Editor’s Note: Part one of this article can be found in the March 2023 edition of The Gospel Message. Jeremiah’s godly service was in stark contrast to Balaam’s. Jeremiah is known as “the weeping prophet” not only because of his own problems (which were real and great) but also: Because of the wickedness of his…
What is it to be a man? When my mother raised me, she said, “Stand up and act like a man.” Where did she get that? Let’s take a brief account of the book of Job. Whether or not she spoke from her own recollection of Job or whether it filtered to her through common…
“What’s love got to do with it?” This is the question Tina Turner belts out in her distinctive raspy voice as she sings the title to the song written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, which started being played on the radio in 1984. The “it” the song refers to speaks strictly of gratifying physical…
We live in a world filled with sin. Our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and other people flaunt their sins on social media or in public. Some do it because they have blinded themselves to the wrong they are committing. Some do it to provoke a reaction in others. Some do it out of a misguided desire…
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). The heart is referenced over 750 times in the Bible. In most instances, it is not referring to the organ that pumps blood throughout our body. More often, the Bible uses the heart as a metaphor for something…
Luke chapter 1 reports the divine promises, delivered by the angel Gabriel, of the impending births of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. Both births were for God’s purposes, fulfilling prophecies at a time chosen by God. Both depended on God’s power. John’s birth would be an answer to previous prayers (1:13) at a…
The book of Jonah has always been a favorite of many over the years, not only because it has a really good story, but also because of the many lessons that can be taken from its text. To that end, there is one word that appears four times in this book that seems to have…
In Acts 27, Luke records an interesting narrative that adds insight into and lessons from Paul. Peter remarks in 1 Peter 2:12, “having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” Paul appealed…
Back in the early to mid-1930s, Jean Piaget conducted some research in regard to the way that intelligence develops in humans. One of his conclusions dealt with the idea of object permanence. Through his experiments, he decided that children, specifically those under the age of 2, did not have a sense of objects still existing…
One of the unfortunate consequences of a splintered and divided Christendom is the general disagreement about the purpose of the church. Some want church to be a Spirit-fueled rock concert. Others want church to be a group therapy session where hurts and sorrows are shared and feelings affirmed. Still others see the church as a…