Many people fear the creation of a one-world government. Some conspiracy theorists claim that secret organizations, like the Freemasons, Illuminati or the Men in Black, seek to take over our lives. Yet, biblically aware Christians understand that there is already a one-world government, and it was established many centuries ago with all authority and legitimacy by the Lord Jesus Christ. He said in Matthew 28:18, “…All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth” (NKJV). Every human being who has ever lived or who will ever live will be subject to His judgment (Matthew 25:31-46). The Bible tells us of the coming of the High King, the ruler over all powers and principalities. In Daniel 7:9, the prophet saw the great King. “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire.” This is a passage where we read of His glory in a way we can only partly comprehend. In Acts 1:9-11, we read of the fulfilment of Daniel’s prophecy as Christ the King enthroned as rightful ruler of the Earth. Paul wrote that Jesus “…must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). Death still stalks the world; therefore, Christ still presently reigns until the end of all things. One

The Kingship of Christ is central to the Gospel message. Jesus was the legitimate King of the Jews. Throughout His life, He is portrayed in the gospel records as the King that came to save the people. From Bethlehem to Calvary, He was the rightful sovereign. Even at the cross, a sign was hung above Him in three languages. Recorded in the Gospel account of John are the following words. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, I am the King of the Jews.’” (John 19:19-21 NKJV) Notice how Pilate ignored their pleas; they had wanted the sign to declare Jesus had said this without a legitimate claim to the throne. Pilate did not grant them this and placed the sign above the man in which he had found no fault. Notice that when their supporters had a choice between Christ and Barabbas, when “…Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your King?” they declared, “…We have no king but Caesar” (John19:15). This was treason against the King of the Old Testament prophecies, from their reasoning. If Jesus was not the true Son of David, then

The House of God must be a place of comfort, not discomfort; a place of truth and justice, not of cliques and divisions; and welcoming to those who literally do not have a prayer. There are far too many places where folks are jumped on and read the riot act because they don’t reach the standard of a dictatorial member, a member who has forgotten the caution of Paul, when he said, in 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And such were some of you.” It must be understood that a congregation that is cold will attract no one. A self-righteous, prideful attitude repels, and the active presence of a sister or a brother who thinks himself or herself to be better than others will kill a church stone dead. For these reasons, it is imperative that a congregation examine itself for evidence of the above negative, un-Christ-like characteristics and nip them in the bud. If these things are allowed to grow, they will turn a church of Christ into a church of man just as much as any false doctrine. People will not see the love of God but rather the disdain of hypocrites in such places. In 1 Peter 4:17, the apostle wrote, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Once saved always saved? Not according to Peter. He said that judgment

Imagine a world with absolute freedom. There would be no laws to protect us from each other’s excesses – no privacy or guaranteed ownership of property. Family units would consist of anything and everything you could possibly imagine. It does not take much imagination to see that a world of absolute freedom is a world that is a nightmare of chaos. In the United States, we have the Constitution, and within it, established rights are for all of its citizens. Among those rights are the right to life, the right to pursue happiness and the right to worship or not to worship as we so desire. The law of the land also gives us privileges that we can earn, such as driving – although some think that driving is a constitutional right, which it is not. This is not a contradiction to the freedoms that we have in the Constitution, the point being that freedom only has meaning and real value if it is the same for you as it is for me. The world’s idea of freedom is do as you want, and the consequences for others are of little importance, as long as you are happy. Please note “do as thou wilt” is also the supreme commandment of Satanism. In Proverbs 4:14, we are advised to, “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men” (KJV). David wrote in Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the

A lot of people believe that Saul (later better known as the apostle Paul) was born again on the road to Damascus. However, this is untrue! The Bible makes it clear that he was still very much in his sins. Therefore, Saul was unconverted until he did what the Lord told him to do. When Saul arrived in the city, he prayed for three days and was in his sins. So, Saul did not become, as some claim, born again when he fell to the ground when the Lord appeared unto him. All three accounts of Saul’s journey to conversion (Acts 9:3-4; 22:6-7; 26:12-14) tell us that, when he saw the light from heaven, he fell to the ground. Nowhere in the Scriptures do we read that he fell from a horse or a camel. This assumption is one that we have inherited from medieval art and human tradition, not from God’s Word! It is no more true that Saul was born again or saved on the road to Damascus. Far too many assumptions are made about God’s Word, based upon human tradition and misunderstandings. In Acts 22:16, the Bible tells us that Saul was still praying and unhealed of his blindness. Only when he was baptized, that is, fully immersed for the forgiveness of his sins, was he truly converted. This is when Saul was born again and entered into the kingdom of his Lord. He did not become a Christian on the road as he fell to the

Imagine, if you will, that it’s a hundred years from now. The likelihood that you’ll still be alive and kicking is quite low. Should your mortal remains be in a graveyard, inquisitive folks will stop and read what’s on your gravestone. I’ve done this myself, and you probably have also. My favorite quote I’ve seen is, “I told you I was sick!” The most moving read, “Where you are now, I once was, Where I am now, you shall be!” To quote Yeats, at his most poetic, we note, “Cast a cold eye on life, on death; horseman, pass by,” encouraging us to make the most of our time while we yet live. As our memories grow longer, our lives grow shorter, and the urgent need for a settlement with God before we abandon our mortal coil is apparent. Most people live lives of quiet, and sometimes not-so-quiet, desperation. Stress, with its twin, Worry, are the biggest killers of our age. Death, and what comes after, is the cause of much anxiety. The Bible says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12 NKJV). We get caught up in the concerns of the here and now – too busy to take care of sin because of work, too happy because of play, too lazy to think of our lives because of sin and too happy with our own accomplishments. Our Lord described

In the sixth century before Christ, the exiles from Israel were marched through the mountains, valleys and deserts into a life of cruel slavery. They had rebelled against their God, and He permitted the Babylonian empire to conquer their homeland in punishment. Proud Jerusalem had been brought under the tyrant’s heel, not to be free again for generations. Is it any wonder the people who were dragged there in chains sang a heartbreaking song of mourning? In Psalm 137:1, they sang, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion” (NKJV). Without a doubt, they considered the folly of disobedience and how they had turned away from the God of their fathers. How they regretted the consequences of their poor decisions! They sang, “We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:2-4). The phrase, “plundered us,” in the Hebrew, tells us this was the wild cry of intense, inner pain. The longing for what was lost is declared in the next two verses. “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth — If I do not exalt

I don’t know about you, but I imagine it’s hard to find a happier creature on earth than a mouse in a bucket of cheese! Can you imagine the contentment, the abundance and peace a hungry mouse would experience in a case like this? Sure, the cheese would get eaten and the poor mouse would go hungry again, but what a feast of blessings for our furry friend. Like many people, I have experienced that kind of happiness. The blessings I received, however, were of the longer-lasting sort, the everlasting sort, and when I found the way to that happy state, all I wanted to do was share that happiness with others. In Psalm 1:1, David told about blessedness, but not just any kind. Biblical blessedness is a supreme kind of happiness. It is an incomparable joy – the joy of knowing, with confidence, that you are held joyfully in the heart of our Creator. All my life, I was hungry for the truth. I thirsted for spiritual peace and understanding. I searched many philosophies and found nothing except pure unaltered Christianity that made any sense. I searched different faith groups that claimed to be Christians but found them lacking in love and obedience to the laws of Christ. He said if we loved Him, we would obey Him. John 14:15 is so simple that anyone being honest with himself can understand it! In Romans 3:23, we read that “all have sinned.” Therefore, we need a Savior because our sin

Sin promises a garden of delight, full of sweet fruits. The reality of it, however, is far from that promise. The poison of sin is fatal to our souls. In 2 Samuel, chapter 13, we read of a terrible sin. It involved incest, rape and heartache. David had succumbed to sin’s promises with Bathsheba, and the consequences for him, his family and the nation were dire indeed. Here were some of the results. Amnon was the eldest son of King David. He was in a position of power and could have anything or anyone he wanted; yet, what he wanted was his half-sister, the princess Tamar! In 2 Samuel 13:1, we read of Amnon’s wicked desire: “After this Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her” (NKJV). Later, we see the tragic consequences of Amnon’s sin and David’s earlier sin with Bathsheba. From verses 2-12, we read of Amnon conspiring to commit sexual assault on his half-sister. In 2 Samuel 13:12-15, we read of the result of Amnon’s sinful desire. The terrified girl protested. “No, my brother,” she said to him. “‘Do not force me, for no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.’

A rich tapestry of life-enhancing guides appear throughout Holy Scripture. Far too often, we read the Bible as if it’s like a modern novel, but this is a great disservice to the Word of God. One such example of a guide is found in the apostle John’s first letter. John mentioned, over thirty times, that we are to know that God is the light in which we seek to dwell. In 1 John 1:5, he wrote, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (NKJV). In fact, he said, “And the light shines in darkness” (John 1:5). We’re taught in 1 John 2:29 that our God is a righteous God. “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” John encouraged his readers to live right, according to God’s will. He also stated that God is love! “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:8, 16). Our mighty and compassionate Creator is also life! “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the

At the time of the coming of God’s kingdom on earth, an empire spread across three continents. It had been rising in power for almost 800 years before the incarnation of our Lord. Indeed, the wealthiest part of it would survive another 1,500 years, with many attempting to restore the unity Rome had brought Europe and its overseas possessions during that time. There is a difference between a kingdom and an empire. The latter is made from many nations, and the former is one nation. Both have a sovereign, and, in the first century, both rulers of Rome and God’s kingdom shared common titles. Both were addressed as “Lord,” with all the religious applications applied. However, the moral decency of the Lord Jesus far exceeded Caesar on every level. One message of the New Testament is that Christ is Lord and Caesar was not! This clash of kingdom and empire was amplified when you consider that Caesar claimed the title, “son of God.” Of course, in his case, it was false, but his worshipers did not take lightly to the Christian proclamation that not only was Jesus the Son of God but that He was the only begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 3:16), thus denying Caesar’s claim of divine origin and authority over the Empire. There was certainly a clash of world views and religions. As faith in Christ grew, so did His kingdom. In Philippians 4:22, Paul wrote, “All the saints greet you, but especially those who are

There is an old saying, “Clothes make the man!” Uniforms carry an authority; national costumes proclaim an identity. Genesis 37:3-4 reads, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him” (NKJV). Joseph’s coat of many colors would have had long sleeves, a tunic reaching to the ends of his wrists and ankles. These coats were given to boys and girls of upper ranks in the land of Canaan. It declared that the wearer wasn’t expected to do any manual labor. As you can imagine, resentment would have set in very quickly. Jealousy is nothing new, and it can be the source of much misery. These garments are also represented on monuments in Egypt. At Benne-Hassan, for example, there is a magnificent excavation of the tomb of a military officer. It reveals how he took foreign captives (the Jebusites from Canaan). An inscription says the Egyptian captured the chief of the land of the Jebusites and all the captives were clad in multi-colored robes, just like Joseph’s! Genesis 39 relates that Joseph had been thrown into prison, betrayed by his own and framed by his master’s unfaithful wife. It must have seemed to him to be a hopeless situation. However, soon all that happened to him would lead

In the first century of our calendar, something remarkable happened. In the desert province of Judea, a baby was born to a peasant couple in an obscure village. This Child, regardless of His poor and humble beginnings, was of royal lineage found in Matthew 1:2-16 and Luke 3:23-3. He was the direct descendant of King David, ruler of the united kingdom of Israel. During the lifetime of Christ on earth, the means of establishing a legal entitlement to the throne was available to all. This is significant because, after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70, there is no legal way of establishing a rightful heir to the throne. Jesus, thus, had the last and the only legitimate claim to the title of King. His royal lineage through Joseph, his legal father, could be traced to King David through King Solomon, and through his mother Mary, His line went through David’s son Nathan. No matter which way you trace it, Jesus was the rightful heir to the throne and not the Roman puppet, king Herod or his family. God chose how His people are to be governed. He revealed His ways in His Word, and we obey. It’s that simple! In John 14:15, our glorious Lord said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (NKJV). Yet, do we love and obey Jesus? Some claim they obey Him but follow their own ways, even while saying they serve Him. Remember, the mob that called for Christ’s death was

Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, the race of Adam has been failing spectacularly. God took mercy upon mankind and spared Noah and his family, but, even then, the human race let Him down. Later, He gave men the Law of Moses, but they couldn’t keep even the Ten Commandments without messing up. Israel tried obeying the law, but their sacrifices for sin were corrupted by priests and judged partial. They loved their prophets to be positive, and the kings were hopeless. The history of humanity is one of inhumanity and failure. The Holy Bible tells us of the catastrophe that we humans have made of things. What must God think of the world that we corrupted? What is the Holy Spirit telling us throughout the pages of the Old Testament? Human beings could not keep the Law and broke it over and over! We created idols to justify infanticide and sin, and nothing’s changed in the last 4,000 years! All of our sacrifices were insufficient for salvation; they only covered but did not blot out sin. The priests that we trusted were corrupt, such as the sons of Eli. “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:12 KJV). Samuel also addressed the religious leaders of Christ’s days on earth when He spoke of these self-righteous men. “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”

The Holy Bible consists of 66 books of varied lengths. Its name in English originates from the Greek word, “Biblos,” which means a book or a scroll. Written over a 1500-year span (from circa 1400 B.C to A.D. 100) and across three continents (Asia, Africa and Europe), it was written in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic [Chaldee] and Greek). It’s 40 writers record over 10,000 events, and yet it contains no contradictions in its purpose and meaning. The Bible is the most remarkable work ever written. You will find inside the Old Testament 23,145 verses. Inside the New Testament, there are 7,957 verses, for a total in both testaments of 31,102 verses. There are 783,137 words, 3,116,480 letters, 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. It has 18 history books, 4 Gospel accounts, 5 poetical books, 18 prophetical books and 21 epistles. Its shortest verse in English is John 11:35 (2 words: “Jesus wept”); its longest verse is Esther 8:9 (78 words). It is nothing less than the very mind of God revealed! You may find in some editions of the Bible the apocryphal books. These are not considered Scripture and are, in some editions, included as a study tool, designed to help us understand what may have happened during the 400-year gap between the testaments. They are not inspired, though some denominations see them as sacred Scripture, which led to many false doctrines. These books should be regarded as being in the same category

It is a sobering thought that in His death, Christ achieved more than all others achieved in their lives! He has conquered more hearts, been more loved and achieved more fame than any emperor, king, queen or president ever did! He split history into A.D. and B.C. His influence on civilization worldwide is undeniable. Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, but Christ Jesus made the moon that he walked on! He is King of kings and Lord of lords – the eternal Sovereign of an unending kingdom. Truly He is Lord! The word, “Lord” in the Greek, is “kurios,” and carries with it the idea of supreme authority. It is often overlooked, through our misunderstanding of the deeper meaning in the title, “Lord.” Now, “lord” can mean, as in Matthew 27:63, simply a respectful, “sir,” as when the false witnesses were brought before the Sanhedrin at the trial of Jesus or as Paul used it in Philippians 2:10-11. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Here Paul leaves no doubt as to the divine context of the title. In Revelation 19:16, Christ is referred to as, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” This title indicates a ruler of prestige. Common in the Middle East for centuries, it was a title fitting for Jesus the Messiah,

For over three thousand years, one of the most influential civilizations flourished on the banks of the river Nile. Egypt’s art and skill were unsurpassed. The mighty pyramids, over forty stories tall, remained the largest manmade structures until the Eiffel Tower was constructed in 1889. Even today, we are surrounded by their influence. The very building you are in probably has a pyramid shaped roof. Among their inventions are fluffy towels, makeup, toothpaste, cough drops and deodorant! We have much for which to thank them! Egypt never colonized other territories like the Greeks and the Romans, for they believed that in order for them to enter the afterlife, they must be buried with the correct rituals and only within Egyptian borders. We Christians have a similar requirement; in order for us to enter our afterlife, we must be buried with Christ in baptism to enter the kingdom of Heaven (Galatians 3:27). So, if you are not in Him by His pattern of entrance, then you are not in His kingdom. Egypt was the first nation state in history and its ruler, the pharaoh, was a supreme monarch. He was unlike the kings of surrounding tribal peoples in that he was to his people the god king; he commanded, and it was done. There were no political squabbles in a land ruled by a pharaoh, and there were no government shutdowns or arguments about what’s to be done. The king said it, and it was done. This pattern was followed by

Over three thousand years ago in the near east, a family tragedy led to events that would change the world. There had been hard times in the Promised Land, and an Israeli family sought a better life in the country of Moab. Things did not work out, and, sadly, three members of that family died. Three women were left widows, one a stranger in a strange land with foreign daughters-in-law, named Orpah and Ruth. In Ruth 1:15 we read that Orpah left to go back “after her gods.” Ruth refused and said, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (v. 16). Ruth was a Moabite, an alien in Israel, but had little to fear in that regard. God had strong words regarding treatment of foreigners in His promised land. “And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34). She would face no prejudice because of her origins; in fact, God’s providence blessed her with a kind husband and a wonderful life. Some have thought that this family was somehow superior to others, but

Many people who do not study the Bible think that God is full of anger, just waiting for us to fail. They imagine that He’s up there on a cloud somewhere sharpening lightning bolts, impatiently waiting to strike us in His unmerciful wrath! Thankfully, that is not true. Yes, we have already sinned, but far from wanting to harm us, the God of the Bible wants us to find Him and receive His forgiveness and love. It is a saving kind of love and one that requires action on our part. We read in James 4:8 that we are to “draw nigh [near] to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” He is not distant and uncaring. God has already taken steps toward us. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This verse tells us of His unparalleled love for His creation. This passage of promise tells us that His love is a wonderful gift, a sacrificial gift (He gave his only begotten son), and it is available to “whosoever.” He has offered salvation to all of humanity. It is universal in its scope and available until the end of time. However, it is also conditional, hence the “should not.” This covenant requires us to take steps towards Him. His love is there for all, but we must act on His instructions given in Mark 16:16 and Acts

In 1 Peter 2:11, the apostle describes Christians as “strangers and pilgrims” in this world. In Hebrews 11:13, we read of the heroes of the faith: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” It is very clear from Scripture that those who are the servants of God are set apart from the rest of humanity. There can be no doubt that God loves the world. John 3:16-17 tells of this remarkable love, but that does not mean He approves of the ways of the world. Jesus our Lord said in John 18:20, “I spake openly to the world,” and declared His kingdom to be “not of this world” in John 18:36. He also spoke regarding our relationship with the world in which we live. We come out from of this world, and we are now His. In John 17:16, we learn from the Master’s lips, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” So where is our true home? Where Jesus reigns right now – Heaven – is our home! We have also been left in this world with a purpose. In John 17:18, the Lord said, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” Remember John 3:16-17, which reads, “For God so loved the world,

King Solomon had everything for which anyone could ever wish. He had it all. He had riches beyond compare and wisdom as no one else has had before or since. His fame brought him admiration from all over the ancient world. When he was a young man, he prayed for wisdom, and God was so pleased with his prayer that he gave the young Solomon wisdom like no other. Because he had not asked for riches, God added them to him as well, but Solomon used his riches unwisely. Under the reign of King Solomon, a collection of people who were once desert tribesmen and former slaves became a respected and a much-admired empire. Solomon even married a princess from Egypt, the very land that had once enslaved the Israelites. Kings and queens desired friendship with Solomon and the kingdom of Israel. They brought ambassadors to secure treaties and gave gifts for alliances. However, those alliances led to marriages, and those marriages led to problems in the kingdom. The glamorous princesses brought entourages with fancy clothes and jewelry; they enchanted the women and men of Israel with their exotic ways. The thrill of the new and the novel enthralled and led them astray from God, eventually leading them down the road to idolatry and, ultimately, to national disaster. By the time he penned the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was approximately sixty years old and had lived a life of wild abandon. He had become “a jaded sensualist; the foreign women

When worshiping the Almighty Creator of the universe, we would do well to follow the examples of the saints in the Holy Bible. God has made it very clear in His Word that He requires specific acts of worship towards Him. These divinely ordained precepts must be adhered to, or we will be guilty of offering Him vain or profane worship that is unworthy of His station. God is holy, and as such, He must be approached with the utmost reverence. Failure to do so is a serious matter, as we can see many times in Scripture. Nadab and Abihu were consumed with fire for their disobedience, and Cain was rejected for not doing what God commanded. Upon King Josiah’s discovery of the Law (2 Chronicles 32), he was so upset at the people’s failure of correct worship of God that he led the nation in repentance and did not rest until all was done according to God’s will! These examples should spur us to offer God our utmost in service to Him. So, let us ask ourselves. “What is our attitude in our worship to our Heavenly Father?” “Are we failing Him on any level?” “How can we improve our worship to show God the honor He is due?” First, we are told in John 4:24 that “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Elsewhere, we are also told how to worship Him. “Give unto the LORD the glory

What is prayer and why should we do it? It is nothing less than breathing out the soul’s most innermost needs into the ear of our loving Heavenly Father. It is the language of our hearts, and it is not confined to mere words. To have the ear of Almighty God is not only a glorious privilege, but also a vital line of communication with our Creator. When hearts are overburdened with care and the darkness of despair threatens to consume our very being, we must remember that He is there. A Christian needs prayer as much as he needs food and water to survive. Prayer can be offered anywhere, not just in one place – eyes open or closed, hands folded or not. The important factor is that we understand our supplications are going to the same God who delivered Daniel from the lion’s den and David from his foes. The great King of the Universe who heard the saints of old hears us, too. The knowledge of this should fill us with confidence and lift our spirits. Prayer can be improved, and, like any skill, practice makes perfect. It must always be trustful and submissive, never arrogant and demanding. There are two occasions in the Holy Bible where we read of disciples asking their leaders how to pray. In Luke 11:1, we read, “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord,

Sin is never satisfied. It will take all your health and wealth as well as your independence and happiness. Sin is negative in all its ways. We read in the Holy Bible of the consequences of sin. Paul wrote in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death.” Yet, the Lord does not leave us without a way out! The apostle continued to say in Romans 6:23 that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Sin is not what it promises to be. The devil told Eve that she would be just like God. We clearly see that the oldest lie in the book is the very lie humans want most to believe! Nothing is sacred to the wanton sinner! In Genesis 3:5, the Devil said, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Eve doubted God and paid the price. Soon, she would learn the depth of the tempter’s deceit and the result of her sin of doubt and disobedience. In Genesis 3:16, God told her, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow.” Never would Eve have imagined the pain and suffering her disobedience would bring into the world, and her husband’s inaction resulted in God’s judgment on him as well. “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Death came into the world because of sin. Sin is never healthy for our

The Lord Jesus Christ said, in the Gospel account of John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” This is not a suggestion. It’s a command, directly from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! To whom does this apply? In Matthew 7:12, we read, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Here is the clear command to treat others as we would treat ourselves! If we were at the mercy of an enemy, would we not want mercy? So, we realize that according to the blessed Redeemer, there is no room for hate in the heart of one of His followers! In 1 John 3:15, we read, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” Yet, there is a hate that’s held onto and passed along like a precious heirloom—racism. It is a cancer that reaches to the very depths of the soul and endangers those infected with the peril of hellfire. Jesus commanded Christians to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). That refers to all mankind. In John 3:16, Scripture says, “For God so loved the world.” This is as inclusive as it gets! God loves the world and all who

How many times have you heard someone say, “God made me this way!” Emotional justification for sinful action is a common claim made by many, and unfortunately, not only the unsaved make such an assertion. The idea is this: If emotions are uncontrollable, then we are not responsible for our actions. That’s a very dangerous proposition! “I’m not in control” sounds very much like, “Don’t blame me for my actions, blame God. He made me this way!” Therefore, I have justification to act as I will without remorse. “Do as thou wilt and whatever feels good do it” are, by the way, central tenets of Satanism and not Christianity. It is true that God gave us emotions, but He also gave us reason. It is true you can choose not to lose your temper. You can make a different decision and make up your mind that you’re going to act on reason and not on emotion. That is one of the things that separates us from the animals. We have the ability to think things over and not act immediately on our emotions. Our feelings are not our thoughts, yet, sadly, many are ignorant of this truth or behave badly in spite of what they know. Our ability to reason is a supernatural aspect of our God-given spirits. We can think before we act or react. Take, for example, King David’s lust for Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. David did not have to act on that emotion, and he was

The Lord God of their fathers heard their cry and delivered the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt. He had worked many wonders in their sight, and they had seen his mighty power. It would not be unusual had we seen the things they had seen to develop the utmost confidence in God, or at least we would like to think so. Yet, they who had lived through some of the most momentous events in all human history still harbored doubts in their hearts. Time and time again, God had showed His power over nature and the might of armies, and yet, still, they did not trust Him. He had sent them a redeemer in Moses. He had brought them out of their land of bondage where they had suffered for hundreds of years beneath the cruel whip of the Egyptians. They had seen their mighty, seemingly invincible, foes cast down before them and the gods of Egypt humbled before Jehovah the God of their forefathers. Despite all that had happened to them, they still grumbled. In Exodus 16:3, they said, “Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Here was an outrageous suggestion that their salvation was a conspiracy between God and Moses to starve them to

Philistine! The very name conjures up images of brutes committing acts of wanton violence across the holy land. Known as the sea people, they were the descendants of Mycenaean Greeks. During their voyages, they found the gentle rolling fertile lands of southern Israel very attractive. The coast of the Promised Land, with its open plains of bountiful orchards filled with pears and almonds, with rich grazing lands for horses and cattle, was a prize of worth for which they were willing to fight. The name Philistine in Hebrew means, “the invader.” The Israelites and the Philistines clashed for hundreds of years over ownership of the coastal plan and the hill country before the central range of mountains occupied by Israel. To the Greek mind, and therefore that of the Philistines, the thinking was, “Let the heroes fight and whoever wins gets all the spoils!“ In 1 Samuel 17:5-7, we encounter Goliath, a giant of a man, his bronze armor gleaming in the sun, as he shouted his defiance. Scripture tells us: He stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, “Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our

The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Hope is something that seems to be in short supply these days. Every time a commercial break comes on television, it’s loaded with commercials designed to terrify you into buying a product or a service. Many have accused the Bible of doing exactly the same thing, and yet that’s not the message of the Bible at all! Now, understand that hell is very real, but the Messiah did not come to send anyone there. In John 3:17, it is revealed to us that “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” The Lord Jesus Himself said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). The life He offers is one full of purpose, direction and hope. Further, this hope is not just for today, but it is for all eternity. It is a hope on which one can depend in the darkest of times. In a world full of broken people, dysfunctional families and corrupted nations, the hope of Christ is essential to our survival. Yet, there is more to life than mere survival. We must thrive, and the church of Christ has a vital role in the well-being of Adam’s race. The Gospel message is one

On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court made a fateful decision allowing abortion. Since that day, over 50 million babies have been murdered legally. That’s 1,210,000 per year and 3,322 per day. To put this into perspective, that’s more casualties per day than the number victims of the 911 terrorist atrocity. Yet, this horrendous crime against humanity is portrayed as a human right. Medical science has improved greatly since 1973. We can now cure diseases that were once terminal. Our knowledge of biology has increased greatly over the years. Research into the development of human embryos has proved undeniably that they are separate biological individuals, which means they are not a part of the mother’s body. They are separate beings, growing within the mother and, as such, have a right to life. At ten weeks after conception, the developing baby has fingers, toes and a heart that beats. To quote Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a doctor who personally carried out 75,000 abortions and now deeply regrets it: “As a scientist I know, not believe, know that human life begins at conception.” He continued: The study of fetology (the study of the early stages of development of a baby within the womb) makes it undeniably evident that life begins at conception and requires all the protection and safeguards that any of us enjoy. Why, you may well ask, do some American doctors who are privy to the findings of fetology, discredit themselves by carrying out abortions? Simple arithmetic at $500

 In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul wrote, “Salute one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 10:16). This was to be a salute, a greeting that expressed a longing for the well‑being of the other Christians in this world and in eternity, similar to the deeper meaning of the word “shalom,” in Hebrew. This word, “shalom,” according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, means “completeness, soundness, welfare and peace.” Within the word, as in the giving of a holy kiss, the giver is expressing all these things to the other person in both the physical and the spiritual realms. This kiss, however, is much more than the everyday kiss of greeting. This kiss is separate in its application, for it is to be a “holy kiss,” not the run‑of‑the‑mill peck on the cheek or the passionate kiss between lovers. This kiss is a kiss of respect and true regard for the other person. In western society, the thought of one man kissing another is usually greeted, unless it is a son to a father or vice versa, as an unthinkable and unwanted occurrence. Men and women who are friends may kiss each other on the cheek, but that is the limit of what is considered “proper behavior” in our society. Yet, that is not so in other parts of the world, and certainly not so in the ancient Middle East where the custom was normal. Any omission of the custom was considered a deep and telling insult. Such was the case when our

When we read the majestic Word of God, filled with the accounts of creation, along with great battles and wars fought across physical and spiritual planes, when we consider the deep things of reality and the greatness of God, is it any wonder that we may ask, “Where do we fit into all of this?” Indeed, do we fit in the narrative at all? Well, since what the Holy Bible says is what matters, it is the only authority on which we base our beliefs. The Word of God reveals that we are, indeed, a part of the story of the ages. In the Gospel, we are told that the Son of man came to save that which was lost (Matthew 18:11). These words alone show God’s practical concern for His creation. It matters to Him that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God, in His wisdom, compassion and love, through the apostle Paul, warned of the consequences of sin. “For the wages of sin is death.” Yet, He does not leave us without hope, for “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). God’s Word says, “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world; but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This is one of my favorite proverbs because not only does it tell us about the majesty of God but also of the great value in learning. There are many who would seek to replace the wisdom of the Word of God with the ignorance of the prideful. These people would seek to replace God as the supreme being with themselves or another lesser, imagined power. These people are described as fools in Psalm 14:1. In the Holy Scriptures, we find the true source of knowledge: our mighty God. The “fear” mentioned in the verse is not the kind of which we immediately think in English, which is a “terror.” Rather, as the Pulpit Commentary says of “terror” here, it means “to fear or reverence,” which is a “holy fear.” It is a fear by which we are afraid to offend God…that fear of Jehovah which is elsewhere described as “to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13). This fear or fear to offend God is the beginning of true wisdom, for if we keep God and His will, and use that as our motivation, we will surely prosper in our lives. God is the source of all reality and, therefore, of all that is good and all that we should desire to know. However, we are told of those who don’t want to know the path of a God-centered knowledge. A great many people have

How many of us worry about things on a daily basis? Almost everyone is worried about something or another. Hearts can become so anxious and full of worry that it’s overwhelming. In fact, did you know that worry is the biggest killer in America? We worry about how to make ends meet. We worry about our health and job security. Worry kills more people than work because more people worry than work. There are some people who are such worrywarts that they even worry that there’s nothing to worry about! Yet, we, as Christians, are told not to live as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), because, unlike those who do not know the truth, we have a hope. We have a Saviour; we have an ever-present Lord in our glorious King Jesus Christ. The atheist is someone who believes that there is no God, and as such, has nowhere to turn when things get rough. However, the Christian who lives in worry also lives as though there were no God. We must understand that there is a difference between worry and concern. It’s good to be concerned. If we have a lump that won’t go away, then we need to be concerned and have it examined. Yet, sometimes we can let our worries overwhelm us. When we start thinking about all of the bad things that might happen to us, we increase our fears, which, in turn, increase our worries. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Don’t worry; it