A Glance at Current Events As we look at the world around us, many believers feel that the return of the Lord Jesus is near at hand. Only the Father knows the day of Christ’s return and we have no way of predicting when it may occur. We refer to the “imminent return”...
God’s People in the Age of Entitlement Just as history has termed the 17th century “The Age of Enlightenment,” the times of Malachi may accurately be called “The Age of Entitlement.” As if casting a shadow into the distant future, the attitudes rampant in Malachi’s...
I recently suffered a sports injury that acutely drove home a spiritual truth to me. After tearing the anterior ligament on my right ankle, I learned, very painfully, the truth that we are all members of one body, and that each member has a vital role to play. In the...
If we want our assemblies to be alive, our worship must be alive, and in turn, so must our music. Many will agree that music reaches and expresses our deepest feelings more powerfully than words alone. Our worship is redeemed man’s loving and living response to God,...
Having a close friend is priceless. It is even better when there is a friendly family where you can rest, relax, and enjoy times of laughter, or counsel together about the problems and difficulties that always seem to come into our lives. The Lord Jesus had such a...
There is a well-known Christian poem called “The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” also sometimes called “The Old Violin,” written by Myra Brooks Welch in 1921. This poem describes the story of an old, unwanted violin that was about to be sold for a pittance as the...
Life!... Life is hard. Living life with the attitudes and ideologies of society is hard. And then there are the day-to-day events that seem to weigh us down and make us wonder if God is truly present in our daily struggles. You know what these weights can be:...
Our Father, we recognize before You that we need You to teach us to pray. We would like to excel as people who pray. Thank You for Your Scriptures that give us such rich motivating truths about prayer. Please grant that these divine realities would reach our hearts by...
If Paul the apostle was on a construction site today, we would easily recognize him because he would be wearing the white hard hat. As the wise master builder (1 Cor. 3:10) he took great delight in recruiting others to the project, as those who could be laborers...
The time had come for leadership transition. As death neared, Moses made a plea that God would give His people a godly, qualified leader who would lead them with courage. Obviously, Moses could not be with the children of Israel forever. Moses longed for the right...
Suffering is God’s scholarship grant endowed to the believer for the school of life. Philippians 1:29 says, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”1 The word “granted” (G5483) means to show...
The word translated “overcome” (nikao, G3528) derives from the word “victory” (nike, G3529). It means “to conquer, to get the victory, to prevail.”1 Therefore, overcomers are victorious. But how and over what? Prior to the cross, knowing He would ultimately...
The modern age is plagued by doubt. Moral relativism’s onset erodes certainty, leaving indecision about ultimate reality in its wake. Even in religious circles doubt is lauded as humble and high-minded.1 Yet the Bible teaches believers to take their doubts to the...
All too often men, young as well as old, get up to read long passages from the Word with a comment here and there but lacking any central thought. Others string together reference after reference while we turn the pages of our Bibles to keep up with the reader, making...
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1 During our short sojourn on this earth, there are several ongoing tasks which our God has...
“The Lord has to be coming soon!” I cannot say how many times I have heard someone say that to me over the past year. What motivated them to make this statement no doubt was the fact that they, like the rest of us, have witnessed the rampant moral deterioration in our...
An elder serving a particular group of believers, according to God’s design, is a person with much responsibility. However, he also has been given much responsibility as the head of his own household. Both tasks can become burdensome, and if not balanced properly may...
As I reflect on lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s not over yet. Despite previously having Covid and being double vaccinated and boosted, I have just tested positive for Covid again. Fortunately, this time it is most likely the Omicron variant,...
Many of our readers will remember the old Sunday School chorus suggested by the title of this article. Copyrighted 1938, its words and melody are deeply imbedded in our collective memories. Safe am I, safe am I, in the hollow of His hand.Sheltered o’er, sheltered o’er...
What time the Lord Jesus took teaching His disciples the things concerning Himself! He drew them closer, giving them responsibilities to obey. This is true for us as well. Do we make Him number one in our lives? His commands challenge our hearts. LOVE ME—The Warming...