Love Your Enemies
Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). How should we deal with those who hate and fight against us? Two passages from the Sermon on the Mount are worthy of our consideration. First, consider Matthew…
Drink Like the Dogs!
Throughout history, the Lord has chosen to accomplish His will in some very unorthodox ways. The occasion of Judges 7:1-8 is a prime example. As Jehovah prepared Gideon to wage war against the Midianites, He commanded a strange way of mustering his troops. Israel’s army of 32,000 was scaled to a mere 300 men. Twenty-two thousand left for fear (Judges 7:3) and the rest were removed because of how they drank. As they arrived at the water the Lord commanded,…
Greater than Gold
The 19th Psalm is one of the most memorable in the Psalter. The first 6 verses magnificently describe the general revelation of God in nature. It calls us to behold and stand in awe of the creative genius of Jehovah as we see His fingerprints all around us. But the God who created has also commanded, and this theme is taken up in the next portion of the Psalm (vss. 7-11). Note how God’s Word is described (vss. 7-9). The…
True Love
A young man walked into the preacher’s study. “I’ve found her!” he said. “I’m in love and I’ve found the girl I’m going to marry!” “That’s wonderful!” the preacher replied. “Tell me about her.” For the next several minutes the wise old minister sat, carefully listening, as the smitten youngster explained how wonderful and beautiful his love was, and how he couldn’t imagine a love more potent that what he felt for her in that moment. Then it was his…
From the Director’s Desk (September 2024) – Trent Kennedy
The Case for the Local Church One of our second-year students recently asked me how he or any other new graduate could be most useful in the Kingdom. I suppose that is a matter of opinion that demands awareness, wisdom, discernment, and consideration for each individual given their personal abilities and situation. However, I think the answer I gave him could be easily applied to any new preacher, old preacher, or non-preacher. I told him that I thought the best…
The Book of Jonah – Ross Hafner
Jonah is likely the best-known of all the minor prophets because of the amazing verse at the end of chapter one of his book. “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jon. 1:17). Typically this book is looked at from an apologetics angle with questions like, “Was it a fish or a whale?” or “Could someone live in this sea creature for…
The Book of Obadiah – Anthony Scherffius
Esau was born to his father Isaac and his mother Rebecca (Gen. 25:19-34) around 1900-1800 B.C. Through Esau would come the great nation of Edom. In fact, the Edomites would grow rapidly, developing kings and chiefs long before the Israelites (Gen. 36:31-39). As they gained power over hundreds of years, they would grow in wealth, power, military strength, and most of all, pride. Obadiah, who prophesied around (848-841 B.C.) during the reign of Jehoram, king of Israel, speaks about the…
The Book of Amos – Josh Walker
“Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). This powerful phrase, delivered by the herdsman (Amos 1:1, 7:14, 15), is a stark warning to Israel. It signifies God’s fervent attentiveness to justice and His impending judgment. Amos, a herdsman who became a fearless prophet, delivered this message during the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam. His divine message, which took him from Tekoa to Bethel (Amos 7:10-17), put him at odds with Amaziah, the priest of Bethel. Yet, Amos remained steadfast, proclaiming…
The Book of Joel – Randy Robinson
The prophet Joel (Jehovah is God) is, in some ways, typical of other Old Testament prophets and yet is unique among the prophets as well. We know nothing of him personally other than he was the son of Pethuel (sincerity of God), of whom we likewise know nothing. The 73-verse prophecy of Joel is divided neatly in half. In Joel 1:1-2:17 (37 verses) it is the prophet who speaks and from Joel 2:18-3:21 (36 verses) it is Jehovah who does…
The Book of Hosea – Joey Davis
Hosea was a prophet from the Northern Kingdom who was commissioned by God to prophesy to said kingdom (Hos. 4:17; 6:4). Hosea’s work is peculiar in many ways, but perhaps the feature that stands out the most is the comparative use of Hosea’s personal life as it typifies God’s relationship with the nation of Israel. Some have called Hosea the prophet with the broken heart. Consider God’s words through the prophet: “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can…
The Book of Daniel – Cody Westbrook
How does one remain faithful to God when surrounded by people and practices who could not possibly be more opposed to Him? What comfort is there to be found when wicked men hold positions of high authority? Such are good and relevant questions for Christians in the 21st century. Would it surprise you to learn that those questions are answered in the 12-chapter book of Daniel? About the Book The name “Daniel” means “God is my judge.” He was born…
The Value of a Human Life
That life is precious seems like a fairly obvious truth, and for many it is. Childbirth, the death of a loved one, frightening medical diagnosis’, and other things provoke reflection on the fragile and wonderful nature of human life, regularly. But for too many, the precious nature of life is of little or no concern. Typically, figures like serial killers and malevolent genocidal rulers come to mind when considering those who think little of life, and for good reason. Illustrations…