“Motive” is the reason behind a decision or action. Knowing why we would do something can be one of the best evidences for if we do something. When a prosecutor is trying to convince a jury to convict a defendant for murder, it may all hinge on whether or not they present a reasonable motive for the crime. If a jury can…

If we ONLY had the Bible, what would we know about the church?  Ponder that for a moment.  If we ONLY had the Bible, what would we know about baptism?  Ponder that for a moment.  A third question, is everything being taught and done in the name of Jesus today in true accordance with Scripture?  That just cannot be answered in the…

As discussed last week, the estimated value for the cost of all materials in the temple Solomon built is $240,381,000,000. King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed that “Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World,” and we tend to lose sight of worship in the temple. When Babylon fell, the Jews returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and built a new temple. They even brought…

How do you pay for something that you purchase today?  Who do you pay?  When do you pay?  Where do you pay?  The answer, I suppose, depends on what the product or service is and who is making the purchase.  Consider how much variation there is in paying for something today. WHO do you pay?  You might pay one person at a…

A couple years ago, I made a new friend. In no time at all, we grew close and so did our wives. When my birthday came along, he wanted to surprise me by giving me my favorite cake. So, after we finished dinner, he revealed a big, beautiful, coconut cream cake. There was only one problem. I hate coconut! Apparently, I once…

Last week we looked at the work David did to gather much of the material for the temple his son, Solomon, was to build. That temple was adorned magnificently because it was built by 183,000 laborers working for seven years. Read the details about it, and you will discover how much gold was used to construct it. It was almost equal to…

There are some Scriptures that clearly state, “No one has seen God at any time” (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12; cf. 1 Tim. 6:16 1 John 4:20).  But there are other verses that indicate Moses and company “saw the God of Israel” (Ex. 24:10), Jacob saw “God face to face” (Gen. 32:30), and Moses spoke with God “face to face” (Num. 12:8). …

Do you struggle with procrastination? There are few things that are more tempting than setting a task or decision aside until a more convenient time. The problem is, if I get to decide when that time is, it may never come. There is always something more convenient than what needs to be done. Sometimes we can get away with procrastinating. If you…