My Favorite Bible Character: Abraham: He who Staggered not in Unbelief
The pages of scripture are full of men and women whose lives teach us so much. Some, like Ahab and Jezebel, revel powerfully sobering lessons of the reality and consequence of wickedness. But most illustrate vividly the blessing of serving God. Chief among the great examples of a holy life is Abraham—he who staggered not in unbelief. Abraham is an example of an obedient faith. It is said of him in Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the Lord, and…
My Favorite Bible Character: The Apostle Paul – Ronnie Scherffius
Who is your favorite person in the Bible? Why are they your favorite? Was he a man of faith or a man of action? Was her life a model of purity, or did she boldly assert herself at her own peril? Everyone has a favorite person or “character” in the Bible. David, the shepherd boy who slew the giant and would become King of Israel, is the hero of many young boys. For others, it may be Jonathan who repeatedly…
Good vs. Best
How easy it is to be distracted by the business of life! We go to work, take the kids to practice, clean the house, mow the lawn, and a dozen other items on our to-do list, almost daily. Our schedules are filled from top to bottom with so many tasks and chores it often becomes overwhelming. In truth, these things are not wrong in and of themselves. God expects us to work hard to provide a living; proper home maintenance…
Developing the Mind of Christ
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). How Paul describes his identity in this passage is to be true of all Christians. Christ is “our life” just as he was Paul’s (Col. 3:4). Such a life involves taking on the mind of Christ–learning to think like Him. That is why Paul commands in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” How can we develop His mind?…
Better Days are Coming!
“Should we continue mourning?” seems like a strange question for a Jew to ask, since they had finally returned home after seventy years in captivity. And yet, it is exactly the question found in Zechariah 7:3. Jehovah only commanded one fast (Lev. 23:27) but the Israelites did not observe it. Instead, they observed four fasts of their own making to remember events connected with the destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the carrying away (Zech. 7:4-7). These were not times…
Jesus, Our Way to Forgiveness
In Romans 6:23, the Apostle Paul wrote, “the wages [the payment] of sin is death…”, and he is not simply talking about physical death. This “death” is ultimately the “second death”, which involves eternal torment for those who die in their sins (Rev. 21:8). So why is sin considered so bad that the un-forgiven sinners must experience torment? To understand, we must appreciate the nature of God and the problem of sin. God’s nature is such that it is impossible…
Do I Have the Right to Sin? – Ronnie Scherffius
In American society, we are constantly bombarded with ”rights”: women’s rights, civil rights, human rights, children’s rights, parents’ rights, homosexual’s rights, immigrant’s rights, victims’ rights—even criminals have lawyers that specialize in rights of violators of civil law! The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) fights tooth and nail for the right of freedom of speech (a right that seems to be extended to all except those who espouse and promote Christian values). One hot-button topic and a rights issue that has…
When They Return – Don Walker
In the fifteenth chapter of Luke, Jesus spoke the parables of “the lost things.” There was a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. Though our space does not allow a full study of this great chapter, there are observations that will help us concerning our attitude towards those that return. First, we would see the urgency on the part of the shepherd and the woman. It says of both of them, they went after and sought diligently…
Check your Sources – Kevin W. Rhodes
Historical writings provide an essential resource for Bible students, offering important information regarding the background of various biblical texts and sometimes filling in gaps of knowledge that further illuminate events recorded in Scripture. Nathan Steinmeyer, for example, notes how Shishak’s Bubastite Portal inscription provides corroborative evidence regarding that ruler’s march on Jerusalem recorded in 1 Kings 14:25-28 and 2 Chronicles 12:1-12. Likewise, Josephus’ account of Herod Agrippa I’s death provides additional information explaining the details of what happened to the…
We Have no King but Caesar!
The Kingship of Jesus is one of the themes of the book of John, particularly toward the end. In fact, the words “King” and “kingdom” appear 15 times in John 18-19, the two chapters describing His trial and crucifixion. Many of those occurrences, perhaps surprisingly, come from the lips of Pontius Pilate. The Jews delivered Jesus to Pilate for crucifixion. Because they had no legitimate accusation to raise against Him, and the law would not allow them to carry out…
Through Preaching – Clay Bond
The word of God has the ability to reach into the innermost depths of our being and transform who and what we are. When the Gospel is properly heeded and applied, it produces abundant life (John 10:10). The words of the prophet Jeremiah, “O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD”, ought to ring in our ears, for these words reflect our Creator’s greatest desire (Jer. 22:29). The word of God is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than…
Jesus, the Old Testament, and Obedience!
Beginning in Matthew 5:17, Jesus begins teaching against the religious leaders who were guilty of perverting Old Testament teaching. They were accusing Jesus of speaking evil of the Law of Moses, and that He came to destroy the law, but Jesus did not come to minimize or ridicule the law because He knew that the law was holy, just, and good (Ps. 119:105). These Jews had a misconception concerning the law, which led to their false accusations. Therefore, Jesus in…