By Ken Pierce And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: (1) God was manifested in the flesh, (2) Justified in the Spirit, (3) Seen by angels, (4) Preached among the Gentiles, (5) Believed on in the world, (6) Received up in glory (1 Tim 3:16, numbers added). Not long after the demise of

By Ken Yates Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” (Mark 7:5)…[Jesus said] “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are

By Dix Winston Imagine reading the great Russian novel War and Peace by starting at the book’s midpoint. It would make no sense to you. Who is Pierre Bezukhov, or Audrey Bolkonsky, or the Kuragan and Rostov families? And why is Napoleon invading Russia? It would be difficult, if not impossible, to understand the author’s

By Zane Hodges1 Among the very last recorded words of our Lord Jesus Christ are these: “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev 22:12, emphasis added). This is a clear and definitive statement on the subject of rewards by the

By Kathryn Wright INTRODUCTION Many years ago, I lived in a small town in Texas. Once a fairly affluent area, the city had fallen on hard times. Certain businesses had moved away, as had many of the wealthy citizens. Many of the town’s buildings, especially its houses, stood vacant. Beautiful Victorian-style homes lined the streets.

By Ken Yates INTRODUCTION It is fascinating to study how the meanings of words develop and how different languages use a word. Recently, I heard a Spanish speaker use a word over and over again in a sermon. It was a word with which I was unfamiliar. At first, I thought he was saying causto.

By Ken Pierce Each Fourth of July, many of my neighbors spend a chunk of change on fireworks purchased from pop-up vendors along the main road through town. The buying starts in late June. People really look forward to the holiday, many of them mainly because of the fireworks. Sporadic launches start a few days

By Philippe R. Sterling Saul was Israel’s first king. The Bible’s first mention of him paints a picture of physical perfection: “… choice and handsome…There was not a more handsome person…he was taller than any of the people” (1 Sam 9:2). His physical stature fit the ideal king’s description and was a significant factor in

By Bob Wilkin About twenty years ago, at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, I heard a speaker present a message about the Angel of the Lord (Malak Yahweh). The speaker suggested that the Scriptures show that the Angel of the Lord is never the preincarnate Lord Jesus Christ. After the talk, I

By Ken Yates INTRODUCTION When I was a boy, I was really thin. In fact, some called me “Skinny Kenny.” The nickname didn’t bother me because it was never said in a mean way. It was simply stating a fact. There were times, however, when I did not like being skinny. Back then, some advertisements