Bible Study
The Word of the Lord
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I…
Tertullian on the Offering
Tertullian (c. 155—c. 240) was the most prolific early Christian writer in the West up until the 4th century. He was a well-educated scholar, schooled in the rhetoric that was the specialty of Roman Africa, where his home city of Carthage was located; according to the church historian Eusebius, he was a lawyer by training. He has been called the “father of Latin Christianity” and the “founder of Western theology” because of his vast influence in the early church. The…
Refresher Course
In AD 64, a great fire engulfed the city of Rome. It burned unchecked for nearly a week, driving innumerable people from their homes and devastating a vast swath of the city. Of the 14 districts of Rome, 3 were virtually destroyed, and a further 7 were reduced to a handful of scorched ruins. Only 4 completely escaped damage. In the aftermath, a rumor started that Nero, the emperor, had started the fire to clear land for his massive new…
I Know Whom I Have Believed
We had memorial services this past week for two of our sisters in Christ. Having only been here for a few months, I did not have the pleasure of knowing either of these two dear ladies. But I know that many of you counted them as close friends and mourn their loss. I have enjoyed the opportunity to know more about them through the reminiscences some of you have shared with me. And, most of all, I appreciate the fact…
What Are You Doing Here, Elijah?
It must have been a sobering experience for Elijah, hidden away in a cave, to have God ask, What are you doing here Elijah? How Elijah found himself in that cave and where he went from there make an interesting story, a story from which we can learn a great deal. It is recorded in 1 Kings 19:9-18. Elijah bursts upon the scene in 1 Kings 17during the reign of the wicked Ahab, King of Israel, with the prayer that…