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Today we live in a world in which many have lost the desire to care for others. Some have become so self­ centered that the only people they will look out for are themselves. This is not what the Lord intended. When we study the Scriptures, it is evident that we are commanded by God to be concerned for others, not only ourselves. Even in the first book of the Old Testament (Genesis), God showed that we all have a…

Sometimes words are easy to dole out. Things like love, caring, giving, etc., are all spoken with great frequency, and it is proper to have such concepts in our minds. The real challenge, however, is to show our concern for others by taking an active role in their lives. Perhaps we go out of our way to give a ride to someone who cannot drive. Or, maybe we take money from our own pockets and give to someone who needs…

How do you view God? Think carefully about how you answer that question because your answer determines your response. There are many people in the world who have a distorted view of God and therefore respond to Him in a completely unacceptable fashion. For example, there are some who live lives of complete, open, and unmistakable rebellion against the Lord, yet when they die their friends and loved ones adamantly declare that they have “gone to a better place.” The…

Several years ago I read an article written by Dan Jenkins that impressed me greatly. It had to do with what some who call themselves Christians will do when put to the test, and also what one Christian refused to do, and it cost him his life. Please read the following and ask yourself, “Which of these would I be?” Following a recent Friday night football game many high school students were having a “victory party.” The air was full…

There were several times in Paul’s letters that he had to defend his apostleship and authenticity. On one such occasion he wrote, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). This raises a good question for us. Who are we trying to please? It is easy to see how this motivation…

One of the great challenges facing Christians is peer pressure. We all want to be liked and so the tendency is to alter our lives just enough so we will be accepted by others. How many Christians have compromised values simply because they did not want to stand out and be different? One lesson each of us must learn is how fickle those around us are. Look at two incidents in the life of Paul. When he cured the crippled…

I remember a game I played as a child, but I am not sure what it was called. I think it was called “Follow the Leader,” where one child became the leader and whatever he did had to be exactly duplicated in all those other children who were following the leader. If he jumped, they jumped. If he turned in a circle, they turned in a circle. If he walked backwards, they walked backwards. If he did all three in…

The fabled “Pony Express” was short lived. It lasted only about a year and a half (April 1860 -October 1861). The transcontinental telegraph put an end to the need for the horses and their riders. However, in the brief time it existed, the service made a lasting impact on American history. Before the creation of the Pony Express it took a long time for news from the East coast to reach the West coast. For example, when James Buchanan was…

In the Old Testament God commanded that nobody should add to or take away from His word (Deut. 4:2), and that none should turn to the right or the left of His word (Deut. 5:32; 12:32). The New Testament with equal force forbids adding to or taking from or deviating in any way (Rev. 22:18-19; 2 John 9-11). So the landmarks of the Old Testament were not to be removed by the Israelites, and the landmarks of the New Testament…

The Old Testament strictly forbad the removal of landmarks which they of old time had set. In principle this applies to the spiritual landmarks God has set in the New Testament. Setting aside the word of the New Testament in any manner or degree constitutes removal of divine landmarks, and is forbidden. (See Gal. 1:6-11; 3:15; 2 John 9-11). No right thinking Christian would advocate omitting baptism from the Scheme of Redemption, yet other items of equal importance are readily…

The Old Testament forbad the moving of landmarks that had of old time been set. In principle, application can be made to the word of God. Proportionately as many prohibitions are found in the New Testament as In the Old. God has always forbidden setting aside of His word. Many did so under the Old Testament and were condemned. Many are doing so in the New Testament dispensation and are subject to like condemnation. 1. The Landmarks of the Gospel…

1. Landmarks that Pertain to Christ Would Be Removed. The virgin birth of Christ, His divine Sonship, and even His resurrection from the dead have been called in question, as are also His miraculous works, by different individuals and organizations. Humanists, New Agers and other modernists would eliminate Christ entirely. Even some versions of the Bible seek to do so. The Old Testament of the Revised Standard Version (RSV), published in 1952, seeks to get rid of the virgin birth.…