disciples. It is the author’s belief that neither answer is correct, but that God himself called the name Christian upon the early disciples in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The name Christian is the new name of Old Testament prophecy promised in the Book of Isaiah when the inspired prophet spoke of things in the

[Therefore Stand, April 1999, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp. 25-26, 32.] We constantly read and hear of the coming millennium due to our calendar year soon to read 2000. We will hear this with greater emphasis until it comes and passes. It is referred to as “the millennium” and, at times, the references leave one thinking there never has been “a millennium.” But we know this is not true, as there have been other millenniums during the lifetime of humanity. The word “millennium” means “a period of 1000 years; . . . 1000 year anniversary or its celebration” (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, II:1434). We realize that one of the present living human beings have ever experienced the ending of one millennium and the beginning of a new millennium. We also realize there are many who have lived and died that did not experience the changing of a millennium. The close and beginning of centuries and the close and beginning of the last millennium have been filled with confusion, contradiction and consternation in all areas of life and especially the fields of religion, politics and economics. They have a habit of blending and relating to each other. Religious thought during these times often looks toward the coming Antichrist, the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. We predict the tribe of soothsayers will increase measurably by the turn of 2000. Their rationale from twisting Scripture and their hyped writings will sweep up millions of innocent, well-meaning and