By: Obed Pineda There are old folkloric tales that suggest that the etymological roots of our English word “sincere” can be traced as far back as to the days of the Roman Republic, before Julius Caesar ushered in Rome’s Imperial period. One tale claims that in those days marble craftsmen…
By: Obed Pineda From about 2000 B.C. to 536 B.C., the ancient world found itself submerged in a power struggle for world domination between some of history’s most prominent military powerhouses, from the Assyrian Empire to the Persian Empire. The children of Israel regrettably found themselves in the midst of…
By: John Mitchell The way we see things is according to our mindset. If our mind is set on the things of the world, we understand things with the wisdom of the world. If our mind is set on spiritual things, we understand things with the spiritual wisdom of God.…
By: Obed Pineda Sitting from his unmerciful prison cell in Rome, knowing that his martyrdom was sure to take place there, the great apostle to the Gentiles scribed his final epistle to his beloved and trusted protégé (cf. 2nd Timothy 4:6-8). There is little doubt that it was the purpose…
By: Obed Pineda In a letter penned with the intention of stirring up the embers of encouragement and steadfastness in the hearts of those who suffered great persecution, the inspired Peter espoused “we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles – when we…
By Zachary Teasley Obedience is a learned conditioned response that we learn as children from our parents from the moment we are born into this world. We are taught what is acceptable behavior or right, like being patient and taking turns, and conversely, we are taught what is not acceptable…
By: Obed Pineda On a certain occasion two evangelists had returned home from a small third world country suffering from severe drought, famine, and disease, where they had just enjoyed their most successful missionary trip. The locals had received them with open arms, desirous to know more about the Gospel…
By: Obed Pineda “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil” (Proverbs 15:28) There he was sitting in silence, listening very carefully to the ongoing debate between four aged men held in high regard by their community. The highly charged…
By: Obed Pineda In the days of our Savior’s life here on earth, there was a valley that could be easily identified by anyone traveling to Jerusalem from the south, most likely because of its peculiar appearance. Sitting just outside of Jerusalem, it was held by her inhabitants as a…
By: John Mitchell In a court of law, a lawyer represents, and is an advocate for, the needs of his client. The lawyer speaks for his client, an intercessory request to the judge and jury, to have mercy on, and to help, his client. When we pray to God, our…