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17 Apr

The Hall of Faith: By Faith Moses…

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Jesse Flowers | Cookeville, Tennessee

Without question or debate, one of the greatest men to ever walk this earth was Moses. How great was this man of God? Consider the following:

The first covenant that God made with Israel is most commonly known as “the Law of Moses” (Josh. 8:31, 32; 23:6; Lk. 2:22; 24:44).
He foretold one of the great Messianic prophecies when he declared: “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him” (Deut. 18:18-19). The apostle Peter declared that his prophecy found its fulfillment in Christ (Acts 3:22-26).
The word of God testifies of him saying: “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3).
The LORD defended His servant after Aaron and Miriam criticized him, with a sharp rebuke saying: “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” (Num. 12:6-8).
Consider how the Book of Deuteronomy ends following the death of Moses. “But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel” (34:10-12).
When Jesus was gloriously transfigured on the mountain, Moses (along with Elijah) was sent by God to appear alongside His Son to discuss the Lord’s coming decease (Luke 9:28-36).
Finally, consider that those who have victory over the beast “sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested’” (Revelation 15:3-4).

How Christ Relates to the Church: The Chief Cornerstone

CHURCH ARTICLE | Osamagbe Lesley Egharevba | Lagos, Nigeria

“Now, therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fittted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22, NKJV)

As seen in our text above, the Bible describes Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone of His Church. This is the church that He promised to build (Matthew 16:18), the church that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28), the church that He is the head of (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18), and the church that He is the Chief Shephard (I Peter 5:4). Read More →

17 Apr

Instrumental Music in Church History

WORSHIP ARTICLE | William Stewart | Kingston, Ontario

We have in previous articles looked at instrumental music in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and specifically in the book of Revelation. In Revelation, we found instances of the instrumental music to deal with the heavenly realm and not with the worship of the Lord’s church upon the earth. In the Old Testament, we discovered musical instruments were commanded and used in worship in Israel, but acknowledged this was not authority for us, since we are noted that none of the occurrences of instrumental music therein address worship. Rather, every example or command with regard to our worship in song calls for vocal music, not instrumental. Read More →

17 Apr

Becoming Like Jesus: Forgiveness and Christ

APPLICATION ARTICLE | Tim McPherson | Marion, Indiana

Jesus’ words:
Jesus words from the cross in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” cry out the mission and heart of our Savior. Barnes commentary stated that this was a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12 in that, “He made intercession for the transgressors.” I love that expression “He made intercession.” In other words, Christ was offering forgiveness through his intercession. I want the same spirit as my Lord and Savior. Can I intercede in offering forgiveness like my Savior? I am not perfect like Christ, but I can be of His likeness in that I want to offer forgiveness to all. I want others to be forgiven. I don’t believe it is just a coincidence or inadvertent that Christ’s disciple, the first Christian martyr, Stephen, uttered these exact words when the crowd gnashed at him with their teeth and were stoning him. Act 7:60 (NKJV) “Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Instead of anger or a heart that would seek their wrath, he offered forgiveness. Read More →

17 Apr

The Sustainability and Repeatability of Western Evangelism

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Chadwick Brewer | South Chesterfield, Virginia

It was a hot and sunny Tuesday morning when we climbed into the back of the bakkie (pickup truck) to finish our trip to Chikuku. My traveling companion and I had been traveling since Sunday afternoon to get to this rural village in Zimbabwe, and we were excited to meet brethren that we had never met before. We had a day of lectures arranged for Chikuku and four days of lectures planned for Mashindi. While we had been to South Africa several times, and we were traveling with our good friends from South Africa, this was our first time in Zim, and we were looking forward to the work. Read More →

17 Apr

The Grace of Giving

51581 | Pixabay

BEYOND THE BASICS | Mike Stephens | Wellandport, Ontario

2 Corinthians 8:5-7, So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us – see that you abound in this grace also.

What is a “Christian Grace?” We might use this term when talking about the positive characteristics, virtues, actions, or attitudes that a faithful Christian should possess. The list Peter gives in 2Peter 1 are often labelled as the “Christian Graces” and rightly so, even though this specific term is not used in that passage. Read More →

01 Jan

The Hall of Faith: Moses’ Parents

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Tyler Sams | San Antonio, Texas

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.” (Hebrews 11:23).

The first people in Hebrews 11 to be described as having faith, yet left as nameless in the text, are the parents of Moses: Amram (father) and Jochebed (mother). Like many others later in chapter 11, they are praised for their faith, yet their names do not appear in the text. Their names are not omitted because their actions were unimportant or inconsequential — their story is recorded for the overwhelming role that faith played in their lives! Let’s do justice to this godly father and mother and explore the faith they exhibited which is held up as an example for us. Read More →

01 Jan

How Christ Relates to the Church : The Chief Shepherd

CHURCH ARTICLE | Don McClain | Bryant, Arkansas

“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will recdeive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” (1 Peter 5:4, NKJV)

There are a variety of metaphorical expressions used in the New Testament to describe Jesus. Each one gives us a unique perspective of His various positions, roles, and relationships. Each one provides us with greater insight and thus a deeper understanding of our Lord.

One of the most familiar and relatable trades in Palestine during Bible times was that of a shepherd. Literal shepherds and their flocks are referenced often in scripture, but the concept is also used many times metaphorically to illustrate the relationship between… Read More →

01 Jan

Instrumental Music in the Book of Revelation

WORSHIP ARTICLE | William Stewart | Kingston, Ontario

In the religious world, there is a basic cognizance of the need to conduct ourselves within the confines of God’s authority. The apostle Paul, when writing to the brethren at Colosse implored, “…whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of hte Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). Such demands that we search the Scriptures to know what is and what is not acceptable to the Lord so far as religious practice and doctrine.

When we come to the subject of proper worship in song, just as with any other topic, we must seek to know what pleases the Lord. A practice or teaching may delight us, but we are not the object nor the designer of worship. How does God instruct us to worship in song? Are we to use mechanical instruments, are we to use our voices, or a combination of the two? Read More →

01 Jan

Becoming Like Jesus: Prayer in the Life of Jesus

APPLICATION ARTICLE | Bruce Reeves | Conway, Arkansas

Jesus was not only the Master Teacher; He was also the Master of prayer. He prayed so frequently and faithfully that Luke records that after He finished praying in a certain place one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1). There are times when we should turn to God in prayer, but don’t. Thus, it is very helpful to consider the moments when Jesus turned to His Father in prayer. While prayer was a constant spiritual discipline in Christ’s life, there were pivotal moments when prayer was a significant source of power for Him. By considering Jesus’s example we can follow our Savior more fervently and deeply in our prayer life. Read More →