By: Obed Pineda “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the LORD” (Proverbs 21:31). During Israel’s post-exilic era, the Jews that had returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and Jeshua had ceased the rebuilding of the temple because of their adversaries, the Samaritans (cf. Ezra…
By: John Mitchell “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’” (Genesis 1:26). God is the Creator, and we are the created. Or, are we, the created, creating in our minds a different god, from the God who created us? When we read the…
By: Obed Pineda It had been a long and eventful day for the Master and His twelve. Mark relates that after returning from a successful campaign of preaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons from the possessed, Jesus instructed His disciples “‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place…
By: Joel Ramirez It is common thinking in today’s society that you don’t get anything in life without earning it. If you want a big house and nice cars, you have to work hard and earn those things. There are many who are materially rich who will tell you they…
By: Obed Pineda While waiting for his audience with Caesar, having appealed his case to the Roman emperor, the apostle to the Gentiles was allowed to remain in custody under house arrest instead of sitting in a cold and harsh prison cell (cf. Acts 25:7-12, 28:16, 23, 30-31). Holy Writ…
By: Obed Pineda “There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness” (Proverbs 30:12) Righteousness. Rejection. Retribution. Repentance. Repeat. The nation of Israel would remain inside this vicious cycle from the death of Joshua until the anointment of Saul as the…
By: Obed Pineda It is said that the quality of a person’s leadership is best observed when confronted by adversity. It is curious that many want the prestige that comes with the label of leader, but few truly understand the responsibility, sacrifice, and dedication required of one. For this reason,…
Every serious disciple of Jesus Christ desires to attain to spiritual maturity, of this there should be no argument. Many faithful disciples spend their entire lifetime striving to reach an ever-higher level of maturity, and even babes in Christ have that fervor that drives them to not remain babes but…
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…