[persistence: 1. the act of persisting; stubborn or enduring continuance, as in a chosen course or purpose.]

Proverbs 24:16 “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

Luke 11:5-13 “I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”

[importunity: application for a claim or favor which is urged with troublesome frequency or pertinacity.] Continue reading Persistence →

Matthew 5:48 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

1st Corinthians 1:18-27 “. . . the foolishness of God is wiser than men” [Now, there’s perspective.]

[Mennonites say men should wear beards: Baptists say men should be clean shaven.]

QUESTION: (Somebody says, “Tom, what’s your opinion?”)

MY ANSWER: “. . . not to think of men above that which is written. . . .” – 1st Corinthians 4:1-6 (v. 6)

(See: Luke 10:25-37 “[Jesus] said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?”)

Leviticus 19:27 “Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.” Continue reading Perfection →

1st Thessalonians 5:1-4 “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

Matthew 10:34 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Continue reading Peace & Safety →

AN ATTITUDE

1st Corinthians 6:19-20 “. . . know ye not . . . ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. . . .”

Luke 10:38-42 “Martha, Martha. . . .”

Psalm 37:1-5 “Fret not thyself . . . . Commit thy way unto the Lord . . . and he shall bring it to pass.”

Ecclesiastes 7:8-18 “. . . for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.”

1:1-3 “Vanity of vanities . . . all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?” Continue reading Patience →

2nd Corinthians 4:1-5 “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

Titus 2:1-15 “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine . . . and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.” Continue reading Pastors →

Leviticus 23:15 “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete. . . .”

23:16 “Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord.”

v. 24 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.” Continue reading Other Sabbaths →

[This subject no doubt needs to be undertaken by men filled with wisdom, scholarly learning, the Spirit of God and the love of the truth. I have decided to begin to undertake this subject armed only with the power of the last two.]

First Usages Of The Word “ordinance” (They appear to be referring to perpetual keeping by Israel in a fleshly sense.)

(1) Exodus 12:12-14 “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” Continue reading Ordinances →

Matthew 24:1-8 “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. . . .” (What is “nation” here?)

(Is this Japan against the Unites States, or Germany against England; WWI, or WWII?)

Λ Genesis 12:1-3 (the first use of the word) “. . . And I will make of thee a great nation. . . .” (no ordinary “nation”)

18:16-18 “. . . Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation. . . .”

35:9-11 (through Jacob)

2nd Samuel 7:12-23 “And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel. . . ?” Continue reading One Nation →

2nd Corinthians 13:1-11 “Finally, brethren . . . be of one mind. . . .”

QUESTION: What are the things about which the church should be of one mind?

ANSWER: That is the question.

Watching worldly movies for enjoyment or as a way to waste time,

Entertaining unsaved persons in our homes for financial advantage, or as part of a social agenda,

Etc. (This could be a very long list.) Continue reading One Mind →

1st Samuel 15:10-28 (v. 22) “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

(v. 24) “I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” (“It was the people’s fault.”)

Jeremiah 7:21-28 “This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God. . . .”

11:1-10 “Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart. . . .”

12:17 “But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the Lord.” (America!)

Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord God commanded the man . . . But of the tree . . . thou shalt not eat of it. . . .” Continue reading Obedience →

(These terms may be in your head, but they are NOT in the word of God.)

ABSOLUTION What an unsaved religious con artist gives to his victim, giving false hope in exchange for money.

ACOLYTE A beginner in the orders of any of various “catholic” religions, who may not yet be reprobate.

ADORATION A way of referencing the abominable Catholic “WORSHIP” of idols, objects, and persons, forbidden by the word of God, (by use of a word that sounds somewhat less objectionable to naive Protestants), as used in: “adoration of the cross,” “adoration of the Magi,” “adoration of Mary,” “perpetual adoration,” etc.

AID TO WORSHIP An innocent sounding label for a pagan concept, comprising various and sundry objects, such as “graven images,” candles, and assorted superstitious paraphernalia that God hates. (An equivalent biblical term is: “an abomination”.) Continue reading Non-Existent Terminology →

Psalm 148:13 “Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent. . . .”

Proverbs 30:4 “Who hath . . . descended? . . . what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?”

Revelation 19:12 (He also has “. . . a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.”)

Psalm 9:10 “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee. . . .”

Matthew 1:18-25 “And . . . thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Continue reading Names of The Lord →

Psalm 119:115 “Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.”

v. 103 “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

2:1-4 “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”

3:6 “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.”

Romans 3:3-4 “. . . yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written. . . .” Continue reading My Favorites →

[You know how it is these days: nobody wants to get involved.]

Genesis 4:1-10 “And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (A murderer asks this question!)

Leviticus 19:17 “. . . thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.”

Deuteronomy 22:1-4 “Thou shalt not see the brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.” Continue reading My Brother’s Keeper →