November 18, 2022

NOVEMBER 18 , 2022
Editor | Dr . Shelton Smith Vol . LXXXVIII , No . 22

The Redemption of Rahab

8

God ’ s Amazing Creation

14

Pilgrims , Plymouth Rock

3

Are You Thankful ?

DR . TOM WALLACE
Thanksgiving is a special time set aside in the United States of America . They do not have Thanks - giving in many other countries in the world .
I hope we will keep our minds on gratitude and praise this week and remember all the bless ings and benefits that are ours .
David cried out and used an imperative sentence in Psalm 100 .
“ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD , all ye lands .
“ Serve the LORD with gladness : come before his presence with singing .
“ Know ye that the LORD he is God : it is he that hath made us , and not we ourselves ; we are his people , and the sheep of his pasture .
“ Enter into his gates with thanks - giving , and into his courts with praise : be thankful unto him , and bless his name .
“ For the LORD is good ; his mercy is everlasting ; and his truth endureth to all generations .”— Vss . 1 – 5 .
Look at verse 4 again : “ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving , and into his courts with praise : be thank - ful unto him , and bless his name .”
We get the impression from this that our Lord would like all His children to have a streak of real gratitude , praise and thankfulness . This is a characteristic , a trait , of being a child of God .
Unlike the children of Israel who grumbled and complained , we are to express gratitude and praise . I see here a positive Christian , one who knows where his blessings come from .
In Psalm 95:2 David said , “ Let us come before his presence with thanks - giving , and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms .” He wants us to sing about God ’ s greatness , talk about it ; and Psalm 34:1 tells us , “ His praise shall continually be in my mouth .”
Then see Psalm 106:1 : “ Praise ye the LORD . O give thanks unto the
LORD ; for he is good : for his mercy endureth for ever .” We give thanks
Continued on p 14 ▶

What Will Happen at the Rapture ?

DR . HUGH PYLE
“ He was not ; for God took him .”— Gen . 5:24 .
A trip into outer space is nothing new . Enoch walked with God and was not found , for God took him , the Bible says . The Scripture assures us in Hebrews 11:5 that “ Enoch was translated that he should not see death .” Enoch took a trip into outer space . He walked with God and one day God said , “ Enoch , why don ’ t you go Home with Me ?” So , Enoch went to spend the day with the Lord ; but he never came back , for there is “ no night there .”
Elijah took a trip into outer space when God sent a chariot of fire down to rapture him in II Kings 2 .
Jesus took a trip into outer space , as we discover in Acts 1 , when He ascended back to be with the Father forty days after the resurrection .
While the word rapture does not appear in the Bible , the truth of such a “ rapturing away ” of believers is certainly evident on many pages . The launch time is a mystery ; for in Matthew 24:44 Jesus said , “ In
My Thanksgiving such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh .”
Astronauts have to wait for good Continued on p 17 ▶
For food upon my table , Lord , for clothes that I may wear ,
For shelter of my little home , for all the comforts there ; For health to do my daily tasks , for eyes that I may see ; For ears to hear the songs of joy , dear Lord , I now thank Thee . For light that brightens every day and peaceful rest at night , For the “ still small voice ” that helps me choose between the wrong and right , For fellowship of many friends and neighbors kind and true ,
For trees and flowers , birds and bees , and skies above of blue . I could not all my blessings count ; I have so vast a store . Each day I am more thankful , Lord , than e ’ er I was before .
For Christ , my loving Saviour dear , throughout eternity , My grateful heart shall sing its praise and offer thanks to Thee !
DR . SHELTON SMITH
“ For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last , as it were ap - pointed to death .”— I Cor . 4:9 .
The apostles and other Christians through the centuries should be viewed as the gladiators who were forcibly thrown into the arena to face ravenous beasts . At the first , the gladiators were given armor and weapons with which to defend themselves .

The Gospel Gladiators

In the morning hours they would turn the wild beasts loose on them . It was quite a show . The men were pitted against the ferocious beasts in a life-and-death battle .
Those who survived were sent back into the arena in the afternoon , this time without armor or any kind of weapon . They were stripped of their clothing . The men ’ s nakedness and their being unarmed contrib - uted to the fact that these afternoon shows were so gross as to defy imagination .
Such inhumanity to men , calcu - lated , corrupt and cruel , invokes the vilest nature incited by a wickedness so base , so inane that its allure is satanic .
Everyone knew these men were marked for death . They would not survive because day after day , morning and afternoon , they were thrust back into the arena again . A day would soon come when they would not survive . It was said of those who stayed the longest in the arena , “ These are the last of them .”
In essence the text says , “ It seems as though God has set forth us the apostles last . We have survived till now , but we ’ re down to the end of the day .” They ’ ve made it through the horrible ordeals thus far . Then it says in that same verse , “ For we are made a spectacle unto the world , and to angels , and to men .”
Continued on p 12 ▶