When Moses summons to his presence Dathan and Abiram (Num. 16:12), they reject his call with contempt. In their eyes, to respond to the words of Moses would be a tacit acknowledgement of his authority. Accordingly, they respond in an insolent manner: (we paraphrase their reply) “You have led us …
The one subject that dominates the book of Ecclesiastes is one that our world hates to think about — death. Twentieth century life is spent running away from it, pretending that it is not there. Yet death cannot be stopped. It scorns every advance of human enterprise and achievement. It …
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.” (II Cor. 4:3) “The parable of the growing seed” (Mark 4:26-29) has also been called the parable of “hidden seed” or one of “unconscious growth.” Some have even referred to this parable as the story of …
Consider this statement: “Say what you mean and mean what you say, but don’t say it meanly.” Those who take pride in truthfulness often miss this point. It certainly is praiseworthy to mean what we say and say what we mean but all too often we say it in a …
He was my spiritual father and it is only now we realize how much attention he gave to our spiritual as well as our natural needs. During the difficult years when my parents, like thousands of other families, were struggling to keep a home together, every Christmas he saw to …
The inspired writers of scripture often used the device of contrast to give definition and substance to their subject. For instance, at the very beginning, we have creation set against the contrast of “without form, void, and wholly dark.” Darkness gives way to light, dry land appears out of the formless water, …
Will the Lord come this year? How do we read the signs of his coming? We recognize the following consideration of signs of the times is incomplete and we welcome readers to submit added scriptural points. We are also aware that some have a completely approach to these passages and …
A byline in the November 28, 1998 Economist magazine accurately sums up the current dismal situation in Russia. The byline reads: “A sick president, a sick economy, and a weak government mean a miserable winter for Russia. It will probably get even worse.”The situation in Russia has gone from bad …
Subsequent to the fall of man in the garden of Eden, two distinct seeds developed from Adam. The line of Cain The seed of the serpent began with Cain, who, after killing his brother, fled from the presence of the Lord to dwell in the land of Nod (“wandering”). In …
We are first introduced to Saul (later named Paul) at the stoning of Stephen in Acts chapter seven. Here was a young man, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, who had the best education available to a religious leader of his day. He was fervent in pursuing what he …