These are the closing words of each stanza of our national anthem. The Star-Spangled Banner was written as a poem originally titled “The Defense of Fort McHenry” on September 14, 1814, by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 (June 18, 1812 - February 16, 1815). The war was a conflict between the United States and its allies and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and its colonies in North America and its allies. During the war, British forces took a prisoner named William Beans of Upper Marlborough, Maryland. and held him aboard a warship in Chesapeake Bay. With permission from President James Madison, two Americans communicated with the British for Beans’ release. The two Americans were Francis Scott Key,...

Shortly after the midpoint of the Great Tribulation, the False Prophet and the Anti-Christ compel everyone to receive the mark of the Beast on their right hand or forehead. This raises two questions about the mark: 1. The number ...

The question I’m asking is, “Can born again, Bible-believing, Christ-worshiping Christians also be idolaters?” I want to suggest that they can and I’ll explain why I think that. First of all, what is an idol? Idols are images or representations of gods. Idols in the ancient world were common. Worship of them was thought to bring fertility, prosperity, protection, or favor with a god. Men trusted in them. Idols were often carved of wood, stone, or precious metals (gold, silver, bronze). Stars, planets, trees, rivers, mountains, beasts, or birds were often worshiped as idols. Idols in the western world today, however, are more sophisticated but nonetheless still idols. Christians today can fall into the trap of ...

Perhaps you’ve heard the axiom in the title of this article. It’s an old one but a true one. It restates in non-biblical terms what is seen in the pages of the Bible. Take for example King David. He permitted himself to have eight wives: Michal daughter of King Saul, Ahinoam of Jezreel, Abigail the Carmelite, Maachah the child of King Talmai of Geshur, Haggith, Abital, Eglah, and Bath-shua (Bathsheba) daughter of Ammiel (1 Chronicles 3:1-9). Having multiple wives is called polygamy and polygamy is a sin. I’ve heard all the arguments that in the ancient world women were regarded as property hence to have many wives was to be wealthy. Perhaps that’s true but it deviates from God’s clear, stated instruction in ...