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During World War I a Protestant chaplain with the American troops in Italy became a friend of a local Roman Catholic priest. In time, the chaplain moved on with his unit and was killed. The priest heard of his death and asked military authorities if the chaplain could be buried in the cemetery behind his church. Permission was granted. But the priest ran into a problem with his own Catholic Church authorities. They were sympathetic, but they said they could…

The fact that the church is a kingdom clearly indicates that a democratic form of government (a government which people in this nation are familiar with and by which many denominations are patterned) in the church is against the Bible. As King over His kingdom (1 Tim. 6:13-15), Christ has absolute rule and authority (Matt. 28:18). In a kingdom there is an absolute monarchy. A monarchy is “a system of government according to which the supreme power is vested in…

A sign in the local textile mill read, “When your thread becomes tangled, call the foreman.” A young woman was new on the job. Her thread became tangled and she thought, “I will just straighten this out myself, after all how difficult can it be.” She tried but in vain; the situation worsened. Finally she called the foreman. “I did the best I could,” she told her boss. “No you didn’t” he quickly remarked. “To do the best, you should…

James Butler Bonham (1807–1836) was a 19th-century American soldier. Born near Red Bank (now Saluda), South Carolina, Bonham moved to Montgomery, Alabama, in October 1834; the following year he travelled to Mobile where he helped to organize a company of militia cavalry called the Mobile Greys to serve in Texas. The company reached San Felipe, Texas in November 1835, and Bonham was commissioned a lieutenant in the Texian Cavalry one month later. On December 1, 1835, Bonham wrote to Sam…

In the late 17th century, the Windsor town council commissioned Christopher Wren to complete the construction of the Windsor Guildhall near London. Wren was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul’s Cathedral. The ground floor of the building was designed to be completely open; the main part of the building being supported by…

For the last few years, it has become vogue to refer to the current state of incivility as “the age of rage.” The British newspaper, The Guardian, featured an article in 2019 by Oliver Burkeman, entitled, “The age of rage: are we really living in angrier times?” Janie Watkins wrote the book, “The Age of Rage”: This is a mad, mad world, in 2005. While it’s written in the context of America, it points back to examples like Nebuchadnezzar, Ahab,…

Recently a Florida high school caused quite a stir when the yearbook coordinator digitally edited 80 yearbook photos. The edited photos were only of females and were altered to add more clothing to chests and shoulders. The School District’s chief of Community Relations reported “The yearbook coordinator made the decision to edit the photos based on her assessment that the females were not in dress code.”1 Many students and parents were appalled that the changes were made without their knowledge…

One of my favorite songs is “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less.” I love this song because it provokes and challenges the hearts, souls, and minds of the saints gathered to affirm that their foundation and hope is the Lord Jesus Christ. What a lovely song and a grand message! However, are we accurately affirming that message in our minds and hearts? There is a constant challenge in our perseverance of faith as temptation swarms us from all around.…

Stewardship is one of the more challenging principles of New Testament Christianity, not because it is difficult to understand but because of the all-encompassing nature of its application to daily living. Everything we have is entrusted to our care and must be utilized responsibly. Our time, our abilities, our opportunities, our money, our children, and our lives are all gifts given graciously by God to be used for His glory. Such a reality should humble us and compel us to…

The Alliance During a visit with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, Ahab, king of Judah, Ahab, king of Israel, requested that they form an alliance in going to battle to reclaim RamothGilead from the Syrians. Jehoshaphat expressed to Ahab his desire to unite to fight—if Ahab would inquire whether it was God’s will (1 Kings 22:4-5). The “A-lie-ance” With about 400 of his prophets assembled, Ahab asked, “Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said,…

Young people, you must realize that living in sin is an option, but it is not a good option. Some temptations may be greater for youth (2 Tim. 2:22). Many have tried it before coming to their senses (cf. Luke 15:17). Moses, educated in the ways of Egypt and understanding the lifestyle he could have led apart from God, chose to be associated with God and God’s people instead of enjoying “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25-26).…

“Grandparent.” Whether applied to an aged and enfeebled nursing home resident or a marathon – running, mountain-biking, adventure-seeking 45-year-old, in many ears this word conveys only one image— old. My own grandparents seemed “ancient” during my own childhood, though they were all about the age I have now attained. Two were faithful Christians and two were not, yet all are precious to me, and their examples are a large part of who I am now. Solomon wrote, “The memory of…