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And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Acts 20:25-27 The Greek word for “purpose” is boule. The boule was an advisory citizen body of the Athenian democracy. Members had to be over 30 and citizens could serve on it twice, which was more than other elected offices. There were either 400 or 500 members of the boule, who were selected by lot in equal number by each of the ten tribes. In Aristotle's Constitution of Athens, he attributes to Draco a boule of 401 members, but Solon is generally taken as the one who started the boule, with 400. The boule had its own meeting house, the bouleterion, in the Agora. -       Source: The Ancient Greek Council, thoughtco.com The boule that Paul talks about – the purpose of God ...

The word “acappella” is defined by the dictionary as:  “music without instrumental accompaniment.”  It comes from a Latin word which literally means “as in the church.”  Interestingly, the etymology (origin) of this word, proves that at the beginning of the church (and for many centuries thereafter), the music in worship was singing only, without instrumental accompaniment. - by Greg Gwin  

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION "And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown! And he replied: go out into the darkness and put thine hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to thee better than light and safer than a known way." (Anonymous) I used the above proverbial saying recently but, I truly love its message and it's so appropriate to our lesson today because we've passed through the gate and have begun our journey. I pray that it's God's will that we all survive this year's journey. My editorial efforts today is directed towards providing us with advice as to what I believe to be the best way of traveling. In order to do this I'm going to use a most profound question asked of Jesus by one of His disciples. Before we get to that question, let me give y...

  I like math.  Some may think I’m weird for doing so, but I do.  I like math.  I’ve enjoyed learning through the years about how to solve mathematical equations.  It was my favorite subject from elementary through high school grades.  I even began working toward a math degree in college as one of two majors until I decided to dedicate my life to another field of study and service.  (I’ll come back to that in a moment.)   I’ve been asked how I came to like math.  Was there someone who sparked my interest?  My answer has always been “yes”; it was Mrs. Harrell, my third grade teacher in Stanton (TX) Elementary School.  Over 4 decades removed from that third grade class, I now think back about Mrs. Harrell and my love for math.  What did she do to kindle a love for math in me?  I don’t remember many specific things that she did, but I think I’ve “factored” (a good al...

Insights from a Blind Man My Dad recently told his Bible class about a blind man that he once knew. His name was Leonard Burford. Burford was professor and head of the music department of Abilene Christian College for 24 years. In my Dad's estimation (and now mine), Burford was an amazing man. Burford, born on September 30, 1905, and his two siblings, Jack and Mabel, were born with the same eye condition: retinitis pigmentosa. Leonard's vision was always the poorest. When he was 14, his sight was so poor he couldn't read even large print. His mother, Mrs. J. L. Burford, located a Braille alphabet, and he taught himself to read it with a paper and punch. By the age of 28, Burford was completely blind. He was blind but he accomplished much. After graduating from high school, he went to college at Abilene Christian College. He graduated with honors in 1925 earning a degree in education. When he received his degree, his mother was also awarded an honorary degree for h...

I'd Rather Have You John and Janice Shavers were visiting with their son, Mike, and his family in Mobile several years ago.  At the time, John was working with Norfolk Southern Railroad in Atlanta, Georgia.  Despite the miles between them, the family would get together every two weeks. This visit found the father and son back on the golf course.  As they walked up on to a tee box, John told Mike that Norfolk Southern had offered early retirement to upper management employees over 55 years of age.  At age 56 and in his position, John qualified.  John went on to tell his son how much he loved his job.  He was a National Account Manager and his job was to maintain a good relationship with Norfolk Southern's largest customer: Georgia Pacific.  Some of the benefits of his position included a membership to a Country Club and box seats to Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons ball games.  As a part of his work, John would take VIPs of Georgia Pacific to pla...

Joel’s Lament     Last week, we began examining Joel’s prophecy and we read through 1:11. Continuing the imagine of a total devastation, in 1:11, Joel calls on the farmers and vinedressers to “be ashamed” and “wail.” The harvest is destroyed. The vine is dried up. The fig tree, pomegranate, palm, and apple trees are all dried up. Returning to the human predicament, “rejoicing dries up from the sons of men” (vs 12). This portrait “brings home the disaster in a striking, personal sort of way” (Douglas Stuart). Of course, “rejoicing drying up” is another figure of speech and is not an act that happens literally. Destruction of fruit trees was a part of the curses in the Law of Moses: Lev 26:20; Deut 28:40. It was worth mourning.     In verse 13, Joel calls on Judah to mourn, putting on sackcloth. The priests and ministers of the altar ought to lament, throughout the night. Why? Because the...

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them--Hebrews 11:16   We are living in a remarkable period of time. Read these words from A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." Now, read them again and substitute the words, "this is" for "it was" and you will have a most accurate description of the time in which we live.    We live in a time in which sin, evil, wickedness and error abound. Our days are surrounded with so much unrest politically and spiritually making then troublesome and perilous. But still, isn't it great to be alive in this remarkable a...

  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18   Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16   Let us dig a bit deeper into these verses.   Jesus suffered, being tempted, Hebrews 2:18, and Jesus, in every respect, has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15.   It seems pretty clear, when you put He...

Are We (As Some Claim) Making Divorce an Unforgivable Sin? Jesus said, “Whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another woman, commits adultery” (Mt. 19:9). What if a man does what Jesus prohibited? He divorces his wife simply because he no longer loves her, then later he marries another woman. Clearly, he is guilty of adultery. Now, what if this man wants to be forgiven? Let’s assume he is not a Christian. He learns about Jesus’ atonement, believes, and wants to be baptized into Christ. Can he continue in his marriage to his second wife? Many say yes, since baptism is for forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). If someone objects that this unauthorized remarriage is still adultery, the objector may be accused of making divorce/adultery an unforgivable sin. What if a man is married to multiple women? (It is illegal in this country, but not in all.) He ignores God’s law of one man, one woman (Mt. 19:5-6). He is guilty of polygamy. Now, what i...

Layaway No More   Julie Ann Gates was standing in line earlier this month preparing to pay for her items at a Walmart in Derby, Vermont.  She overheard a man ask another customer who was in line in front of her about paying for his items.  She recalled the man saying, “Listen, I can either have you put it on a layaway, and I’m going to pay for it when you leave.  You’ll just have to come right back and pick it up.  Or, you could follow me over to the cash register, and I pay for it now.”   Gates was curious about the interchange she was witnessing and then the man, who would become known as a benevolent stranger, approached her.  "The guy turned to me and said 'are you going to put anything on layaway,'" Gates said.   When she answered affirmatively, the man said, “Well, why don’t you run and get what you were going to get and come back, and I pay for it.  I have a few minutes before I go to the d...

According to Moses [Psalms 90] this scribe has just under ten years to "get it all together." I’ve now passed my “three score and ten,” and tacked one year on in addition. “Three score and ten” is now in the rearview mirror and “fourscore” is in view on the not-too-distant horizon. Yep! I think it’s about time to “get it all together.” But then, sometimes I think it is an exercise in futility. Someone once lamented that when they finally got it all together, they forgot where they put it.   I live in a very small corner of this terrestrial globe. We moved here a little over a year ago, and occasionally when I tell people I live in Olive Branch, Mississippi, I get the typical response: “Where?” I sometimes wonder if my two cents worth that I put into this weekly mail out really makes that much of an impact on anyone or anything outside this small part of the world in which I live.  And about ...

Mystery Solved!   A house caught fire on Thursday morning, November 15, in Wilmer, Alabama.  Five people and a baby were inside the home when it caught fire.  All of them were able to get out except one: the homeowner’s step-father; he was trapped in one of the rooms.   An unidentified man – a “mystery man” – stopped to help.  He discovered that the man was trapped inside the burning home.  He went in to get him out.  He was able to pull him out safely.  He put the injured man in his own jeep and wrapped some tears in his skin until the ambulance arrived.  When the injured man was safe in the care of ambulance workers, the mystery man left.   The family was incredibly thankful for their hero, but they were saddened because they did not know his identity.   WKRG News 5 investigated and found the mystery man.  His name is Robert Whisenant.  Whisenant, who has worked with Emergency Medical Servic...

New Testament Teaching on Capital Punishment     The nation of Israel was something like a theocracy. There was a much closer connection between civic laws and religious laws for Israel in the Law of Moses. Christianity is obviously not a “nation” like Israel was. Christianity is a spiritual nation that transcends civic laws as Christians are now found in nations all over the world. But, we live under civil laws.     God largely does not regulate the types of laws that a nation would put into place to govern its citizens. God has left the power of capital punishment in the lands of the civil government, the law of a society (Rom 13:1-6). Paul says that the governing authorities do not “bear the sword for nothing” (Rom. 13:4). Clearly the reference here is to capital punishment. Civil governments have the God-given right to implement capital punishment. God does not tell them for what crimes they might do that but He allows them to do...