Bible study on Acts 1:1-5, The Promise of the Holy Spirit. By G. E. Watkins

Prayer and thankfulness are often joined in Scripture (Daniel 6:10; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 1:3; Colossians 4:2; 1 Timothy 2:1). Prayer is an expression of our thankfulness to a gracious and giving God. Genuine prayers of thanksgiving to God will express itself in three categories of blessings: We Are Thankful For What God “Has” Done For […]

Many people have asked me in the past few weeks, “What do you do on your mission trips, Kevin?” Most of the time I respond by saying that I teach, but I could also say that I ask a lot of questions and do a lot of listening as well. I try to understand, in […]

8) Jehovah-M’Kaddesh The name “Jehovah-M’Kaddesh” is found in Leviticus 20:8. It means “Jehovah who sanctifies.” The term “sanctify” occurs frequently in the Old Testament. Its primary meaning is “to set apart” or “separate”. This idea is most nearly rendered by the words “sanctify” or “hallow”. The word “holy” stands for that which is “hallowed” or […]

Isn’t it amazing what the human race substitutes for the will of God? Notice some of the reasonings of Eve. Instead of continuing to remember God’s command she reasoned, “That looks tasty.” Instead of remembering the multitude of things that God had freely provided that she was authorized to eat, she thought, “How lovely it […]

Jesus taught great moral truths by using great human tragedies. One such episode is His parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21. Like many of us, this man nobly earned an honest living through hard work and toil, but unfortunately, like many of us, he failed to realize that God was the source of […]

Job and Satan – Job 1:6-12 Vs. 6 – Who are the “sons of God” in this verse? Whoever they were, they had an appointment to present themselves before God. No doubt these are created beings. A casual reading of the verse seems to indicate that they are spiritual in nature, for Satan himself is […]

Dear Brother Watkins, Christian Greetings! I am writing to clarify something: Is it scripturally alright that a group (choir) of Christian perform a concert in front of a congregation using spiritual songs? Accordingly, the purpose is to entertain and they are to do it not on a Sunday. Please help as we are divided on […]

Please open your Bibles to Matthew 3:13-17. Matthew has introduced us to the birth and announcement of the King of kings. He has brought us through the prophecies that have heralded his coming and introduced us to the forerunner that is making all paths straight for his appearance. In this section of scripture, Matthew records […]

Daniel prophesied concerning the establishment of the church (Note Daniel 2:44). In the context of this verse we learn that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in which he saw a great image with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, and feet of iron and clay. Then he saw […]

Our Lord was no stranger to difficult situations. The Pharisees and Sadducees would often present him with questions regarding various different aspects of the Old Law. Each time, our Lord answered with the utmost wisdom and absolute truth. Perhaps one of the most difficult (if not the most difficult) situations into which these enemies of […]

Having just returned from a week’s vacation in which we drove approximately 1500 miles, I can attest to the fact that we would not have arrived at our intended destinations were it not for some kind of directions. Directions can be a set of instructions that you have that tell you where to go to […]

In Acts 17:2-7, the scripture states the following concerning Paul: “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, […]

While secular education is certainly important (we all have to make a living in some manner), being educated biblically is far more important because biblical principles teach us how to properly relate to God as well as to our fellowman (Matthew 22:37-40; cf. Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 10:12; Deuteronomy 30:6). The teaching of spiritual and moral […]

In my mind this word conjures up scenes of family members around a dining room table. On that table sits a roast turkey, giblet gravy, mom’s homemade dressing, sweet potatoes, and grandma’s hot pecan pie. A thanksgiving prayer is said unto our Creator for the bounteous blessings he bestows upon us daily. A blessing is […]

The Psalms are not only useful for singing praises to God, they are also useful for teaching and confirming that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah. Note the use Jesus made of them in Luke 24:44-47, cf. Psalm 22, and Peter’s use of them in his first gospel sermon (Acts 2:25-28, cf. Psalm 16:8,10-11). It […]

Husbands commit sin when they don’t treat their wives well. In Isaiah 59:1-2 we read, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he […]

Genesis 22:1-14 is a very significant section in the book of Genesis, in the life of Abraham, and in the life of Isaac. The offering of Isaac is discussed three times in the Bible (Gen. 22:1-14; Jam. 2:2:21-22; Heb. 11:17-19). In James 2:21-22 and Hebrews 11:17-19, this event is discussed in the context of genuine […]

In the character of Naaman, we see a man who was truly a “legend in his own mind.” Many are misunderstanding and rejecting God’s Word today because they desire to please self instead of pleasing God (2 Kings 5:11-12). The Attitude Of Naaman Let’s note some other possible reasons why Naaman was a “legend in […]

“But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” (Galatians 5:15). Somewhere between A.D. 48 and A.D. 58, the apostle Paul sat down to write a letter to the churches of Galatia. This letter was written to address one particular subject: the erroneous teaching that Gentile […]