“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’” (Mark 16:15) I recall a time when I was an adolescent sitting on the front pew of the congregation where we attended, listening intently to the guest orator behind the podium. His introduction…
“As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country” (Proverbs 25:25). The period of time before the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth was a tumultuous one for the Jewish nation. Rome ruled the known world with an iron fist and the corrupt Herod the…
How do you define the word necessity? As you answer this question, how do you determine the appropriate way of answering it? What establishes the difference between a need and a want? The purpose for this series of questions is to provoke our minds to take a brief pause in…
Fifty-two days. That was how long it took Nehemiah to complete the reconstruction of Jerusalem’s wall (Nehemiah 6:15). This astounding accomplishment was unimaginable in the mind of Nehemiah at first, particularly because “the survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach”…
Having to determine fact from fiction is not always a simple task. Take for example the delicate responsibility placed on the shoulders of a jury. This group composed of twelve men and women are required to make an unbiased judgment of a person’s guilt based solely on the facts presented…
Discouragement is a common known sentiment by everyone upon this earth. This becomes visible when we lose interest in completing a project we have begun or meeting a goal that we have set. Perhaps, it is very likely that many of the popular “resolutions” we had determined for ourselves at…
The Encyclopedia Britannica identifies the plow as the “most important agricultural implement since the beginning of time” (Online Encyclopedia Britannica). This agricultural implement is used by a farmer to prepare the soil where he will plant his seed. Plowing the soil allows fresh nutrients to surface by turning over the…
Matthew speaks to his readers (in his gospel account) of five great sermons personally taught by the Master. The very first sermon noted by Matthew has been dubbed by several biblical scholars as The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). This very popular pericope of Scripture is often compared to…
“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3) One of the most wonderful and breathtaking scenes our eyes can bear witness to on this earth, is to see the luminosity of…
To know that we have been adopted by none other than God Himself through the blood of His only begotten Son is truly a great joy, but even more so an amazing honor. However, it is wise and righteous to comprehend that with this great honor also come many important…