Last week I talked about the fact that God wants us to give. But why does he want us to give? One reason is obvious—to support his church and those who preach and teach the gospel, and to help the poor. But while those are important, there’s much more to Read more…
Last year at about this time I wrote a blog entry about the history of Thanksgiving. You can read it here. Giving thanks to God for his many blessings is an essential ingredient of Christianity. In my favorite Bible translation, the New American Standard, the word “thanks” appears 91 times Read more…
Advertisers talk about a product’s “brand,” which refers to features or characteristics that customers associate with a particular product. For example, one paper towel manufacturer wants customers to think of it as “the quicker picker upper.” Car manufacturers may want their car to be identified with being fast or reliable Read more…
Anyone familiar with the Old Testament has probably heard the story about David and Bathsheba.[1] But in case you haven’t, here’s a quick summary. Bathsheba was a beautiful woman and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. While Uriah was away serving in the Israelite army, King David sent for Bathsheba Read more…
The following is an excerpt from Chapter 24 of my most recent book, Christ’s Faithful Servants: Leprosy was unknown in Hawaii until 1835, when a woman on the island of Kauai was diagnosed with it. It was probably brought from China. The disease spread rapidly, and by 1863 it had Read more…