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 […]

A marketing professor at a well-known university once asked his students to make a side-by-side taste comparison of two soft drinks — Coca-Cola, and Sam’s Choice Cola. Each student was asked to taste both colas and indicate which tasted better. The majority of participants stated that the Coke tasted better to them than the house […]

The following poem by an unknown author, is designed to make us “think” about living the way we pray:

The above title is taken from a Rocky Creek congregation bulletin article that is worthy of reproduction here. I’ve added appropriate Scriptures.

How can God justly put man’s sin upon an innocent victim? There are only two ways in which God can justly put a man’s sin upon an innocent victim. First, God may do such when the victim has no moral value. This was the case under the Old Covenant when God commanded animal sacrifices be […]

Through a study of the Scriptures, we see that the fear of God has a restraining effect upon the lives of godly men and women (Genesis 39:7-12), but is found absent in a calloused, deluded, unbelieving and godless society (Romans 3:10-12; cf. Psalm 14:1-3).

As men, if we’ve ever tried to repair something and failed, we know how miserable a feeling that can be. Married women should appreciate the sign that I recently saw outside an automotive repair shop: “We Will Fix What Your Husband Fixed.” Whether the problem is the car or the plumbing, it’s usually better off, […]

There are many and sundry reasons the Bible gives for our studying the sacred volume. The following are just a “few” of those reasons:

Marcus Tullius Cicero, an orator and statesman of ancient Rome once said, “While there’s life, there’s hope.” As Christians, we have the promise and hope of eternal life, because the risen Christ lives (1 Corinthians 15:19-22; 1 John 2:25; 1 Peter 1:3). There are some things in this life, however, that are irreversible, and any […]

On Saturday morning, February 1, 2003, as most of us were awakening, President George W. Bush spoke seven saddening words to the nation: “The Columbia’s lost. There are no survivors.” When an fiery accident destroyed NASA’s oldest space shuttle moments before the scheduled end of its twenty-eighth voyage, seven people — five men, two women […]

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the US Gulf Coast and displaced an estimated 1.3 million households. With cities and towns evacuated, homes destroyed, and jobs gone, people relocated to communities in every state. Because Christians are

As I observe the speed limit of 60 miles per hour on our I-10 freeway here in El Paso, I also observe other folks who are seemingly obsessed with speed. They swiftly pass my vehicle at speeds that have to be exceeding 75-80 miles per hour.