The Shema: How Much of Me Does God Own?
Hear, O Israel: The Lᴏʀᴅ our God is one Lᴏʀᴅ: And thou shalt love the Lᴏʀᴅ thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
CHRISTIAN LIVING
Scalp-Hunting Christians Apr/May 1990
The Jewess was livid with anger. She had been approached by a man on the street in Jerusalem who had offered her a tract and tried to strike up a conversation about Jesus…
Decorum in the Local Church 1 Corinthians 11–14
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…
Moving to the Final Decade
In a matter of days we will collectively enter the final ten years of this millennium. It has been a long haul, and there were times along the way when it looked as though humanity would not make it.
Problems in the Church: Duty
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.
A Word to the Wealthy
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.
Domestic Problems in the Church Today
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.
Israel, Seek God and Live
Israel looked like the picture of health. Religious zeal was at an all-time high. Israelis were enjoying unprecedented prosperity. Political order ruled the day. Peace permeated the nation’s borders.
Nehemiah: A Biblical Model for Leaders
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.
Confronting the Future
Missionaries will tell you that the people who take the best photographs of their fields of service are often first-time visitors. They see things which are of riveting interest to people not close to the ministries or landscape.
Problems in the Church Today
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.
Psalm 113
Praise ye the Lᴏʀᴅ. Praise, O ye servants of the Lᴏʀᴅ, praise the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ. Blessed be the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ from this time forth and for evermore.
Eastward Ho!
“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.”
Problems in the Church Today
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…
The Purpose of Israel’s Stumble
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, You Only Have I Known Amos 3:1-15
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 Seventh from Adam”
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…
The Cessation of the Gift of Tongues
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.
The Solution to The Problems Facing The Church Today
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.
A Theology for Losers
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.
The Song of Songs
“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.”
The New Covenant: Its Implications for The Christian Life
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.
A Christmas Postscript
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.
Obadiah: The Penalty of Prejudice
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.
The Connection of Isaiah 28:11 to the Gift of Tongue
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…
The Charge Against Israel Part 2
“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.
The Gift of Tongues and The Old Testament
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.”
Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1988/1989
There are some people in this world who will never be reached for the Lord through a verbal witness only. These people want to see action. They want us to put hands and feet to our words.
Editorial
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise…
The Cessation of Revelational Gifts
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.
Joel of Jerusalem Oct/Nov 1988
When I was employed as a construction worker, I had many Arab friends, and they often came to my home to visit. Since the recent problems in Israel have developed, however, they don’t come to see me anymore.
“What Shall We Then Say To These Things?”
Each year Jewish people the world over observe the feast of Passover. The dinner on the first evening of the seven-day observance is very special. It is called the “seder.” And, for the children especially, it is a time of great excitement.
A Time To Encourage Haggai 2:1-9
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.
Spiritual Gifts – Their Duration
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.
Joel of Jerusalem Aug/Sep 1988
In the Talmud it is written, “Do not lose faith in divine retribution.” There are many people in Israel who are quick to despair because of the present situation in the nation.
Spiritual Gifts – Their Distribution And Relationships
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.
A Time To Build Haggai 1:1-15
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.
Joel of Jerusalem Jun/Jul 1988
In 1 Thessalonians 5:13 the Lord admonishes us to be at peace among ourselves. However, some people who appear to be nice and peace loving are only trying to impress others with their lofty character.
Spiritual Gifts – Their Definition, Discernment and Purpose
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?
Who Can Find A Virtuous Woman?
There she is, every man’s dream. Industrious, faithful, strong, capable, gracious, domestic, giving and altogether wise.
Does Election Destroy God’s Righteousness?
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).
Joel of Jerusalem Mar/May 1988
As we know, a small match can cause very great destruction. And so it is with the tongue, which is one of the smallest parts of the human body but also one of the strongest and most dangerous parts.
Little Is Much When God Is In It!
There is great and comforting truth in the statement, “Little is much when God is in it.” How could we think it to be otherwise if the Sovereign of the universe has taken up our cause?
Unmasking The Apostate
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.
The Grace Administration of God’s Moral Absolutes
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,
Was It Worth It?
We had maintained a continued vigil in the coronary care unit as Lilyan’s life hung by a thread, but she rallied (for which we fervently prayed) when her beloved daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren arrived from up North.
Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1987/1988
In the days preceding Christmas, many people in Israel ask believers, “How can God have a birthday?” The concept of the birth of Jesus is very hard for the Jewish people to accept.
We serve the meat of the word! We preach the bible as it is…
Meat is under suspicion these days, Health-conscious people are saying less red meat and more chicken and fish in the diet. Studies suggest that excessive amounts of fat can clog the arteries and contribute…
Apostates In Profile
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…
Men Cannot Curse What God Has Blessed
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?”
A Heart Aflame Romans 9:1-5
When I accepted Christ as my Savior while a university freshman, I wondered if I were the only Jewish person who had ever made this decision. In due course, while reading the New Testament, I discovered that the first-century Church…
The Relationship of The Christian To Law And Grace
Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology disagree concerning the relationship of the Christian to the Mosaic Law. Covenant Theology advocates the following position.
Joel of Jerusalem Oct/Nov 1987
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we must be “diligent in season,out of season” (2 Tim. 4:1) and “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh [us] a reason of the hope that is in [us], with meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15).
How Happy Is The Birthday?
The year was 1787; the place, the city of Philadelphia; the purpose, men had gathered to amend the Articles of Confederation which were loosely holding the thirteen infant states together. But instead of Articles of Confederation…
Apostasy – A Falling Away
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…
Joel of Jerusalem Aug/Sep 1987
Since my recent heart attack, I have been advised by my doctors to give up my employment as a carpenter and go on permanent disability. Of course, no one wants to become inactive, but I pray this will not be the case with me.
Dear Son,
In recent days you have been much on my heart. I find myself asking the invariable questions: Where did the years go? How did they pass so quickly? When was it that you passed from adolescence to young manhood?
Tempted? or Tested?
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (Jas. 1:13).
Contending for The Faith
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.
Joel of Jerusalem Jun/Jul 1987
Many of you I do not know personally, but we are all one family in the Lord, and I experienced this family-type closeness and concern very recently. As many of you may already know…
Jude
Jude called himself “the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James” (v. 1). The name Jude is derived from Judah and pronounced Judas in Greek; it was a very common name in the first century.
Joel of Jerusalem Apr/May 1987
What a wonderful feeling it is to be one of the Chosen People of God and to live in the Promised Land which He has given to us as His people.
Busyness In The Service Of The King
We live in a world that rushes like a car with the accelerator jammed to the floor and the body thrown back in the seat. Life exists at a high rate of speed, a dizzy blur to the passengers on board.
The Holiness Of Places Where God Is Uniquely Present
The previous article concerning the holiness of God indicated that holiness is the quality of being different, distinct or unique from the common or ordinary. In light of this concept of holiness…
The Shepherd of Israel
When the New Testament presents the Lord Jesus Christ as our Shepherd, it does so in a threefold manner. The writer to the Hebrews calls Christ “that great Shepherd” who is risen from the dead…
Joel of Jerusalem Feb/Mar 1987
I was recently walking along the street in the old city of Jerusalem, and I saw two young orthodox Jewish students carrying what appeared to be a very heavy package.
The Holiness of God
When people sing, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, what are they singing about? What is the holiness of God? Some think that the sum total of God’s holiness is His sinlessness; however, that is not so.
A Word About Words
Philippians 1:27 states, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ . . .” The word conversation, used so often in the New Testament, literally means manner of life. It is more than your talk.
The Two Faces of Judah
A deceitful person is called two-faced or a hypocrite. This was a word used in the Greek theater to describe actors who put large painted masks in front of their faces to denote the characters they were playing…
The Shepherd of Israel: The True Shepherd John 10:6-10 – Part Two
There are about 162 different animals mentioned in the Bible. But when God describes His people’s behavior patterns and lifestyles, He uses the imagery of sheep more often than any other animal, and there is a good reason for that.
Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1986/1987
We read many times in the Bible that the people of Israel are God’s chosen people, His peculiar treasure. The people of Israel consider this to be a great honor, but most forget that there are some conditions involved…
The Shepherd of Israel: The True Shepherd John 10:1-5 – Part One
The tenth chapter of the Gospel of John is one of the most beloved and popular chapters in the Bible. It is special to God’s people because it presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the Shepherd of His flock…
How have we robbed you, God?
With the exception of organized crime, robbery is the most prevalent and costly crime in America. Many are surprised to find that shoplifting and employee theft rank together as the number one type of robbery.
Joel of Jerusalem Oct/Nov 1986
There is a saying here in Israel, “What the eye does not see the heart does not grieve for.” But I do see, and therefore I grieve and cannot be silent.
Blessing or Cursing
Few would deny the truth of this beloved hymn. We need God’s mercy drops falling around us, but we need the outpouring of His showers of blessing perhaps even more. But what is God’s blessing?
Joel of Jerusalem Aug/Sep 1986
Recently I had to pay a visit to the local medical clinic, and, as I am sure is the case ail over the world, I had to wait a very long time before I could see a doctor and receive treatment.
Faith
Some crucially important questions are being directed at you. They have to do with faith. Do you want to please God? The Bible says, “. . . without faith it is impossible to please him [God] . . .” (Heb. 11:6).
Joel of Jerusalem Jun/Jul 1986
“Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?” (Ex. 15:11). Not many people know this truth; therefore they live their lives hoping that better times will come. They live in fear of the situations that surround them.
Jehovah Sabaoth
“The crowd came nearer and nearer. The eleven young men, concerned for my safety, formed a ring around me. If anyone was going to get hurt, they determined it would be them first.
DAVID AND HIS WIVES!…Too Many Women!
Marriage is ordained by God. He planned it, blessed it and millions of people have enjoyed the courtship, companionship and love of their mates down through the centuries. From marriage often comes the privilege and blessing of children…
Joel of Jerusalem Feb/Mar 1986
I was recently asked to visit an elderly man whose son is my friend. When I arrived at his home, I could immediately tell that he was very sick and that I had arrived in the last hours of his life.
Joel of Jerusalem Feb/Mar 1986
It seems that there is always something new coming upon the scene, and in Israel our something new is a new holy one. He is a rabbi whose father, a very famous rabbi himself died about a year ago.
Friends to the End
A person with a true friend is most fortunate. He has one with whom he can share his innermost thoughts – one with whom he can rejoice – one with whom he can weep when deep trials and testings come.
The World’s Hatred of Believers John 15:18-27
When I became a believer in Christ, I expected that those closest to me would also accept Him. Once they have the truth about Jesus, I reasoned, they will immediately open their hearts to Him.
Joel of Jerusalem Nov/Jan 1985/1986
As we all know, we are living in very interesting times, and here in Israel people are beginning to be interested in things which before they never thought about. The Jewish people have always followed after the faith of their fathers.
Jesus Christ Offers A Superior Sacrifice
Monotony can often become a way of life. So often the same things are repeated over and over again. The woman faces that seemingly endless pile of dishes to clear, another meal to prepare…
Joel of Jerusalem Aug/Oct 1985
There are all kinds of people in the world. Some are happy – very happy – and some are very unhappy. And even some people who were happy a long time ago are now confused and don’t know what to do.
Run for Your Life, David
Several years ago the Shah of Iran went into exile trying to save his life from his foes. Hunted down, he moved from Iran to Europe, to the United States, to Mexico and finally to Egypt.
Joel of Jerusalem Jun/Jul 1985
Everyday I thank the Lord that I can go on the streets with a smile on my face rather than thinking, as so many people are doing, how I can take revenge on the people who made trouble for me so long ago.
THE FIRST TEMPTATION – The Final Sin
Let me say it up front – unadorned – without apology and accurately. Man, without God, is hopelessly lost. He is like a blind man, in a dark room, looking for a black cat that isn’t there.
Back to The Sheep
David! The very mention of his name will captivate the mind of any Jewish person. This shepherd-king is the hero of Israel. Every Jewish mother would love to have a son like him.
Joel of Jerusalem Apr/May 1985
There is a very big competition raging in Israel at this time. It is not a competition in the business world, but something which has never been seen before in this nation – a competition to see who can bring more people to repentance.
Joel of Jerusalem Feb/Mar 1985
There are many countries in the world, some big and some small, but there is only one country on earth where you can see signs all over, written in big letters, “WELCOME TO THE HOLY LAND.”
Wonderful Counselor The Mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince Of Peace
Occasionally a package leaves the shipping department of The Friends of Israel carrying this printed message: One of two. It is the Mission’s way of saying, You have not received everything yet — another package is still to come.
The Perplexed Prophet Misunderstanding God’s Justice HABAKKUK 1:12-2:1
Perplexed had to be the feeling of Habakkuk when God answered his cry for justice in Judah. Most likely he sat in stunned silence contemplating the unexpected revelation from God.
Hebrews What God Demanded What God Provided
God has chosen to base His relationship with the nation of Israel on covenants. There are basically four unconditional covenants that He made with His people. The first is the Abrahamic Covenant, which promised them a land…
Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1984/1985
Many times I ask myself why I must move so often in my work. It is certainly not by my own choice, but it has been happening for years. One advantage to this constant changing of jobs…
Once More With Feeling
The women of Israel came out to welcome their returning, victorious army. They cried, “… Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Sam. 18:7).
Joel of Jerusalem Oct/Nov 1984
How I thank the Lord that I can walk down the street with my head held high and not downcast, as is the case with so many people here in Israel.
Joel of Jerusalem Aug/Sep 1984
Here in Israel we are facing new general elections, and it is almost like war. There is no consideration being shown. Instead, it is a wild competition. The people seem to be looking for a new king…