“And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.”—John 20:28
In His company of apostles, Jesus chose every type and phase of human character. There was the intense, impetuous Peter; the precise, austere James; the matter-of-fact Andrew; the earnest, loving John; the business man Matthew; the zealot Simon; and also the skeptic Thomas. Now I would not imply that Thomas represents the highest type of character, but I do hold that Thomas represents a very frequently found type. Wherever he is spoken of in the Scripture, it is always with some expression of pessimism or doubt. When …
We are all aware of the fact that during the last twenty-five years and more, especially the last fifteen years, there has been a very widespread and determined effort put forth to set aside the authenticity of the Bible. Just why intelligent men, who are interested in the welfare of humanity, should be engaged in this destructive work is a question that I will not attempt to answer. They surely know that the Bible has not been the enemy of civilization. The foundations of our best American institutions were laid by men who were …
“He who observes the wind will not sow; and he who regards the clouds will not reap.”—Ecclesiastes 11:4
What does the Preacher mean by these words? That watching the wind is wrong? That considering the clouds is a highly impractical activity when carried to excess? Certainly a good farmer keeps his weather eye open even as he sows and reaps.
Scripture repeatedly commands us to look, to watch. Observation and evaluation are essential—especially when winds are icy and clouds ominous. But if our careful analyses lead us to inaction, we underestimate the God who makes clouds His chariot, winds His …
“Thus saith Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”—Jeremiah 6:16
Periodically it does us good to look back, to remind ourselves of the mighty movings of God in the past, but we must not remain there. We must in some way under God relate what has happened in the past to that which can and must occur in the present if we are to know the touch of God upon us.
The Tipping Point: Uncovering Islam’s Agenda & Restoring Biblical Truth
Our trip to Turkey is still vivid in my mind. In 2009, Rebecca and I visited the sites of the “Seven Churches of Revelation.” In the town of Philadelphia, I remember seeing the ruins of a destroyed church building, but next to it was a beautiful, well-kept mosque. I was thinking, “What did Jesus mean when He assured this first century church in Philadelphia, ‘I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut’?” (Revelation 3:7). At each of the seven ancient cities, we saw …
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”—Hebrews 4:15
The devout follower of Jesus Christ is greatly shocked by the denials of the deity of our Lord; equally grieved is he by the claims of many of the rationalists that He could and did make mistakes, especially during that period denominated “The awakening and evolution of His God consciousness.” Yet, that same devotee of the Master may do Him as serious an injustice as the unitarian or the …
“For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.”—Mark 10:45
A great fact is here stated concerning the Son of Man. The speaker is our Lord Himself, who in this, as in all matters, left us an example that we should follow in His steps.
The incident that gave rise to His words is a sad one. Two of His disciples, James and John, wanted to be ministered unto by being granted the chief places in His …
“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins …
“And sounded and found it twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little further, sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
“Then fearing lest we should have fallen on the rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the day.”—Acts 27:28–29
Paul had expressed a desire to go to Rome; he is now on his way. He had hoped for a prosperous journey—it’s a perilousjourney. The twenty-seventh chapter of Acts records the perils of it. The text chosen brings us to the crisis. They were drifting, and the sensible thing to …
When the State Becomes God: What to do when government invades your God-given freedoms
To obey, or to disobey?
History is filled with stories of conflict between the church and state. More often than not, these conflicts happen when the state overreaches its proper role and stifles its citizens’ freedom of conscience, freedom of worship, and the right to propagate one’s faith. Perhaps one of the most egregious examples of this happened in the first century when Christians who would not declare “Caesar is Lord” were ostracized or put to death. This was based on the accepted dictum that if …
