The charming little account contained in the Book of Ruth has all the interest-catching elements of an absorbing short story. The reader is exposed to a plot containing elements of tragedy, conflict, characterization, and resolution.
“Membership has its privileges” was a slogan popularized by a major American corporation a few years back. The meaning is self evident: Members of the group are accorded privileges not extended to others.
Earlier in Galatians chapter 3, Paul demonstrated that Abraham was justified by faith centuries before the Law was given. In like manner, all who follow in the faith of Abraham—Jew or Gentile—are declared justified without…
Dr. William Culbertson, former President of Moody Bible Institute, often concluded his prayers with the words, “Lord, I pray that we will finish well.” He realized that many people begin their Christian walk well but…
The question flows through the minds of those who have pursued the compelling story of God’s ancient people across the pages of the Word of God and down the dusty roads of history.
This Jewish man called himself “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13) and twice referred to his role as that of “a teacher of the Gentiles” (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11).
Regarding the miraculous turnabout of Rabbi Saul, Church historian Philip Schaff, states, “The transformation of the most dangerous persecutor into the most successful promoter of Christianity is nothing less than a miracle of divine grace.
Hurricanes are the most powerful storms known to man. Ranging anywhere from 200 to 300 miles in diameter and packing winds of up to 150 miles per hour, they wreak havoc and hardship on whatever…
The greatest missionary-evangelist of all time was the Apostle Paul. His ministry and methods put most of ours to shame. This servant of the Lord touched multitudes of people across the world of his day.
Confronting a brother face to face concerning compromise is never easy or pleasant, especially if that brother is a co-worker, of sterling reputation and character, and a highly respected church leader.
Opposition to Paul and his ministry was vicious. Judaizers had sown seeds of contention throughout Galatia. They had questioned Paul’s commission as an apostle, compromised the gospel by mixing law and grace, and corrupted local…
In the last article in this series, we saw that Abraham desperately wanted the heir God had promised to him. He realized that Eliezer of Damascus was not the one (Gen. 15:2).
The very mention of the name Abraham causes multitudes of people to perk up their ears. Muslims, Jews, and Christians alike look to this patriarch as the founder of their religion.
Judaizers had infiltrated the churches of Galatia and were sowing seeds of dissension. They had tried to discredit Paul’s apostleship by claiming he was a man pleaser—teaching circumcision when with the Jews (1 Cor. 9:20)…
Leviticus 25:8–17 provides for one of the more interesting statutes in Israel’s history. Beyond the rest that the land and the people were to receive every seven years, when the seventh seven came along…
Paul had presented the gospel on three consecutive Sabbaths in the synagogue at Thessalonica. The Spirit of God had convicted the congregants, resulting in many Jews and a great multitude of Gentiles coming to faith…
Paul had a continual burden for the churches he started. Although he had moved on to other areas of ministry, either by the direct leading of the Lord or by being forced…
The New Testament epistles do not teach systematic theology. That statement may appear shocking to some readers, but a little reflection will clarify what is meant. A systematic theology textbook gathers all that the Bible…
The two previous articles in this five-article series focused on several problems related to the Reconstructionist views of history and eschatology, Matthew 24, the Book of the Revelation, the 70 weeks of Daniel 9…
Over the centuries, Israel’s national life has revolved around her great feasts. In the days of the Tabernacle and, later, The Temple, Abraham’s sons heeded the Lord’s call to assemble “before the Lᴏʀᴅ thy God…
It is the most awesome day of the Jewish year. Yom Kippur is the Hebrew phrase for the Day of Atonement. For more than 3,000 years, Jewish people have observed this annual day of solemn…
The Temple of God had been completed. More than 150,000 men had labored for seven years in the building of what became known as Solomon’s Temple. The finest wood, the purest gold and silver…
One of the happiest of all Jewish holidays is Simchat Torah (Rejoicing over the Law). Second only to Purim in hilarity, this delightful holiday has but one word to describe it—joy.
Blessing—what does the word mean? We use it so freely: “Bless you, my brother,” “Bless you, my sister,” and, when someone sneezes, “God bless you!” It is not uncommon to use phrases…
The previous article in this series focused on several problems related to the Reconstructionist view of history and eschatology. The present article examines problems related to other areas of Reconstructionism.
In the past 30 years there has been a proliferation of “new gospels” in the United States. Some are rooted in eastern philosophical religions, such as Hinduism. Others are based on pop-psychologies, which promise health…
Although it has sometimes been overlooked, a straightforward reading of the Book of Acts reveals that Christianity began as a sect within the Jewish community. Jesus was born of a Jewish mother, was reared…
The Bible contains two facts that bear significantly upon the issue of when the fetus is a complete human being possessing a human soul. The first fact is that man is created in the image…
It was the only sacrifice for which the animal had to be a special color. It was the only sacrifice that had to be performed outside the camp instead of on the altar.
Abortion is one of the most controversial issues to confront the world during the last quarter of the 20th century. The very mention of the word generates strong emotions in many people, and the issue…
The Apostle Paul put it this way: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” (Rom. 10:1). Jesus said it even more concisely: “For the Son…
“Born Again Jews are Rocking in the U.S.S.R.” This was the headline on the second page of the September 1989 edition of the local San Diego Jewish newspaper. With much anticipation, I read the article.
The word doctrine is an enigma to many Christians. There is something unbiblical, almost heretical, about it. You may hear someone say, “Just give me Jesus. He’s all I need,” or perhaps…
Over four thousand years ago God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, promising to be a God to them forever (Gen. 17:7). But now, in the present Church age, Abraham’s descendants have been…
The Lord’s Day is that one day each week when the body of Christ meets for edification, fellowship, preaching, and blessing. The cares of life are set aside for several hours, and our attention…
The visit of the magi to the Child-Messiah, recorded in Matthew 2:1–12, is one of the most familiar biblical scenes to most Christians. The average conception of this event, however, has been unfortunately marred…
In previous studies we have looked at several problems which existed in the Corinthian church. Chapters 1 to 4 discuss the problem of division, while chapters 5 and 6 address the problem of discipline.
Amos 6:1–14: John Wesley’s statement concerning the use of wealth was sensible: “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can!”* Wesley was calling the Christian to a scriptural balance in the use of his finances.
Among the greatest problems faced by the Church has been maintaining proper domestic relations. It touches every family. We are all somehow involved with home, children, or family relationships—no one is an entity unto himself.
This article seeks to derive and apply lessons on leadership from the life of Nehemiah as they are recorded in the book bearing his name in the Old Testament.
Question 20 people on the street about why America has risen to become a land of such power and plenty, and you are likely to hear 20 different answers.
The raving maniac died! The various loathsome diseases which inflicted Herod the Great had claimed his impious life. Archlaus, his eldest son, had received the subordinate title of Ethnarch, and his jurisdiction was over Judea…
DISCIPLINE! No one likes to be disciplined. Yet the right amount of discipline administered in the proper way is necessary for our lives. It causes us to mature and keeps us from going astray.
“GO WEST, YOUNG MAN, GO WEST” was the advice of Horace Greeley to 18th century America The “Horace Greeleys” of the 1980’s might be heard to rephrase that advice thus: “Go east, young man, go east.”
Wouldn’t it be marvelous to belong to a church where everything ran smoothly? If all the items of business were passed by unanimous vote, business meetings would become a pleasure rather than the long…
When Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, asked his chaplain to give him the strongest evidence for the Christian faith, his chaplain’s reply was, “Israel!” Long after other great civilizations have expired…
Israel has a special relationship with God. Like a father to his son, God heaped upon Israel every provision for a life of purity and prosperity. Sadly, Israel turned out to be a prodigal son…
The glory of God has been manifested in many ways throughout the course of history. The Hebrew word for glory means heavy or weighty and is most often used to express honor or impressiveness.
Have you ever made a “spiritual” new year’s resolution to read through the Bible in one year? If you are like most Christians, you may have launched off safely and made good progress on your voyage…
Amos (meaning to bear or burden-bearer) was reared in Tekoa, a small town in the hill country of Judah, six miles south of Bethlehem and 18 miles from the Dead Sea.
That’s the question the Apostle Paul posed as he opened the 11th chapter of Romans. For nearly two thousand years, many have asked the same question, and the majority of Christendom has answered, “Yes.”
In 1 Corinthians 14:21-22, the Apostle Paul indicated a connection between Isaiah 28:11 and the gift of tongues in the New Testament Church. The previous article examined that connection and Paul’s conclusion concerning the purpose of the gift of tongues.
There are multitudes of problems in the world today. They can be categorized as social, physical, economic, national, international, personal -the list goes on almost ad infinitum. It seems as though new problems develop every few days.
There is a new #1 national best-seller at your newsstand. It’s called Trump: the Art of the Deal. It’s the story of Donald Trump, a self-made billionaire and the entrepreneur’s entrepreneur.
“In the entire world there is nothing to equal the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel. All the Writings are holy, but the Song of Songs is the holy of holies.”
Within recent years, evangelical Christians have been very zealous in this country in attempting to get their message of the gospel communicated by or through the media.
Most likely you heard or received many messages, devotionals, Christmas cards, and other means of communication this past Christmas season containing the text of Luke 2, Isaiah 9, or Matthew 1.
In 1897 Wilhelm Marr coined the term “anti-Semitism” to explain the European prejudice and persecution against the Jew. Such bigotry was not new; it has stalked the Jew from the brickyards of Egypt to the death camps of Europe.
In 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 the Apostle Paul based his conclusion concerning the purpose of the gift of tongues upon a statement found in Isaiah 28:11. The fact that Paul did this indicates that the Old Testament…
“I didn’t hear you!” Those were probably the most often used words of my early school years. There was nothing wrong with my ears. My hearing wasn’t impaired. I simply chose to let my mind wander and not pay attention to my teachers.
His messages must have burned hot on his heart as he faced this new generation of Israelites. Racing through his mind and burdening his soul was the question of how they would fare in the land.
Three of the major writing prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) were intimately concerned with the sin, judgment, and future redemption of Israel.
In 1 Corinthians 13:8 the Apostle Paul, writing under the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit, declared the following: “Love never faileth; but . . . whether there be tongues, they shall cease.”
History is replete with small nations who strut across the world stage, proudly flex their political muscles, then vanish into obscurity. Edom was such a nation. Her story is graphically detailed by Obadiah in the short book that bears his name.
It had been such a long time since the children of Israel left Egypt; memories of the plagues that led to that dramatic exodus had faded. Although the significance of Passover night was still a reality to them…
Two of the first things my daughter learned in school were the names of the books of the Bible and that the Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The previous article on spiritual gifts dealt with several significant factors. First, it presented three lines of evidence to the effect that God intended the revelational and sign gifts which He gave to the early Church to be temporary.
One of the questions I am often asked is, “Why did the Jewish people of Christ’s day reject Him?” Many Christians are puzzled over the fact that, while Israel knew the Old Testament messianic prophecies…
Haggai’s message had stirred Judah from idleness. The sound of workmen removing sixty years of rubble, refacing stones and beginning to build on the foundation laid sixteen years earlier filled Jerusalem.
The sin of jealousy does not usually involve an isolated incident. It often has far-reaching effects. It has been the cause of broken relationships in families, resulting in loved ones not speaking to each other for weeks, months, even years.
Sincere Christians disagree with each other concerning the issue of the duration of spiritual gifts. Some believe that God intended all the gifts possessed by the early Church to remain in the Church throughout its history.
In the previous issue of Israel My Glory, Pastor Steve Kreloff dealt with two of three truths that Paul presented to the objector in Romans chapter nine concerning the sovereignty of God.
When the English preacher, Charles Spurgeon, was asked how he reconciled the doctrines of divine election and human responsibility, he replied, “I don’t for I never try to reconcile friends.”
The previous article examined three major items related to the subject of spiritual gifts; namely, a definition and the discernment and purpose of spiritual gifts. The present article will investigate several more items.
The desert was exceptionally hot, the annoying dust covered their bodies and the diet was monotonous. What normally should have taken several weeks had stretched out to what seemed to be almost infinity.
The country is in a building boom. Houses are springing up like mushrooms, dotting major expressways and rolling farmland, with price tags unimaginable to past generations.
For quite a few years sincere Christians have struggled with several significant issues related to the subject of spiritual gifts. What is a spiritual gift? How can a person discern what gift or gifts he or she has been given?
This is the year of the Olympics. Athletes have toned their muscles and perfected their skills in preparation for the games. After years of rigorous physical training, mental hardening and national competition, the athlete is confident of victory.
With keen insight into the human heart, Paul presented the first objection to election in the form of a question: “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness [injustice] with God?” (v. 14a).
There were three administrative offices given by the Lord God to Israel to rule over and guide them – the king, the priest and the prophet. The king ruled over Israel for God; the priest represented the people before God;
If you have trouble understanding some of the Apostle Paul’s teachings, you are not alone. Even his apostolic colleague, Peter, admitted that some of Paul’s writings contain truths which are hard to understand (2 Pet. 3:16).
The winds of apostasy are raging worldwide. Such news is not new or startling, for the Bible predicted that in the last days apostates would flood into the church with their heretical teachings.
God gave leadership to assist Moses as he led the children of Israel through the wilderness. There were men who judged in personal affairs and elders who directed in civil and a few religious affairs.
The previous article presented biblical evidence for two major conclusions. First, the Mosaic Law is an indivisible unit; therefore, if a person places himself under the moral aspect of the Mosaic Law,
He was born near Lynn, Indiana, on May 13,1931. At the age of twenty-one, he became pastor of his first church. He preached a fundamental Christianity early in his ministry, but his message radically changed…
God had directed Moses into the wilderness. The multitude of the children of Israel had followed his leadership and were now deep into the peninsula of Sinai. They had already faced many problems.
Anyone who has travelled with small children will remember the question that inevitably arises from at least one of them, “Are we almost there?” Sometimes the query is, “How much longer before we get there?”
Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology disagree concerning the relationship of the Christian to the Mosaic Law. Covenant Theology advocates the following position.
Apostasy is like a subtle viper that snares its victim and slowly squeezes the life out of it. For this reason, Jude reached back into the Old Testament and picked three lucid illustrations that would impact the Christian…
Often as we travel along the highways, we come to an unmarked fork in the road. We make a choice – one way is followed, the other left behind. A course is established that hopefully will lead to the final destination.
If a poll were taken to determine which of Jacob’s twelve sons were the most famous, certainly either Joseph or Judah would be the favored one. Although more space is given in the Scriptures…
The practice of circumcision is a fairly common phenomenon today, both among civilized and primitive cultures. Due to the Jewish heritage in the West, most people see the rite issuing from the covenant ceremony recorded…
Conversations between individuals have often turned the tide of history. A conversation between Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill decided the fate of millions in post-war Europe.
Deeply ingrained in each of our minds are certain unforgettable events. Perhaps it is the memory of the birth of a long-awaited child or a grim reminder of a terrible tragedy reported by an officer of the law.
The emergence of heretical religions in recent years has been phenomenal. An estimated 2,000 man-made eastern philosophical religious systems have sprung up throughout America.
Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology disagree concerning two major matters related to the Church. Those two matters are: first, the time that the Church began, and, second, the nature of the Church.
Sitting down is no special thing. Secretaries sit down. Executives sit down. Students sit down much of the time. People sit down to eat their meals. People sit down to watch television. People sit down to socialize.
The passengers were seated in the jetliner as it climbed to its cruising altitude. Over the intercom came a calm voice notifying everyone that the plane was fully automated – in fact, there were no cabin attendants and no pilots!
For eighty years God had prepared Moses to lead His people Israel. Half of those years Moses had lived in the Egyptian palace; the other half in Midian, tending sheep. Much time had been spent at Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.
How does the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ relate to the animal sacrifices which God gave to Israel through Moses? What did the blood of these animals accomplish during the days of the Old Covenant theocracy?