A verse of scripture that is sometimes taken out of context and used to implement a married life of domination of a husband over his wife is Ephesians 5:22-23 which states, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body." My wife and I once had as friends a married couple in which the husband, a former pastor, used the above scripture to justify verbal and light physical abuse of the wife. It became ...

There is a saying about the Bible that goes like this, “The new in the old concealed, the old in the new revealed”.   That may not make sense to someone reading it for the first time, but it’s talking about the two divisions of the Bible, the Old Testament, and the New Testament.   There are prophecies in the Old Testament that are hidden or concealed, but with careful study, they are fulfilled, or revealed, in the New Testament. Some of the things that are hidden in the Old Testament are known as “types”, meaning a symbol, something that ...

Sometimes in the life of a Christian, a person comes along to whom it seems practically impossible to explain the love of God in such a way as to convince that person to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  It could be a lifetime friend, a sibling, a husband or wife, or any number of people who have become so set in their ways of the world the thought of changing their lifestyle is unthinkable.  To them, life is good, although lacking in spiritual aspects, materially they have most of what they want, but always lack and want ...

It is estimated there have been 1,522,881,319 worldwide abortions since 1980.  Pro-Life advocates see that as 1,522,881,319 dead babies, and rightfully so.  But it also means several women may be regretting their decision, one which in most cases was done at an early age and in a state of confusion, doubt, and grief. The good news is this, God is a forgiving God.  When we ask for forgiveness, and it’s done in sincerity, God not only forgives, but He forgets our sins. Psalm 103:12 says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the ...

When asked by a newspaper reporter if he had lived in Maine all of his life, the 90-year-old man replied, “Not yet”.  Every senior citizen should have the same attitude. The older I get, the more I like to think about Caleb in the Old Testament. Joshua and Caleb were the only two left of the original group of the Children of Israel that left Egypt for the Promised Land. When it was time to divide up the land, Joshua asked Caleb what part he wanted. Caleb answered: “Today, I am eighty 5 years old. I am as strong now ...

The Rapture is a subject not commonly taught in many churches. However, let's look at the scriptures that are usually associated with it. To begin, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18: "We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who ...

Throughout history, people have persecuted Jews for many things, but if you were to identify just one, the most common belief would be that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus.  But did they really kill Jesus? Let’s take a look at some history and a few scriptures pertaining to the question at hand. During Jesus' time, Judea was under Roman control, ruled by Emperor Tiberius Caesar. The Roman Procurator, or Governor, Pontius Pilate, was appointed to act on behalf of Caesar in Judea. Pilate oversaw Jesus' trial and was responsible for ordering His crucifixion. Even though Rome was ...

Losing a loved one is never easy and probably the hardest part, especially for a Christian, is to understand why God allowed it to happen.  My mother had two miscarriages after I was born. Although too young to understand, I can still remember her tears of grief and how it affected her for many years to come. I don’t recall her blaming God or even asking “why” He let it happen, but she was a devout Christian and I know the question must have entered her mind and, perhaps, stayed with her throughout the rest of her life. One thing ...

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”     Matthew 5:14-16 Sometimes changing one simple word in a scripture can help us understand a deeper meaning. However, Revelation 22:18–19 contains a warning to anyone who tampers with the biblical text, so I’m not suggesting we ...

(Preface: The following message was given by Val Black at Faith Christian Fellowship, Shenandoah, Iowa at the Wednesday evening service on April 30, 1997. It was in response to the announcement of that time of the first unblemished Red Heifer to be born in Israel in 2000 years. Although it may seem outdated in terms of the news of a red heifer being born at that time, the message of the Ashes of the Red Heifer is still the same and affects the Body of Christ today.  That heifer in Israel proved to be invalid because it wasn't all red.  ...