By: Obed Pineda Upon returning home from a successful campaign against a rival nation, it was customary in the ancient east for the victors to place the treasures looted from the sacked temple into theirs. For the conquerors, this was a display of the dominance exuded by their patron god…
By: Obed Pineda After answering the Macedonian’s plea for help, the apostle Paul arrived in Athens due to the relentless efforts of his adversaries that were persecuting him (cf. Acts 16:6-10, 17:1-16). The inspired Luke recounts that “while Paul waited for them [Silas and Timothy] at Athens, his spirit was…
By: Obed Pineda Four hundred years… from the day that king Solomon dedicated the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem (cf. 2nd Kings 8), to the arrival of Babylon’s captain of the guard Nebuzaradan who burned it all down (cf. 2nd Kings 25:8-10), four hundred years had transpired. The journals…
By: Zach Teasley Because we have heard the gospel and voluntarily agreed to obey that form of doctrine to which we were delivered, Rom 6:17. Verse 18 of Romans 6, states “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” In this saved condition, we are sanctified…
It’s that time of year again: the weather is getting cold, and in some places, snow is beginning to fall, and we are constantly bombarded by retail stores and their marketing blitzes. Christmastime is upon us yet again, and every year it seems more commercialized, more cutthroat, and less about…
By: Obed Pineda When a piece of information is trying to be identified as fact or fiction, consistency is elemental in this endeavor. Take for example the prosecution’s responsibility in a criminal case as it pertains to the burden of proof. Remember that the burden of proof is referring to…
By: Obed Pineda If you are a history enthusiast and are planning to travel to another city, state, or country, it is very likely that visiting a museum is already a part of your itinerary. Indeed, for you, visiting the local museum is like making a trip within your trip.…
By: John Mitchell A football coach said, “My team is acting like they forgot how to play football.” He met with the team and said, “We need to start all over again from the beginning, and learn the basics about football.” He held up a football and said, “This is…
By: Phil Hopkins As we study our Bibles or read our Bibles each day we can get into a hurry and not take time to really study or understand what we read. For example there are times that we slide past words that we don’t fully understand and don’t look…
By: Obed Pineda Sacred Scripture advocates “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3). This verse from the Psalm demonstrates how greatly having a family was valued by the ancient world. They understood well that children are essential to constructing…