Leadership and Covenants (Part Eight) Proverbs 14:12 reveals that, when men follow a way of life that they think is right, it ultimately ends in death. Only God's way of life results in more life. John Ritenbaugh expounds on the truth that humanity's failing to pursue godliness has repeatedly resulted in catastrophes like the Flood. But God provides deliverance and sanctification to those He chooses.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Eleven): Signs After Noah and his family left the ark, God set the rainbow in the sky as a sign of His covenant with all living creatures not to flood the world again. Ever since, John Ritenbaugh explains, God has been providing additional signs, particularly those that promise that He will provide a Savior and Redeemer to free mankind from its bondage to sin and death.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Five) Having laid extensive groundwork for the Bible's covenants, John Ritenbaugh begins to explore the first of these, the Edenic Covenant. Universal in scope, this covenant introduces God to mankind as his Creator and establishes the rules by which human beings are to relate to Him and to the earth and its human and non-human inhabitants. It is simultaneously a covenant of blessing and responsibility.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Four) Even though Christians have been called to follow Christ, their journey to the Kingdom of God is preparation for leadership under Him. John Ritenbaugh explains that the covenants play a key role in this godly preparation. They not only show us what God requires of us in our relationship with Him, but they also instruct us in the minute details of God's way of living and ruling.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Nine) Despite its harshness, God's decision to destroy the earth and humankind by a flood was ultimately an act of great love for His creation. By it, He intervened to derail the degradation of human morality before it became permanently set in man's nature. John Ritenbaugh also explores the first mention of God's grace in Scripture, which occurs within the Flood narrative, showing that the entire episode and the subsequent covenant were effects of His grace.

Leadership and Covenants (Part One) The quality of human life on this earth has in large part been determined by the character of its leaders. In the Bible we have a record of both good and bad leaders, and it provides a repetitive principle that "as go the leadership, so goes the nation." John Ritenbaugh begins a new series that links leadership to the various scriptural covenants and their success or lack thereof.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Seven) We carry an "old friend" around with us wherever we go, one whom we cherish and protect even though it frequently influences us to think, say, and do the wrong things. Referring to our human nature, our carnal or fleshly mind, John Ritenbaugh argues that, deceived or not, our sinful nature drives us to disobey God's laws, just as Adam and Eve transgressed by choosing the way of death. Such choices by all humanity have fashioned this present, evil world.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Six) Our culture appears to be in steep decline, a fact we can see in the undermining of marriage throughout society. Despite having served mankind well down through the millennia, the institution of marriage is crumbling under a three-pronged attack engineered by Satan the Devil. John Ritenbaugh teaches that marriage is vital to understanding God's purpose and learning to live in harmony with one another.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Ten) Christians living at the time of the end would do well to consider the character and behavior of Noah, a paragon of virtue and devotion to God. John Ritenbaugh explains that God and Noah worked side by side to deliver the small remnant of humanity through the waters of the Flood, God supplying the sanctification and grace and Noah obeying in faith. This is the kind of relationship God desires with us.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Three) If we were asked to list the reasons for the recent decline of the United States, we would probably reply that, among others, poor leadership is a primary cause. John Ritenbaugh asks us to consider that God is putting us through exercises to create leaders in His image. His covenants are a primary tool in this process.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Two) When a society falls into chaos and blatant immorality, as the Western world seems to be on the verge of doing, it is evident that there is a crisis in leadership. While warning us of the times just ahead, John Ritenbaugh turns the focus of leadership toward the church, exhorting us to learn the lessons of godly leadership now because our positions in the Kingdom of God will require their use.

Learning to Love One Another We may look around the church of God and wonder why so many are not being healed. Geoff Preston, suffering a chronic illness himself, uses his experiences to assure us that God is working out even these matters for our good.

Legacy God tells us that a good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children. What kind of legacy will we leave our descendants? Will it be just a material legacy of money and heirlooms, or will it also be a spiritual legacy of devotion to God?

Lessons From Esther: Esther Sacrifices Herself Queen Esther, faced with the destruction of her people in Persia, put her life on the line. Ronny Graham describes how her example should be an inspiration to us. Also contains the inset article, God—Absent from Esther?

Lessons From Esther: Mordecai Never Grew Weary Mordecai, a Jew living in the Persia capital, faithfully guided Esther through a time of potentially great trouble. Mark Schindler uses his example to show that such character is not out of our reach!

Lessons from the Geese Many people may have seen "Lessons from the Geese" in a business setting, but Mike Ford shows how these lessons can benefit us in God's church.

Let Boys Be Boys! Boys are getting a bad rap in America these days. Richard Ritenbaugh shows from the Bible that the Old Testament prophets predicted just such a trend at the end time.

Let No One Deceive You We live in a day of increasing knowledge—to the point that we are increasingly overloaded with information. Richard Ritenbaugh argues that these and other modern factors lend themselves to deception, yet this is one of the primary end-time trends that Jesus warns us against!

Light Affliction? Affliction seems to be an integral part of Christianity. Our Savior Jesus Christ and His apostles suffered a great deal during their ministries, and though modern Christians' burdens cannot compare to theirs, they are still significant enough to cause great pain. Pat Higgins demonstrates the relative nature of Christian affliction, urging believers to take the Bible's long view of their suffering.

Like a Silly Dove The author comments on his impressions of Britain during a recent visit to his homeland. Ephraim, like silly dove, is indeed going down the road God predicted in the Bible.

Like a Tree The psalmist writes in Psalm 1 that the blessed person "shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water" (verse 3). What characteristics of trees does God want His people to emulate? Mike Ford, who has spent many years in landscaping, shows how trees provide living illustrations of godly behavior that will prepare Christians to partake of the Tree of Life in God's Kingdom.

Little Compromises Jesus teaches us in Luke 12:48 that if we are faithful in little, we will be faithful in much. John Reid tells the story of King Solomon's inability to be faithful in what he likely considered to be "little things." Scripture chronicles how Solomon's little compromises with God's law sent Israel down an idolatrous road leading to destruction and captivity.

Little Compromises (2001) Compromise is a dirty word to a Christian. John Reid shows that big compromises—and eventual apostasy—begins with little compromises.

Little Things Count! When we look at ourselves against the backdrop of humanity, we can feel that we do not matter. We are just a number among billions. Yet, no one and no act is truly insignificant because of two natural principles: the natural tendency is to increase, and we reap what we sow. John Ritenbaugh shows that, concerning sin and righteousness, these principles play major roles in our personal lives and in the Body of Christ.

Living By Faith and God's Grace In nominal Christianity, God's saving grace is placed at the center of the message of the gospel and is often emphasized to the point of overshadowing many of Christ's other teachings. Agreeing that grace is vital to a Christian's walk with God, John Ritenbaugh defines the term, showing that God gives grace from start to finish in a person's relationship with Him. It cannot be limited merely to justification and His forgiveness of our sins.

Living By Faith and God's Grace (Part Two) God's grace is so wonderful and undeserved that, to many of us, it is almost unfathomable. Perhaps we have such a hard time understanding it because we tend to think of it as a "thing" that God dispenses. John Ritenbaugh shows, however, that "grace" is a term that represents God's awesome generosity toward us, His continuously flowing blessings and saving acts.

Living by Faith and God's Justice Living by faith is not easy in this world—not by any stretch of the imagination. Among the spiritual realities that a faithful Christian must understand is God's sense of justice. John Ritenbaugh uses the instantaneous deaths of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, to illustrate the differences between His sometimes swift and terrifying—but perfect—justice and our own imperfect judgments.

Living By Faith and God's Sovereignty The serious Christian looks on this ever-declining world—a world that reflects the rebellious, anti-God attitudes of Satan the Devil—and wonders how anyone can truly live by faith. Some may even begin to doubt that God is in control of events here on earth. John Ritenbaugh, however, contends that God's sovereignty over His creation is complete, and the course of world events are moving according to His will.

Living By Faith and Human Pride II Corinthians 5:7 is clear that God wants us to walk—live our lives—by faith, but our pride and vanity, mirroring the attitude of Satan the Devil, frequently get in the way. John Ritenbaugh delves into the depths of pride and its tragic results for the individual and for all mankind, most of all because it causes us to reject God and His Word.

Living by Faith and Humility People resist God because of their pride, but pride can be neutralized by humility, a character trait that allows a person to submit to God and have a relationship with Him. John Ritenbaugh provides many examples to reveal that God wants us to evaluate ourselves and recognize our dependence on Him, which draws God's attention and favor.

Living By the Sword Many Christians today believe that killing in self-defense is sanctioned by the Bible. David Grabbe explains that this is a terrible misunderstanding of Christ's teaching.

Living Stones in God's House Solomon's glorious Temple must have been a sight to behold. God's church, however, is His Temple now—and each of us living stones in it. Several analogies are drawn between the construction of the First Temple and our preparation for God's Kingdom.

Lowly and Riding on a Donkey? Each of the four gospels include a description of the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy that Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. Ronny Graham explores what we know of the donkey as an animal, revealing that this misunderstood beast has a symbolic meaning that sheds light on both our Savior and Christian character.

Lying to the Holy Spirit How do we lie to the Holy Spirit? Does this mean that the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead? Richard Ritenbaugh explains Acts 5:3 from the perspective of the whole Bible.