Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together (KJV)

Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together (NKJV)

Most Bible students have noticed the fact that Genesis 38 seems to be a strange chapter since it interrupts the story of Joseph. One notices that the story of Joseph being sold by his brothers to some Ishmaelites who, in turn, takes him to Egypt and sells him to Potiphar in the last verse of chapter 37, then the first verse of chapter 39 picks up exactly at that point also.

The story of Judah and his 2 wicked sons, and his fathering of twins by his widowed daughter-in-law, is wedged into the Joseph story eventhough it has no connection with Joseph. It is an item of interest but one which I had paid little attention to prior to a couple of years ago. Then as I studied one day, it came to me why the chapter is written and apparently there was no better location to place it than at this point.

It appears to me that the only reason the Holy Spirit revealed the episode of Judah and his daughter-in-law was for the recording of the birth of Phares, who turned out to be the son of Judah whose lineage led to Jesus. (Matthew 1:3)(Luke 3:33) This is another instance where the Holy Scriptures do not hesitate to present unseemly details, such as the affairs of David and here of Judah. Jesus has at least these two instances in his ancestry which would have surely been omitted, had this book been written by uninspired men.

Divisions sometimes occur because people are unwilling to be patient with one another and work out their differences in a spirit and atmosphere of love. Divisions also arise because brethren fail to forgive one another, though God has forgiven them. In such cases Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 4:31-32 is unheeded. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

Love is patient, but the jealous and the envious want to cast out immediately any who will not pamper to their will. Love is kind, but the loveless heart is unkind, cutting, and harsh. It drives wedges deeper and deeper instead of healing wounds. Love does not envy, but the unloving are envious and speak evil against others, thinking that they are elevated by degrading those around them. Love does not brag, but pride rises high and will admit no error or mistake on their part. Love is not arrogant, but one who is unloving becomes jealous and wants to withdraw from those who do not share the high opinion he has of himself. Love does not act unbecomingly, but the loveless vent their wrath on others. Love does not seek its own, while selfish pride builds factions. Love is not easily provoked, but the loveless heart lacks patience and forbearance. Love does not think evil, but the jealous one sees the conduct of others in the worst light possible. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; in contrast, envy is glad to hear of another’s fall and will parade it publicly, widening breaches. While love bears all things, the loveless will endure nothing for the good of the common cause. Love believes all things, but the unloving only want to believe that which hurts others or flatters their own pride. Love never fails; it abides forever (I Corinthians 13:1-13).

Love is the greatest attitude of New Testament Christianity. Without love, the virtues of understanding, knowledge, faith, good works, and suffering are to no avail. Without love there can be no true Christian fellowship, no loyal church of Christ. Only when Christian love exists are we able to fulfill the admonition of Paul in Philippians 2:2-8, “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” John urged us to love one another in I John 3:11. He added, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death...” (I John 3:14-15).

When love is present, the Christian will endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He will forbear with his brother in Christ as he would a member of his own family. Where love exists, division is difficult to produce. Those who love will make every effort to redeem the erring soul. Where love is not, the soil is fertile for the reception of the seeds of sectarianism.

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."...Helen Keller (1880-1968)

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."...Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

Hercules was recently awarded the honorable distinction of Worlds Biggest Dog by Guinness World Records. Hercules is an English Mastiff and has a 38 inch neck and weighs 282 pounds.

With "paws the size of softballs" (reports the Boston Herald), the three-year-old monster is far larger and heavier than his breed's standard 200lb. limit. Hercules owner Mr. Flynn says that Hercules weight is natural and not induced by a bizarre diet: "I fed him normal food and he just grew".... and grew, and grew, and grew.

A Wizard, sitting in the marketplace, was telling the fortunes of the passers-by when a person ran up in great haste, and announced to him that the doors of his house had been broken open and that all his goods were being stolen. He sighed heavily and hastened away as fast as he could run. A neighbor saw him running and said, "Oh! you fellow there! you say you can foretell the fortunes of others; how is it you did not foresee your own?...Aesop