Jesus had just silenced the Sadducees, a Jewish sect that did not believe in the resurrection or the oral traditions of the Pharisees. They had come to him with a question to test him (Matt. 22:23-33). Hearing this, the Pharisees, a Jewish sect in opposition to the Sadducees, got together to test Jesus again. This time one of them, a lawyer, stood…

We may not think of that shepherd boy as a preacher, but perhaps we should. When David arrived at the battlefront, almost every word he spoke proclaimed the power and majesty of God. His words give great insight into the heart that God described as being like His own heart. David’s older brother saw him as a youth who had abandoned the…

It is a favorite proof text of those who deny the Scriptural teaching of the essentiality of baptism for salvation.  In First Corinthians 1:17, Paul affirmed, “For Christ did not send me to baptize…”  Some think this proves that baptism is not essential.  The problem is that the passage actually proves more than they want it to prove. First, consider how Paul…

“If you alone of all the nation shall decide one way, and that way be the right way according to your convictions of the right, you have your duty by yourself and by your country. Hold up your head. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” These words from 1906, written by Mark Twain in Glances at History, have come alive again…

When Jesus foretold the time when not a single stone of that majestic temple in Jerusalem would rest upon another, the disciples asked for signs which would precede the destruction of that temple and the end of Judaism (Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7). The Lord gave at least eight distinct signs which would come before that event. He then foretold of another event…

Christian friends are an especially wonderful blessing.  Having been redeemed by the blood of Christ and “joined together” in His one body (Eph. 2:16-22), our brothers and sisters in Christ should be our closest friends on this earth.  Still, all friendships require work and diligent effort on our part to keep them strong and healthy.  And, who would be a better teacher…

Sunscreen—I really don’t like using it. It has an undefinable smell, like unpronounceable chemicals and warm, fly-filled, fruit salad. It also coats you in this greasy film that makes you feel like you’ve overnighted in a roach motel. Those may be my opinions on the matter, but science is not even conclusive that it actually prevents cancer. Furthermore there is evidence to…

For more than two hundred years, every person who entered the temple saw everything the way Solomon had established it. Entering through the east gate, one first saw the magnificent bronze altar designed by David and built and dedicated by Solomon. That was exactly the way it should be. One should not approach God’s holy presence without a reminder of man’s need…