Arise!

I will forever remember my brother and God’s servant, Chuck Horner, sitting in my Bible class. I, being a “green” Bible student, was talking about the Day of Atonement. Brother Horner raised his eyes with a twinkle and told me, “Brother Andy, you’re saying it wrong….” I thought “ah-TOHN-ment” was the correct pronunciation. He said, “it is in fact ‘AT…ONE…ment’.” I have never forgotten that, nor have I ceased in my preaching and teaching from saying it both ways. The…

The term about which I have been assigned to write is reconciliation. This is a wonderful word in the Scriptures–full of rich meaning and value. The term is used when there is a breach in the relationship between two men as in Matthew 5:24, or a husband and wife as used in 1 Corinthians 7:11, regarding which Wayne Jackson comments: “If one finds it absolutely imperative to become separated from a spouse (where no sexual infidelity has been involved), he…

Every precious soul enters this world innocent of sin. Sin is the violation of God’s Will by those who are capable of understanding (1 John 3:4). The words of Ezekiel to the king of Tyre ring true, “you were all perfect in our ways from the day we were created, till iniquity was found in you” (Eze. 28:15). Isaiah spoke of a period of innocence, “For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good…” (Isa.…

The late, great Curtis Cates once described redemption as “the center and circumference of the Bible.” Indeed the entire Bible revolves around what we often refer to as the “scheme of redemption.” While the English word, “scheme,” often denotes something nefarious, it is simply synonymous with the word “plan.” When the first man and woman sinned in the Garden of Eden by eating the forbidden fruit, God gave them a glimpse into His plan for redemption (Gen. 3:15). However, subsequent…