Subscription Lists

“And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” (Ezra 7.8-10). The key phrase in today’s text – Ezra had prepared his heart – is connected to three objectives which Ezra had in mind as he was preparing his heart.…  ( Click for more )

“And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” (Ezra 7.8-10). The key phrase in today’s text – Ezra had prepared his heart – is connected to three objectives which Ezra had in mind as he was preparing his heart.…  ( Click for more )

When is three hundred greater than thousands upon thousands? Answer: When the hundreds are under God’s direct guidance. Gideon led such a group at one time. Today’s Little Lift recounts the story of Gideon’s valiant men even though it has been told and retold countless thousands of times.

“And the LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, “My own hand has saved me.”Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people,…  ( Click for more )

“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’” (Revelation 7.1-3).

Perhaps no book of the Bible has generated…  ( Click for more )

“Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’ Therefore they said to Him, ‘What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the…  ( Click for more )

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1.6-7).

The marvel which sparked Paul's statement was the soon apostasy of the Galatian brethren. Some things are marvels to be held in admiration; others are marvels of dismay and sadness. The apostasy of the saints in Galatia was of the latter sort. Note that their apostasy was one of turning - turning from one thing to another thing. They were turning…  ( Click for more )

I have a challenge for you. Try to remember the last time you heard the word holy used legitimately in day to day conversation. And, by the way, don’t count the times that you heard it as a slang term used in connection with a random noun such as was popularized in the Batman movies and TV series. Also, please discount the slang usages by popular sports figures like Phil Rizzuto and others. When was the last time you heard it used with its original and legitimate meaning? Not to be confused with gambling, but I “betcha” you would have to really stretch your memory…  ( Click for more )

“He [Herod] also swore to her [Herodias' daughter], 'Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.' So she went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask?' And she said, 'The head of John the Baptist!' Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, 'I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.' And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he…  ( Click for more )

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6.24).

Some stories beg to be told. I think the one which follows is one of those stories. It has a point which I think is obvious. I once heard of a godly man who outlived his two wives. He took great pride in the fact that he loved his wives equally and was evenhanded in how he treated them in every way. He was so intent on having everyone see that his devotion was equally shared between…  ( Click for more )

There are federal and state laws which define the minimum wages that are applicable for workers in the United States of America. Laws of this nature are effected in order to insure that employees receive a salary that is at least equal to an amount established by the legislative bodies responsible for such matters. This wage typically goes up periodically as the cost of living increases due to inflation or other factors. Frequently history has been changed by well organized campaigns organized for the sole purpose of increasing the minimum wage. For the record, as far as this writer…  ( Click for more )

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.’ So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, ‘Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?’ Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock…  ( Click for more )

“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6.17-20).

As one who…  ( Click for more )

“But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.” (Genesis 6.18-20).

The focus passage contains the very first recorded usage of the word covenant in the Scriptures.…  ( Click for more )

Pay attention to verb tenses; they literally spell the difference between life and death. Consider the following passage: “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6.17-18). Paul was not thanking God that the Roman believers had been sinners; he was thanking God that they had become believers in spite of their past!

Obedience to the first principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is essential if…  ( Click for more )

“‘Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, “Peace, peace!” When there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down,’ says the LORD. Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand in the ways and see, And…  ( Click for more )

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel…  ( Click for more )

“And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics. Also He said to them, ‘In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be…  ( Click for more )

Daniel in the Lion's Den is perhaps one of the best known stories in the Bible. It has been told and retold millions upon millions of times; it is a children's favorite. However, do you know the circumstances that led up to Daniel's being cast into the lion's den. Today's message will see what got Daniel into this predicament as well as note some of Daniel's traits worthy of imitation.

“So the governors and satraps [regional government officials] sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful;…  ( Click for more )

“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” (Revelation 6.9-11).

The language…  ( Click for more )

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God." (Genesis 6.8-9).

When one considers the condition of the world in which Noah lived, today's focus text is astounding. While we do not know the exact population of the earth at the time Noah lived, by making some conservative assumptions we can see that the earth was not void of mankind by any stretch of the imagination. There were almost certainly millions of people who inhabited the earth and who were part of the universal…  ( Click for more )

Isaiah was not the first reluctant prophet; Moses had reservations about his qualifications too. In fact it took an epiphany to convince Moses that He ought to free his fellow Hebrews from the clutches of Egyptian tyranny. God had to demonstrate to Isaiah that He intends to use imperfect people to deliver His message to their fellowman. That lesson was needed then and it is needed today.

Isaiah's response when he saw images of heavenly origins was to say, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;…  ( Click for more )

When it comes to the Lord’s Church, slackers and opportunists need not apply! Why so? Because among those who believe, the Lord commands “…each one shall bear his own load.” (Galatians 6.5).

It is a given in the context of this verse that each Christian has a load to bear. Stated another way, there is work for all to do – NO EXCEPTIONS! The design of the Church of our Lord demands that such be the case. As we have previously observed in this column, although we are saved as individuals, we are not left alone to sink or swim. God designed it such…  ( Click for more )

“But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” (Galatians 6.4).

Our focus today will be on Paul’s commandment for believers to examine their own work. There is, as always, a context in which this command was given; the reader is strongly encouraged to consider this context as he/she seeks to fully understand and apply this verse to real-life situations. Our study today will primarily be a “word study” focused on the key verb, “examine.”

First, it is noteworthy that every…  ( Click for more )

“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Galatians 6.3).

Thinking is a human capability that is both marvelous and fearsome at the same time. While the ability to think is a wonderful gift it is also implies awesome responsibilities. For that reason, civilized societies establish laws and guidelines of human behavior and then hold their citizens accountable to those laws. When these laws are broken, almost all court systems and judicial venues take into account the intent of the one guilty of breaking the law as well…  ( Click for more )