Most of us remember the story of Gideon liberating the Israelites from the Midianites, with the help of God of course. Gideon was able to defeat an army of 135,000 with just 300 men. How were they able to do it? First, the hand of God was with them, without which such a victory would […]
Everyone wants to look beyond the veil of death to view that which is on the other side. In Lk. 16:19-31, we have at least a glimpse of that which we desire to see. That particular text gives us a picture of life after death and the condition of both the righteous and the wicked […]
That the church grew rapidly in the first century is clear from reading the book of Acts (Acts 2:47; 4:1-4; 5:12-14; 6:1; etc.). The question is why did the early church have so much success in the area of growth? I believe I know at least part of the reason. They practiced a daily religion. […]
By Wayne Jackson John Calvin (1509-64) was a religious reformer and theologian. The basic premise of his theology was the absolute sovereignty (right to reign) of God, out of which evolved his misguided theory of “predestination.” The Swiss reformer believed that human “free will” was destroyed by man’s “original sin”; thus, the innate power to […]
Some people take pride in their fearless nature. They fancy themselves as being bold and courageous and not afraid of anything. But there is something that most people fear, even the most courageous, and that is death. Men fear death because of the misery that attends it. Men fear death because of the darkness and […]
In Genesis 12 we read of the call of Abraham. God had a great future in store for Abraham, but before He could use him, God had to separate him from his idolatrous surroundings (Joshua 24:2). So God said to Abraham “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s […]
Is the New Testament text in the Bible reliable? Can we be sure we have what the apostles originally wrote? The answer is a resounding yes. While the original writings of the apostles have vanished, many copies of them were made, sometimes by way of apostolic instruction (Colossians 4:16). Over the first few centuries, thousands […]
Referring to kingdom citizens as the salt of the earth is one of the classic statements found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13). It is practical, useful, and understandable because salt is such a common commodity. While there are literally dozens of uses for salt, two come to mind immediately when related to […]
By Sean Sullivan “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). From the moment of that statement, faithful followers have endeavored to prepare. There are, like most Bible subjects, lots of ideas about the second coming of Christ. Some say that He […]
Nagelsbach said in Herzog’s Cyclopedia, “Malachi is like a late evening, which brings a long day to a close…” The book of Malachi is the close of God’s ancient revelation to His people, ceasing divine communication for about 400 years. The book of Malachi was probably written around 445-432 B.C., approximately 100 years after the […]