Most people who have some knowledge of the Bible know that being lukewarm is not the favored spiritual condition. Jesus was pretty clear on that when He addressed the church at Laodicea and severely censored them for their mediocre condition (Rev. 3:15-16). They were financially very well-off, but this blinded them to seeing their spiritual…

In a recent study, I was intrigued by the Apostle Paul’s answer to a complaint from some new believers. These new believers in the city of Thessalonica were being persecuted for their faith. We do not know if this persecution took the form of things physical, economic or verbal. In any case, the believers were…

A recent experience reminded me of how kind our Heavenly Father is towards His children. It was not an earth shaking or life-defining moment. Rather, it was a small matter which one probably should not have troubled the Lord God with. After all, He is busy keeping billions of galaxies in place, as well as…

The shoe company Nike has the world-famous slogan of “Just Do It”.  In the world of athletics, as in so many other places, talk can be cheap. An athlete might talk a good game, but unless that athlete can produce on the court or on the field, it is just an abundance of hot air.…

People are regularly being crushed by guilt. They are burdened by their past. Damaging words and sinful actions just won’t leave their memories. This heavy weight of guilt is experienced by both believers in Jesus and those who do not believe. Those things of the past intrude uninvited into our minds and often at the…

These past few weeks I have added reading the book of Proverbs to my morning Bible reading.  In reading Proverbs, one might think that King Solomon was living with us here in America as he analyzed human speech and behavior. Surely the king has been viewing You-tube videos, reading online articles and watching the evening…

It does seem that our country is increasingly a house divided. Hostility seems to exist on most every issue and subject, and the lack of civility between groups is seen in both the profanity-laced language that is employed as well as the high decibels that are emitted. It is all quite wearisome. As a citizen…

Surprisingly, the Antichrist has become a common subject for discussion these days. And it is not just believers who are engaged in the discussion, but amazingly, it is secular platforms as well. Why would people bring up this biblical character and talk seriously about him? Most likely, the greatest motivation for all this is the…

The following are answers to the Christmas IQ at https://paulbenware.com/christmas-iq/ THE INSPIRED ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ QUESTIONS MULTIPLE CHOICE(1) C    (6) A(2) D    (7) B(3) D    (8) C(4) A     (9) D(5) E     (10) C TRUE/FALSE(1) FALSE – he never appeared to Elizabeth(2) FALSE – he appeared to Mary just one time(3) FALSE – the angel…

Most people who have spent some time in church know that not all our Christmas traditions and celebrations come from the Bible. Many realize that there is a liberal mix of biblical truth with assorted cultural ideas, some of which are pagan in their origin. And amazingly, even the Christmas story itself is often told…

The past is settled, and the future is guaranteed. It’s the present that is the problem. For Bible believing Christians we have God’s word on the fact that He has taken care of the past related to our damaged spiritual condition, and we have His word on what will take place in the future. That…

Shootings, mob violence and threats of murders-to-come have become part of our daily lives. However, there are also impassioned pleas to stop all the hate and violence. Even though such sincere pleadings (as well as some that may not be so sincere) are being made, no one is setting forth a plan on how to…

When God revealed Himself through the Scriptures, He did so in order that the lives of mankind would be so much better. His laws, commands and principles for living were designed to benefit and bless us, not to be a burden or to make us miserable. Built into His life principles are consequences; good ones…

Idolatry is bad. It’s really bad. NT and OT writers agree that idolatry is always damaging to ones’ spiritual health. So, they tell us to put forth a lot of effort in staying far from idols. If we don’t, then life will become quite unpleasant. When our heart’s door opens to idolatry, trouble will always…

We firmly believe and expect an amazing future. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been given assurance that a wonderful future in the Kingdom of God awaits us; and it is a forever future. But contrary to much that is said by believers today, this future is not off in the heavenly…

“At the end, God is going to rescue just two things off this planet, and that is where our focus in life needs to be.”  Long, long ago, back in seminary, this statement was made by one of my professors, and obviously, I have not forgotten it. The professor was speaking about the two entities…

There has been a rather dramatic change in the way the Federal Government does business these days. People are now employed or promoted based on their skills, training and experience. This contrasts with the last few years when people were put in positions based mainly on diversity, equity and inclusion. This DEI approach primarily employed…

Time is going by faster and faster, or so it seems. Years ago, this idea of time flying by quickly was expressed by older folks, but we youngsters were sure they had no idea what they were talking about. Now, it seems they were on to something. Do you remember Y2K? That was over a…

Trials are not fun. Contrary to the above title, “fun” is not a word normally attached to trials. Trials are those outward circumstances that we encounter which bring difficulty, unpleasantness and even pain into our lives. (Temptation is the inner stirring up of natural desires to go beyond the boundaries established by God. These normally…

These past few weeks I have had the privilege of teaching the books of Daniel and Revelation to a fine group of young people at the Jackson Hole Bible College. Among other subjects, we looked at the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ, the King of kings. But also, during these past few weeks all of…

Wildfires have incinerated large sections of Los Angeles, terrible hurricanes ravaged Florida and unprecedented floods have torn through several states. These events have impacted lives in so many ways. And those involved find their lives dramatically altered. In response to the fires in California, some Christians have declared that they are the result of God’s judgment on the mockery and blasphemy of the Hollywood/Los Angeles culture. It is…

One of the greater challenges in the Christian life is being balanced on important matters. For example, achieving the needed balance between being staunchly committed to God’s truth and yet being gracious towards others at the same time. (Jesus had that balance and is said to have been “full of grace and truth” – John…

The 2024 elections are now over and, depending on one’s political persuasion, the future for America is going to be spectacular, bordering on paradise, or America is doomed and life is pretty much over. Neither is probably the case. However, the question for followers of Jesus Christ is what we intend to do now. The…

It would be hard to find many people who do not think that the coming 2024 elections are very important to our nation’s present and its future. But how do followers of Christ approach this time considering that our nation has, in many ways, aggressively rejected God’s standards? How should believers pray? Should believers just…

Lately I have been reading in the Book of Judges which, at times, can be a little depressing. Those three centuries when the judges ruled were characterized by failure and unpleasantness (Judges 2:11-19 summarizes this period). Before the days of the Judges, the Lord had used Joshua to set Israel up for success. Joshua had…

I do believe that if the Apostle Paul had been watching the Olympics on TV during the recent days, that he would have had a good understanding of what was going on (Though some events like water polo, bicycle races and 3-on-3 basketball would have needed some explaining). But winners standing on raised platforms to…

When it comes to the battle between the world, the flesh and the devil versus the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, there is no middle ground. Yet, it does seem that there are Christians who are trying to find some middle ground. It’s not there. And where these usually end up is on…

Like a thick fog, hopelessness seems to be descending on and blanketing our world. Surveys reveal that people these days have a pretty pessimistic view of the future. Hope is in short supply but depression is not. Of course, if their hope rests on government, financial institutions, the culture or the success of their favorite…

Apostasy (“the willful turning away from the truth of God”) has existed in the Church from its beginning. The Apostles regularly alerted believers that this turning from the Truth would never go away, but would get worse at the end of the Church age. Paul told Timothy that “the Spirit explicitly says that in later…

Even though there is a lot to fret about these days, King David tells us not to do that. He says, “fret not because of evildoers” (Psa. 37:1). Good advice, but then what does he know about the unending lies and corruption in the leadership of our country; what does he know about the threats…

Being loyal is essential in having healthy relationships. Faithfulness to the other person is necessary for that relationship to thrive. Without loyalty, relationships quickly fall apart. I suspect that this matter of loyalty has come to my mind because of this time of year. The month of March? Yes. This is that all important time…

I have been teaching the Book of Daniel and while doing so, I received a needed reminder from the pen of Daniel. In his final vision (chapters 10-12), he records the conflicts between certain nations; namely, Persia, Greece and Israel. But he reveals that behind those nations are powerful angelic (or demonic) beings. In the…

As our culture becomes increasingly secular, it is obvious to observant people that there are few things left that are considered sacred. And unfortunately, it seems that the church often reflects the culture in this matter. Even a mega-church pastor noted that the church has left a God-centered approach to prayer, worship, and church life,…

Unmistakably the Christmas season has arrived, making its first appearance in the middle of October (just as we were buying 435 pieces of Halloween candy for $20). It is simply not possible to ignore this time of year as everywhere our sight is filled with all things Christmas and our hearing is overwhelmed with sounds…

An unexpected consequence of the current Hamas-Israel war has been questions about Israel. Some Christians who have had little interest in Israel have begun to ask if Israel is important in future events; if the land belongs to Israel or to the Palestinians; even if Israel’s becoming a nation in 1948 has any biblical importance.…

The sudden, barbaric attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, who brutally murdered hundreds of men, women and young children has shocked much of the world. The sheer savagery of the event has been recorded on video which has allowed everyone to see this sheer evil. As Israel retaliates and Hamas keeps firing their missiles, thousands…

Every now and then, I just stare at the TV in shocked disbelief at the ignorance, the incompetence, and the insanity of some who are called “leaders.” But none of their inadequacies masks their fundamental desire to control us common folks. We see this daily in congressional committee meetings, news releases, interviews, and proposals coming…

It seems that almost every day we hear of behaviors that are amazingly foolish or downright bizarre. We think that we have now seen ultimate craziness, only to be surprised by something that is even stranger. Unfortunately, this seems to be taking place in the church as well as culture. Perhaps you have heard of…

Death was not a part of the original creation. Sickness and deformity were not present at the very dawn of human existence. Sin and evil are not found in God’s creative work. They are all present with us today, but that was not the way it was supposed to be. It is hard to imagine…

Sixty years is a long time. As we come to the middle of June, my thoughts have turned to the fact that my wife and I have been married for sixty years. Anne and I look at each other in mild disbelief, wondering if this can really be true. But in our sixtieth year, we…

During His life and ministry here on earth, the Lord Jesus was very clear that Satan is the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), and that he is a thief, murderer, and liar in whom resides no truth at all (John 8:44). And Jesus also declared that Satan is the spiritual father of…

This essentially was the repeated exhortation in the Book of Hebrews. Life was difficult and challenging for believers in the first century. As some Christians began to buckle under the pressures exerted on them by the culture, and the Evil One behind the culture, they needed a reminder of what is true. The author of…

Just a couple of days ago we returned from Israel where we led a group of forty-four delightful believers through the Land of the Bible. We went to many of the usual spots around Galilee, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. In light of this trip, it seemed good to share just a few observations with…

The matter of guns in America continues to be front page news as almost daily there are shootings, where multiple people are killed. Added to this terrible reality is the dramatic uptick in the shootings of those in law enforcement. All this is so very painful to see and hear.        The response…

What a stupid statement he just made!  That thought crosses our minds and sometimes our lips as we hear a politician, a news anchor or our neighbor say things that are clearly bizarre. And we wonder if they really believe the stuff they are saying. Surely, we think, no sane person could believe that. But…

Perhaps it’s my background, but I never cease to be amazed how many people these days so enthusiastically celebrate Halloween. Houses are decorated with spooky graveyards, skeletons, a witch or two, and the mandatory ghosts. Eerie music and subtle lighting are added for effect. Towns will have Halloween parades and even adults get into their…

I was in a store very recently where my ear drums were assaulted by the powerful screaming of a child. The decibel level was quite high and went on for quite a while. The parent apparently was unable to muffle the piercing cries of their offspring. It can be a fascinating spectacle to observe a…