Posts by Christian Worker (Page 3)
Elijah, the Tishbite – Bill Burk
Elijah enters the stage of history mysteriously, with little introduction and no fanfare. Immediately, the text presents him as a man of prayer. James, the half-brother of the Lord, explains that Elijah, despite being a man like the rest of us, was able to use his powerful prayers to start and end a drought (1 Kings 171; Jas. 5:17-18). In the same chapter, he fervently petitioned the Lord to resurrect a widow’s son from the dead, and God granted his…
Micaiah, The Master’s Mouthpiece – Cody Kilgore
The Lord will de-mask the disguised, so we learn in Ahab’s attempted conquest for Ramoth-Gilead. In 1 Kings 22, Ahab, King of Israel, had orchestrated an attempt to regain the land he deemed as his own. With the aid of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, and about 400 prophets, Ahab became emboldened. While the voice of Jehoshaphat declared that they inquire from the Lord (v. 5), Ahab’s preference remained upon his men. In fact, unsatisfied with the prophecy of the near…
Nathan, the Courageous Prophet – Chase Green
“Moral courage is higher and a rarer virtue than physical courage” (William Joseph Slim). The Bible contains many examples of people who acted courageously. I think of examples such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Daniel and his three friends in Babylon, and many others, including the prophets of the Lord. One of the prophets that exuded courage was Nathan. This prophet may not have written a book of the Bible, but we might say he “wrote the book on courage,”…
The Life and Work of Samuel – John Haffner
One of the most well-known among the non-writing prophets, Samuel was a judge over God’s people, the last leader of this sort for Israel. His mother, Hannah, prayed earnestly for a child and she dedicated him to the service of God at a very young age. Samuel trained under the high priest, and eventually grew to serve and to lead God’s people through pivotal times of conflict and transition. He consistently showed a dedication to the Lord and His truth.…
From the Director’s Desk (June 2024) – Trent Kennedy
For decades the Southwest congregation has hosted a session of summer camp at Camp Hensel. SWSBS has a unique opportunity to be involved in this camp which gives our students valuable experience, exposure, and opportunities. Students are often placed in the role of camp counselor allowing them to guide, encourage, and interact with campers of various ages. These types of scenarios help our students know how to communicate with youth from various backgrounds, knowledge levels, and maturity. They give cabin…
Moses And Materialism – Mark Miller
We live in a very materialistic society. In this context we would define materialism as “a preoccupation with, or stress upon, material things rather than upon intellectual or spiritual values.” In America we like our stuff. Whether it be homes, second homes, vehicles of various types, clothes, jewelry, guns, sport vehicles, IT gadgets…we like our stuff! The Scriptures present to us a different set of priorities focused on spiritual blessings rather than stuff. In Matthew 6:19-21 we read, “Lay not…
Moses and the People of Israel – Dave Rogers
Moses stood in the minds of ancient Israelites as “THE” prophet, greatest among all those who followed him because of his role as deliverer and lawgiver for his people. After assembling Israel on Mt. Ebal and Gerizim to recite the blessings and curses prescribed by God, Joshua read to all the people every word Moses had commanded them (Josh. 8:35). First-century Jews referred to the five books of the Pentateuch as simply “the book of Moses” (Mark 12:26), and in…
Moses and the False Prophet – John Baker
Deuteronomy 16:18-18:22 is a well-defined section of Scripture focused on leadership in Israel. The question under consideration is, “How will Israel get along without Moses?” After all, Moses had been clearly attested by God to be His spokesman both to Pharaoh (Ex. 7:9-12) and to Israel (Num. 16:28-33). But Moses knew that the time of his death was drawing near (Deu. 31:14), and God had not yet finished saying everything He intended to say to Israel. More revelation would be…
Moses and the Christ – Cliff Goodwin
There must have been excitement in Philip’s voice when he said to Nathanael, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write…” (John 1:45). Not only did Moses write of Jesus in various passages throughout the Pentateuch, he also prefigured (foreshadowed) the Christ personally. Both of these realities are brought out in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. The apostle John gives clear evidence in his gospel account that the Jewish people of the first century were looking…
Moses and Pharaoh – Wade Webster
We often talk about David and Goliath, and we should. It is an amazing story. It has been used in sports, in business, in politics, and in many other arenas to speak of a contest where one of the participants is at a decided disadvantage. For sure, that was the case with David and Goliath. David was a shepherd. Goliath was a soldier. Not only did Goliath think that David had no chance, so did David’s kin and David’s king…
From the Director’s Desk (May 2024) – Trent Kennedy
What are your high school students doing June 23-28? I know that the summer is a busy time with many great opportunities to learn, serve, and grow. There will be baseball camps and math camps and fine arts camps and more. But, there are also many opportunities for spiritual growth this summer. Did you know that the Southwest School of Bible Studies offers a Servants’ Academy the last week of June? This week is part camp, part future preachers training,…
The Prophets and the Church – Wayne Robbins
The personal words I share today may not be remembered or quoted a century from now. However, the words of the prophets, spoken thousands of years ago, still resonate and are frequently cited today. Unlike the prophets, I have never been guided by the Holy Spirit to write (2 Pet. 1:21). When the creator of all existence communicates a word to this earth, and it is recorded for us to read, it demands our attention. The prophets were God’s chosen…