Built in to the message of the prophets was the appeal to repent. These men were sent by God to expose sin and urge the guilty to repent. Often the appeal was framed as a challenge to return to the Lord (Isaiah 6:10; Jeremiah 3:1; Malachi 3:7). For instance, Joel’s appeal to Judah was for […]
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‘Beholding the Evil and the Good’
“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3) For a long time we have used this verse and others in the Bible to emphasize that no evil deed is missed by God. He sees. He Knows. Do not think that you can act in violation of […]
Don’t Get Cheated
In Colossians 2:8, Paul warned his brethren: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (NKJV). The KJV translates it: “Beware lest any man spoil you…” The idea is that false teachers would lead […]
How We React
We have all seen different temperaments in our children. One child must be spanked continually, while another one breaks out in tears with a word or look of disapproval. As parents, we are always trying to get at the heart of our children. We continue to train each child, according to their need, so that […]
When the Undertaker Died
I was still pretty young when one of the funeral directors in my home town died. To a young mind, that seemed so strange. He was always supposed to be there when other people died. Now, his family needed the services of a funeral director. Have you ever wondered who cuts your barber’s hair? To […]
Tolerance
We constantly see intense and hostile reactions to those oppose abortion and denounce homosexuality. There is an obvious hypocrisy on the part of social liberals in our culture who claim tolerance while intolerantly condemning others who disagree with them. The problem seems to be that there has been a shift in the meaning of tolerance. […]
Can You Do Better?
Can you do better in the areas pertaining to your responsibilities towards God, this local congregation, your family, as well as yourself? Consider, if you would, the following suggestions for improving yourself, as well as your family. 1. Make time to study your Bible every day. You make time for everything else you want to […]
On Christ the Solid Rock
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 […]
At Your Weakest Moment . . .
. . . that’s when Satan will tempt you to sin. Our adversary is no fool. He’s not going to waste time and effort by working against your strengths. He will attack you when you are the weakest and where you are most vulnerable. Here’s an example: Someone has had harsh words to say about […]
Keeping Our Word & Paying Our Debts
The Bible is very strong on (1) keeping our promises and (2) paying our debts (Ecclesiastes 5:2, 4-5; Numbers 30:2; Romans 13:8; Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9). We are not to go back on our word or fail to repay that which we have borrowed. We should strive to keep our word. A track record of […]