In the story of Jericho two spies were sent by Joshua, the Israelite commander, into the city before the invasion of Canaan began. In Jericho the spies found an ally in Rahab the prostitute who recognized the divine power behind the army of Israel and wanted to save her family. A simple bargain was struck…
There is reason to fear God. What we think of ourselves may not stand. No one can escape the truth. The beauty and goodness of what God has done will not be lost on anyone, and many will awaken to the unpleasant realization of failure. We are fashioned by the Heavenly Creator to understand and…
Editor’s Note: In the May issue of this publication, your editor announced the appointment of two men to the office of deacon by an evangelist. Your editor received the following inquiry from one of our subscribers: “Why does it say the evangelist ‘appointed’ deacons? Please explain to me using Bible verses why that could happen….
A nation may have an “open door policy” in its dealings with certain other nations regarding commerce and trade, but God has a different type of “open door policy.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the door to the church, to salvation, to heaven and to eternal life (John 10:7-10). He said, “I am…
A windfall comes your way. Your ship comes in. What do you do? How would you use it? With increasing frequency I am asked by and hear brethren talking about retirement or an inheritance. Often the question is asked, “What will I do when I retire?” or “What should I do with retirement?” Or, these…
As a dirt poor boy in Charleston, Illinois, Richard went in to a used book store and bought a dilapidated book for six cents. He took it home and stitched it together wi th a needle and thread his mother had. And that was his Bible for the next several years. When Richard talked about…
One of the most widely recognized characters of Greek mythology is Narcissus. Narcissus, the Greeks tell us, was strikingly handsome and drew the attention of many admirers, but arrogantly rejected them all. Concerned about her son, one version of the story relates, his mother inquired of a seer as to what would become of him….
When Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the robbers crucified along with him that day asked Jesus to “remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus’ answer was, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). Jesus promised that the hours of agony on the…
Few men have influenced my life so much as Richard Riggins. He radiated something which made it impossible to merely say one liked him. One had to think of him in terms of love. As a dirt poor boy in Charleston, Illinois, Richard went into a used book store and bought a dilapidated book for…
I recently received a call from a research group asking questions about discipleship. I suspected the underlying purpose was for the sake of marketing. I decided to participate, just to see if I could insert something edifying into the conversation. The questions were involved and thorough. The phone conversation took quite some time. One reason…