by Louis Rushmore

A reader posed the question, asking “how to build a God-fearing and happy family.” A God-fearing family begins with indoctrination—a sort of spiritual inoculation—with God’s Word. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 is an excellent method of instilling God’s Word in one’s family. Of course, Deuteronomy 6 pertains to Judaism, whereas we who live today live under Christianity. Nevertheless, the same procedure for implanting the Word of God into one’s family members will be effective and useful now, too.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9)

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By Mel Futrell

In this new year of 2019 it might be good to recall what we needed to “take back” last year because of unguarded speech. There is an adage that says, “The spoken word is like the last opportunity, it doesn’t come back.” And what a true statement that is. Brethren, how many times in our lives have we made some remark and almost immediately regretted the utterance? In all likelihood it is a fault we have succumbed to numerous times through the years. But words once spoken cannot be recalled. So we honestly try to lessen the impact by saying: “I didn’t mean it,” “That’s not what I intended to say,” “I take it back.” Sometimes this helps, but usually the damage has been done.

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by R.C. Lupo

Hanukkah is a feast that was instituted by Judas Maccabaeus (not God) in the year 164 or 165 B.C., in commemoration of him purifying the Temple after it had been defiled by the Syrian, Antiochus Epiphanes. When Antiochus heard that the Jews had made great rejoicings because of a report of his death, he quickly left Egypt, returned to Jerusalem and took the city by storm. Of the inhabitants, in three days, he slew forty thousand Jews; forty thousand more, he sold for slaves to the neighboring nations. Not content with this, he sacrificed a great sow on the altar of burnt offerings, and broth being made by his command of some of the flesh, he sprinkled all over the Temple, including the Holy of Holies, intending to defile it completely.

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