(Read Part 1) This was the miracle about which the angel spoke when he said concerning Mary, And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matt. 1:21) In the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, deity touched humanity and, from that moment on, no person can doubt the love of God. The love of God was forever presented to man in the coming, the life, the death, the [...]
There are three main holidays which we will be celebrating in these coming days. Each one of them bears a particular message that we will find to be important to us and to the world in our time. The first of these is Thanksgiving. In a world of indignation, resentment, hatred, ungratefulness, the word thanksgiving seems like an anomaly. Nevertheless, the attitude of mind which is best described by the word thanksgiving is advocated for us many times in the Word of God. [...]
By PAUL J. SCHARF, M.Div. Editor in Chief Thanksgiving is a very profound holiday based upon a very simple concept. Give thanks. That is the sum and substance of the holiday that we celebrate on Thursday of this week. In fact, the mandate it assigns to us is so uncomplicated that you can fulfill your obligation to it individually, or in connection with a large gathering. You can practice thankfulness at home—or thousands of miles away. You could be resting at grandmother’s [...]
By PAUL J. SCHARF, M.Div. Editor in Chief Thanksgiving week always marks the culmination of my annual period of fascination with church history. Specifically, I love to ponder the significance of the Reformation for several months each year leading up to October and then turn my focus to the Pilgrims each November—and I cherish the opportunity to preach and teach about these themes as I have opportunity. Primarily, the New Testament commands us to learn from the history contained in the Old [...]
By PAUL J. SCHARF, M.Div. Editor in Chief “Selah.” This mysterious word is found 71 times in the Psalms and three more times in the book of Habakkuk in the New King James Version of the Bible. The word is transliterated from Hebrew, rather than translated. While we are uncertain of its meaning (which is why it is left untranslated), many Bible students have agreed upon my favorite definition for the term—“pause and reflect.” These next two weeks before Thanksgiving—and before the [...]
