May 25 2017

Wisdom and Truth Minute: Day 124

What’s in a Name?

Hi, I’m Howie Campbell, and this is a Wisdom and Truth Minute.

How important is a name? We all have one. And even if a person was born without one, God would know what it was. Even God has a name. In fact, we know him by various names, all for a purpose. In the Bible, the phrase “The Lord” is used over 6,000 times. I haven’t looked at each one yet, but in almost every case that phrase covers over something extremely important. Why didn’t the Bible translators just use the name the Jewish writers put there for God? It would clear up confusion and make God all the more personal. “The Lord,” my friend, is actually Jehovah. Imagine that.


May 16 2017

Wisdom and Truth Minute: Day 117

Lions and Lambs

Isaiah 11:6

Hi, I’m Howie Campbell, and this is a Wisdom and Truth Minute.

If you’ve been a Christian for any amount of time, I’ll bet you’ve heard the saying, “and the lion shall lie down with the lamb.” I’ve seen beautiful paintings with that theme.

Can I let you in on a little secret? That phrase is nowhere in scripture. Very poetic indeed; beautiful imagery, but not scripture. Two mentions in the Bible are of lamb-eating beasts living in harmony together with their prey someday. Here’s one from Isaiah 11:6: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb.” That is why it’s imperative for you to know what the Bible says for yourself.


May 15 2017

Wisdom and Truth Minute: Day 116

Jesus Came Looking

Isaiah 65:1

Hi, I’m Howie Campbell, and this is a Wisdom and Truth Minute.

After being a follower of Jesus Christ more than 30 years, and reading and studying the Bible many times over, a verse jumped out at me this morning that I hadn’t considered before. The word of God is like that: deeper than we know, and full of surprises.

In Isaiah 65:1 I read, I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.” That was me! Jesus came looking for me when I wasn’t looking for him. He found me, and now I am his forever. What is your story, my friend?


Dec 12 2015

Live Stream Christmas Concert

As Christmas time approaches we would like to wish each of you a Spirit filled holiday. May Christ shine brightly in your hearts, home and community.

Our concert schedule is filling up for The Good News of Christmas, a musical presentation of the Christmas story. The schedule will take us from Appomattox, VA on the southern end through Upstate New York to the north. We are presenting it in coffeehouses, churches, missions and a “Coast to Coast” live stream. There will even be the intimate, friendly setting of a house concert.

View our upcoming dates on the event page at www.wisdomandtruth.org

The Good News of Christmas goes coast to coast!

Airing December 12th at 8PM EST and again at 10PM EST.

Live Stream Concert Window

The Good News of Christmas will be streaming live through Concert Window, going coast to coast and beyond. We invite you to watch the Advent celebration in the coziness of your own home. Invite your friends to watch it with you as it creates a great environment to connect with people on a spiritual level this Christmas season.

Download our order of presentation, have your Bible and hymnal ready and sing along. Presentation order

Airing on Concert Window
December 12th at 8PM EST and again at 10PM EST.

How it works.

Follow the link to Howie Campbell’s Concert Window
Create a log in and be ready when the performance begins. You may watch on your large screen, computer and even mobile device.
After a few minutes you will be asked to pay to continue watching. This is probably a $1 fee. To avoid inturruption I recommend paying before the show begins.
You may tip at any time.
Message us through Concert Window and let us know your are there!

This concert is a method for us to raise funds for our winter musicianary tours. This December we’ll be traveling from as far south as Appomatox, VA into Upstate NY where we are presenting The Good News of Christmas in coffeehouses, churches, city missions and homes.

We encourage tipping through Concert window, where we receive 70%. We also encourage giving a tax-deductable donation through our website where we will recieve 97%.

Pray that the true message of Christmas, the promised arrival of Messiah fulfilled, will deepen faith and change lives of all those who hear it.

Merry Christmas!

Howie and Debbie


Apr 21 2009

2 Peter 1:5-8 Part one: Virtue

Using the Vines Expository Dictionary can help create a more dynamic Bible Study experience.

The first man to disciple Howie and I, Eric Walton, put an emphasis on three tools for use during personal devotions:

  • A Thompson Chain Reference Bible,
  • The Strongs Exhaustive Concordance
  • Vines Expository Dictionary.

This morning I was thinking about the verses found in 2 Peter that tell us how to bear fruit in our Christian lives.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.   2Pet. 1:5-8

Have you ever noticed how most people are eager to add to their faith knowledge?  But Peter tells us to add to our faith virtue. Virtue should come after faith and before adding knowledge.

So what is virtue?

arete (G703) properly denotes whatever procures preeminent estimation for a person or thing; hence, “intrinsic eminence, moral goodness, virtue,” Vines.  Wow! That is a mouthful.

Let’s define procure, preeminent and estimation then plug them in with common language.
To procure is to obtain and preeminent means superior in excellence; distinguished for something   commendable or honorable. Estimation is an opinion or judgment of the worth or a favorable opinion. Derived from Websters

Let’s rework this with some easier definition. We should add to our faith Virtue, which simply is the obtaining that which is excellent and honorable and having a judgment of worth. To me that seems like a very lofty goal to obtain, especially right after faith and before knowledge.   So how do we do that?

Comments and thoughts invited!

Debbie

More on Virtue from Vines:

arete (G703) properly denotes whatever procures preeminent estimation for a person or thing; hence, “intrinsic eminence, moral goodness, virtue,” (a)  of God, 1Pe_2:9, “excellencies” (KJV, “praises”); here the original and general sense seems to be blended with the impression made on others, i.e., renown, excellence or praise (Hort); in 2Pe_1:3, “(by His own glory and) virtue,” RV (instrumental dative), i.e., the manifestation of His divine power; this significance is frequently illustrated in the papyri and was evidently common in current Greek speech; (b) of any particular moral excellence, Phi_4:8; 2Pe_1:5 (twice), where virtue is enjoined as an essential quality in the exercise of faith, RV, “(in your faith supply) virtue.”