The Mighty Acts of God – The Tower of Babel
Following the Flood, the survivors departed from the Ark and began life anew (Gen. 9:18). Earlier God had told them: “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Gen. 9:1). Noah lived 350...
Parables Part 3
The first parable to be covered in this article is “the parable of the mustard seed.” It is found in Matthew 13:31-32 and reads as follows: Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a...
What The Ten Commandments Really Mean: 3rd Commandment
Names have a meaning in the Bible. They are not given without purpose. Adam was given that name because Adam meant “ruddy” or “red” from the color of the ground from which he was created. Eve was called “Isha” in the Hebrew because...
Part Five —The Governors: Nehemiah
Nehemiah came on the scene about 13 years after Ezra, but they were contemporaries. At Babylon he was the king’s cupbearer and was in daily contact with the king. As a result of this contact, he was a man of influence, conversant with what was going on within...
What The Ten Commandments Really Mean: 4th Commandment
Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27). It was made as a benefit and a blessing for man’s good. The Sabbath was created at the same time man was created. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day...
The Mighty Acts of God – Sodom and Gomorrah
God called Abraham out of Mesopotamia. His nephew Lot accompanied him. God led Abraham into the rich grazing lands of Canaan, where there was ample food and water for their vast herds (Gen. 13:5). In time the land could not support these vast herds (vv. 6-8), and it...
Parables Part 4
Luke, chapter 15, begins with “the parable of the lost sheep.” This parable illustrates how God views those who stumble through life without any knowledge of His true way. The parable was precipitated by an encounter Jesus had with the Pharisees. The...
The Mighty Acts of God – In the Lives of the Patriarchs
Let us now examine the mighty acts and miracles of God in the lives of various individuals. The history of the patriarchs has been covered in the series entitled, Great Men of the Old Testament. There is no need to repeat the details in this series. Rather, let us...
Parables Part 5
Earlier articles in this series have demonstrated that the kingdom of heaven is the same as the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the coming world-ruling government of God that will be set up when Christ returns. In Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus gave another parable...
What The Ten Commandments Really Mean: 5th Commandment
The fifth commandment links the first four commandments with the remaining five. Commandments one through four teach us how to love and respect God. Commandments five through ten show us how to love and respect our fellow man. Proper respect toward our fellow man...
Parables Part 6
Luke 14:26-33 records another important parable of Jesus. It is sometimes referred to as “the parable of the tower and warring king.” More simply, it could be called “the parable of counting the cost.” The parable is introduced by the preceding...
What The Ten Commandments Really Mean: 6th Commandment
Of all of God’s creation, man is unique. He was made in the image of God. Since God is the One who gave life, only He has the prerogative to take life. When human beings commit murder, they appropriate to themselves God’s authority. At the Creation God...
The Mighty Acts of God – The Destruction of Egypt
The Mighty Acts of God were many and profound in destroying Egypt-the super power of the day. At no other time in history were so many catastrophic events brought upon a single nation. And the man most instrumental in this destruction was Moses. What was the reason...
What The Ten Commandments Really Mean: 7th Commandment
The institution of marriage was established at Creation. “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature,...
The Mighty Acts of God – In the Wilderness
After their deliverance from slavery in the land of Egypt, the Israelites began their long journey toward the Promised Land. God did not lead them by the direct route along the Mediterranean coastline. This was because they were not prepared to war against the peoples...
Parables Part 7
“The parable of the two sons,” recorded in Matthew 21:28-32, was precipitated by a confrontation Jesus had with the chief priests and elders. They demanded to know who gave Him the authority to teach and to perform miracles (V. 23). Jesus countered them...
The Mighty Acts of God – The Conquest and the Judges
After the death of Moses, Joshua was given the task of leading Israel into the Promised Land. The military campaign that followed is generally referred to as “the Conquest.” Earlier, at Kadesh, God had sentenced those who were over age 20, of the first...
Parables Part 8
“The parable of the talents” is another extremely important parable. It shows what is really required to enter the Kingdom of God. We find it in Matthew 25:14-30. For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own...
Foreword
Most Americans of Caucasian stock have little knowledge of their ancestry. At the most, they can go back no more than two or three generations. This lack of knowledge is partially responsible for the moral and spiritual decline of our civilization. In addition, the...
What The Ten Commandments Really Mean: 8th Commandment
Righteousness is defined in the Bible as obedience to the Law of God (Ps. 119:172). The eighth commandment deals with theft. The increase of property, goods, and wealth by illegal means is outside the boundaries of God’s Law. This kind of activity constitutes...
Chapter One: The Apostles – Where Did They Go?
It may seem rather unusual to begin a study of western heritage by introducing a question regarding the Apostles. The omission of the majority of the Apostles in the book of Acts, and where they are found later, provides an important key in the study of our heritage....
Parables Part 9
“The parable of the good Samaritan” was given in response to a comment a lawyer made to Jesus. The lawyer was trying to justify his life style. Jesus had told him that in order to be saved, “. . . Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,...
What The Ten Commandments Really Mean: 9th Commandment
Character is the ability to recognize right from wrong and to always choose the right in opposition to the wrong. Obedience to the ninth commandment is a requirement for building character. This is because a man is only as good as his word. One can have little...
The Mighty Acts of God – The Kings of Israel
The first king over Israel was Saul. At first God worked with him and inspired him to accomplish much, but later Saul turned away. After this he no longer received God’s blessings. In his later years, nothing seemed to go right for him. Before Saul was chosen to...
What The Ten Commandments Really Mean: 10th Commandment
The tenth commandment concerns itself with property. It is more detailed than most of the other commandments because it spells out what is right and wrong with respect to the property of others. The tenth commandment states, “Thou shalt not covet thy...
Chapter 2: Colonization in the Ancient World
Regarding the establishment of nations, two factors need to be understood. One is that there have been changes in the location of the races in different places, at different times, in the history of the world. The second factor is that the people who now inhabit the...
The Mighty Acts of God – The Prophets
Prophets were men specifically chosen to speak and act for God. Many of the mighty acts and miracles of God were performed by these men. The first in this line of prophets was Samuel (Acts 13:20). In the section on “The Kings of Israel” we covered one of...
Parables Part 10
“The parable of the friend in need” is found in Luke 11:5-8. It is introduced by Jesus’ instruction on how to pray, commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer. After the instruction on how to pray, Jesus gives the parable: And he said unto them,...
Chapter 3: The Historical Time Frame
Any work of a historical nature should have a proper time frame in order to be accurate and present a proper perspective. A proper time frame should be based on what information is presently available, both scientific and historical. In the quest for truth there is no...
Chapter 4: A Look At Racial Types
Whether one accepts the theory of evolution or looks at a special creation for the presence of man on the earth, we must look to the remote past for the origin of the several races. Before evolution was accepted, the view regarding the origin of man was that human...
Chapter 5: The Captivity and Deportation of Israel
Both the Bible and history record that the ten tribes of Israel-descendants of the Patriarch Jacob-were deported from their land by a series of invasions. Long before this period, however, the tribe of Dan had already disappeared, and Asher and Gad had abandoned their...
Chapter 6: The Westward Movement
Modern scholars have not appreciated the scope of travel and colonization in the ancient world. Archaeologists, for generations, have held the belief that only navigation techniques introduced into Europe during the fifteenth century made it possible for Europeans to...
Chapter 7: Did Israel Not Leave Palestine?
In spite of the massive amount of material that demonstrates the movement of the Israelites from the land of their captivity to northwestern Europe and the British Isles, thence to America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, one can read statements like...
Chapter 8: Israel – The Type and Example
It has been said that in America, if you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a...
Bibliography
Artamonov, M. I. 1974. Kimmeriitsy i skify. [Cimmerians and Scythians] Leningrad: lzdatel’stvo leningradskogo universiteta. Baker, John R. 1981. Race. Athens, Georgia: Foundation for Human Understanding. Bancroft, Hubert H. 1883. The Works of Hubert Howe...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 1
Jesus said, “. . . why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Professing Christians by the millions call Jesus Lord but refuse to do what He said. Why? Because most do not know what He taught. It would behoove us,...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 2
* Why is the Sermon on the Mount so important? * How did Jesus begin the Sermon on the Mount? * What are the Beatitudes? * Why are the Beatitudes important? * How many Beatitudes did Jesus recite? The Sermon on the Mount is the heart and core of Jesus’ teaching....
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 3
* In the Sermon on the Mount what does salt represent? * How can a Christian be a light to the world? * Did Jesus “do away” with God’s law? * Why is physical obedience to God inadequate? * Can a Christian love God and hate his brother? In Matthew...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 4
* What was the purpose of the Sermon on the Mount? * By what standard is man judged today? * What did Jesus mean – cut off a hand, pluck out an eye? * Should God’s name be used in swearing? * Should Christians seek revenge? During the Sermon on the Mount,...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 5
*The Sermon on the Mount – Is it easy to practice? *Can one give alms from a wrong motive? *Can one “show-off” in prayer? *Why did Jesus give us the Lord’s prayer? *What are some hindrances to one’s spiritual life? The Sermon on the Mount...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 6
*What usually happens to those who really practice Christianity? *The approval of men – How does one get it? *Human behavior – What does it really depict? *How can true righteousness be achieved? *What is the only goal of lasting value? Jesus spoke about...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 7
*What does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth? *What does the Holy Spirit have to do with righteousness? *Who is a spiritual man? *What was wrong with the worship of the Pharisees? *What was the source of Jesus’ teaching? During early New Testament times...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 8
*Which day is the Sabbath of the Bible? *How did the Jews make a burden of the Sabbath? *What did Jesus do on the Sabbath? *Did Jesus actually work on the Sabbath? *Why is Friday an important day for the Sabbath? One of the primary considerations Christ repeatedly...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 9
*How did Jesus confront those possessed of demons? *What accusation did the Pharisees hurl against Jesus? *How do a man’s words reveal the man? *Who is God’s true family? *What is the lesson from the Parable of the Sower? Jesus occasionally encountered...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 10
*Did Jesus really come to bring peace on the earth? *What does it mean to count the cost? *Why is it important to keep one’s eyes on Christ? *What is the true bread of life? *What really defiles a man? The common idea in religious circles today is that Jesus...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 11
*How can one enter into eternal life? *What does counting the cost include? *What did Jesus mean – faith of a mustard seed? *What is true service to God? *What is wrong with worldly ambition? When Jesus spoke to His disciples, He was completely up front. He did...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 12
*What did Jesus say about offending others? *How far should one go in forgiving others? *Why did Jesus not condemn the adulterous woman? *What does becoming a Christian really require? *How broad does God’s kindness reach? A part of the Christian experience,...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 13
*Why must we be persistent in prayer? *Why is covetousness so harmful? *How can wealth be a curse? *What did Jesus say about wealth? *Who is a faithful servant of God? In Luke 11:1 the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus then recited what is commonly...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 14
*Did the Jews confuse the purpose of Christ’s first coming? *Are the worst sinners punished the most? *What does it take to enter the Kingdom of God? *What is true charity in the eyes of God? *What does it mean to count the cost? In Luke 12:51-53 Jesus dispelled...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 15
*What was the unjust steward commended for? *How are the children of the world wiser than the children of light? *How can one make friends of the mammon of unrighteousness? *Why should Christians avoid offending others? *What aspect of Christianity requires the most...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 16
*What can Christians learn from infants? *What is conversion? *What did Jesus say we must do to inherit eternal life? *What is true service in the sight of God? *What did Jesus say about paying the tribute money? Continuing on the theme of humility, Jesus instructs us...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 17
*What did the Jews misunderstand about their Messiah? *What does God expect of those called? *How dependent was Jesus on the Father for His teaching? *Why were the publicans and harlots more righteous than the priests and elders? *What is the proper attire at the...
Teachings of Jesus – What We Should Do Part 18
*Did Jesus categorize the Ten Commandments? *What is the “first” or great commandment in the eyes of God? *Why will true Christians be persecuted? *What are we expected to do with our Christian calling? *What example did Jesus set at the Passover? There is...
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 1
Many people who believe in Christ do not know what He really taught. They are unaware that they would not accept many of Jesus’ instructions. These are the “hard sayings” of Jesus-the teachings we will examine in this series. Even in the time of...
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 2
There is valuable instruction in Matthew, chapter five, from the “hard sayings” of Jesus. Matthew 5:33-37 considers the matter of oaths. Most professing Christians have never given it a thought, or if so, they have considered it too impractical to employ...
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 3
The “hard sayings” of Jesus include not only those sayings that many find objectionable, but also those that are difficult to understand. Matthew 6:7-13, commonly called the “Lord’s Prayer,” is one of those sayings that has been...
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 4
In Matthew 11:12, Jesus said: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” What did Jesus mean by this enigmatical statement? For one thing, the “kingdom of...
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 5
Matthew 11:27 may not seem like a “hard saying,” that is, difficult to understand, but it is indeed. It reads: “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the...
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 6
Mark 8:34-35 is a “hard saying,” not because it is difficult to understand, but because it is hard to receive. Many simply cannot believe Jesus really meant what He said. The text reads: ” . . . Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and...
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 7
A “hard saying” that “goes against the grain” of many people is found in Matthew 6:24. Jesus said: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other....
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 8
This installment begins with the parable of the “Marriage Supper,” found in Matthew 22. The parable and its meaning are explained in Part Five of the series “The Parables.” Part Five can be accessed from the home page. For the purpose of this...
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 9
Matthew 23:33 is considered a “hard saying” because many people think Jesus’ words in this text were the result of a personal vendetta against the Pharisees. Those who think so have no realization of the kind of damage of which these religious...
The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 10
The final “hard saying of Jesus” to be addressed in this series is the text found in Mark 9:43-48. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never...