Recently a learned man made the following statement: “We worship our work, we work at our play, we play at our worship.” We believe this is a fair appraisal of folk in our time. Too often, that which is first is, alas, last!
It may sound strange but one can receive a blessing and at the same time despise it. Beyond question, this is exactly what happened to ancient Israel as they wandered in the wilderness before entering the land of Canaan. The blessings God had given them were manifold. They needed leadership; God provided it (Exodus 14-16). […]
The Bible is divided into two great parts – the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament, commonly called “The Law” (2 Kings 17:13; Jeremiah 2:8; Lamentations 2:9; Ephesians 3:4; Zechariah 7:12; Matthew 7:13; John 1:45; Acts 24:14; Acts 28:23) was written to guide and direct God’s people before the coming of Christ […]
On page 9 and page 19 of the July-September, 2010 issue of the Magnolia Messenger, is the above titled article, written by brother Dave Verret, who now resides in Mililani, Hawaii. Brother Alfred Franks (see page 2 by clicking on the above link), editor of the Magnolia Messenger, writes the following note in preface to […]
A querist asks, “Can a man biblically have more than one wife? The Bible says that a bishop should be the husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6). That means that if
The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said about enthusiasm: “Every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is due to the triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it.” Charles Schwab once made this statement: “A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.” What is […]
Do we realize that we are an absolutely unique person, a Christ-redeemed human being who could never be replaced or duplicated?
You are ushering in another day Untouched and freshly new So here I come to ask you, God. If You’ll renew me, too. Forgive the many errors That I made yesterday And let me try again, dear God. To walk closer in Thy way…. But, Father, I am well aware I can’t make it on […]
In the well known narrative of Jesus’ temptation, the Scripture says, “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth […]
Have we ever thought of where we would be without God? Without God, there would be no purpose for our existence — no mission — no challenge. Without God, there would be no courage — no honor — no destiny. It was said of an atheist who was lying in his coffin with his best […]
There is a striking parallel between a misread compass and false biblical teaching. Both can cause a disastrous shipwreck. In fact, Paul warns us against “fables and endless genealogies” (1 Timothy 1:4) doing just that (1 Timothy 1:19). Alexander (see 5.) and Hymenaeus were two individuals who opposed the Word of God by placing false […]
From the 2010, volume 48, number 3 edition of The Sword and Staff publication, pg. 2, comes the following proverbs of wisdom (appropriate Scriptures and related articles have been added):
Capital Punishment In The New Testament What was the purpose of the New Testament? Unlike the Old Covenant, the New Covenant is not designed to govern or regulate civil governments. It is designed for those in Christ’s kingdom (the church), which is spiritual in nature (John 18:36). Its purpose is to help man achieve and
“My sheep hear my voice.” One morning while shepherds were eating their breakfast, one of their sheep jumped off a 45-foot cliff to its death. Then, as they looked on, they were stunned as the rest of the flock followed. In all, 1,500 sheep mindlessly stumbled off the cliff. The only good news was that […]
There is a principle of life that holds true in every aspect of life — that whatever we do not use, we lose (Matthew 25:24-29-NKJV). Just as our physical body functions more effectively when we exercise it, our faith
Darkness and light are contrasted in the Bible’s presentation of Jesus: The prophet Isaiah tells us: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined” (Isaiah 9:2-NKJV). John provides us with this illustration of Jesus‘ life: […]
The story is told of a preacher who had attained the ripe old age of 92. The church he was a member of asked him to preach one Sunday. Some of the members wondered why the leadership had
If we wanted to only acquire a few nuggets of gold, we would use simple prospecting equipment, such as pans and shovels (see other types) However, if we wanted to find a greater quantity of gold, we would have to use heavy equipment, designed to dig much deeper into the earth’s core.
Have we ever thought why our spiritual passion fades so easily? After we were baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26-28) , we spent hours thinking about Him, studying His Word, and telling others how much He meant to us. Then it happened. Our busy schedules slowly dampened our
Solomon declared in Ecclesiastes 1:8, “All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, or the ear its fill of hearing” (NIV). As in the above scripture, Solomon also teaches us in Proverbs 27:20 that man’s desire for “something better” is as insatiable as the grave. Sometimes people […]