It would be reasonable to assume that Jesus Christ, during His human life, was a man of good reputation. But this was not always the case. During Jesus Christ’s life He was considered a deceiver, a blasphemer, demonically possessed, and even Satan himself. A man of “no reputation,” no good reputation (Philippians 2:7). How can this be? How much it must have hurt to be falsely accused by the people He loved and for whom He was to give His life. Surely a good reputation is the primary goal of a … [Read more...] about A Lasting Reputation
Knowing God
Remember Your Creator
Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes near the end of his life. Solomon lived quite a remarkable life. According to biblical scholars, Solomon was the 10th son of King David. He was not the heir apparent to the throne. The throne could have gone to any of his older brothers, but ultimately King David chose Solomon to be the king of Israel. He reigned as king of Israel for 40 years. During his reign, the kingdom of Israel reached its peak, the golden years of the kingdom. Israel was not only … [Read more...] about Remember Your Creator
Our True Defense
After WW1, the French built a seemingly impenetrable defense against German aggression, the Maginot line. A technological marvel, it nevertheless failed. With a false advance, the French were lured north while the bulk of the German forces simply went around the Maginot line and into the heart of France. The technical strength of the Maginot line gave the French a false sense of security, and they became complacent. Their enemy had changed tactics, and they were unprepared. Do we have a … [Read more...] about Our True Defense
Sabbath Sanctity
Most of the 10 commandments are reasonably accepted as part of a civil society and the concepts have been built into the rule of law of Western society. But the Sabbath is a law that gets in the way. The prophet Amos brings that attitude to our attention. “Saying: when will the New Moon be past, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may trade wheat?” (Amos 8:5). The Sabbath got in the way of their all-important personal activities. The seventh day needs to be important to God’s … [Read more...] about Sabbath Sanctity
Hear The Voice
In the midst of the coronavirus disaster, we are hearing many voices. The fact that the virus at the center of the crisis has many unknowns increases the cacophony. We hear experts contradicting each other, politicians leveraging the situation and the world’s top medical professionals doing their best to inform the public. All of this is natural as nations struggle to come to terms with something they were unprepared for and are uncertain as to how to respond. What are we to believe? … [Read more...] about Hear The Voice
Holy Days Pinpoint Priorities
The world has become a decidedly edgy place. There is tension and anxiety in the air. This is particularly observable in the political arena - especially in the realm of international relations. If we look at just one marker – political elections – the unease is clearly evident. In reaction to the developing of negative social conditions, there is often a trend to turn to “hard-line” leadership in the search for remedies. In Europe, and Germany in particular, the current leadership has suffered … [Read more...] about Holy Days Pinpoint Priorities
Choose Life
As God prepared Israel for its occupation of the land of Canaan – the land He had promised them – He firmly reminded them of the centrality of His law to their existence. He told them that His commandments were near to them – in their hearts (Deuteronomy 30:11-14). God’s law set two clear and distinct ways of life before them. On the one hand was life and good, while on the other was death and evil. The law defined these two ways, so they were clearly discernable. The assault on God’s law … [Read more...] about Choose Life