Life's Inanities and Ironies

In an age of tax-deductible foundations, celebrity “giving” campaigns, and virtue-signaling social media posts, the word *philanthropy* has been hijacked by the world. But the Bible—specifically the book of Proverbs—reveals the true meaning of philanthropy: a heart of generous love for others that flows from the fear of the Lord. This is not optional charity for the “socially conscious.” This is commanded obedience for every Bible-believing Christian. The Proverbs are not suggestions from a distant philosopher; they are the inerrant, Spirit-breathed wisdom of the living God. Let us open our preserved King James Bibles and hear what the Lord declares about true philanthropy. “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD” (Proverbs 19:17) This single verse turns all worldly philanthropy upside down. When you give to the needy, you are not merely helping a fellow human—you are making a loan to the Creator Himself. And Scripture promises: “that which he hath given will he pay him ...

In our day of multi-billion-dollar foundations, celebrity charity galas, and social-media virtue signaling, the world loves to crown its own philanthropists. Yet the Bible reveals the true Greatest Philanthropist—not a man with deep pockets, but the unchanging God of heaven. James 1:12-18 pulls back the curtain and shows us the Giver of every good and perfect gift, the One whose generosity knows no variableness or shadow of turning. This is no sentimental devotional. This is the inerrant, preserved Word of the living God speaking directly to His people. Let us open our King James Bibles to James chapter 1, verses 12 through 18. These verses stand as a lighthouse in the midst of a stormy world that lies in the wicked one. Blessed Endurance and the Crown of Life (v. 12) “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” True blessing does not come from escaping trials but from enduri...

In a culture that treats motherhood as optional, burdensome, or even obsolete, the Bible declares it one of the highest callings a woman can receive from her Creator. This Mother’s Day, we turn not to greeting cards or commercial slogans, but to the preserved, infallible Scriptures. We stand unashamedly on God’s Word to exalt motherhood as a divine vocation, a sacred stewardship, and a reflection of the very heart of our Lord. The Portrait of the Virtuous Woman (Proverbs 31:10-31) The Holy Spirit paints the definitive picture of godly motherhood in Proverbs 31. This is no outdated cultural ideal—it is the unchanging standard for every mother and every young woman preparing for that high calling. “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” The Hebrew word *chayil* means strength, moral excellence, and capable force. This woman is no passive figure; she is a warrior in the home. Her husband trusts her completely because her character is rock-solid. She works willi...

The Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:17-18—“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God”—were not written in a vacuum. They were penned to a specific church in a specific city at a specific moment in history. To grasp the full power of that old rugged cross on “a hill far away,” we must step back into first-century Corinth and feel the cultural winds Paul faced head-on. Only then does the radical simplicity of his message shine.  A Prosperous, Pagan, Party City on the Isthmus Corinth was no sleepy village. By the time Paul arrived around A.D. 50–52 during his second missionary journey, it was the thriving capital of the Roman province of Achaia (southern Greece). Strategically perched on the narrow isthmus connecting the Peloponnese to mainland Greece, the city ...

 In a world obsessed with flashy programs, polished rhetoric, and feel-good messages, the Apostle Paul reminds us of a truth that cuts straight to the heart of the gospel. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 in your King James Bible: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” This passage isn’t just ancient history—it’s a battle cry for every fundamentalist Christian who refuses to compromise the old-time gospel. Paul wasn’t writing from a comfortable study; he was confronting the sophisticated, idol-filled city of Corinth, where Greek philosophers prized human wisdom above all else. Yet God called him to one simple, unchanging task: preach the cross. No frills. No fancy words. Just the blood-stained truth of Calvary. I want to take you this morning—right here in...

In Ephesians chapter 5 the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, lays out the walk of the believer in the light of God’s glory. After commanding us to walk in love, walk in light, and walk in wisdom, he turns to the home — the very foundation of society and the clearest picture of Christ and His church. Verses 22-33 contain God’s unchanging blueprint for marriage: the wife’s submission and the husband’s sacrificial love. This is not a suggestion. It is not a product of ancient culture. It is the revealed will of God for every Christian marriage until Jesus comes. Here is the Scripture in the preserved King James Bible (Ephesians 5:22-33): “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ al...

In Titus chapter 2, the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, gives Titus direct instructions for establishing sound doctrine in the local New Testament church on the island of Crete. This is not optional advice or cultural suggestion — it is the unchanging Word of God for every age. While the whole chapter is rich, verses 3-5 focus specifically on the God-ordained roles for women: the aged (older) women and the young women they are commanded to train. Here is the Scripture in the preserved King James Bible (Titus 2:3-5): “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” This passage is not a list of suggestions. It is a divine command that protects the testimony o...

I am writing this today as one who is limited by scripture in the way I can serve in the Church.  I have failed not once but twice to be able to hold a marriage together.  Praise God that He can take and use this damaged vessel to serve him. That He allows me to bring daily those things that He lays on my heart , mind, and Soul. We live in a day when marriage is treated like a disposable contract and divorce is excused as just another “life event.” But the fundamentalist Christian who bows to the authority of the King James Bible knows better. We do not follow the culture; we follow “Thus saith the Lord.”  The painful question many sincere believers ask is this: If I have walked through the valley of divorce—even if I have repented and am now walking faithfully with Christ—what roles can a devout divorced man or woman actually fill in the local New Testament church? Today we open the Scriptures without apology or compromise to find the clear answer.   Marriage Is for...

In the closing verses of Gideon’s remarkable life, the Holy Ghost records a tragic turn that serves as a solemn warning for every fundamentalist believer. After refusing the throne offered by Israel, Gideon took the golden earrings from the Midianite spoil—seventeen hundred shekels of gold—and “made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went a whoring after it there: and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house” (Judges 8:27). What exactly was this ephod, and why does its symbolism pierce the heart of every generation that follows? Let us explore its meaning directly from the preserved Word of God, without the fog of modern scholarship or liberal reinterpretation. The Biblical Ephod: God’s Prescribed Garment of Worship In Exodus 28, the LORD Himself commanded the high priest to wear a sacred ephod—an intricately woven garment of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen, adorned with onyx stones bearing the names of the tribes of Israel. It w...

We live in a day when many so-called Christians chase after the latest fads, the biggest platforms, and the softest messages. Yet the preserved Word of God—the King James Bible—pulls no punches. It shows us the raw truth about one of the greatest judges in Israel’s history: Gideon. The man who destroyed Baal’s altar, who routed the Midianite horde with only three hundred men, and who once trembled at the winepress, fell prey to three subtle but deadly temptations in his final days. These are not the temptations of a fearful youth. These are the senior temptations that come after victory—after the applause, after the battle is won. Fundamental Christians, take heed. The devil never retires; he simply upgrades his tactics. The Biblical Record (Judges 8:22-35, KJV) “And the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall ...

In the closing verses of Hebrews 5, the Holy Spirit rebuked the sluggish believers for remaining on spiritual milk when they should have been feasting on solid food. The very next paragraph launches the remedy: **Hebrews 6:1-3** (ESV): > “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.” The call is urgent and forward-looking. The writer does not say, “Stay where you are and feel better about it.” He says, **“Let us go on.”** Maturity is not automatic; it is a deliberate, Spirit-empowered advance into the deeper truths of Christ. The Elementary Foundation (What We Leave Behind) The six “elementary doctrines” listed are not bad—they are the ABCs of the faith: 1. Repentance from dead works   2. Faith toward God ...

We live in a culture that celebrates perpetual adolescence—where staying “young at heart” often means refusing to grow up. Sadly, this same spirit has crept into the church. Many of us who proudly identify as conservative, Bible-believing Christians have mistaken familiarity with doctrine for actual spiritual maturity. We attend church faithfully, defend the inerrancy of Scripture, and stand firm on moral issues, yet the author of Hebrews would look at much of our spiritual diet and say the same thing he said to the first-century Jewish believers: “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by...

 We live in days when victory is quickly followed by division. The world, the flesh, and the devil never rest—and neither does human nature. Right after the miraculous deliverance in Judges 7, where God used Gideon and his 300 men to rout 135,000 Midianites with trumpets, pitchers, and lamps, the ugly realities of pride, politics, and the need for persistence exploded onto the scene. If you are a fundamentalist Christian who still holds the King James Bible as the preserved, infallible, God-breathed Word, this passage in Judges 8:1-21 is not just ancient history. It is a mirror held up to the church in 2026. Let the Holy Ghost speak through the plain text of Scripture as we walk through it together. The Pride of Ephraim (Judges 8:1-3) The battle was won. The enemy was scattered. But instead of praising God, the men of Ephraim turned on Gideon with sharp words: “Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chid...

We live in a world that screams for bigger numbers, better strategies, and more impressive resources. Yet the King James Bible—the only preserved, inerrant Word of God—tells us a different story. Sometimes the Lord deliberately takes away what the world says we need so that He alone receives the glory. That truth shines brightly in one of the most thrilling accounts in the Old Testament: the story of Gideon and his 300 warriors in Judges chapter 7. If you are a fundamentalist Christian who still believes every word of Scripture literally, this passage is not ancient history—it is a living blueprint for victorious Christian living today. Let’s open our King James Bibles to Judges 7:1-23 and let the Holy Ghost speak to our hearts. The Setup: An Impossible Situation The Midianites had invaded Israel like a plague of locusts—135,000 fighting men strong, camped in the valley of Jezreel. Gideon had rallied 32,000 Israelite men at the spring of Harod. By every human calculation, they were sti...