Shallow Ponds and Charity (March-April 2007)

March-April 2007
Volume 16, Number 3

What does a shallow pond have to do with acts of kindness and mercy? Modern ethicists use such analogies to explain their theories of human behavior. Christians, however, can rely on the clear instruction of Jesus Christ to inform their moral choices.  (iStockphoto)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh
Seeking God (Part Two):
A Foundation

Having a goal is a wonderful thing, but it is worthless without a plan for achieving it. John Ritenbaugh contends that Christians also need to have a conscious plan in seeking God, recommending several essential qualities that must be included in any successful course of action.

Ready Answer
Jumping Into the Shallow Pond (Part Two)
by Charles Whitaker

Philosophers and ethicists, steeped in humanism, shoot wide of the truth in answering, 'Who is my neighbor?' Charles Whitaker explains that the Bible reveals the answer to this big moral question, as well as providing sensible guidelines on the finer details of Christian charity.

Prophecy Watch
All About Edom (Part Four):
Obadiah and Edom's Sin
by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Because of the millennia-long conflict between Israel and Edom, one might think that the prophet Obadiah would predict the Edomites' downfall with a certain gleeful relish, but in fact, he laments Edom's horrible end. Richard Ritenbaugh reviews the middle passage of Obadiah, in which God describes the complete devastation of Edom and His reason for it.

The Gift of a Leper
by Staff

Leprosy is a gruesome disease, in which an infected person progressively rots and falls to pieces before his eyes. The leper's healing by Jesus teaches that, while Jesus freely healed the man, his cleansing was not really free, and the gift he was told to present to the priests contains vital instruction for all.

WorldWatch
The Paradox of U.S. Power and Defeat
by David C. Grabbe

Since World War II, the United States has rarely fought a successful military action, be it Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Iran, or Iraq—yet it stands alone as a superpower on the earth. David Grabbe ponders this geopolitical paradox, one that could greatly affect our perspective of world events.

Bible Study
The Miracles of Jesus Christ:
Exorcism in the Synagogue
by Martin G. Collins

During His ministry, Jesus Christ was frequently asked to cast demons out of people. Martin Collins dissects the exorcism Jesus performed in the synagogue in Capernaum, revealing both the authority and the mercy of God.