Some Jewish people think that Christianity is confused and splintered. They point out that there are Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics, Pentecostals, and many other divisions. Within those groups there are conservatives…
Trials and testings come into the life of every person. If you are not going through any at the moment, wait a while. Sooner or later, they’ll come.
The name Jesus means different things to different people. To some, He is a great prophet, teacher, or leader, but others use His name as a curse. While some have never heard His name…
Soon after the Lord delivered the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, He gave Moses instructions to build the Tabernacle. The work was done according to God’s plan, and when it was completed…
When the darkness of night falls, it creeps around the world from east to west. In the same manner, the first beams of morning sunlight sweep around the world from east to west.
We are living in a day characterized by apostasy. It is hard to say exactly when it began, but it came to the United States as a result of European “free-thinking liberalism.”
It is wonderful to see a family that gets along well. You can sense the harmony, fellowship, and love shared by all. Many people long for such ongoing relationships in their own families…
This February, a lone Jewish man walked into a mosque inside of a shrine built over the cave of Machpelah in Hebron. Dressed in Israeli military garb, he gunned down 29 Muslim Arabs…
To understand the end-times revival of the Roman Empire, we must first understand the term the times of the Gentiles. Jesus said, “And they [the Jewish people] shall fall by the edge of the sword…
Hebrews 11 describes the faith of the three men the Jewish people hold to be the cornerstone of Judaism: Abraham, Moses, and David. Abraham is also called the “friend” of God (Isa. 41:8).
Towering over the efforts of mankind, the marvelous inventions that have made life comfortable, the grandiose plans of politicians, and any dreams we may have is the fact that Jesus Christ will come to the…
Whenever the Lord calls a person to serve Him, opposition usually follows. Sometimes it comes in a very subtle manner, and at other times it comes through strong, open resistance. Unbelievers and believers alike can…
To understand the Book of Hebrews, we must have some understanding of the Levitical system—its orders, law, administration, and sacrifices. This article considers only two areas of that Levitical system, the high priest…
The United States of America was built by immigrants. In the earliest days, they came from England, Holland, and Spain, often seeking freedom from religious persecution.
A brief look at world conditions clearly indicates that many international disputes concern land ownership, particularly in the Middle East. The so-called occupied territories—the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Golan Heights—are familiar to anyone who…
Most Americans older than 40 years of age probably consider Islam to be a religion confined basically to the Middle East and thought of only in connection with the Arab world…
There is nothing new in the current outburst of global anti-Semitism. It has been around for many centuries. In fact, it had its beginnings with Satan after God called the Jews to be a people…
Ruth comes to us from the pages of biblical history as a young woman of Moab who married a young man from Bethlehem of Judah. At first glance, it may appear that her husband simply…
When the average Christian studies the millennial reign of Christ, it is usually from the perspective of the literal person of the Messiah ruling over the earth from Jerusalem for one thousand years.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the 150 Psalms are divided into five books. These poems of prayer and praise cover many themes and are often stated in terms of human experience.
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.
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.
Church discipline is almost unknown in our day. If and when a church does decide to exercise discipline over backsliding members, the individuals involved often leave the church and go to another one nearby.
We have all attended funeral services at one time or another. In many cases, beautiful flowers are banked along an entire wall or occasionally cover all the walls of the room.
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…
Most Christians are aware that Jewish people do not accept the gospel. Some have learned that the methods of evangelism they use with Gentiles do not work when they talk to their Jewish friends about…
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…
Have you ever taken an extended trip? While you may have enjoyed every moment of your adventure, it eventually became tiring. The food was not to your liking, the monotonous miles took their toll physically…
A promise is only as good as the one who makes it. We have all had promises made to us that we knew would never be fulfilled. Conversely, other promises have been made…
Abraham was a man who couldn’t wait! The result of his impatience has been a conflict that has spanned the millennia and, even at the present moment of history, is far from being resolved.
Abraham—the very mention of his name stirs the hearts of multitudes of people the world over. Three religions, each spanning the globe, trace their origins back to him.
Since the early days of the Davidic kingdom, when David first had a desire to build a permanent dwelling place for the Lord, most Jewish people have longed for such a central place of worship.
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…
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…
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
The forty years of wilderness wanderings were ending. God was completing His dealings with Israel and was about to take them into Canaan, their long-promised and long-awaited home.
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…
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.
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.
During the wilderness journey, the rebellious nation of Israel built their golden calf, but then they had to face God’s discipline. Death came to three thousand men (Ex. 32:28b), but the judgment of God was stayed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It was not easy being on Pharaoh’s list of the ten most wanted men. Moses’ path of flight from the king led him to the land of Midian. He was finally safe from the long arm of this powerful ruler.
Long before the birth of a child, Christian parents often pray for the one that will be born. Many invoke their Lord for the early salvation of the baby soon to bless their home.
The biography of a man’s life can be written chronologically, by subject or by events that trace the course of that life. We can study his background, upbringing, marriage, family and even his death.
How swiftly the years pass! For a person over fifty, it seems only a short time since graduation from high school or college. Twenty-five or thirty years of a good marriage pass by swiftly…
Children are a blessing from the Lord. A happy home with little ones filling it is a delight that is beyond description. Many childless couples would give all of their resources to have youngsters of their own.
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…
Almost everyone has a home town. For many of us, it is the city of our birth. For others, it is the place where much of their lives has been spent.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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…
There were three primary, divinely instituted offices in the Old Testament: the prophet was God’s spokesman to the children of Israel; the priest was the people’s representative before a holy God who was a consuming fire…
The city was Jerusalem. The date was somewhere around 67 A.D. The situation was this: A group of Jewish people had been confronted with the messiahship of Jesus. They had listened to the scriptural claims concerning His person.
The Prophet Zechariah had been sent to the Jewish people who had returned from the Babylonian captivity. They had experienced few blessings and had known no victory for a long time.
Reading chapters nine through eleven of the Book of Zechariah, one would begin to wonder. The Lord promised His King for Israel, who, when He came, she rejected. He provided for her a Shepherd, but she would not follow Him.
There were two important figures that stood out in the minds of Old Testament Jewry. The first was that of a shepherd. It was a common sight to see them leading their sheep to pasture.
Things that are very special often become common after a period of time. A young couple will often appear deeply in love but after marriage find their love has lost its zing and wonder where it went.
Israel had just been judged for her sins. For seventy long years the Jewish people had suffered in Babylon. A remnant had now returned to Jerusalem and was struggling to reestablish the city.
The first three visions of Zechariah the prophet relate to external blessings. God told the prophet of a day when the Jewish people would be restored to their land. He also promised that the enemies of Israel would be destroyed…
In our first study in the Book of Zechariah we learned that God gave the prophet a series of eight visions in one night. These visions cover the first six chapters of the book, In the first vision the Lord did three things.
Discouragement was the mood of the day. Disappointment was in the heart of every Jew. They were disillusioned. If God himself had let them down, where could they turn?
If anyone ever had a love and burden for the Jewish people, it was the Apostle Paul. He not only expresses his love and concern for them in Romans 9-11, but also God’s.
Little did David know when he penned Psalm 22 that he would record more details about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus than are recorded in any other chapter of the Old Testament.
Paul was certainly familiar with the armor of the soldier. Rome had control over Palestine in his day. As a young Pharisee in Jerusalem, he had often taken notice of the military…
A warm gentle breeze is blowing in from the sea; spring has arrived once more. Dusk, too, has come, and while darkness takes its grip on the city, the birds roost for the night. All is quiet.
Daniel was a man of prayer. He learned early in life how to lay hold of God and be able to get answers from Him. He won many spiritual battles on his knees…