Joshua and the Gibeonites (Part One)
by David C. GrabbeIn Ecclesiastes 7:29, Solomon observes, “God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes” (New Revised Standard Version). One such scheme, recorded in Scripture for our admonition, ...
05-Mar-21
Forgiveness and Hope
by John ReissPassover is an annual renewal of the covenant we made with our heavenly Father and a remembrance of what His Son has done for us so our sins can be forgiven. ...
26-Feb-21
Entrance Exam
by Mike FuhrerThe popular belief is “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). While this is true enough in its own right, it leaves out a great deal of biblical instruction about what God ...
19-Feb-21
Catastrophe to Blessing
by John ReissThe apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” His words presuppose a ...
12-Feb-21
Remember Me (Part Two)
by Ronny H. GrahamThe apostle Paul teaches Christians in I Corinthians 11:27-29 to appraise themselves carefully before partaking of the bread and the wine in the Passover service: "So if anyone eats ...
05-Feb-21
Remember Me (Part One)
by Ronny H. GrahamIn I Corinthians 11:23-30, the apostle Paul reiterates what took place the night our Savior was betrayed and His instruction regarding the proper observance of Passover: "For I received ...
29-Jan-21
The Same Mind, Judgment, and Speech (Part Three)
by David C. GrabbeAs we saw in Part Two, the apostle Paul pleads with the divided congregation in Corinth—and with us—to “all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined ...
22-Jan-21
The Same Mind, Judgment, and Speech (Part Two)
by David C. GrabbeMore knowledge does not always improve a person’s or society’s condition if that knowledge is not properly ordered — that is, if it is not conformed to or constrained by the knowledge of God and all it entails. ...
15-Jan-21
The Same Mind, Judgment, and Speech (Part One)
by David C. GrabbeBack in late-2001, my wife Mikele and I took advantage of the cheap airfares that followed the events of September 11 that year, spending several weeks in England, Scotland, and Wales. While in ...
08-Jan-21
The Crowns of Success (Part Two)
by John ReissIn Part One, we began examining the biblical idea of five heavenly crowns and what these rewards mean for Christians. We will continue our examination by considering the fourth of these, the ...
01-Jan-21
The Crowns of Success (Part One)
by John ReissIn the New Testament, the Bible speaks of five crowns God promises to faithful Christians that He will give them after Christ’s return as King of kings. Some who advocate for this idea view these ...
25-Dec-20
"Unto Us a Son Is Given"
by Richard T. RitenbaughThe above title comes from the words of Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, ...
18-Dec-20
What Is This "Advent"?
by Richard T. RitenbaughThe world around us is celebrating what many call Advent, the month-long buildup to Christmas that the more devout among them treat as a period of more intense prayer and fasting. ...
11-Dec-20
Why Was God So Angry With Israel? (Part Two)
by Mike FuhrerIn Part One, we saw the children of Israel stalled in fear at the border of the Promised Land in Kadesh, unwilling to cross over into their inheritance (Numbers 14:1-5). Not even the faithful testimony of ...
04-Dec-20
Why Was God So Angry With Israel? (Part One)
by Mike FuhrerWhen the Israelites, camped at Kadesh in the wilderness, refused to enter the Promised Land, God’s anger flared at them, saying, “I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them” ...
27-Nov-20
Thanks for Everything
by Richard T. RitenbaughThanksgiving Day is already a day in the rearview mirror, perhaps even all but forgotten in the annual Black Friday frenzy. We should not confine the giving of thanks to a single day of the year, but express it ...
20-Nov-20
The Importance of Appreciation
by John ReissDriving down the street near work several years ago, I saw something that really made an impression on me. Three bicyclists stood near the crosswalk, so I stopped and let them cross in front of my car. ...
13-Nov-20
Conditions of Discipleship (Part Two)
by Mike FuhrerIn Part One, we saw that Jesus did not just pick anyone off the street as a disciple. Instead, He looked for people who would fulfill certain conditions that He placed on true discipleship. ...
06-Nov-20
Conditions of Discipleship (Part One)
by Mike FuhrerWhen Jesus Christ gathered His core disciples as He began His ministry, He knew who and what kind of men they were. He needed principled and devout worshippers of God to teach and prepare for the ...
30-Oct-20
Why 153 Fish? (Part Three)
by David C. GrabbeThe eighth sign of Christ’s Messiahship in John’s gospel contains the curious feature of 153 fish, which Jesus miraculously provided. As a symbol, fish typically represent people, such as when Jesus initially ...
23-Oct-20
Why 153 Fish? (Part Two)
by David C. GrabbeAs Part One detailed, the apostle John structured his gospel around eight signs that reveal Jesus Christ as the Messiah. He arranged these signs so that the first sign corresponds to the eighth, the second ...
16-Oct-20
Why 153 Fish? (Part One)
by David C. GrabbeIn Psalm 12:6, David compares God’s Word to silver that has been purified seven times. His revelation contains nothing superfluous, and thus each detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant, holds ...
25-Sep-20
The Forgotten Promises
by Mike FuhrerIn casual conversations with brethren, fasting has occasionally come up for discussion, and it turns out that it is the rare individual who fasts regularly. Years ago, church members were encouraged ...
18-Sep-20
Devil in the Details?
by David C. GrabbeIn II Timothy 3:16, Paul tells the young pastor that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. ...
11-Sep-20
Jihad in Our Streets
by Richard T. RitenbaughToday is the nineteenth anniversary of what we now call just “9/11." Islamic terrorists hijacked four planes in the early morning of September 11, 2001, and flew two of them into New York City’s World Trade ...
04-Sep-20
Reciprocity (Part Two)
by John ReissPart One explained the principle of reciprocity, in which kindness and service are rewarded with blessings, especially when the person expects nothing in return. In fact, God seems to have ...
28-Aug-20
Reciprocity (Part One)
by John ReissThe notes on Luke 6:38 in the New Spirit-Filled Life Study Bible read: There is a universal law of divine reciprocity. You give; God gives in return. When you plant a seed, the ground yields a harvest. ...
21-Aug-20
Is God Fair?
by Mike FuhrerThe church has long taught, and rightly so, that God is fair. When meting out punishments, He expects us to be fair also. Under the Old Covenant, He set out the principle of "life for life ..."
14-Aug-20
Has Humanity Reached Total Depravity? (Part Three)
by Richard T. RitenbaughRemember the old Lay’s Potato Chips commercials on American television with the slogan, “Betcha can’t eat just one”? We could use a similar slogan to describe human sin: “Betcha can’t commit just one!” ...
07-Aug-20
Has Humanity Reached Total Depravity? (Part Two)
by Richard T. RitenbaughIn Part One, we exhaustively covered God’s declaration in Genesis 6:5 that the humans of Noah’s day were altogether evil, from their innermost intentions to their most public behaviors. ...
31-Jul-20
Has Humanity Reached Total Depravity? (Part One)
by Richard T. RitenbaughJust before the Noachian Flood, God declares His assessment of the moral state of humanity, and He pulls no punches: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and ..."
24-Jul-20
The Sacred Name Movement
by John ReissGod says to Moses in Exodus 6:2-3, “I am the LORD. ...
17-Jul-20
God's Enduring Mercy
by Ronny H. GrahamThe greatest example of mercy in the Bible is, of course, found in the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He walked in mercy every day, healing multitudes, feeding thousands, and casting out many demons. ...
10-Jul-20
Led Outside the Gate
by David C. GrabbeMeekness, we should understand, is not weakness. Though scoffed at by an assertive and bruising world, meekness demonstrates tremendous strength, for it is power under internal restraint. ...
26-Jun-20
Why Preach the Gospel to the World?
by Richard T. RitenbaughOn a street corner of a crowded city, a young man in threadbare clothes stands on a pine box, a worn Bible clutched in one hand. He shouts at the hustling passersby, "God is not mocked! We will reap what we have sown!" ...
19-Jun-20
Did Eve Really Speak to a Snake?
by Mike FuhrerIn Revelation 20:2, the apostle John relates what he saw in a vision: “[An angel] laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years." ...
12-Jun-20
Our Way Forward
by Richard T. RitenbaughAs God’s instruction manual for His people, the Bible contains the answers and guidance Christians need in times of trouble. Scripture reflects His mind more than any other resource on earth ...
05-Jun-20
Soldier On! (Part Two)
by John ReissWe all face trials in life, some of them quite difficult. A few of them may be so devastating that our first reaction is to curl up in a ball and give up. God, though, does not want us to allow ...
29-May-20
Soldier On! (Part One)
by John ReissAs sunset neared in the Persian Gulf on February 16, 1991, American forces, engaged in a skirmish with Iraqi forces, shot a single TOW anti-tank missile at one of the enemy’s tanks, damaging but not destroying it. ...
22-May-20
Beware the Second Flood (Part Two)
by David C. GrabbePart One drew upon the imagery in Revelation 12:15, in which a flood of words pours from the mouth of the serpent to sweep away God’s people. A ready application arises in our present ...
15-May-20
Beware the Second Flood (Part One)
by David C. GrabbeAfter the apocalyptic Flood from which God delivered only eight souls, He made a covenantal promise that He would never again send a globe-covering flood. To remind humanity from that ...
08-May-20
The Purpose of Prophecy
by Mike FuhrerWhat is a prophet? At its most basic, a prophet is an assistant who speaks for the leader. We have the perfect explanation of this in Exodus 7:1-2, where God tells Moses that his elder brother, Aaron, ...
01-May-20
The House of Annas
by John ReissThe evangelist Luke writes in Luke 3:1-2: “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, . ... while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, ...
24-Apr-20
Fear and Faith (Part Three)
by Mike FordAs we close this series on the choice between faith and fear, we need to consider one more example from the events of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Moses sets the scene for us in ...
17-Apr-20
Fear and Faith (Part Two)
by Mike FordIn the book of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts the history of the Israelites’ travels up to that point. About eighteen months into the Exodus, the Israelites had come to Kadesh Barnea, which God had ...
10-Apr-20
Fear and Faith (Part One)
by Mike FordThe story of the children of Israel fleeing from Egypt never gets old even though we return to it routinely every spring. There seem to be endless lessons we can learn from it, and in that vein, the . . .
03-Apr-20
Heirs of the Kingdom
by Mike FuhrerIn my studies, I happened across Matthew 8:5-13, the story of Jesus’ conversation with a centurion whose servant had become paralyzed and was in great pain: "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, ... "
27-Mar-20
Let Us Examine Ourselves
by Ronny H. GrahamWith the Feast of Unleavened Bread less than two weeks away, many of us are well into our de-leavening. Some may even be finished and feel a sense of relief that the job is done. ...
20-Mar-20
Deliverance and Unleavened Bread
by John ReissIn a few weeks, members of the church of God will be observing Passover and then the Feast of Unleavened Bread. These springtime festivals memorialize the redemption and exodus of ...
13-Mar-20
Avoiding Prayer? Consider Carefully
by Richard T. RitenbaughThe alarm sounds, jolting the sleeper from deep slumber. He lifts his head and peers through slitted eyelids at the bedside clock. Five-thirty am. Hitting the snooze button, he sighs ....
06-Mar-20
Ditching Tithing? Consider Carefully
by Richard T. RitenbaughTimes are hard. Money is short. Bills need to be paid. Taxes are due. The car needs new brakes. The baby has run out of diapers, and mama needs new shoes. The self-centered human mind can always come up with “needs,” ...
28-Feb-20
Skipping Services? Consider Carefully
by Richard T. RitenbaughAfter a long week of work, Fred arrives home early Friday evening and drags himself inside. He is looking forward to the Sabbath and the extended rest God allows us to enjoy on His day. ...