About 60 years ago, I was reading 1 John 3:8-9 and 5:18, both of which say that the person begotten of God does not commit sin. I was considerably disturbed, for I was just a little boy who had not yet obeyed the Gospel, but I was studying God’s Word, and it appeared to me that since John had just finished saying in 1 John 1:8, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,” there was some terrible problem somewhere. Because of my simple, childlike faith in God, I felt sure that the problem was with my understanding and not with the apparent contradiction of the text. Since a nationally known Gospel preacher was in a nearby town preaching on the radio, and my neighbor had a radio, I wrote him a postal card asking him about it. He did not reply, so I asked a younger preacher, and he told me that the idea of “cannot sin” in 1 John 3:9 meant “cannot afford to sin,” very much like Exodus 19:23 where Moses said, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai.” It appears evident that they could come up, but if they did they would die, so they were prohibited and could not afford to ascend the mountain. A mother might tell her child, “You can’t play in the street” without meaning that it was impossible to do so. Since that was the best explanation I could get, …

Why do bad things happen to good people? This is the question of the ages—one of monumental significance in the discussion of the existence of God. Atheists argue that God cannot have all three traditional characteristics, that is, that He is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving (omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent). Since there is suffering, they say that at least one of those characteristics fails Him. “If He is powerful enough to stop it and knows about it, He must not care enough to stop it,” they allege. Or, “If He is powerful enough and loving enough to stop it, He must not know about suffering.” Thirdly, they posit, “If He knows about it and cares enough to stop it, He must not be powerful enough.” From Ivy League academia to street smarts, people use this kind of argument (differently worded in many cases, to be sure) to attack the existence of God. How can this be answered? Can it be answered? First, realize that when God created everything, it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). He made no error or pain. Man was given freewill with the placement of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden, and man was warned (Genesis 2:16-17). Where there is choice, there must be consequences. Man chose unwisely, and the consequences of death and suffering were set in motion (Romans 5:12-14). The existence of suffering in the world is not God’s fault; it is altogether man’s fault. There are several reasons men …

There are so many decisions to make and so many factors to consider when it comes to families. Let us take a moment and see what the Bible teaches us about families. We must start with two distinct individuals: a man and a woman. They are two people, two souls and two life stories. They have sin; they struggle, and they need a Saviour, like all of mankind (Romans 3:23). Will they obey God’s Word (Acts 2:38)? Will they be faithful to Him always (Revelation 2:10)? Now we see a married couple. That which were two have now become one (Genesis 2:24). Husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25). Wives should submit to their husbands as to the Lord (Ephesians 5:22). The husband should be the head of the family as Christ is the Head of the church (Ephesians 5:23). Will they be faithful to each other (Hebrews 13:4)? Will they get a divorce (Matthew 19:9)? Will they love and submit? A couple decides to have children. The family is to be provided for and given the proper care (1 Timothy 5:8). The Father is to still be the head of the family and to teach his children the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Both parents should actively raise and train their children in the right ways (Proverbs 22:6). Discipline should be used in the home because the children are loved, and it is important for their training (Proverbs 13:4). Will the …

There are two kinds of invitations to special events; one is very specific, that is, only a select group of people, normally family and friends, are invited to attend a gathering. Then, there is the general invitation to all who would be interested in attending a special occasion. An example would be an invitation placed in a church bulletin, inviting all to attend a wedding ceremony. In this brief article, I want to mention only three invitations offered by God. The first one is found in Isaiah 1:18. However, you should read the first 17 verses of this chapter to understand the background of this gracious invitation by our Heavenly Father. His people had forgotten Him; they were hypocritical; God rejected their worship because their hands were full of blood, just to name a few of their sins. Yet, God, in His mercy and longsuffering, offered this invitation to His sinful people: “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool’” (v. 18). Please observe it was God who made the first move in this matter of preserving Judah and saving His people. God promised them that if they would be obedient, He would bless them (v. 19). God gave man the ability to make choices, whether to respond in a positive or in a negative manner. The second invitation I have chosen to mention …

And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him. But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound. (Acts 24:24-27 NKJV) The message Paul spoke to Felix is a message needed today. Paul discussed three things with Felix. The first thing Paul reasoned about was righteousness. Psalm 119:172 says, “My tongue will speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.” So, righteousness means doing what is right as God’s word says. Those who do right according to God’s Word and who are righteous are accepted by God. “But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him (Acts 10:25). In preaching righteousness and keeping the commandments of God, Paul must have preached repentance and baptism, too (Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16). The second thing Paul reasoned about was temperance. Temperance means self-control, having one’s life in control. A Christian must be temperate in all things. “And every man shall strive for the mastery of temperance in all things. Now …

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47 NKJV) As David spoke to the mighty warrior of the Philistines, he made it abundantly clear that he was going to defeat him, this huge champion of the Philistines, as well as rout his army. However, he also made it clear why and how he would do that—“the battle belongs to the Lord.” David still had to take his sling and a stone; he had work to do on behalf of the Lord, but he did that work recognizing that it was not he who would bring victory, but God! We face the “Goliaths” that would destroy us and defy our God. Like David, we need to understand that we have a …

“Therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). Jesus’ Second Coming will be the Last Day (John 6:39-40, 44, 54). Many people think of the signs in Matthew 24 when they reflect about the final coming of Jesus Christ. If we study Matthew 24, “rightly dividing” (2 Timothy 2:15) this great chapter, we can refute wrong applications of it from Christ’s teaching. We hear people say about some event, “This is the sign of the end time.” This notion is widely accepted, but false. On Tuesday of the week that our Lord was crucified (Matthew 26:2), the Passion week, Jesus and His disciples left the Temple. The Lord and His disciples began their climb of Mount Olivet. They were on their way, and somewhere along the trek and in response to the disciples’ questions, Jesus spoke the sermon recorded in Matthew 24. Throughout His public ministry, the Lord had been in conflict with Jewish leaders. He had denounced them severely and had spoken about the end of the Jewish nation (Matthew 3:7-10; 8:10-12; John 4:21). The disciples’ questions were: When shall these things be? What shall be the sign of thy coming? What shall be the sign of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7). Our Lord answered (Matthew 24:4-8). “These things” refer to the destruction of Jerusalem. They do not pertain to the Lord’s final coming of Judgment. The signs over which …

The saddest times often come when friends turn their backs on us and desert us. Jesus found this to be so, and it is recorded in the John 6:67-68. “So Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” There was happiness at the feeding of the people with a few loaves and two fishes. There was also happiness on the occasion of Jesus walking on the water, as well as when our Lord brought relief to replace the fear expressed by His disciples as He entered the boat and brought them safely to shore. Next, we find Jesus teaching the people about the real bread of life, which God sent to all mankind. The Jews, though, grumbled about it, and even many of His disciples turned back and walked with him no more. Imagine the sorrow and distress of the Lord as they turned away from the free gift of God. He had taught so well, so diligently, so tenderly, and yet, they turned away. You can almost feel the heartache when Jesus asked the rest of them, “Will you also go away?” Immediately, Simon Peter answered Him saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” We need every day to renew our resolve that we …

Before television, there was the radio. Radio became common in the United States in the 1920’s with the first commercial broadcasts. Almost anyone could afford a radio. Since I was born in 1932, the radio was our source of family entertainment. As I studied how rumors, slanders and boldface lying are so common for us mortals, I thought about the old rumor concerning “Uncle Don’s Radio” program. The rumor and slander became an urban legion. Howard Rice, born in 1897, a former vaudeville performer, portrayed Uncle Don. The rumor was that Howard Rice said some ugly things at the close of one of his broadcasts, not knowing that the mike was still on. Over the years, this was proven wrong. However, the radio program ceased because of this rumor and slander. Christians must not be guilty of slander. “Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie” (Revelation 22:14-15 ASV). “For lack of wood the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth” (Proverbs 26:20). “The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts” (Proverbs 26:22). “Truth is generally the best vindication against slander” (Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865). “Rumor travels faster, but it doesn’t …

Tom Olson told his story about how he learned to love the Lord. He stated: One morning as I was going to work, I was thinking of the words, “Simon, son of Jonas, love thou me?” and wished with all my heart that I could answer them as Peter did. I felt sad that I could not. Then this thought came to me. “Well, if I cannot say so much as Peter, perhaps I could turn it around a little and find something easier.” So, I began to think that there was one thing I could not say. I could not say, “Lord, Thou knowest that I do not love Thee.” I found some comfort in that. At last, I grew bold enough to look up and say, “Lord, Thou knowest that I want to love Thee.” Then, I began to think of His great love for me. I thought of His life, of His words and of His cross. Almost before I knew what I was doing, I looked up and said, “Thou knowest that I do love Thee!” At that moment, my heart became lighter and my life had more meaning. In John 21:15-17, Jesus asked three times the question “Lovest thou Me?” to Peter. Peter must have wondered why Jesus would ask Him this several times. It is possible that Jesus asked three times to parallel the denial of Peter three times. Peter answered the first two times with patience, “Yea, Lord: thou knowest that I love …

Sometimes while talking with our friends and neighbors about the Gospel of Christ, they seem not to care nor understand its significance. Some even mock at the idea of such a misguided, “old-fashioned” idea. It is of interest to note why some of these reactions occur. At least part of the reason was revealed by Paul: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish …

A little boy said to a playmate: “When I get older, I want to wear glasses just like Grandma wears. She must have a special kind of glasses because she can see much more than most people. She can see when folks are hungry, tired or sorry, and she can even see what will make them feel better. She can see how to fix a lot of things to have fun with, and she can see what I meant to do, even if I didn’t do it right. She can see when I am about to cry, and she knows what to do to make it feel better. I asked her one day how she could see so good, and she said it was the way she learned to look at things as she got older. So, when I get older, I want glasses just like Grandma’s so I can see good too!” The above article was published in Bulletin Gold. It’s a cute piece to read, but consider how much wisdom is in this short story. It does take a special kind of heart to perceive and to respond to the needs of others. Many people want to turn their heads (and eyes) away from the needs of others because they simply don’t want to get involved or expend the energy and resources that might be required to relieve the hurt. What if Jesus had demonstrated this attitude? We should be so thankful that He came to minister to the needs of …

What happens when a person dies? On day six of creation, “…the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). Death occurs when the “soul” or the “spirit” of a person leaves his body. “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). When Rachel was dying, the Bible says, “her soul was departing” (Genesis 35:18). James tells us very simply that “the body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26). After death, every soul goes to the waiting place called “Hades.” It has two parts: (1) a place of comfort for those who are saved, and (2) a place of suffering for those who are lost. The souls of righteous people go to the comfortable waiting place in Hades. Jesus told about a beggar named Lazarus who died “and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). He went to a place where he would enjoy close companionship with Abraham. Also, Luke 23:39-43 tells us about two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. After one of them repented, Jesus told him, “…today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43; see Acts 2:27, 31). The word “paradise” means “royal park” or “garden.” These verses show that the souls of righteous people go to a pleasant waiting place at death. The souls of sinful …

My wife and I were married 50 years ago on this past March twenty-third [2008]. It wasn’t long before I learned something about her that I had not previously known; her mother had taught her how to make delicious biscuits. She told me that secret was using enough shortening. Well, I decided to surprise her one morning and make the biscuits. Now, I reasoned that if a good dob of shortening made ‘em that good that a double dob would make ‘em that much better. Friends, when they came out of the oven, they would have smashed a foot if they had fallen on it. They were more like hockey pucks than biscuits. What’s my point? Just this, some things do not work unless the directions are closely followed. God tell us that He has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” He warned that His Word must not be added to or diminished from. It is perfect as it is. When perverted by additions or subtractions, it will not save. The Message: Don’t add to; don’t take away from the Word of God.

In Luke 14, we see a picture of a great multitude following Jesus (vs. 25). The crowds were gathering to hear Him, and they continued to follow Him as He spoke. One could imagine the excitement they felt. However, they apparently were not fully considering what following Jesus meant. Hence, Jesus said to them, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27). Jesus was informing these people that there is a price to be His disciple. To truly be a disciple of Jesus requires a commitment on our part; we may even lose family members over deciding to follow Jesus. He, then, used two parables to help solidify His teaching on counting the cost of discipleship. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or …

One of the joys of summertime is fresh garden vegetables. Fresh green beans, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and sweetcorn; now there is as good a meal as there is! To me, the only thing to make it better would be some fresh fried okra, a pitcher of iced sweet tea and fresh blackberry cobbler! When vegetables are fresh, they are better. They look better, taste better and are better for you. Fresh picked, that is when they are best. Thinking of such, I fondly recall a summertime experience I enjoyed with each of my three children as they were growing up. Each took his or her turn selling fresh sweetcorn during the months of July and August. Early every morning, I would travel to Belpre or Reedsville, Ohio and arrive just as the farmhands had returned from the fields with fresh-picked corn. I would load a day’s supply for the kids to sell at their roadside stand in downtown Vienna, West Virginia, next to their grandmother’s flower shop. It was a good summer job for the kids, and there was plenty of fresh sweetcorn anytime we wanted it for supper! Selling the corn was easy. It just had to be fresh—fresh every morning. The Bible says, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). These words were written soon after the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.). The Book of Lamentations is the tearstained portrait of a once proud …

Teaching the Bible is a wonderful privilege—whether teaching children or adults. It is God’s way of expanding the borders of the kingdom. How different is true Christianity from other religions in that respect! Islam is spread by the sword. Catholicism and Protestantism conquered nations by the sword. However, the sword of the Christian “is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). The marching orders of the church are “go teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Jesus said, “They shall all be taught of God…” (John 6:44-45). Nehemiah stated the objective of every teacher. “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). It is a privilege to be a Bible teacher because not everyone can do so, for many reasons: improper temperament, lack of knowledge and skills, inability to practice what he or she preaches, and lack of zeal for the task, to name a few. James 3:1 says, “be not many of you teachers, knowing ye shall receive the greater judgment.” Teachers are special people—love them, honor them, stand with them and support them for their work’s sake. Teaching is a privilege because of the One for whom we labor. God is the Bible School Superintendent. We teach what He desires. How marvelous and wonderful that God should want to use frail, many times inept, human beings to accomplish the greatest task in the world—the teaching of others to the saving of their souls! How privileged we …

I shall not be moved. From what will we not be moved? We will not be moved from faith in God, His Son and the Holy Spirit. Just as a child, we hold dear the same knowledge that the world was planned by God, made for Him and created by Him. Telling a child about God making the world and declaring each day’s creation as “Good” is a time of joy and amazement. Explaining the true account of how the world began and who God is to an adult who was deprived of this information as a child actually is as exciting to the teacher as it is to the student hearing the truth for the first time. Colossians 1:16 reads, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (NKJV). We will not be moved from the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the One who, with the Father, created all things. The proof of His Deity is revealed to us by the words of God Himself who claimed such with audible words. “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:17). We know Jesus is the Son because He fits every prediction uttered by prophets for hundreds of years. The miracles He performed demonstrated perfect teamwork with God. The song, “I …

If you have walked down your grocery store aisle lately or have noticed the latest restaurant commercial, you may have noticed that advertisers are using the term “artisan” to advertise their product. Items such as pizza, sandwiches, cheeses, meats, breads and jams are some, just to name a few. These items are all being labeled “artisan” to appeal to customers that their products are special, unique, handcrafted and an effort to get back to the original taste and flavor of their product. The “artisan movement,” we might say, is also trying to attract customers to the idea that their product is not mass produced or done in bulk. In other words, there is a real person behind the creation of this food item, and this product is of high quality, special and unique. One of the reasons the “artisan food movement” has gained momentum is because food has been so mass produced and manufactured in bulk that it has lost something. It has lost the craftsmanship, flavor and nutrition it once provided. In a similar way, Christianity has lost something in modern times as well. The religious world is divided and filled with doctrines contrary to the Bible. Modern “Christianity” looks very different than what one finds in the Bible. In thinking about the “artisan food movement,” I could not help but think how similarly this relates to Christianity; we must have an “artisan Christianity.” Let’s get back to the Bible; let’s get back to being like the Bereans in …

Solomon noted that while evil men may lengthen their lives by wickedness, the wise path is to “fear God, to fear Him openly” (Ecclesiastes 8:12). Fearing God “openly” means to publicly fear Him. This is fear clearly demonstrated, exposed for the entire world to see. This point offers several lessons: First, only “open fear” is true fear. It is possible for one to play the game, acting like a God-fearer, but in reality for a person to be a hypocrite. He publicly acts one way, but privately he acts another way. When alone, he lives like the world, doing what faithful Christians would never do. Yet, God will bring to judgment those secret sins (Ecclesiastes 12:14) and everything done that had been hidden from the eyes of men (2 Timothy 2:24). Note, though, that nothing is hidden from the eyes of God. Second, only “open fear” is God approved. God wants His people not to cower before the threats, pressures, persecutions and ridicule of men (Matthew 5:10). Instead, He wants men to “fear Him who can destroy both the body and soul in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Those who “openly fear” God visibly love Him. They worship every Lord’s Day. They speak about God, Jesus, the Bible and the church. They boldly speak the truth, and they are not ashamed of the testimony of Christ (2 Timothy 1:8). Third, only “open fear” is dangerous. Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, but “a secret one” (John 19:38). By not openly showing his allegiance to Jesus, Joseph …

One of our greatest gifts from the Lord and one of our greatest responsibilities that we bear involve our children and our nurturing care of them. An unidentified author, respectful of the burdens of parenthood, suggested the following things to teach our children: (1) love God as the Lord of your life with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). (2) Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). (3) Love God’s Book above all other books, and hunger and thirst for its message (Matthew 5:6). (4) Honor your father and mother, and obey them in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-2). (5) Love and respect your fellow men, even as you do yourselves (Matthew 22:39). (6) Earn your bread in the sweat of your face (Genesis 3:19). (7) Live a life of integrity, truthfulness and honor (Job 26:5). (8) Help the weak, the poor and the unfortunate around you (Romans 15:1). (9) Be good citizens and accept your social and civic responsibilities (1 Peter 2:13). (10) Be loyal soldiers of Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3-4). Though not an exhaustive listing of personal duties in this realm of activity, this brief listing will surely provide a wonderful beginning to the task of parenting. May all parents be blessed!

 A study reported that if the typical stay-at-home mom in the US were paid for her work, she would earn $138,095 a year. The study listed 10 jobs as comprising a mother’s main work, which were housekeeper, cook, daycare center teacher, laundry machine operator, van driver, facilities manager, janitor, computer operator, chief executive officer and psychologist. A mother who holds a full-time job outside the home would earn an additional $85,939 for the work she does at home, in addition to the salary she receives for her job. In reality, what mothers are worth, whether they stay at home or also have an outside the home job as well, is beyond estimate. Hopefully mothers view the work they do in the home as more than just a “job,” but as the greatest labor of love. The bond between a mother and her children is special indeed, in which she is willing to place their needs above her own, to provide for them not only when they are not able to provide for themselves, but to love and to care for them throughout the number of her days. It is the highest calling, then, when Paul asked Titus to remind mothers to love their children and be workers at home (Titus 2:4-5). In addition to the physical and emotional care they provide in the home, there is the spiritual influence mothers offer their children. Who can put a price tag on one’s soul? Scripture reminds us of how important a mother’s …

Desperate times call for a mother. Israel began doing evil again after the death of Ehud who helped them overthrow the Moabite oppressors. The Lord allowed Jabin, king of Canaan, to conquer them under the leadership of his general, Sisera. Israel cried out to God for deliverance (Judges 4:1-3). The inspired penman painted a desperate picture when he wrote, “The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways. Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel” (Judges 5:6b-7a). Sisera’s army covered a vast area and prospects seemed bleak, “Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel” (Judges 4:13; 5:7b). Part of her power arose from the fact that she demonstrated faith. She was a prophetess who spoke for God. She was a judge who settled disputes the lower courts could not (Judges 4:4-5; Deuteronomy 17:8-9). Deborah was also a mother who was an encourager. She relayed God’s command for Barak to go fight the armies of Sisera. Barak hesitated, even saying he would not go unless she went with him. Deborah went with him, though she told him a woman would get the glory for the victory. “Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?’” (Judges 4:6-14). “The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army.” He killed Sisera by the hand of Jael and subdued Jabin, king of Canaan (Judges 4:15-24). She proclaimed …