Youth Page: Lord God Almighty

By: Mark McWhorter This three word title is rather rare in Scripture. The three words are found in close proximity only 15 times in all the Bible. The first instance is in Genesis 17:1 when God told Abram when he was 99 years old that he was making a covenant with him, and He changed his name to Abraham. So, the importance of the scheme of redemption through the lineage of Abraham is connected with the three words, “Lord God Almighty.” The second time those appear together is in Exodus 6:3 when God talked to Moses about the Israelites leaving Egypt and going to the Promised Land. He mentioned the covenant He had with them. Other instances in the Old Testament are Numbers 24:1–4 (the incident with Balaam), Psalm 68:14–16 (this Psalm was used by David at the moving of the Ark of the Covenant), Psalm 91:1–2 (speaking of protection, refuge, trust and dwelling with Him, and the term Most High appears as well), Ezekiel 10:4–5 (where judgment was pronounced on Israel and Judah) and Joel 1:14–15 (again where judgment was pronounced). The three word title is used seven times in The Revelation 1:6–8; 4:8 (God on His Throne); 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 19:15–16 (v. 13 mentions The Word of God) and 21:22. The Revelation concerns Judgment along with God’s abiding care, protection and salvation for the faithful. The only other instance where the words are used together is 2 Corinthians 6:16–18. It is this text that gives a very good …

A Hundred Pounds

Jesus was crucified. His dead body was hanging on the cross. A soldier had already pierced His side with a spear. Everything Jesus had undergone had been prophesied. His body could not remain on the cross on the Sabbath. This was against Jewish law. Yet, who would take our Lord’s body down from the cross? A rich man named Joseph from Arimathaea was a disciple of Jesus. Joseph was a member of the elite Sanhedrin. He had kept his belief in Jesus a secret up to this moment. He went to Pilate and asked for authority to take Jesus down. Joseph had a new tomb in Jerusalem that was for his family. He took Jesus to that tomb. Another disciple helped Joseph. His name was Nicodemus, who had approached Jesus at night (John 3). He was also wealthy. We are told in John 19:39 that he brought about a hundred pounds of aloe and myrrh to put on Jesus for His burial. Some skeptics have said this was too much for one burial, and so, the Bible must be a mistaken. However, such an amount was used for those who were given special honor in death. It is reported that Rabbi Gamaliel was buried with eighty pounds of these items, while it is recorded that King Herod was accompanied to his tomb by five hundred servants carrying these items for his burial. So, Joseph and Nicodemus were not flaunting their wealth. Instead, they showed great honor toward Jesus. Study your …

Calves of our Lips

Hosea 14:1-2, “O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips” (KJV). The Israelites had become wicked. Hosea was attempting to call them back to God. Notice that a significant part of their turning to God was the use of their lips. They were to use the “calves” of their lips. The ASV translates it “as bullocks the offering of our lips.” The NKJV reads, “offer the sacrifices of our lips.” Bullocks were used as sacrifices under the Old Testament. So, Hosea pictured the use of the lips as a sacrifice to God. The same thought occurs in the book of Hebrews. “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15). Our speech should always demonstrate that we are servants of God. We should sing in worship, not sit and listen to others. We should always remember to pray. It sounds funny to refer to the calves of our lips, but it is a serious matter. Study your Bible. Learn how to offer sacrifice with your lips. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Gerizim and Ebal

In Joshua 7, the Israelites attacked Ai but were soundly defeated. God then revealed to Joshua that someone had taken items from Jericho. All the things of Jericho were to be burned. God considered this action by the disobedient person not only as sin but as stealing from Him. Joshua learned from God that it was Achan who sinned. Achan and his family were punished by being put to death. Afterward, the Israelites went up against Ai again, and this time the Israelites defeated the city. After they were finished with Ai, they traveled to the valley between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Moses had told Joshua to take the people there when they entered the land. Joshua was to read the Law to the people. He read all the blessings and the cursings. Half of the tribes stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half stood in front of Mount Ebal. The blessings were called out from Gerizim, while the cursings were called out from Ebal (Joshua 8:33). These were given to educate and encourage the people to obey God. We also need to obey God. The only way to be blessed by God with spiritual blessings and with eternal life in Heaven is to obey Him. Study your Bible. Learn how to obey God. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Roaring Lion

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV) A lion’s roar can be heard over a distance of nearly five miles. The roar is so loud that if you were standing next to the lion, your whole body would vibrate. The lion roars for several reasons. He roars to create fear in those he is hunting. He hopes that the fear will cause the hunted to stand still. This makes it easier for him to find the animal and to kill it. The lion roars to gather his family. Other lions hear the roar and go toward the roaring. By working together, they can capture bigger animals. The lion roars to claim his territory. The roar lets others know that if they remain there they could die. The lion roars to let competitors know of his presence. The loud roar is intended to intimidate those who might be interested in the same prey. All of the above apply to Satan and our relationship with him. He wants us to be scared when he roars. He wants us to become inactive in our Bible study, prayer life and works so that he can capture us and destroy us. He roars so that he can attract those who love sin. He uses those people to lead us …

Another Judas

Saul was on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). He was going there to arrest Christians and take them back to Jerusalem for punishment. Jesus appeared to Saul and blinded him. Saul was told to go to Damascus; it was there that Saul was to be told what Jesus required him to do. Jesus also appeared to Ananias in a vision. He was a Christian who lived in Damascus. Jesus told him to go to a house on Straight Street. This was one of the main roads in Damascus. He was told that Saul was in that house. The house was owned by a man named Judas. It is highly likely that Judas was not a Christian. The men who had been with Saul would have probably taken him to their contact in Damascus. The fact that the Lord did not appear to Judas is a good indication that Judas was not a Christian. We are not told anything else about Judas. We have no idea if Saul’s conversion had an impact on Judas. Yet, the healing of Saul’s blindness and his baptism into Jesus must have made some kind of impression on him. We hope that Judas was converted. Jesus wants all people to be Christians. It is truly sad if Judas did not become a Christian. He would have seen with his own eyes and heard with his own ears what Jesus was doing with and through Ananias and Saul. Study your Bible. Learn all you can about …

Hoddy-Doddy

You do not want to grow up to be a hoddy-doddy. According to the American Dictionary of the English Language by Daniel Webster (1828), a hoddy-doddy is a foolish person. According to Scripture, there are several things that justify labeling someone as a hoddy-doddy. The person who says there is no God is a fool (Psalm 14:1). Anyone who refuses to gain wisdom or listen to instruction is a fool (Proverbs 1:7). Those that laugh at sin and find entertainment in it are foolish (Proverbs 14:9). The person who ignores God’s law and makes up his own laws by which to live is a fool (Proverbs 12:15; Romans 1:22). The person who hordes material things and has no interest in helping others or giving back to God is a fool (Luke 12:20). Those that do not righteously consider how they are walking in this world are fools (Ephesians 5:15). Those who would allow someone to draw them away from obeying God are foolish (Galatians 3:1). It is not good to be seen by God as a hoddy-doddy. The right thing to do is to study the Bible. Learn all you can from it. Obey God. Teach others to obey Him so that none of them will be known as a hoddy-doddy. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Kick Against the Pricks

Saul was a strict Jew who persecuted Christians. He believed they should all die. He thought he was doing God’s will. In his mind, Christians were apostate Jews. Saul was on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-5). He was traveling there to arrest more Christians. Suddenly, there was a very bright light that surrounded him and those with him. A voice called Saul’s name. Saul wanted to know who it was. It was Jesus, Who said Saul was persecuting Him by persecuting Christians. Jesus said it was hard for Saul to kick against the pricks. What did Jesus mean by that? A prick, also known as a goad, was a sharp stick that farmers used to make the ox go forward. The ox might kick against that stick, but doing so was painful to the ox. There were several well-known quotes in ancient times regarding humans and the goad. The Greek writer Pindar stated, “It is profitable to bear willingly the assumed yoke. To kick against the goad is pernicious conduct.” Terrence stated, “It is foolishness for thee to kick against the goad.” Euripides stated, “I, who am a frail mortal, should rather sacrifice to him who is a god, than, by giving place to anger, kick against the goad.” Jesus was telling Saul that refusing to accept Him and persecuting Christians would only lead to spiritual harm for Saul. The appearance of Jesus, and what Jesus told him, led Saul to tremble in astonishment (Acts 9:6). Saul wanted to …

God’s Full Protection

Every person wants to be safe. Every person desires to have peace by feeling safe. Danger can come from any direction. In the spiritual realm, Satan may attack from any direction. He will come from behind, from in front, from the side, from above or from beneath. Since Satan can attack from any direction, a person needs protection in all directions. It is impossible for a human to be awake at all times. It is impossible for a human to see in all directions at once. So, it is impossible for an individual to feel safe from Satan unless there is help from another source. Thankfully, there is another source. God wants to be that source. God loves every person. If a person will obey God, He will protect him or her from Satan. We read in Deuteronomy 33:26-27, “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’” (NKJV). Notice that God is above in Heaven. He is around the person since He is the refuge, and thus, He is behind. He has His arms underneath the person protecting beneath. Furthermore, He is in front of the person, thrusting the enemy away from before him. Those protected by God are able to “dwell in safety” (Deuteronomy 33:28). What a wonderful God …

Don’t Tell, Do Tell

We are told in Mark 1:40-45 about a man with leprosy who came to Jesus, desiring to be healed. The man kneeled before Jesus and said he knew Jesus could heal him if He desired to do so. Jesus was moved with compassion and healed the man. Then, Jesus told the man not to tell anyone Jesus had healed him. He was only to go to the priest, demonstrate his cleansing and give the appropriate sacrifice. However, the man went and told everyone he could what Jesus had done. We read the account and wonder why if the man had faith in Jesus that he did not obey Him. Jesus told him not to tell, and yet, the leper told everyone as he went. We can understand his excitement about being healed, but he should have obeyed Jesus. There are many who read the account and say they would have obeyed Jesus. They say they would have kept the secret, just as Jesus desired. Yet, there are many who are just as guilty as the leper. Many have been told to teach and to tell people about Jesus. Our Lord wants us to go into all the world and convert as many as we can (Mark 16:15-16). We have been told to tell, and yet, very few do tell. Many claim they have faith in Jesus, but few demonstrate it by obeying Him. They are just as guilty as the leper who was told not to tell. Read your Bible. …

The Light

Christ is the true light (John 1:9), the light of the world (John 8:12), the light of life (John 8:12), the light of the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6), the light of Israel (Isaiah 10:17), the light of the knowledge of the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:6), the everlasting light (Isaiah 60:20) and His countenance as the sun shines in His strength (Revelation 1:16). As you can see from these references, Christ is “the Light” (John 12:36). The sun gives us light in the physical world during the day. The moon and stars give us light during the night. Those lights are helpful, but getting light from “the Light” is much more important than physical light. Christ’s light is for the whole world. His light gives us access to the glory of God and Jesus’ light gives us strength. His light gives us spiritual life, which is everlasting spiritual life. Christ’s light gives us proper spiritual knowledge. Study your Bible. Obey Christ. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Cornelius and Baptism

There are many professed Christians who do not believe baptism is necessary for salvation. Many commentators even say it is not a mandatory thing to do. The conversion of Cornelius needs to be considered in such a discussion. Cornelius was a centurion of the Roman army. He lived in Caesarea. Cornelius believed in God and evidently did everything he could to obey God. Cornelius had been praying to God, begging God for instructions. In Acts 10:6, an angel from God told Cornelius to send for Peter, who would tell him “what you must do” (NKJV). That means there were some things Cornelius had to do. Acts 11:14 adds to what the angel said. There it is recorded that Cornelius would be told words by which he and his house “will be saved.” So whatever Cornelius had to do was what would save him. When Peter met with Cornelius, he started preaching to him and his house. While Peter spoke, the Holy Spirit came on Cornelius and others present there. They started speaking in tongues just like the apostles did on the Day of Pentecost. Notice that this was not something Peter told them to do. Neither did God giving them this ability saved them. The Jewish Christians were amazed when Cornelius was given that ability. Peter asked the Jewish Christians if they could deny baptism to Cornelius and the others since obviously God provided that as a sign. No one responded negatively. So, Peter “commanded” Cornelius and those with him …

Heavens and Clouds

Everyone wants mercy for things they have done wrong. No one wants to be found guilty and to be punished. Mercy is not receiving what is deserved for wrongdoing. Every person sins against God (Romans 3:10, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10). Sin is transgressing God’s law (1 John 3:4 KJV). Sin separates a person from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Every person who sins deserves eternal punishment in Hell. However, God has a plan of mercy. He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:26). Jesus’ death on the cross was given for every person (John 1:29). Every person must obey God to access the mercy. Think about the amount of mercy required to cover the sins of every person who ever lived, lives now or may live in the future. A picture is given of God’s mercy in Psalm 36:5, “Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds” (NKJV). Not only does His mercy originate in Heaven, but it is as high and as far as the heavens. “Faithfulness” comes from a word that means “stability” or “firmness.” In other words, God’s is absolute, and there is no possibility that His mercy will fail. That stable mercy is as high as the clouds. What a wonderful God we have. Though none of us deserve mercy, He is willing to give it. He is willing to give it to every person who has and will ever live …

Animals vs Christ

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. …But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:4, 12). The author of Hebrews spent a great amount of Scripture demonstrating that Jesus and the New Covenant are better than Moses and the Old Covenant. Christ’s priesthood is better than the priesthood of the Old Testament. His promises are better. His sacrifice is better, which is the point of Hebrews 10:4 and 12. The Mosaic Law prescribed daily sacrifices, weekly sacrifices, monthly sacrifices, annual sacrifices and special sacrifices. A vast number of animals were killed during the approximately 1,500 years between Mt. Sinai and the day of Jesus’ death. It is impossible to know exactly how many animals were sacrificed under the Law, but we can look at some numbers to get just an idea of the enormous amount. Numbers 7 tells us that at the dedication of the Tabernacle, 36 oxen, 144 sheep and 72 goats were killed over a twelve-day period. At the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, 220,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep were killed. The historian Josephus records that at one Passover 256,500 animals were sacrificed, though some modern commentators believe that Josephus exaggerated many of his numbers. They say that it would only have been possible to sacrifice around 27,000 in the allotted time, which would still have been a lot of animals. However, an ancient Jewish commentator …

Flee as a Bird

Small birds are easily scared. Birds will quickly fly away in response to any sudden movement or sound. Many times, they look for a tree or bush in which to hide. There were many rocky crevices and caves in the mountains of Palestine. The birds would fly to these. David compared himself and other followers of God to these birds. Psalm 11:1 reads, “In the Lord I put my trust; how say you to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’?” David said he was not like the little birds. He had no reason to fly away from his spiritual enemies. His faith was in God. In verse four, David said he had nowhere to flee if the foundations were destroyed. He was saying that if he did not have faith that God is in Heaven and able to defeat his enemies, then there was nowhere to run that would be safe. Study your Bible. Learn all you can about our great God. Obey and trust Him. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

The Father in the Sermon on the Mount

Jesus preached a long sermon, which is recorded in Matthew 5 through Matthew 7. It is known as the Sermon on the Mount. He had been preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and had been healing all manner of diseases. Large crowds were following Jesus as His fame spread throughout Galilee and Judea. He was even known on the other side of the Jordan. People were amazed at His teaching. At the end of this sermon, we are told that the people were astonished at His teachings because He taught as someone having authority, not like a scribe. Scribes always prefaced their teachings with the words that a certain Rabbi taught what they were about to speak. Jesus never referenced a Rabbi but instead said, “I say,” several times. Jesus also referenced the Father several times in this sermon. God is called Father over fifteen times in the Sermon on the Mount – once as “our Father” in 6:9 when giving the model prayer, five times as “thy Father” in verses 5:4, 6, 18 and ten times as “your Father” 5:16, 45, 48; 6:1, 8, 14-15, 26, 32; 7:11. Matthew 7:21 is the only time that Jesus referenced “my Father,” and it is the last reference in the sermon to the Father. In context, Jesus said that no one will get into Heaven by stating that he is a disciple of Jesus. Jesus stated that it is necessary to do the will of “my Father.” He made several points with …

Gave Himself for Us

We read in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (NKJV). In Galatians 2, Paul dealt with individuals who were trying to convince Christians to live by part of the Old Law – the Law of Moses. He said that anyone who did that would take away the liberty they have in Christ and put themselves into bondage to the Old Law. He told them that he even had to confront Peter when he gave preference to Jewish Christians over Gentile Christians. Paul wrote that Christians are not justified by the Old Law but through the New Law. All the justification that comes through the New Law is based on faith in Jesus Christ (v. 16). No man could be justified by the Old Law. All Christians must be justified by Christ (v.17). This , then, is explained further in verse 20 above. The life a person lives as a Christian is only possible because Christ, the Son of God, was willing to die by crucifixion according to the will of the Father. If He had not done that, we could not be Christians or have justification in the sight of the Father. Paul said Christ gave Himself for us. Many would interpret that to mean he died in our …

A Candlestick and Two Olive Trees

In Zechariah 4, Zechariah saw a golden candlestick. It had a bowl on the top of it. There were seven lamps and seven pipes. The Hebrew wording gives some indication that instead of seven pipes there may have been seven times seven. These pipes brought lots of oil to the lamps. Therefore, there must be a source of that oil. There were two olive trees, one on each side of the golden candlestick. These trees had branches emptying into the pipes. There was a never-ending source of oil from these trees. We are told that the two trees were the anointed ones standing by the Lord. This may mean they are Joshua, the High Priest, and Zerubbabel, the King [Governor]. However, it must be understood that they represent two aspects of the Messiah. He is Priest and King. From Him comes the Word of God. The power for the Christian and for the church is not from human power or might. The power and might is the Gospel (Romans 1:16-17). Salvation can only come from God. It can only come by being in the church that Jesus established. Under Zerubbabel the physical Temple was completed. Under Christ the spiritual Temple was built and completed. Under Joshua, the High Priest, the physical Temple was completed. Under Christ the church was completed. This vision gives a picture of Christ and the church. Study your Bible. Learn about Jesus and His church. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult …

Cornelius

We read about Cornelius in Acts 10-11. He was a Roman centurion who lived in Caesarea. God sent the apostle Peter to help him become a Christian. Many commentators say that Cornelius knew almost nothing about Jesus and the church before he became a Christian. They use him as an example for today, teaching that a person does not need to know very much at all about Christ and the church to become a Christian. Yet, the Scriptures do not support that conclusion. Cornelius was a devout man. That means he was reverent and pious in his life toward God. He feared God with all his house. That means he respected God and recognized Him to be in charge of all things. Evidently, all his family members also feared God. As the head of his house, he had led them in worshipping God. He was praying to God at 3 p.m. This was one of the standard times for Jews to pray. The Greek word for “prayed” is the word meaning “begging” or “entreating.” He was constantly asking God what he needed to do to please Him. Cornelius constantly desired to follow what God commanded. He was told to send for Peter so that the apostle could tell him what to do to be saved (11:14). Cornelius actively did many benevolent works. This means he followed God’s directions to love all men. He was willing to share what he had with others according to God’s commandments. Peter said in Acts …

Don’t Be a Mule

Mules are known for being stubborn. Many times, they will try to do exactly the opposite of what an owner wants. If the desire is to go forward, the mule will attempt to go backwards. If the owner wants to plow a field, the mule may decide to sit down. Mules require a bit and bridle. The bit is a piece of wood or metal that fits in the mouth. It is hooked up to a bridle. The owner holds onto the bridle. It is usually straps of leather. The owner pulls on the bridle to indicate what he wants. People are not supposed to need bits and bridles. God made people to think and to make rationale spiritual decisions. People can read the Bible and learn how God expects them to live. Psalm 32:9 reads, “Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you” (NKJV). God does not force people to come to Him. God wants us to desire to come to Him. The only way to do that is to study the Bible. To not study the Bible, to not learn what to do, to not learn how to please God and to not obey God makes a person a spiritual mule. Who wants to be no smarter than a mule? Study your Bible. Do not be a mule. Teach others so they will not be mules. If …

Be Filled

When one is thirsty, it is nice to have a filled glass of water, tea or milk. Sometimes when one is dirty, tired and sore, it is nice to have a tub full of hot water in which to soak. When on a long trip, it is good to have a tank full of gas. While these things are good or nice to have, there are some things that are much more important with which to be full. Christians are to be filled with fruits of righteousness. “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11 NKJV). It is very important that a Christian gives glory and praise to God. This cannot be done if the Christian is not actively making sure that he is full of the fruits of righteousness. Christians are to be filled with the knowledge from God. “Filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9). Christians cannot continue to grow in faith unless they continue to study God’s Word, the Bible. It is only from the knowledge it gives that a person can get wisdom and understanding. Christians are to be filled with the fullness of God. “That you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). The fullness of God only comes by making sure our hearts are full of the love of Christ along with the knowledge from His Word. Study your …

Ananias and Forgiveness

Christians talk a great deal about the forgiveness of God. Christians are thankful for the forgiveness of God. We understand that God is willing to forgive us of all our sins if we repent and obey Him. He is willing to love us and give us a multitude of spiritual blessings if we will turn from our sins. He no longer holds us guilty of our past sins when we are forgiven. Christians strive to be just as forgiving as God. We are to be long suffering towards those who desire to live for God. We strive to forget past wrongs toward us and others, as well as to embrace new Christians. Ananias demonstrated proper forgiveness. He was contacted by God in Acts 9 to go and to preach to Saul about conversion to Christ; Saul was known as the great persecutor of Christians. He was in Damascus to find and to imprison Christians. Ananias was hesitant, but God assured him that Saul was turning from his past actions; he desired to do what was right. So, Ananias went and told him what to do to become a Christian. That was impressive enough, but in verse 19, we find that Ananias was now willing to eat with Saul. When one understands how intimate the action of eating with someone was to a first century Christian, one understands how important it was that we are told that Ananias was willing to eat with Saul. This shows acceptance. This shows love. This …

Able to Succor

The letter to the Hebrews was written to encourage the Christian Hebrews to remain faithful to Jesus. One of the main points is that Jesus is a better High Priest than high priests under the Old Law. The writer told them in 2:18 that Jesus suffered with temptations just like we do. He lived on earth as a man and had the same temptations that we have. Because He understands our temptations, He is able to succor them who are tempted. The word “able” comes from a Greek word for power. Jesus has the power to succor. The word “succor” comes from a Greek word that means “cry and to run, aid, relieve.” Jesus is ready and willing to run to us, to aid us and to relieve and aid us of the trials and temptations that Satan brings. He is willing and has the power to forgive us of our sins. Jesus is a compassionate and loving High Priest. At the time Jesus lived, the high priest was not known for being loving and compassionate toward the people. The high priest and the Jewish leaders had come to think of themselves as above the people. They thought they were better than other Jews. However, Jesus never thought He was better than other men. He never shunned away from being among the people. He listened to their concerns, helped them with their troubles and showed deep interest in their problems. He continues to do the same today from Heaven. I …

Cast Not Your Confidence Away

Many soldiers carried shields in ancient times. The shield was very important. It helped protect the soldier from enemy swords and javelins. In some ancient societies, the shield was a symbol of honor. A soldier was not supposed to drop his shield. He was not supposed to return from a battle without his shield. Lacedomia [ancient city near Sparta] was one of these societies. A Lacedemonian mother gave her oldest son the shield of his father. She said these words when she gave it to him: “This shield thy father preserved, do thou preserve it also or perish. Bring it back or be brought back on it.” Greeks who lost their shield were put to death. According to them, only cowardly soldiers threw away their shields and ran from the battle. This symbolism is used in Hebrews 10:35. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.” The word for “confidence” in the Greek is a word meaning “frankness and boldness of speech.” This boldness of speech acts as a shield. It is a boldness in speaking about Christ. The Christian should never be ashamed to speak about Christ. The Christian should always be ready to speak in defense of the Christian faith (1 Peter 3:15). The confidence or boldness of speech has a great reward. If the Christian is not ashamed of Jesus, Jesus is not ashamed of the Christian (Matthew 10:32-33). Study your Bible. Learn all about Jesus. Learn what He wants you to do. …

Hold Him Fast

Almost everyone knows something about the apostle Judas. He is the one who arranged to have Jesus arrested and tried. He did this for 30 pieces of silver, which he later tried to return. We are told in Matthew 26:47-48 that he kissed Jesus as a signal to those sent by the chief priests. Whoever he kissed was the one they were to arrest. It is such a sad thing and yet a marvelous thing. It is tremendously sad that Jesus was arrested, tried and killed even though he was completely innocent, but it is a wonderful and marvelous thing that He did for us. It is only through His sacrifice that we have hope of living in Heaven. I noticed something in verse forty-eight recently that had never caught my attention. Judas said that whoever he kissed, the arresting men should “hold him fast.” The Greek word translated “hold fast” means to obtain, take hold of, take charge of, hold without letting go, seize and seize with authority. It is the same word used in Colossians 2:18-19 where Paul told those in Colossae that they should let no man influence them to give up Christ, “not holding the Head.” Paul said we should hold the Head fast. Judas, who betrayed Jesus, told others to hold Him fast. How ironic and how sad. Instead of spiritually holding on to Jesus, Judas chose to tell others to physically hold Jesus fast. Instead of spiritually holding fast to Jesus, Judas chose to …

Christ in Hebrews #5

The letter to the Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians to remain faithful to Christ. The author did not want them to return to the Law of Moses. Numerous names and designations are attributed by the author to Christ. All of these are used to demonstrate how superior and better Christ and his Covenant are. I am so glad Christ is Testator of the Will. I am so glad He was willing to offer Himself. I am so thankful His blood makes us perfect. I am so glad He is the Way and the Veil, by which we travel and through whom we go to Heaven. Study your Bible. Learn how to obey Christ, and if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Christ in Hebrews #4

The letter to the Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians to remain faithful to Christ. The author did not want them to return to the Law of Moses. Numerous names and designations are attributed by the author to Christ. All of these are used to demonstrate how superior and better Christ and His Covenant are. I am so glad Christ is our Priest. I am glad he is the Author of our salvation. I am thankful he is our Forerunner and our Surety. I am glad that He is Majesty. I am glad He is our Minister in Heaven. Study the Bible. Learn all you can about Christ, and if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Christ in Hebrews #3

The letter to the Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians to remain faithful to Christ. The author did not want them to return to the Law of Moses. Numerous names and designations are attributed by the author for Christ. All of these are used to demonstrate how superior and better Christ and His Covenant are. I am glad that Christ came to give us the most important message ever given. I am glad He is our High Priest in Heaven. I am glad He built the church and has promised us a rest in Heaven. I am glad that He is the One who knows me. Study your Bible. Learn all about our wonderful God. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you. Mark McWhorter has written daily devotionals for youth for decades. He lives in Pell City, Alabama, USA.

Christ in Hebrews #2

The letter to the Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians to remain faithful to Christ. The author did not want them to return to the Law of Moses. Numerous names and designations are attributed by the author for Christ. All of these are used to demonstrate how superior and better Christ and His Covenant are. I am so glad Christ is our Captain of salvation. I am glad He came to Earth and lived as a man so that He is our Brother. I am so glad He obeyed the Father and is of the seed of Abraham. I am so glad He is the Reconciler. Study your Bible. Learn all you can about Him. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you. Mark McWhorter has written daily devotionals for youth for decades. He lives in Pell City, Alabama, USA.

Christ in Hebrews #1

The letter to the Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians to remain faithful to Christ. The author did not want them to return to the Law of Moses. Numerous names and designations are attributed by the author for Christ. All of these are used to demonstrate how superior and better Christ and His Covenant are. I am so glad that Christ is our God. I am so glad He became man. I am so glad He is our Lord. I am so glad that through Him we can also be heirs of Heaven. Study your Bible. Learn all you can about what Christ wants us to do. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you. Mark McWhorter has written daily devotionals for youth for decades. He lives in Pell City, Alabama, USA.

More about Lucifer

Many religious people in the world believe that the name Lucifer was given in the Bible for Satan. However, the name Lucifer is actually used in Isaiah 14:12 for the king of Babylon. The word Lucifer is a Latin word used to translate the Hebrew word for morning star. The word was first used for Satan by Tertullian and Origen, but it did not become common as a name for Satan until Milton used it in his Paradise Lost. After Paradise Lost became popular, many people started believing that Lucifer was actually a name given in the Bible for Satan. The king of Babylon was compared to the morning star. All of those hearing Isaiah’s prophecy would understand this comparison. There was an ancient Canaanite story regarding the morning star. According to the story, the morning star desired to become king of the mountain of the gods in the north. The morning star wanted the highest place of the highest god and wanted to be ruler of the world. He was defeated in his attempt and was thrown down to the underworld. This is what Isaiah was saying would happen to the king of Babylon. He desired to be the greatest of all kings on earth. He even considered himself as high as God, but he discovered that God is more powerful. Do not be like the king of Babylon. Do not think too highly of yourself. Be humble no matter how important you may become in this world. Study your Bible. Learn …

Lucifer

Many religious people around the world are familiar with the name Lucifer. Most believe it is a name for Satan. It appears in the King James Bible [and some other translations] in Isaiah 14:12. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” Isaiah 14:4 identifies the person of verse twelve. This condemnation was toward the king of Babylon. The king of Babylon was a haughty and an arrogant man. Isaiah told him that even though the king thought himself to be the greatest man in the world, he would be brought low by God. The Hebrew word used in verse twelve is the word for morning star. This star was the last star on the horizon just before the sun came over the horizon. It was extremely brilliant in its shining just before the sun came up. Yet, as soon as the sun came over the horizon, the morning star could no longer be seen. Just as the morning star was bright for a brief time, so would the king of Babylon be. He would shine brightly among men but disappear quickly when God, the ultimate light, decided to destroy him. Leaders of countries today should learn a lesson from this. They should desire to serve God and be the best leaders they can be. They should realize that they should lead their people in proper ethics and morals. They should be good …

Divisions

Have you ever watched an old movie with scenes of wooden ships at sea? Movies about pirates have such ships. Movies about the early sailors have such ships. One of the dangers with sailing wooden ships was hitting rocks in shallow water. Another danger was sailing in severe storms. Either one of those dangers could lead to the ship breaking apart and sinking. The ancient Greeks had a word to describe a ship breaking into pieces – “schizmata.” The word “schizmata” was also used by the Greeks to describe the use of an ax in dividing something. It could be the act of bringing the ax down on a person’s head and breaking it apart. It could be bringing the ax down on a piece of wood and splitting it. This word “schizmata” is used in 1 Corinthians 1:10, which reads, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” “Schizmata” is translated as “divisions” in that verse. God sees division of His church like a ship being torn apart at sea. For someone to cause division in the church is like taking an ax and swinging it down on another Christian’s head. God does not like division in the church. He desires unity. Christians are to all have the same mind in spiritual things. …

Let His Blood Be Upon Us

When the Jewish leaders brought Jesus to Pilate, they wanted Pilate to kill Him. Pilate tried several ways to figure out how not to find Jesus guilty unto death. He finally made them choose between Jesus and a known murderer, Barabbas (Mark 15:7). To his surprise, the Jewish leaders managed to influence the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas (Matthew 27:20). Pilate wanted to know what he should do with Jesus. The crowd cried out that they wanted Him crucified, but they went even further in their insistence that He be killed. It is recorded in Matthew 27:25 that they stated, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” That is a remarkable statement. They wanted it on record that they desired His blood to be shed, and they wanted it known that they took responsibility for it. It is sad that this was not the way Jesus wanted His blood to be used. They took their rejection of His life and love for them as a badge of honor. Jesus intended to shed His blood, but He was doing so to save them. Instead, they rejected Him. Later, the Jewish leaders got extremely angry when an inspired Christian accused them of having Christ’s blood on their hands. In Acts 5:28, the Jews told the apostles to stop bringing Jesus’ blood upon them. This is an amazing indication of hypocrisy. They took responsibility for His death when it was convenient. Then, they wanted to deny their responsibility …

Gains Become Loss

In Philippians 3, Paul wrote to warn Christians that they will have to confront false teachers. These individuals would teach the Gentile Christians that they must be circumcised to be Christians. They also probably taught that some of the other rules and regulations from the Old Testament needed to be followed. Paul told Christians that such teaching is wrong. Paul told them that no one was more Jewish than he was. In verse 5, he itemized things to prove without a shadow of a doubt that he knew exactly what it meant to be a Jew under the Old Law. He was not an Ishmaelite; he was circumcised as an infant. He was not a Hellenized Jew; he spoke Hebrew. He was not just from any tribe, but from Benjamin—the same tribe as Saul, Mordecai and some other famous individuals. He had been one of the 6,000 or fewer Pharisees whose whole intent was to keep all Jewish laws and regulations. He had been so devout that he formerly persecuted Christians. In verse 7, Paul said, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” He had given up all of those prestigious things about his life for his new life in Christ. He no longer thought they were important or binding. The word “gain” is actually in the plural in the Greek. The word “loss” is singular. This gives an even more impressive picture of what Paul said. He considered each prestigious item as an …

Your Fathers Tempted Me Ten Times

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews encouraged Hebrew Christians to remain faithful to Christ. These Christians were being influenced to go back to the Old Law. The writer warned Christians that disobedience brings negative judgment from God. Hebrews 3:8-9 reads, “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.” The specific reference is to Exodus 17 and is a quote of the Septuagint of Psalm 95:8. It describes one of the times after the Israelites came out of Egypt that they complained to God. In Numbers 14:22, God told the Israelites they had tempted Him ten times. Because of the ten times (which is the same number of plagues that God had brought on the Egyptians), God would make them wander for a total of 40 years. (Deuteronomy 2:14 says it was 38 more years from the time God made His statement of condemnation.) God does not specifically mention the ten incidents. However, there are ten incidents recorded (Exodus 6:9-12; 14:10-12; 15:23-26; 16; 17:1-7; 32; Numbers 11:1, 4-33; 12:1-15; 14). We do not know if these are the exact ones that God meant, but it is curious that Moses recorded these. The point is still true: God is patient but will bring negative judgment on those who disobey. He did so under the Old Covenant, and He will do so under the New Covenant. Study your Bible. Learn …

Cybele and the Colossians

The Gentile population of Colossae had several false gods and goddesses that they worshipped. One of the goddesses was Cybele. Cybele was the Phrygian goddess of fertility. She represented the principle of life and reproduction. She was considered by many as the Mother of the Gods. Her crown was a miniature city wall. She was worshipped with cries and shouts associated with clashing cymbals and drums. The Romans introduced an interesting rite to her worship. An initiate was placed in a pit beneath a wooden floor. A bull was sacrificed on the wooden floor. The blood would run through gaps in the floor and drench the initiate. This was thought to cleanse the initiate of sins and signified a rebirth. Cybele became associated with the endless cycle of life, death and rebirth due to having been involved with resurrecting her lover Attis. While Paul did not name any false gods in the letter to the Colossians, some of what he wrote does address false beliefs. In 3:16, Paul gave the proper musical worship toward God. In 1:4-6, Paul made the point that the faith, love and hope of Christ and His church is what produces spiritual fruit. In 1:9-10, he stated that it is the knowledge and wisdom of Christ’s will that makes one fruitful. In 1:14, Paul taught that it is Christ’s blood which gives forgiveness of sins. In 1:16, he said that Christ created the world, and in 1:17, by Christ all things stay together. In 2:12-13, Paul told …

Endurance

Some preachers and teachers tell listeners that being a Christian is very easy. They make it sound like once a person is a Christian, that person will never have troubles. While being a Christian makes it easier to live with life’s problems, being a Christian will not make your life trouble free. God tells us we must have endurance. This means that problems will arise; troubles or situations will still be in our lives. What does God say we need to endure? Hardness – “Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). Affliction – “Endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5). Chastening – “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons” (Hebrews 12:7). Grief – “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief” (1 Peter 2:19). Contradiction – “Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself” (Hebrews 12:3). Temptation – “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation” (James 1:12). All Things – “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake” (2 Timothy 2:10). I am glad we have a God who cares for us. If we lean on Him, He will help us get through the difficult times. This makes it easier to deal with them. We always know that no matter how bad things are on earth for us, things will be so much better for us in Heaven (Romans 8:18). Study your Bible. Learn what is necessary to live …

Light of the World

In John 7, Jesus had been at the Temple during the Feast of the Tabernacles. During the Feast, the priests kept four huge candelabras lit at night. These candelabras were 75 feet high. Each was made of gold. Each had four golden bowls at the top. When lit, the light could be seen all over Jerusalem. Some believe these huge candelabras were to remind the people of the pillar of fire that led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness. When these were lit, men walked in cadence around them while singing hymns and songs of praise. Some Levites would be stationed on the fifteen steps that led into the women’s court and which were considered to correspond to the fifteen psalms of degrees—Psalms 120-134. These Levites played instruments to accompany the songs. At first of dawn of the next morning, the blasts of the priests’ silver trumpets of the army of God, as it advanced with festive trumpet sound and call, would awaken the sleepers of the city. The people on awakening were to utter solemn protest against heathenism. In John 8, we are told that Jesus came to the Temple early on this morning. It is at this moment that the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus to tempt Him with a decision. Jesus did not fall for their deceit. Jesus embarrassed the men, and then Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more. Jesus next said He …

Knit Together

In Colossians 2:2, we read, “That their hearts might be knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ” (KJV). Paul was writing to the Colossians to assure them that the Gospel they had obeyed was the truth. He wanted them to stand against any teachings that stated Christ was not the actual Son of God. He wanted them to know that the truth he received from God was the same truth that Christ and the Father taught. He wanted them to know that the truth they had obeyed was the only spiritual truth. Then, in the verse above, Paul told them that rather than being divided, they needed to be united in love. They needed to stand united in knowing with assurance that they were already receiving the true spiritual riches that can only be found in Christ. The English words “knit together” tend to give a picture of a passive act of joining hands. There is not necessarily anything wrong with that picture, but the Greek word has a basic meaning of driving or forcing things together. With that understanding, one gets a mental picture of Christians having an internal driving force that compels them to join hands. Without joining hands in unity, there is an intense feeling of something lacking. Each Christian would feel incomplete and disjointed unless that knitting together was a reality. The intended strength …

He Made Reconciliation

Hebrews 2:17 says that Jesus was a faithful High Priest in that He made reconciliation for the sins of the people. The word “reconciliation” is a big word that means “to appease.” The Greek word is “hilaskomai.” It refers to the role of offering atonement and making peace. All mankind has sinned. Every person commits sin. Sin separates man from God. There is no peace between God and a sinner. However, Christ made that peace possible. He made reconciliation. He offered the atonement sacrifice. What did He offer? He offered Himself. He was the atonement sacrifice. Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 and Romans 5:11. Both of these Scriptures tell us Jesus is our atonement. He is also the One Who offered the atonement. First John 2:2 and 1 John 4:10 say He is our propitiation. That is another big word. It means “atonement sacrifice.” It comes from the Greek word “hilasmos.” Jesus was the Sacrifice, and He was the One Who sacrificed. He was a Great High Priest who offered Himself so that there could be peace between man and God. Study your Bible. Learn all about our High Priest and Reconciler. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Let Your Love Abound

Most people desire love. Most people want to be loved. Most people want to love someone else. The world has many ideas as to what love is. There are a multitude of books written by men and women about love. They have all kinds of theories and philosophies as to how people can have love. They have various definitions of love. Unfortunately, very few experts or scholars go to the Bible for information on love. God created man and woman. He knows everything there is to know about mankind and love. In Philippians 1:9-10, Paul wrote, “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.” Paul wanted the Philippians to abound in love. The word “abound” is from a Greek word that means “flood.” He wanted the Philippians to live in a flood of love. How would they live in this flood of love? They needed to have a knowledge of Christ and needed to have the judgment that comes from that knowledge. By having those things, they would be able to approve (test) things to know if they were excellent. Having the kind of love that allowed them these skills would make the Philippians pure in the eyes of God. Study your Bible. Learn about the love of Christ. Learn how to have Christ’s love. Apply the Bible’s teachings so that you …

Straight Versus Crooked

In Acts 9, we are told about the conversion of Saul. He had spent a few years doing everything he could to destroy the church. He went into Christians’ homes and dragged them out. He put them in shackles and brought them to prison. He was in total agreement when Stephen was stoned to death. He agreed when other Christians were given death sentences. He received letters of authority from the High Priest and the Sanhedrin to go to Damascus to arrest Christians. As Saul was nearing the city of Damascus, Jesus appeared to him. He was instructed to go into Damascus to find what he needed to do to obey Jesus. Our Lord told him to find a man named Judas who lived on Straight street and stay there. The irony of the man’s name cannot be missed. Judas was the name of the apostle who betrayed Jesus. This was not that Judas, because that Judas killed himself. Yet, Saul was going to be converted in a house owned by a man named Judas. Saul was in a house on a street named Straight. Saul was not living a straight and a righteous life. He was living a crooked spiritual life. However, he was about to be straightened out. There is an interesting passage in the Old Testament that Saul would have known. One wonders if, during the three days he was waiting and praying in Judas’ house, he thought of it. Isaiah 42:16 reads, “And I will bring …

Don’t Move the Furniture

In Acts 15:24, we read, “Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment.” Gentile Christians in Antioch had trouble. Some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem traveled to Antioch and taught that the Gentiles had to be circumcised. They also taught them they had to keep many other things in the Mosaic Law. Some of the Gentiles evidently were being convinced to start following the Mosaic Law. To turn from the Law of Christ to follow the Law of Moses was sinful. A Christian has promised to obey Christ. A person cannot obey Christ and obey Moses. The Law of Moses was nailed to the cross with Christ. Christ fulfilled that law. In the verse above, we notice that the false teachers were “subverting” souls. The Greek word for “subverting” had several usages. One of those was for moving furniture. The furniture in this instance is the souls of Christians. The souls of Christians are in the Temple of God, the church. To leave the church and go to the Law of Moses was taking the furniture out of the Temple built by Jesus. There is no salvation to any furniture not in the Temple. Study your Bible. Learn how to be a Christian. Obey Christ. And always keep your furniture in the church. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to …

God’s Providence and a Widow

The prophet Elisha traveled the country of Palestine. One place he stayed on numerous occasions and grew to have a friendly relationship with was the home of a Shunamite woman and her elderly husband. They gave him food and even built a guest room on their roof for him. The woman did not have any children, but Elisha promised her a son. At the appointed time, she had a son. When the son was just a lad, he fell sick and died. Elisha raised him from the dead. Later, there was a great famine in the land. Elisha told the woman to leave the land until the famine was over in seven years. When the woman and her son returned, her land and home had been taken over by someone. Evidently, they did not want to give her what was legally hers. She decided to go to the king and ask for his intervention. The fact that she was the one asking indicates her husband was dead. (Remember, he was elderly before the son was born.) King Jehoram was not a good king. He did not follow God’s commandments. So why would Jehoram consider and care for this lowly Shunamite woman? He probably would not have except at that moment he had asked Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, to tell him about the marvelous things Elisha had done. Gehazi was telling the king about Elisha raising a woman’s son from the dead. Gehazi recognized the woman and told Jehoram that …

Breathing In

Before the apostle Paul was converted to Christianity, his name was Saul. Saul was a devout Jew who believed Christians were Jewish apostates. He believed they were practicing a false religion. He believed they had left God and were worshipping a false teacher, Jesus. He persecuted Christians. He went into their homes and dragged them off to prison. He took pleasure in the death of Christians. In Acts 9:1, we read, “And Saul, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest.” Notice that Saul was involved in threats and killing of Christians. It says he was ‘breathing out’ these things. The Greek actually gives a deeper message with those words. The Greek means he was ‘breathing these things in.’ He was not just doing these things. His life was completely involved in and devoted to these things. Just as his life was dependent on breathing in oxygen to live, his spiritual life was dependent on his persecution of Christians. Saul had a one-track mind. He believed that to be a true follower of God, to be a true Jew, he had to destroy the church; he had to destroy Christians. How sad that he had this understanding. He knew the Old Testament Scriptures, but he refused to accept that Christ had fulfilled them. There are people living today who hate Christians. There are people who want to destroy the church. They literally ‘live’ or ‘breath in’ that hatred. Hopefully, someone will be …

Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Matthew 23:37 reads, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not?” The name “Jerusalem” means city of peace. Yet, Jesus said that this city of peace had killed prophets and others sent to them by God. The very city that should have been at peace with God had continually turned its back on God. It had refused to listen to Him. In the verse, the words “killest” and “stonest” are in the present tense. This means that these were not things done solely in the past. These things were still being done. Jesus had come to bring peace by bringing salvation to man. By giving a way of covering sin, man could be at peace with God. Yet, Jerusalem refused to listen. Jesus was the highest prophet ever to live on the Earth. He knew they were going to kill Him. Study your Bible. Learn how to be at peace with God. Do not be like those in Jerusalem who refused to listen. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

The Gift of Giving

In 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul discussed the grace of giving. The Corinthians had vowed to send money to those in need. Almost a year had passed, and it had not been sent. Paul commended them for being spiritual but said they also needed to fulfill their vow. Intentions were good, but they were empty if not fulfilled. In Chapter 8, he said the Macedonians had a great gift of grace by giving when they were in poverty. He said the Corinthians could learn a lesson from them. He, then, used God’s great gift of Jesus Christ as the ultimate example (8:9). Jesus became poor so that man could become rich. Jesus had all things when in Heaven, but he gave that up so that we might be rich. Paul closed Chapter 9 with these verses. “And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” This is almost a parallel to Chapter 8:7-9. He was saying that he was confident that the Corinthians would fulfill their vow with the great grace of God in their giving. Further, he emphasized the importance of such graceful giving by giving thanks to God for His great gift of Jesus Christ to man. Some people do not like to hear sermons on giving. Yet, God gave Jesus to us. The least we can do is to give bountifully back to Him. We do this by giving on the …

Rejoicing Heart

Everyone wants to be happy. No one likes being unhappy. Happiness makes a person feel good. It has even been documented with research that those who are happy tend to be physically healthier. There are all sorts of books that have been written telling people how to be happy. One can go into any bookstore and find some of these books. Yet, there is one book that is better than any of the others. The Bible is the ultimate source for happiness. Psalm 33:21 reads, “For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.” The source of joy for all individuals should be a trust in God. Trust in God means that a person depends on God. Depending on God involves knowing what He wants and what He supplies. God supplies the principles of life that bring mental and spiritual happiness. Learning those principles and applying them to one’s life indicates trust in God. Then, happiness rules one’s life. Study God’s Word. Learn all you can from God. Apply those things to your life. Let God bring you happiness. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

The Sprout

Have you ever seen a small, new growth coming out of a stump? Or, have you ever seen a new tree just beginning to grow out of the ground? These plants are called sprouts when they are just beginning to grow. In Isaiah 11:1-2, we read, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” The word “rod” in the first verse comes from a Hebrew word for “sprout.” These verses are a prophecy about Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is the sprout growing out of Jesse. Jesus is the one who had the wisdom, understanding, counsel and might of God. It is interesting that in Matthew 2:23 we learn Jesus grew up in Nazareth. This was to fulfill a prophecy that He would be called a Nazarene. What is very interesting about the name Nazareth is that it comes from the same root word for “sprout.” So, Jesus was not only a sprout coming out of Jesse, but He grew up in a town with a name meaning “sprout.” I am glad that we have the Bible. God gave it to us so that we could learn about His plan for the salvation of man. If we read the Bible, we can see how God …

A Faithful Priest

In 2 Peter 3:5, we are told that Christians are a holy priesthood. Every Christian is a priest (Revelation 1:6). Under the Mosaical Law, only men could be priests. However, women and men are priests in the church. Every person, whether black or white or Chinese or Egyptian or able to walk or paralyzed, can be a priest if the person becomes a Christian. We know that the priests under the Old Law performed sacrifices. The sacrifices they gave to God were animals in many cases. An animal had to be killed and placed on the altar. Christians perform sacrifices as well. Christians do not kill animals and place them on an altar. Instead, Christians pray, sing and give. Those go up to God as sweet-smelling sacrifices. Christians also make themselves living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Some professed Christians say that there really is nothing a person has to do once a person is a Christian. They say there are no works, commandments or regulations that God requires. That was not the case under the Old Law, and that is not the case under the New Law either. God has always required service and obedience. Even under the Patriarchal Law, individuals had to be obedient. This obedience principle is stated very well in 1 Samuel 2:35, where it says, “And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; …

Fathers Provoke Not

Colossians 3:21 reads, “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.” Men tend to have a harsh or hard tone to their voices. Men tend to be stricter in what they want and when they want things. Men tend to have short tempers. This is not true for every man, but it is more likely a man will have these problems than a woman. In the context of our verse above, Paul gave rules by which people should live. They are not suggestions. They are imperatives, meaning they must be followed. Specifically, the apostle addressed wives, husbands, children, fathers and servants. Fathers need to be careful in their dealings with their children. They should not rule their children in such a way that the child is discouraged. The word “provoke” is from a Greek word that means one creates and arouses anger or wrongful strong emotions. The father in this instance, is one who always finds wrong or shortcomings in the child. The father does not hesitate to always negatively criticize the child. There is very little protective and positive reinforcement from the father. The father is not necessarily angry. In fact, the father may think he is helping the child by pointing out the child’s perceived failures. This behavior will make the child angry. The child’s creativity, imagination, determination and will to succeed is severely harmed or destroyed. More importantly, the child’s spiritual world is harmed. The child may see the father as being a hypocrite …

Known Since a Child

We read in 2 Timothy 3:15, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Paul was encouraging Timothy to continue living and teaching the things pertaining to Jesus Christ. He wanted Timothy to remember all that he had been taught when he was growing up. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Timothy was reminded of the wonderful faith that his mother and grandmother had. In 2 Timothy 1:13, he was reminded that those things were sound words in Christ Jesus. In 2 Timothy 2:2, he was encouraged to teach those things to other people. In 2 Timothy 3:14, Timothy was reminded that he was assured of these things at one time, and he was reminded of those who taught him and brought this assurance. In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul commanded Timothy to use the Word to reprove, to rebuke and to exhort other Christians. Timothy was to use the Scriptures for this purpose because they were given to him for that purpose (2 Timothy 3:16-17). In the midst of this encouragement and reminder to Timothy is the verse quoted above. Notice that Timothy was taught the truth from the time he was a “child.” The Greek word used indicates the teaching began when he was a baby. In fact, the word can refer to the baby still in the mother’s womb. Timothy’s mother and grandmother did not wait until he was old enough to …

Word of Truth

“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18). Christians are the first fruits of God. This means that we are special in His sight. The verse above states that we become special through the “word of truth.” God’s Word is never false. It will never lead a person the wrong way. Proverbs 30:5 states that the Word of God is pure. It is not anything but the Truth. It is not a mixture of some good thoughts and some bad thoughts. It is not a mixture of truth and some things that might be good or bad. It is completely good. In the Old Testament, this Word of truth is called the Word of the Lord numerous times. Almost everyone agrees that the Word of the Lord demanded obedience. There are many examples of people being punished by God for not following His laws. Yet, there are many people today who say that the Word of God does not need to be followed. They will say that the Word of God in the New Testament is too hard to understand. Some will say it is in God talk and cannot be understood. They will say that God does not expect us to understand it. These same people say there are no commandments that must be followed today. They will say that if a person has good intentions, then God will accept that person. However, the verse …

Jesus Advanced

Luke 2:52, “And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” This verse is at the end of the retelling of His trip to Jerusalem when He was 12-years-old. He went with his parents to observe the Passover. After His parents fulfilled their responsibilities, they started traveling back to Nazareth. After a day and a half, they realized that Jesus was not with the caravan. They returned to Jerusalem to look for him. They found him in the Temple sitting with the doctors of the law. He was asking and answering questions. His parents stated their anxiety toward Him by stating they sought Him “sorrowing.” They did not understand His extreme interest and yearning to know the Father’s will. He was a carpenter’s son, but he wanted to know the Scriptures. Yet, His desire to formally study the Scriptures did not stop him from obeying His parents. In verse 51 we read, “And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them…” That is when our verse above is revealed. In the verse, the word “advanced” is the Greek word derived from the act of pioneers cutting down trees in front of an advancing army. Jesus hewed down all obstacles in the way of his growing mind. The use of this word lets us know that Jesus expended great effort in growing in wisdom and stature. He gave a great deal of energy in making sure He was right with God …

Lay the Foundation

In Luke 6, Jesus paralleled hearing His sayings to digging down to get to rock. It was necessary to find rock so that the foundation of the house could be put on it. In verse 47, Jesus talked about the man who hears and then does what he hears. Then, in verse 48, Jesus said such a man is like the man building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation. The foundation sits and is affixed to the rock. It is possible to dig down to the rock, and then just build the house on the rock without creating a conventional foundation. Then, when an earthquake or a severe flood occurs, the house would move on the rock and probably even collapse. Sometimes the foundation was made of more rock, and sometimes it was made of substances like concrete. This foundation was attached to the rock by some method. It was not simply placed on the rock base. Our actions in doing God’s Word is the process of building and properly affixing our spiritual foundation to the Rock. The more we put His Word into action, the better our foundation and the better it is affixed to the Rock. Our spiritual house, our life, will be built on the foundation, which is attached to the Rock. The bigger and the better we desire our lives to be, the bigger and the better affixed our foundation must be. If at any time we attempt to build our house bigger …

God Is One

Jesus declared that He and His Father were one in John 10:30. He did not mean that they were the same person. He meant they were united in purpose, plan and thought. This was clarified when He stated, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father… believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” (John 14:9-10). They were so united that seeing one meant the other had been seen. They spoke the same thing. They meant the same thing. They thought the same thing. This idea of unity of the Godhead was revealed in the Old Testament. There are two Hebrew words for “one.” One of those words is yo-chid. This word is used for absolute aloneness, single and individual. An example of this word being used is when God told Abram to take his only son (Genesis 22:2). The word “only” is yo-chid. Isaac was the only son living with Abram. The other Hebrew word is e-chod. This word has the idea of unity. It is used to refer to at least two, but with oneness in thought, action, or expression. A verse to show this usage is Genesis 2:24, where it is said a man and a woman leave parents and become one flesh. Marriage is being addressed. The man and the woman do not literally fuse together into one person. They join together in thought and action. The word e-chod is always the word used in the Old Testament when referring to God. There can …

Forgiveness

The Jewish leaders considered themselves as holy. They considered themselves better than other Jews. They became self-righteous. They had gotten to the point where they did not think they had to forgive others if their honor had been attacked. “If the disciple of a wise man be despised or reviled publicly, it is unlawful for him to forgive any affront to his honor; and if he forgive, he is to be punished, for this is a contempt of the law. He is on the contrary to avenge and keep the thing in mind, like a serpent, until the offender entreat to be forgiven” (Practical Lessons from the Experience of Israel. F.C. Gilbert, 1902, p.68). In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus stated, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” According to Jesus, forgiveness is important. A person should never have the attitude that forgiveness is a weakness or a sin. Forgiveness is more important than personal honor. Study your Bible. Learn all that Jesus has to teach. Obey Jesus. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

A Lovely Song, But…

God created mankind with a love for music. The first reference given regarding music is Genesis 4:21 (NKJV) where Jubal is noted as the father of all who handle the harp and the flute. People love to be entertained by music. Song writers tell stories and fables through song. People can listen and fantasize about being in the story, yet, the listeners never have to actually live out what the songs say. God sent numerous prophets to Israel. Through them God attempted to get the Israelites to come back to Him. He loved them and wanted them to be saved. He strongly desired to be in the proper covenant relationship with them. Sometimes, the Israelites would not listen at all to what a prophet said. At other times, they would listen intently and repent. Still other times, they would listen closely but not repent. Ezekiel 33: 31-32 reads: So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. The Israelites listened to Ezekiel and thought that his speeches and sermons were interesting. They took pleasure in listening to him, but they had no intention …

A Holy Priesthood

Jesus is the High Priest for Christians (Hebrews 4:14). Since He is the High Priest, there must be a priesthood. Peter tells us that Christians are the priesthood. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). God has said that He is holy, and therefore, we should be holy (Leviticus 20:26). Since we are a priesthood, and we are to be holy, we are a holy priesthood. What do priests do? Under the Mosaic Law, they were the ones who put sacrifices on the Altar. They presented all sacrifices to God. Christians present sacrifices to God as well. Yet, these are not physical sacrifices. These are spiritual sacrifices. It is spiritual sacrifices that God wants now. Further, God the Father accepts only sacrifices made through Jesus. This means one must be a Christian to make sacrifices. This holy priesthood was prophesied. In Isaiah 61:6, we read, “But ye shall be named the priests of the Lord: men shall call you the ministers of our God…” This demonstrates that the church made up of Christians is the plan God had. The church is not something that God decided to make because His original plan failed. He had His prophet Isaiah tell about it. Study your Bible. Learn how to be a Christian. Become a holy priest of God. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help …

Made Havoc

Before the apostle Paul became a Christian, he persecuted Christians. At that time, his name was Saul. From a young age, Saul was against Christianity. He stood guard over the garments of those who stoned Stephen to death (Acts 7:58). Acts 8:1 tells us that he was “consenting” to Stephen’s death. The Greek word translated “consenting” means that he took pleasure in Stephen’s death. Acts 8:3 tells us that Saul went after Christians. He went into their homes and dragged them out. He committed Christians to prison. He did this to men and women. The fact that he went after women shows how much he despised Christians. We are also told he “made havoc” of the church. The Greek word translated “havoc” was used in two different ways by those living at the time. It was used to refer to disease that attacked and destroyed the body. It was also used to describe the destruction that wild animals caused to crops, animals or people. So, God had recorded that Saul was like a terrible disease that led to death, and that Saul was like a wild animal. Later in life, after his name was changed to Paul and he was a Christian, Paul would say that he had been a horrible sinner. He was so sad for all the bad things that he had done. At the time he was making havoc of the church, he thought he was doing the will of God. This teaches us that we must …

Christ’s Resurrection

The birth, life and death of Jesus Christ are of great importance to mankind. Yet, without His resurrection, those things would have no meaning for man’s salvation. There are numerous ways that His resurrection has meaning. His resurrection means that He is Lord both of the living and of the dead (Romans 14:8-9). His power and His Lordship is not nullified when we die. He lives in Heaven and is Lord over all who have died. This tells us that a part of us survives death and that part has a mind. His resurrection is a pledge that we do have an inheritance in Heaven (1 Peter 1:3). He is ruling in heaven, and He will not forget those who serve and obey Him. His resurrection is the proof that He will resurrect us (Romans 8:11). We do not have to doubt our resurrection. His resurrection guarantees that the righteous who have died since the beginning of the world will be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). All the righteous will come out of their graves to new lives. His resurrection assures us that we will see all the righteous in Heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:14). All the righteous will live in Heaven with Jesus Christ. His resurrection is the ultimate example of God’s power (Ephesians 1:19-20). That power is granted to all who live for Jesus. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead will be used to raise us into new lives at baptism. It will also be used to …

His Father Ran to Him

In Luke 15, Jesus told a parable about a young man who decided to leave his family and his home. The young man had a very good father. He lived in a very nice home. His family was wealthy. There was no reason for him to leave home. However, the young man did not just leave home. He asked his father to give him his inheritance. This was a terrible thing to do. A father could decide to give a son his inheritance early. It might be done if the father thought his son would be better if he left home. This was a rare occurrence. It, though, was a horrible thing for a son to ask for his inheritance. This was equal to saying he wished his father was dead. The young man’s loving father did as his son asked. It must have been a very emotional thing for the father to do this. He had loved his son as best he could, but the son basically said he hated his father. The young fellow left and wasted away the money in a short time. He initially made friends because of his money, but when his wealth was gone, he had no friends. He became poor and homeless. He decided to go back to his father. He made up his mind that he would ask to be a slave. At least he would have something to eat and a place to sleep. His father saw him from a distance. …

Bishops

“Bishop” is another word to identify an elder in the church. There are several ways to know this, and the usage in Philippians 1:1 is one way to know. The bishops and deacons are addressed by Paul along with all the saints. If bishops were something different than elders, it would bring up the question of why Paul ignored the elders in his salutation. Elders are the leaders of the church. They are to care for the flock. They are responsible for properly feeding the flock. They are to be the leaders in defending the truth. The word in our verse translated bishop is “episkopoi.” This word means to oversee and direct or to superintend. In secular usage it described those responsible for overseeing and guiding a newly acquired territory. In the first century, the church was definitely a newly acquired spiritual territory by Jesus Christ. What is of particular interest is that our verse is the first usage of this word in chronological time in the New Testament. It was used for the elders in Philippi. This was the first congregation established in Europe. Paul had not intended to go there on his second missionary journey. He wanted to go to Asia. However, the Holy Spirit directed him to go east. Then, Paul wanted to go north to the south coast of the Black Sea. Instead, he got a vision of a man asking him to come to Macedonia to help people there. So, Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke …

Agnostics in the Church

“Awake to righteousness, and sin not: for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34). An agnostic is someone who says he does not know. He says something could be possible but he cannot know for sure. What most people consider a religious agnostic is someone who says he does not know if there is a God—and he really does not care. Yet, in our verse above, we find other agnostics. In the context of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul gave the assurance that Jesus was raised from the dead. There were Christians in Corinth teaching that Jesus had not risen from the dead. Paul gave several arguments against such false teaching. Paul said that they need to avoid believing such doctrine. He warned that those who already believed such needed to awake to righteousness. They needed to come to the truth. The Greek word that is translated “have not the knowledge” is the word from which we get “agnostic.” There were Christians in the church at Corinth who were against proper knowledge. They evidently were saying they could not know if Christ had been raised, and possibly they did not care. Yet, Paul pointed out that such belief undermines all New Testament teaching. Paul wrote that a person cannot be such an agnostic and be saved. Study your Bible. Be assured that Christ died and was raised from the dead. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to …

Becometh the Gospel of Christ

In Philippians 1:27 Paul wrote, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ…” Paul desired that the Philippians act in a certain way. He wanted their behavior to be as a Christian’s should be. It does not make much sense for Paul to tell the Philippians that they needed to act a certain way if there was no way to know how to act. The word “conversation” refers to a duty as a citizen. Duty implies responsibility. It also implies that a rule of some kind must be involved. The word ‘becometh’ is from a Greek word meaning weighed. It means one thing’s weight equals another’s weight. The inspired Paul was saying that the Christian’s manner of life should be in equal weight to the Gospel of Christ. This means that the Christian’s life will be compared to the Gospel. There is a device known as a balance. It has a place on one side to put weights. On the other side one puts an item for which he wants to know its weight. It is necessary to keep putting weights on the opposite side until it balances with the item. Then, you add up the weights to know how much the item weighs. Paul was giving such a picture of a person’s life. One’s life is on one side and the Gospel is on the other side. Paul said the child of God’s goal is to equalize his life with the Gospel. This was not …

Names of the Lord in Acts 8

Acts 8 tells us about the persecution that the Christians in Jerusalem underwent. They had to flee from Jerusalem and spread out to many other places. The chapter also tells about the preaching of Philip. It further tells us about the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. We are also told about the conversion of Simon the Sorcerer. Within the context of those accounts, we are given several different names or titles of our Lord, the second person of the Godhead. In verse 5, Philip was preaching Christ. In verse 12, he was preaching about Jesus Christ. In verse 16, we are told that the Samaritans had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. In verse 20, we are told that Peter was able to pass on the gift of God, miraculous powers. In verse 32, Jesus is represented as a sheep and a lamb. In verse 25, He is referred to as simply Lord. In verse 35, He is simply called Jesus. In verse 37, the eunuch said he believed that Jesus is the Son of God. In verse 26, it is very likely that Jesus is referred to as the angel of the Lord. In the Old Testament, there are several instances where this designation is for the second person of the Godhead. Notice in this context it is not “an” angel of the Lord but “the” angel of the Lord. A specific individual is indicated. The word “angel” means “messenger.” Jesus is the Messenger, the Word. …

God’s Love

Everyone wants to be loved. A person wants to know that someone cares. God loves everyone. God is the God of love. He gave us the Bible so that we could learn about His love. God’s love is great. Paul told the Ephesians (2:4) that God’s great love was manifested in His rich mercy. His love is a giving love. In John 3:16, we are told that God so loved us that He gave us His only begotten Son. It is because of this that we have hope of everlasting life. His love is an everlasting love. It will never cease. In Jeremiah 31:3, the Lord told Jeremiah that He had loved Israel with an everlasting love. Because of this love, we are drawn to Him by His loving kindness. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Paul, in Romans 8:35, said that no tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword could separate us from the love of Christ. If we are in contact with the love of God, we have no fear of the Judgment Day. The perfect love of being in Christ casts all fear of that Day away (1 John 4:16-18). Study your Bible. Learn what God wants you to do to be in contact with His love. Obey Him. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

The Egyptian Serpent

You are probably familiar with the recording of Moses and the plagues on Egypt. God sent Moses to confront Pharaoh and bring Israel out of Egypt. Aaron was sent as Moses’ spokesman. In Exodus 7, God told Moses and Aaron that Aaron would perform a miracle in front of Pharaoh to prove that they were sent by God. Aaron was to throw his rod down and it was to become a serpent. When the time came, indeed, Aaron threw his rod on the ground and it became a serpent. Pharaoh called his wise men and sorcerers, and they did the same thing with their rods. Their rods became serpents. However, then, something marvelous happened. Aaron’s serpent ate up all of the Egyptians’ serpents. The Egyptian sorcerers were known for doing magic tricks with serpents. They could make serpents stiffen up and become like rods. It was not unusual for them to do such tricks as making a rod turn into a serpent. God knew this. Moses knew this because he had been reared as a Pharaoh’s grandson. Yet, it was not normal for a foreigner’s serpent to swallow up the Egyptian sorcerers’ serpents. It should be understood that the serpent was a sacred symbol to the Egyptians. Pharaoh had a serpent on his crown. The Hebrew word used in Exodus 7:9-10, tannin, was the word for this serpent. This Hebrew word was not used in Exodus 7:15, in reference to when Moses threw his rod down in front of the burning …

Don’t Let Slip

The author of Hebrews warned about letting the Gospel slip. Hebrews 2:1 reads, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” The writer was speaking to Christians. They were being warned that they could lose the blessings of being Christians. They could let slip the instructions, as well as the grace and the mercy associated with them. The Greek word for “let slip” means to “allow to flow by or glide by.” It was used in the secular sense for a ring that slipped off a finger. It was also used for snow slipping off a soldier’s body, and it was used for being swept along past an anchor that was within reach. So, you can see that it means a separation from something. It is clear that God was letting Christians know that they could lose their salvation and become separated from God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). The Greek for “earnest heed” was also used for mooring a ship. So, the author said to moor our ship to Christ. We must not let our faith slip away from Him. Many professed Christians believe that a person is always saved once that person becomes a Christian. The inspired author of Hebrews disagrees. Study your Bible. Learn all you can about Christ and His salvation. Make sure that you always stay moored to Christ. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult …

Sun and Shield

Psalm 84 is a song about desiring the Lord and the blessings obtained from the Lord. The author says it is wonderful to be in the house of the Lord. It is wonderful to dwell there. It is wonderful to praise Him there. A man’s strength can be found in the Lord. One man can give strength to another man if they dwell in the house of the Lord. The author asks God to look down upon him. He calls God his shield. The author says one day in the Lord’s court is better than a thousand anywhere else. The author would rather be a lowly doorman in God’s house than dwell in the magnificent tents of a wicked man. Then in verse 11, we read, “For the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” There is a parallelism used in the verse. Sun is equal to grace. The sun represents the warmth and growth inducing light that comes from God through His grace. Only through His grace do we have the Bible so that we can know what to do to please Him. Only from His grace do we have the opportunity to contact the blood of Christ and be acceptable in His sight. Shield is equal to glory. The shield represents His Kingship. As soldiers in His army, we are allowed to carry the shield that protects us from harm that …

Jesse’s Legacy

Jesse was a native of Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16:1) and was of the tribe of Judah. He was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth, and the son of Obed. Jesse’s three oldest sons fought with Saul’s army against the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:13). The prophet Samuel was impressed with all of Jesse’s children (1 Samuel 16:6). Evidently, Jesse was a simple sheepherder. Nothing is written about him being of any importance within the people of Israel. He was not wealthy. He did not have power. David’s enemies even used the phrase “son of Jesse” in a derogatory manner toward him. However, as we have pointed out, Jesse’s sons were of high character. Some had fought for Saul. All of them impressed Samuel. His son David is said to be “a man after [God’s] own heart” (Acts 13:22). These things show that Jesse was a good father. He had reared his children with a proper reverence of God and His Word. Jesse did not serve God because he expected wealth and power to come from such service. Jesse quietly served God because he loved God. He instilled this servant attitude into his children. Jesse did not become famous throughout history for his great military, economic or political success. He became famous because God tells us about his success as a father and because one of his children did become great. God chose David as King because of the character that his father had instilled in him. Most young men and women …

Leave Your Name for a Curse

Almost everyone would like to be remembered for something. Some would like to be remembered for their singing voices. Some would like to be remembered for great acts of service. Some would like to be remembered for being smart. Some would like to be remembered for inventions they made. Christians want to be remembered for serving God. They want to be remembered for helping others go to heaven. They want to be remembered for demonstrating Christ in their lives. In Isaiah 65:15, we read, “And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name.” Isaiah was condemning the wickedness of the Israelites. The Israelites considered themselves as God’s people. Yet, they believed that they could not be condemned. They thought they could do anything they wanted and still be given blessings by God. They actually thought that they would be remembered for generations as the kind of people God wanted. But Isaiah told them that they would not be remembered with a good name. They would be remembered as cursed by God. They were going to die by the hand of God. God was going to completely reject them. Make sure you will be remembered with a good name. Do not leave your name as a curse. Study your Bible. Obey what it says. Help others to learn the truth, and if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help …

Jesus’ Temptations

Almost everyone that knows about Jesus has some knowledge about Satan tempting Him after He had not eaten for 40 days. Satan tried three different ways to tempt Jesus (Luke 4). Of course, Jesus was able to resist the temptations and quoted Scripture to Satan. However, many people do not think about how Jesus may have been tempted during the rest of His ministry. He was followed and troubled by the Jewish leaders. He was constantly asked for help and healing by the multitudes that followed Him. He rarely got enough sleep. Those are just some of the ways He was tried and tempted. We read in Luke 22:28, “Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.” This was stated to the apostles. They were not with Him in the desert when Satan tempted Him. They were not with Him for the 30 years before His ministry began. So, Jesus was talking about the years of His ministry. This helps us understand Hebrews 4:15, which reads, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Even on the cross, Jesus was tempted by the Jewish rulers. They mocked Him as the Son of God and stated that if He really was the Son of God that He would save Himself. Yet, Jesus knew His mission and remained focused on it. He needed to die so that …

In Remembrance of Me

“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped saying, This is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). Paul was writing the Corinthians about some problems they were having in the church. The last half of Chapter 11 deals with the Lord’s Supper and the abuse of it. The Corinthians were eating it like a regular meal rather than doing it as a memorial of Jesus. Some of the Corinthians were quickly eating the Supper before others could even be present. Paul said that the Lord’s Supper is eaten to remember Christ. We partake of the bread to remember His body. We partake of the juice to remember His blood shed on the cross. It is interesting that the Greek word translated “remembrance” can have a particular inference. While it can be used as a synonym for other words meaning to remember something, this word can carry the idea that the remembering comes from the individual rather than an external force or action bringing a remembrance to mind. In other words, we remember Christ’s body and blood given on the cross, and this gives us the motive to eat the Lord’s Supper. If this inference is present in our text, it means …

Blood Made Peace

There are professed Christian leaders who say that Jesus failed to establish His kingdom. They say that Christ came to establish an earthly kingdom. Since Jesus failed, He had to establish the church. However, Paul’s letters show this to be a false idea. Colossians 1:20 tells us that peace was made between God and man through the blood of Jesus. This was done to reconcile all things. It makes no sense that Jesus failed in His mission but still died to reconcile all things. If He has reconciled all things, why would something else be needed later to reconcile them? In verse eighteen, Paul said that Jesus is the Head of the church. He wrote that Jesus is the firstborn. This is a reference to him as the Creator and the most important One Who rose from the dead. Having done both, He is preeminent in all. This means that He is above all things. Yet, that would make no sense if He had actually failed in His mission on earth. He would not have preeminence on earth if He failed. Satan would have that on earth, but Jesus defeated Satan in His resurrection. Verse thirteen says saints are in the kingdom. Since Jesus is Head of His body – the church, the kingdom must be the church. So, from this we know that whatever allows one to be in the church allows one to be in the kingdom. Verse twenty tells us it is through the blood of the …

Thoughts on the Death of Jesus

God knows the difference between right and wrong,We should live for Him, though our lives are long, We’ve suffered here for many years,Though Jesus went through more than tears, They whipped Him and beat Him until He died,Then they shoved a spear through His side, But now He’s up on God’s right side,Up in heaven so fair and bright, Trust and obey, we can go too,Lord I will live my life for you. Deserae Cobb (age 10)

The Dayspring

The father of John the Baptizer, Zacharias, gave a very interesting speech at the circumcision of John. He said that his son would prepare the way for the Highest (meaning the Christ). Then in Luke 1:78, he stated, “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us.” Zacharias called Jesus “the dayspring.” The Greek word translated as “dayspring” refers to the springing of the sun over the horizon each day. It is translated “east” several times in the Scriptures. The wise men who came to visit Jesus when He was a small child came from the “east.” That is the same word used for Jesus by Zacharias. It is interesting that those from the east came to see the One called the East – the Dayspring. The special star they saw which declared that he had been born led them to the True Star that would bring a new spiritual day. Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). He brings light to those in the darkness of sin (John 1:5; 3:19). He wants all men and women to come to Him. Zacharias said that Jesus would bring us to peace. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. Only through Him can we have peace with the Father. Study your Bible. Learn all you can about the Dayspring. Obey what He wants you to do. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Bearing Fruit

You are probably familiar with various types of fruit. You have probably eaten strawberries, bananas, oranges, apples and blackberries. All of these are very tasty. They can even be pleasant and fun to eat. Imagine if you had a fruit tree or vine that went several years without producing any fruit. Would you want to keep taking care of that tree or vine? You expect it to produce fruit. You would probably cut the tree down or pull up the vine and plant a new one. The tree or vine is useless if it does not produce fruit. In Colossians 1:5-6, we read, “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.” Notice that Paul says the Colossians produced fruit. They did this from the time they accepted the Gospel. The Gospel is the Truth. It is the Word of God. One must have the truth; one must have the Word of God; one must have the Gospel in order to produce fruit for God. Without the Gospel, fruit cannot be produced. In John 15:16, Jesus said that His disciples are supposed to produce fruit. This fruit was a lasting fruit. There are two types of spiritual fruit. …

Water Springing Up

During times of drought, men will look everywhere for water. Many times they will dig wells trying to find water. Sometimes they may have to dig very deep to get water. Without water, men die. Water is absolutely necessary to live. When water is finally found after digging, there is great excitement. Even if there is not very much, those finding it will greatly appreciate it. If a large underground stream is found, the water may gush upward like a large fountain. It may be like a geyser. When that happens, the joy can hardly be surpassed. When this happens, men know that there will be enough water for the present as well as for the future. In the spiritual world, most people are living in a dry desert. They will search and search for something to give them peace of mind. They search for the thing or things that will help them understand why they are alive. They will read all kinds of books to figure out how to get along with other people. They will look far and wide to find out how to have proper family relations. In John 4:14, Jesus said, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” The water that Jesus gives is spiritual. He has given us the Bible. He gave us the Scriptures that give …

A Letter to the Youth

Nowadays many of the youth are thinking that preaching the Gospel is just only the job for adults as Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 1:6, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” Yet, note what God said in the following verse. “But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am only a youth”; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak’” (Jeremiah 1:7 ESV). According to this verse, we are not to say, “I am just a youth. I do not know much about God. So how could I preach these deep words to others? Even I myself do not understand very well.” After noticing the above sentence, there are some questions we should consider. These are: “Do we know God?” “Do we know that He loves us?” “Do we know Jesus Christ?” “Do we know what He has done for us?” Our answer will be, “Yes, I do.” So then, why don’t we help others who do not know God to know God, His love, His son Jesus Christ and what Jesus has done for us? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We all are familiar with this verse, and some can recite it very well. However, have we ever considered the meaning of this verse with …

Hold Oneself Back

There was a comedian years ago who partly became famous for a phrase he used in his act: “The devil made me do it.” His act made many people laugh. Unfortunately, many individuals today seriously make such a claim. They do not want to take responsibility for any action they take. They may say that the Devil made them do it. Or, they may say society made them do it. Or, they may say that their parents made them do it. Or, they may say their friends made them do it. In 1 Thessalonians 5:22, we read, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” The word ‘abstain’ in the Greek is a word that means “to hold back” or “to keep off.” This word is in the middle voice in this verse. That means it could be translated as “to hold one’s self off.” God says we have responsibility for our actions. We are not made to act a certain way by anyone. We make the choice to act. Therefore, we must accept responsibility for our actions. God will not accept the excuse that someone else made us do it. We are to keep ourselves from every appearance of evil. Study your Bible. Learn all you can from it so that you can obey God. Learn to do what is right. Keep yourself, and hold back yourself from all evil. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Keep Under My Body

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27). In this letter, Paul was writing to the Corinthians. These Christians were having problems with thinking that the freedom they had in Christ allowed them to do things they should not do. They also thought that they did not need to consider what other Christians thought of their choices. They thought their freedom gave them the right to do what they wanted to do. In Chapter Nine, Paul told them that the freedom in Christ did not give them the right to do anything they wanted to do. He said that he had the same freedom, but that he made choices based on whether it was allowed by Christ and whether it would offend others. If a choice would offend Christ or others, he did not choose it. In the verse above, the words “keep under” come from a Greek word that was used to describe getting a black eye in the sport of boxing. Thus, Paul was stating that he was willing to mentally bruise and give a black eye to his body for the cause of Christ. It was better to hurt inside from not doing something one wanted to do than to offend Christ or another person. Study your Bible. Obey Christ. Keep under your body for the cause of Christ. If any of this is …

Behold the Man

The prophet Zechariah prophesied around 518 B.C. to the Israelites after their return from captivity. Zechariah gave numerous prophecies dealing with Jesus and the church. Zechariah in Chapter 6 put crowns of gold and silver on the high priest Joshua. The high priest was never a king. Likewise the king was never a priest. Yet, God had Zechariah put these crowns on Joshua. Then, Zechariah began a prophecy with the words, “Behold the man.” God wanted them to know that He was talking about a man, but a very special man. This man was to be both king and priest. It is of special interest to read how Pilate referred to Christ in John 19:5. That was after Pilate had had Jesus scourged. The Roman soldiers put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. They put a purple robe on him. Then, Pilate brought Him out to the Jews and said he had found no fault in Him. As Jesus stepped out to where the Jews could see him, Pilate said, “Behold the man.” Later, when Jesus was crucified, Pilate had a sign put over His head that He was King of the Jews. Pilate did not do these things so that he knowingly could fulfill prophecy. God had Zechariah prophecy it five centuries earlier because He knew what would happen. Jesus is indeed our King and our High Priest. What a wonderful God we have. Study your Bible. Learn what you need to do to obey Jesus, and if …

Did Jesus Know that He Was the Son of God?

There are some people today with higher education degrees in theology who say that Jesus really did not know who He was. They say He was confused. Or, they say He knew He was not deity but allowed others to say that He was. Let us look at what the Bible tells us about this. God the Father stated, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). The Father stating it would be enough for me, but there are more quotations. The angel told Mary, the mother of Jesus, “That holy thing, which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). John the Baptizer said, “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34). The disciples were sure that He was deity. Some said, “Of a truth Thou art the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). Lastly, Jesus was asked at His trial, “Tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus replied, “Thou hast said” (Matthew 26: 63-64; Mark 14:61-62). Do not let anyone tell you that Jesus was confused about who He was or that He did not know that He was God. Jesus knew, the Father knew, the angels knew, His disciples knew, and the inspired John the Baptizer knew. We have the Bible to tell us, and therefore, we can know. Study your Bible. Learn all you can from it. Obey Jesus, and if any of this …

Palti, Igal, Shaphat and Others Were Grasshoppers

Do you recognize the names in the title? Do you recognize Shammua, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Gaddiel, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi or Geuel? You can read about these men in Numbers 13. These men were chosen to go and spy out the land of Canaan. You probably do know the names Joshua and Caleb. Joshua and Caleb were the two spies who came back with a good report. They believed that the Israelites could go in and conquer the land. However, the other ten men did not believe that the Israelites could be successful. The ten men stated that the land was indeed a good land. They said it flowed with milk and honey. They showed the fruit that they had brought back, but they said the inhabitants of the land were strong. They said the cities were walled and great. The ten men stated that the Canaanites were of great stature. They said they saw themselves as grasshoppers compared to the Canaanites, and they stated that the Canaanites surely thought of them as grasshoppers. By this they meant that the Israelites were very small and insignificant compared to the Canaanites. The ten men were able to convince the Israelites that they could not conquer Canaan. In fact, the Israelites decided that they needed to go back to Egypt. This is truly amazing since in Egypt they were slaves. They decided they would rather be slaves in Egypt than conquerors with God. There are some today who will not trust God. Rather than …

Dumb Idols

First Corinthians 12:2 reads, “Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.” Paul wrote the Corinthian letter to the church in Corinth, which was primarily Gentile. These Christians had not grown up in the Jewish religion. They had grown up worshiping many different gods. There were statues to Poseidon, Athena, Asklepius and many other gods. These idols could not speak. That is what the word “dumb” in our verse above means. The Corinthians were also very familiar with the Oracle of Delphi. There was a cave where a few chosen women over the age of fifty would take turns sitting and supposedly answering questions. The worshiper would enter the cave and ask the Oracle a question. The Oracle would be in a trance and simply moan, groan and mumble the answer. Then, a priest would interpret with a poem. Most of the time the poem did not make any sense. The worshiper went away not knowing any more than when he came. The Corinthians were reared in a culture where lifeless statues who could not speak were worshiped, and even if there was ‘communication’ from an Oracle, one had no idea what had been said. In 1 Corinthians, Paul told the Corinthians that they have easily understood communication from God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Spirit. They have a God who is not silent. They have a God who communicates with them. Paul said that they need to …

Breathing Out

Do you know someone who is always thinking about the same thing? This person has a one-track mind. This person cannot stop talking about a certain subject. This person is completely absorbed in one subject. In Acts 9:1, we read, “And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest.” Saul asks for letters so that he might go to Damascus, find Christians there, and bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners. The English translation of “breathing out” does not give a full understanding of what the Greek words indicate. The Greek indicates that Saul is “breathing in” the threatening and slaughter. This means that Saul’s whole existence and being was consumed with bringing Christians to ‘justice.’ He put everything else in his life lower in importance than persecuting Christians. Saul believed he was serving God. His full intention was to do what God wanted him to do. However, Saul was mistaken about what God wanted. Rather than being focused on destroying Christians, Saul should have been helping to make Christians. He learned this after waiting in Damascus for Ananias to tell him what to do. Then, with his new name Paul, he became focused on ‘breathing in’ the Gospel. The Christian is focused on learning and living the commandments of God. While this should be the major thing of importance, the Christian realizes that he or she must work and earn a living, rear a family, etc. The Christian does …

Believers Are…

We are “children,” which describes our relationship to God. Romans 8:16 reads, “…we are the children of God.” In the context, this also means we are heirs of what the Father has prepared for us. We are “Christians,” which refers to our association. Acts 11:26 tells us that Jesus’ disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. As Christians, we have vowed to follow Christ. We are “brethren,” which shows our fellowship. Our Lord is not ashamed to call us brethren (Hebrews 2:11). We are each a part of spiritual Israel. We are “sheep,” which indicates our character. John 10:3 says, “He calleth his own sheep by name.” Sheep follow the shepherd. Sheep are lost without their shepherd. They trust fully in their shepherd. They depend on the shepherd for protection. We are “servants,” which gives our employment. In Romans 6:17-18 we are said to be the servants of righteousness and no longer the servants of sin. As servants of God, we follow His rules and regulations. As servants, we work for Him and no one else. It is wonderful to be a believer. We gain so much by deciding to follow Christ. So, study your Bible. Obey God, and if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

God the Sower

In Bible times, many fields were sown with grain during the planting season. A person would walk through the field with a sack over one shoulder. He would take handfuls of seed and throw seed out around him as he walked through the field. The soil in Palestine is very rocky. At times it is nothing but rocks. Sometimes rocks are cleared from an area so that planting can be done in good soil. People literally made paths as they walked through the fields. There were no sidewalks, so people tended to follow the path that others had taken to walk through the fields. This ground became hard along these paths. These were known as the waysides. Then, of course, there was the very good soil. The seed that fell on the stony ground could start to grow, but it could not really make a root system. Thus, when the sun beat down, it withered and died. The seed that fell on the side could not begin to grow. The birds ate it up before it could begin to grow. This is because the seed was out in the open where it could be seen by the birds. The seed that fell on the good ground was able to take root and grow. In Matthew 13, Jesus told the Parable of the Sower. In the parable, God is the Sower and individuals are the ground. The difference between real ground and real persons is that persons make a choice as …

A Simple Act

Everyone likes it when asked to do something simple. That usually means it is easy to do. It does not mean that it will be done haphazardly. It does mean that it will be done without care. Even though it is simple, great care and precision ought to be put into the action. Some things that are easy for one person can be very difficult for another person. I am not very smart when it comes to mechanical things. I would be lost attempting to take apart a motor and then putting it back together. I probably would have parts left over, and the motor probably would not run. Yet, I have friends who think that doing such is a very simple act. In Genesis 1:1, we read, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Verbs in the Hebrew language can appear in seven different basic forms. The form ‘qal’ is for simple active. The form ‘piel’ is intensive active. The form ‘pual’ is intensive passive. There are four other forms. The Hebrew word in Genesis 1:1 for created is ‘bara.’ Bara is in the qal form in this verse. That means that the act of creating was a simple action. Imagine that! Creating the universe was a simple action for God. We cannot come close to figuring out a great portion of the universe. We do not even understand how our own bodies work. We are constantly learning new things about the human body. However, creating …

God’s People Have a Place

We know God cares for His people. He cared for the Patriarchs. He cared for the Israelites. He cares for Christians. We know that all the faithful from all three dispensations have a home with God in heaven. All will be with God after the Judgment. God’s people have a place with God on earth. In fact, there are several places. Deuteronomy 33 tells us some of those places. In verse Three, we are told that God loves His people. So, we have a place in His heart. How wonderful to know we are in His heart. It is a comfort to know we have a place in our mothers’ and fathers’ hearts. How much more comfort there is in having a place in God’s heart. Verse Three also says that God’s saints are in His hand. It is a feeling of safety when one walks with one’s hand in mother or father’s hand. What a great feeling of safety to have our hands in God’s hand. Verse Three also says God’s people are at His feet. In ancient times, it was customary to state that a student sat at his teacher’s feet. What a great amount of knowledge and wisdom we can get from sitting at God’s feet. Verse Twelve says God’s people dwell in safety by Him. This means we have a place by His side. When there is a danger nearby, it is always good to be able to scoot up close to your father or mother …

His Ways and Paths

“Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me” (Psalm 25:4-5). The word “shew” means “make me know.” David had a desire to know God’s ways and paths. The word “teach” comes from a word used for “beating with a rod, to chastise, especially beasts of burden.” Imagine David requesting to be treated like a beast of burden so that he would be made to know God’s paths. The Hebrew word for “ways” comes from a root verb meaning “to tread, to trample with the feet.” It is used to describe where the ground has been walked on again and again, forming a beaten path. God’s ways are paths that have been well walked by the righteous before us. They are paths that Jesus walked in order to leave us an example. The Hebrew word for “paths” comes from a verb that means “to decree, to appoint.” This means that God’s paths are a fixed pattern according to His will. Putting it all together, we see that we should desire God to make us know His paths through this life. Further, we should be thankful for His chastisement to help us learn and live His decrees. Decrees indicate that there must be truth, and that is exactly what verse five states: “lead me in thy truth.” David knew that to be righteous, he could not just claim he believed in God. He also knew he could not have God apart from …

Kingdom of Priests

“And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). God told these words to the nation of Israel through Moses. God had chosen Israel to be a special people to Him. He would guide and protect them. All He asked was that they obey Him. Today, Christians are God’s chosen people. All God asks is that people love and obey Him. In John 3:3-5, Christ’s followers are said to enter the kingdom of God. In 1 Peter 2:5, we read, “Ye also, as lively stone, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” Putting these Scriptures together, we conclude that Christians are a kingdom of priests. Today, each disciple of Christ has the authority to approach God. Each has the pleasure of serving God. We do not have to offer animal sacrifices. Nor do we have to follow all the priestly requirements under the Old Testament. We live under the New Testament. We have a better covenant than the Old Testament kingdom of priests had (Hebrews 7:22). Study your Bible. Learn what is necessary for you to be a part of the kingdom of priests. Learn how to properly serve and worship God today. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Enter into Covenant

Deuteronomy 29 is part of the discourse to Israel that Moses gives before his death. The discourse covers many topics associated with the covenant they made with God. In verse 12, he stated that they were gathered at this very moment to “enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day.” The word translated “enter” is very interesting. This is the only time this Hebrew word is translated as “enter.” The word is most commonly translated by “passing” or “passed.” The word’s root meaning is “cross over.” Why would God have used this word in Deuteronomy 29:12? Was there something special that He was communicating? The same Hebrew word is used in Genesis 15. This chapter records God making a covenant with Abraham. Abraham killed sacrificial animals and divided each animal into two equal parts. He then laid the parts end to end in two equal rows. When the sun went down, God passed between the rows of animal halves. In verse 17, it says that a smoking furnace and a burning lamp “passed between those pieces.” The word “passed” is the word we are considering. Perhaps God was telling the Israelites in Deuteronomy 29 that their covenant with God is as binding as God’s covenant with Abraham. Later, God told the Israelites that their covenant was like Abraham’s. In Jeremiah 34:18-19, we find, “And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have …

David’s Sling

In 1 Samuel 17, we have the account of David killing Goliath. Goliath was a giant Philistine warrior. He came out of camp every day for forty days and challenged any Israelite warrior to meet him in battle. None of the Israelites would do so. David heard the challenge and wanted to do something about it. Eventually, he went out to meet Goliath with nothing but his sling and some small stones. He brought Goliath down with an accurate rock thrown into Goliath’s forehead. Unbelievers say this story is ridiculous. They laugh to think that a young man could be so accurate with a sling in the heat of such a moment. The Bible tells of 700 Benjamites who could sling stones at a hair’s breadth and not miss (Judges 20:16). “There was a regiment of slingers in the Assyrian army, and another in the Egyptian army, and they could cast a stone with as much precision and force as now can be hurled shot or shell. The Greeks in their army had slingers who would throw leaden plummets inscribed with the irritating words, ‘Take this’” (Talmage quoted in the 1920 Peloubet’s Select Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons, p. 207). David was a shepherd. He needed to use his sling to defend the sheep. It is not silly to believe that he was very skilled in using a sling. The Bible is accurate. The Bible tells us the truth, and David had one more thing on his side in …

Full Sail Teaching

In Acts 20, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders. He wanted them to travel down to Miletus to visit with him before he left for Jerusalem. He knew that this was the last time he would ever see them. He told them that they knew he had served the Lord with humility. They knew he had labored among them with many tears and temptations. Then, he told them that he had ‘kept back nothing that was profitable’ to them. He had taught them publicly and privately. The words ‘kept back nothing’ in verse 20 pertain to a sailing term. It referred to taking in the sail. This was done most often in heavy winds of a storm. Paul was saying he never pulled back from teaching the truth. No matter how heavy the pressure was against his teaching, he continued to teach and preach what was profitable. In other words, he always taught the truth. He was never intimidated to the point of withholding proper teaching. Paul kept his ‘sails’ wide open. We should always keep our sails wide open when teaching and preaching. The truth is greater than anything man has. The teachings of the Bible are profitable. We need to teach all of the truth, not just part of it. In order to be able to teach the whole truth, we must study and learn it first. Study your Bible. Learn all that you can. Teach it to others, and if any of this is hard to …

Bread of Mourners and Cup of Consolation

There were some interesting funeral rites during Bible times. A body was wrapped from head to foot. Then it was carried to the place of burial. The bier on which the body was carried was followed by mourners. These mourners normally cried loudly to express their grief. The body was then put in a grave, which many times was a cave if the person was wealthy. The funeral procession would then return toward home, but it would pause from time to time to allow people to comfort the relatives. The day was then concluded by a funeral feast. This feast included the “bread of mourners” and the “cup of consolation.” The feast is referenced in 2 Samuel 3:35; Jeremiah 16:7 and Hosea 9:4. There are several aspects of the Lord’s Supper. It was given to us by Jesus to remember His self-sacrifice for us. The bread is representative of His body. The grape juice is representative of His blood. In one way, we can look at the Lord’s Supper as a funeral feast. We should have some mourning as we partake of it. It is because of our sins that our Lord had to die a horrible death on the cross (Matthew 5:4). We should also have great consolation. Because he died and was resurrected, we have the hope of living eternally with God in heaven (Hebrews 6:18). As you worship and observe the Lord’s Supper, think about the significance of the “bread of mourners” and the “cup of consolation,” …

Christians are Constellations

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. (Philippians 2:15) The word used in this verse for “lights” is only used twice in the New Testament. The Greek word comes from the root for “light.” The root word most often references the thing light, not what produces it. However, the word is used of God. In 1 John 1:5, we read that “God is light.” This is not reference to Him being the source of light (which He is) but that He is in a state of light or illumination (there is no darkness in him, 1 John 1:5). That is why in 1 John 1:7 we are told to walk in the light as He is in the light. We are to be in a state of illumination or living in light. Our existence is to be shining as light. The “lights” in our verse above were used in secular Greek to refer to stars or constellations. This was because they were constantly in a state of light or illumination. From what I have studied, this word was not used for heavenly bodies that reflected light (e.g., asteroids, comets, moons). (There was a word for Star. It referred to the object but not necessarily to the light. Thus, this word could include moons, etc.) This is important in the context of Philippians Chapter Two. As Christians, we do reflect …

Page 1 of 6
1
2
3
...
6
→

GGO

Gospel

Gazette

Online

GGO