I've done a courtesy search for the term Abuse of the Old Testament.htm for you. See if you can find what you're looking for in the list below:

• Abuse of the Old Testament

  …ster WongMixxMySpaceNetvouzNewsvineoneviewOnlyWirePlugIMPropellerRedditSegnaloShoutwireSimpySlashdotSurphaceSphinnSpurlSquidooStumbleUponTechnoratiThisNextTwitterWebrideWindows LiveYahoo!Email This to a Friend  Link HTML:  Permalink:  If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.Powered by Bookmarkify™ More »There are many things practiced in the name of Christianity today that have no b…

• Does God Really Care?

  ch that the Bible says, “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44 NKJV)  Vine’s, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, says of the word agony, denotes “severe emotional strain and anguish.”  That is most certainly a definition of suffering.  Isaiah says, in Isaiah 53:3, in reference to Jesus, that he was “a…

• Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven?

  Sometimes we take it for granted that everyone who calls themselves a Christian holds the New Testament scriptures in as high a regard as we do.  However, that is not the case.  Some, while calling themselves Christians, do not believe in the all sufficiency of the New Testament scriptures to save a man.  They feel man needs more guidance and direction than can be found in the scriptures alone. Questions immediately come to my mind.  If the New …

• Old Testament Studies

  Abuse of the Old Testament The Book of Ecclesiastes King Saul–As Long as it Glorifies God Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath? Spiritual Mirages  (a lesson from Jeremiah) Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Moses–The Fork in the Road When Your Walking Stick Comes Home The Valley of Dry Bones The Weaver’s Shuttle Remove Not the Ancient Landmarks On to Canaan But He Lingered The Day of Decision …

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  n and woman marry they make a solemn covenant between each other and God.  To break that covenant would be exactly what the Greek word used in Rom. 1:31 is talking about.  But there is more.  How many times in reading the Old Testament do you run across the word covenant in connection with covenants God made with his people and them with him?  How many times did his people break those covenants? I did a quick e-sword search on the NKJV concordanc…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  prohibit judging but only unjust judgment.  “Judge with righteous judgment,” (John 7:24 NKJV) Jesus said. To make no judgments at all, and yes I am speaking of value judgments, opposes everything taught in the New Testament and in life.  The New Testament praises those who because of full age are able to absorb solid food, “that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb…

• Christian Circumcision

  Most everyone is aware that in Old Testament times beginning with Abraham God required that the males among whom he was in covenant relationship be circumcised or else be cut off (excluded) from among his people.  We first read about this commandment when God made a covenant with Abraham in Gen. 17 (read especially verses 10 through 14).  It was a fleshly circumcision (v. 11), it was to “be a sign of the covenant between me and you” …

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  church in the Bible is just the word “church” itself as all Bible readers know. The listing above is not an exhaustive list but it is enough of a list to give you the idea that the church is not given a formal name in the New Testament.  Are there any implications that can be correctly drawn from what has been studied here?  One thing that sticks out to me as I look back over the list–the name Christ or God is given in all the references fo…

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

  Have miracles ceased?  They have if we are talking about the kind of miracles performed by Jesus, the apostles, and those possessed of spiritual gifts in New Testament times.  The purpose of those miracles was to confirm that the word spoken was from God himself.  Such confirmation was needed.  Put yourself in the shoes of those living back then.  Here one comes into your midst claiming to speak for God.  Is he delusional, a mad man?  Is he a ch…

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  ehold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.” (NKJV)  The stone God laid was Christ, not Peter.  I am satisfied this Old Testament passage is the passage Peter had reference to in 1 Peter 2:6 when he said “it is also contained in the Scripture.” But what does it mean when the text says “whoever believes will not act hastily&#…

• Instrumental Music in Christian Worship–Is it God’s Will?

  hought it would matter with God if he entered the temple and burned incense?  Do you think he would have done it had he thought so? Other examples could be given for in reality much of the problem with God’s people in the Old Testament can be traced back to the idea that they did not think who they worshipped or how they worshipped made much difference.  One sees some of the same tendencies in the New Testament.  What is Paul’s rebuke of the Cori…

• Bible Authority, Foot Washing, the Holy Kiss, and Head Coverings?

  erribly difficult for me to see how one gives glory to God by adding to his word and doing things he has not commanded as acts of worship–a kind of make up your own worship as you go.  Everyone who has ever read the Old Testament knows God had what he wanted in worship and service listed down to the minutest degree and I say that respectfully and do not mean those things were of no importance.  They obviously were for God made them so.  One…

• What Does the Phrase “My Name” Mean in the Bible?

  t the way Jesus used the phrase?  I think we know the answer is no.  Well then how did he use it and what did he mean? The Jews of Jesus’ time were used to the statement as the exact phrase was found 86 times in the Old Testament according to our English NAS translation thus the best place to start to understand the meaning as Jesus used it is in the Old Testament scriptures.  It is a phrase that can be used in more than one way thus have m…

• The Christian, Politics, and the Government

  ion will be held accountable which means we do need to vote for those candidates running for office who are most supportive of Christian principles. We can and ought to hate laws that are contrary to God’s teaching in the New Testament and also the kind of thinking that leads to those laws but yet have compassion for the misguided lawmakers who made them in that each has a soul that is worth more than all of the wealth of this world combined.  “F…

• What Is Baptism (the Sprinkling Hoax)

  ver time but for the present, for the purposes of this article, I will confine myself to the question what is baptism.  I doubt that very many people know what I am about to say.  We all assume that the words found in our New Testaments are English words translated from the original Greek.  You may well be surprised to learn that the word “baptize” and all of its derivatives are not English words at all.  They are Greek words that wer…

• Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God–the Implications

  hat the bills were paid and the work would prosper and the church would grow in numbers. But here was the problem–God’s word does not one time speak of building a house to worship in.  One will read the pages of the New Testament until old age dims his eyes and never read one time of a church building such as you see on nearly every corner today.  There is no word from God on building a material brick and mortar building to worship God in. …

• Can one be Just a Christian in Christ’s Church without being in a Denomination?

  ible (the gospel message) made Christians and Christians only that were added by God to the church.  “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NKJV)  If the pure gospel message of the New Testament will not do that today then of what value is it? Does the gospel message now add you both to the church Jesus built and to a denomination simultaneously?  If so when did that begin?  If so where can I read about it…

• Who Governs the Church if We Follow the Bible?

  Who governs the church ought to matter a great deal to all those who want to be Christians and Christians only by following what the Bible says.  I know of no other way to be just a Christian, that and nothing more, other than to follow the Bible as closely as humanly possible.  That means one must ignore the traditions of men in religion and must ignore all teachings that cannot be found in book, chapter, and verse in the New Testament. Too oft…

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  The fact that baptism is essential to becoming a Christian and being saved is written on page after page in the New Testament despite being rejected by most who call themselves Christians.  I have never understood how something so clearly taught can so readily be rejected by so many other than through the power that tradition and religious heritage exerts on people. Error believed has the same faith affect upon a man or woman as truth believed a…

• Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural?

  he meaning of his inspired word or to add to it.  “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches.” (1 Cor. 2:13 NKJV) The words baptize, baptism, etc., found in your New Testament were words from the Greek carried over into the English without ever being translated.  We call them transliterated words.  Why were these Greek words never translated?  Because the Greek means to submerge, immerse…

• King Saul–As Long as It Glorifies God

  Paul said, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4 NKJV)  The NIV translates the first part of that verse as follows, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us.” Paul had reference primarily to the writings found in the Old Testament when he made that statement.  As we read the Old Testament we need t…

• A New Creation in Christ

  obably get up several lessons from this one parable but today I want to concentrate on one specific aspect of the story–the need man has, all men, to become a new creation in God’s sight.  In two places in the New Testament we read of man’s need to become a new creation, a new spiritual being. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (…

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  equal footing before God.  No one is special, no one gets a pass, and no one gets to exalt himself above the rest of the brethren. The reader might find it interesting to note that you will not find the word Rabbi in the Old Testament.  The Bible commentator Adam Clarke says of the word Rabbi, “None of the prophets had ever received this title, nor any of the Jewish doctors before the time of Hillel and Shammai, which was about the time of…

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  cause a Protestant makes the claim to be a Christian does not make him one–not now, not back then, not ever.  Neither Catholics nor Protestants are Christians.  Neither group has ever been willing to accept what the New Testament teaches that it takes for a man to become a Christian.  I will deal with each group in this article in due time.  Until then I ask the reader to use a little common sense. Name one passage in the New Testament that…

• If Baptism is Not Essential for Salvation

  was washing them away in the blood of Jesus by being baptized into the death of Christ. [The reader might also find it interesting to note that the literal blood of Jesus was shed like that of the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament after his death or in his death (John 19:33-34).  I doubt not for a minute the importance of the spear in Jesus’ side after his death from whence “immediately blood and water came out.” (John 19:34)  “For the life …

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

  There are approximately 38,000 denominations in the world today calling themselves Christian according to the results I found on the subject doing a Google search.  I was astounded and find that number hard to believe but be that as it may we all know there are a vast multitude of them and I suppose the number you come up with depends on how you decide to count them.  If this number is correct we have gone from 1 church in the New Testament to 3…

• Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath?

  manded you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Deut. 5:15 NKJV)  If you are a Gentile God did not bring your ancestors out of Egypt and that being the case the Sabbath law was never directed to you. It is time to move to the New Testament.  We find the Sabbath in the New Testament but we need to make some distinctions.  First we must remember Jesus was a Jew “born under the law” (Gal. 4:4 NKJV) and he and his fellow Jews were under oblig…

• Why Do Men Run From God?

  l ever have. I would dare say that last Sunday the majority by far of those the world calls Christians engaged in a worship service (if they went at all) in which they did at least some things which cannot be found in the New Testament of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, things that sprang up in some man’s mind once upon a time and that was taken up by a body of believers and has been handed down by tradition through the years as if it cam…

• Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings

  The word “faith” is a word that has different meanings in different places where it is found throughout the New Testament.  It can be a little disconcerting when one first learns this but at the same time we benefit from knowing it. In preparation for this article I looked up the word “faith” in a little paperback Merriam Webster Dictionary that I have being curious as to what I would find.  I found 4 meanings listed as f…

• Which Denomination Did Jesus Build?

  do not matter if you can be saved in any denomination regardless of belief and practice. Paul spoke of his ways in Christ which he said “I teach everywhere in every church.” (1 Cor. 4:17 NKJV)  Every church in New Testament times received the same teaching.  There were no opposing doctrines save from false teachers.  What was taught in one place by a Holy Spirit inspired teacher was taught in every place.  Now we say it doesn’t …

• Three Benefits of Being a Christian in This Life – Hope, Love, Peace

  one cares much.  As long as a man has some hope he can continue to put one foot in front of the other and go on in life.  It becomes a real struggle once hope is lost. Being a Christian gives one hope.  When the dark days of old age arrive, when one’s spouse has gone on, and it is certain death cannot be far off hope is needed.  We sometimes think as young and middle aged people that old age is some how not life.  It has little to nothing …

• The Two Covenants

  The Kingdom of God and The New Birth Abuse of the Old Testament Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath? …

• Spiritual Mirages

  t mean things are well with us spiritually.  Just because we have a spiritual life, one we are actively involved in, does not mean it is the right religion or pleasing to God.  As far as I am able to tell from reading the New Testament the Pharisees of Jesus’ day were doing just fine as far as the blessings of this world were concerned but they were experiencing their own spiritual mirage. The Jews with which Jeremiah was dealing could not …

• The Need to Sing in Worship

  “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD” (Ex. 15:1 NKJV).  This is very important.  Please note that they sang to the Lord.  The singing was worship.  So it is today.  17 times in the Old Testament the phrase “sing to the Lord” is found based on the New King James Version and the E-Sword concordance.  There is thus no doubt as to whom the singing is addressed.  Singing is an act of worship. In Rom…

• Fear God

  g of knowledge,” (Prov. 1:7 NKJV), “is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death,” (Prov. 14:27 NKJV), “by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.” (Prov. 16:6 NKJV) Just a few more verses from the Old Testament before turning to the new.  What is the whole duty of man?  Solomon concluded in Eccl. 12:13, NKJV, that it was and is to “fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” or as the old King James version…

• God’s Hardening of the Human Heart

  longsuffering, to make it exceedingly dangerous to a man. In both the cases above just cited was God not executing judgment on men while they lived by ending their lives?  Many other such examples could be given from the Old Testament and then we have Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament (Acts 5).  I do not see where the Bible teaches that a man can go on and on and on in sin without any need of fearing God here and now.  A person living in…

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  day have a good conscience. Secondly, this prophet who sinned and met his death believed a religious man.  I will be frank.  I do not take much stock in the fact that a preacher says anything.  Why should I when I have a New Testament and probably am about as intelligent, I assume, as the average preacher? It is obvious, to those who think about it, that few preachers know what they are talking about.  How many different denominations are there …

• Abraham’s Faith (Faith Accounted for Righteousness)

  h today in all kinds of things not found in God’s word and have convinced themselves it is of God.  What Abraham believed was what he heard.  What we are to believe today is what we read in the word of God–the New Testament.  That is how God talks to us today.  That is how we hear him today. Personal opinion is passed off for faith in the time in which we live.  The “it seems to me” or the “I can see no wrong in it&#…

• Resource Sites

  Here are some links to what I consider to be some great sites I highly recommend. Christian Courier  (This site is owned and run by Wayne Jackson who does the writing found on it.  I don’t know where you would go to find more scholarly Christian articles on the web.  The man does his homework which means he does extensive research before he starts writing.  All of this will be readily evident to you once you read an article or two of his. …

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  these men who must give an account?  It is the same men whom Paul gave Timothy the qualifications to meet (1 Tim. 3:2-7) in order to qualify them as bishops in the church (a bishop and an elder are the same person in the New Testament).  He said, in part, “If a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” (1 Tim. 3:5 NKJV)  What is the point? It is this–Christians are to be in organi…

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  e lady’s idea was that no matter what a body of believers was to believe and practice today it would end up being no more than another denomination for it is simply impossible in our day and age to have the original New Testament church.  It is sad we have come to that kind of thinking in our time but denominationalism is dependent on that line of thought and cannot survive without it. If the New Testament church was to exist on earth today…

• The Peace Found in Forgiveness of Others

  ter way of life?  Can peace and joy and hope of life everlasting be found or is the way hidden from us? I think we all know the answers to these questions so there is only one other question to ask.  It is the question in the old gospel hymn we have sung since the days of my childhood which is now many decades past.  It is the question, “Why do you wait o sinner?”  “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6…

• Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required

  e free to just make up worship to suit ourselves?  The lady says in her article, and I quote directly from it, “Confirmation is a rite done in the church during worship.”  You cannot find such an animal in the New Testament but you can find it in this denomination which went outside the New Testament for its practice and authority.  Who has such authority?  I would think it would take a bold man to say I’ll bring it into the wor…

• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  nant—the Law of Moses. We can see then that being faithful means, on man’s part, being obedient to the covenant he is under with God.  Have you ever read or paid any attention to the cover page or title page of your New Testament?  The New Testament I am using as I write says on its cover page “The New Testament of Our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ.”  The older versions used to read differently.  I am now looking at the cover pag…

• Honestly Deceived

  bread, nor drink any water, nor return by the way he came (1 Kings 13:9).  Having fulfilled his mission of prophecy in Bethel he obeys God and starts for home on a route different from that by which he had come.  However, an old prophet intercepts him on the way and lies to him saying that he too was a prophet (this part being true) but also saying that an angel had spoken to him “by the word of the Lord” (1 Kings 13:18 NKJV) and that the angel …

• The Lord’s Supper as a Part of a Larger Meal–Right or Wrong?

  meal a part of the worship.  The meals brethren have together outside the worship, generally after the worship but sometimes before if it is in the evening, is not the problem. Do I believe brethren had meals together in New Testament times? Yes. Again, that is not the issue. I think it is great if the brethren got together and had social meals together and especially if they could help feed the less fortunate among them, the hungry (the church …

• The Silence of the Scriptures

  verrides scripture.  Where does one find in scripture the idea of praying to dead saints just as an example?  I have got time.  I can wait but it is certain I will be dead before you find the passage teaching such in your New Testament. When one takes the position Luther took one cannot complain too much, and be consistent, about wild innovations in the church.  If what is not forbidden is permitted then pretty much anything goes.  In searching t…

• The Kingdom of God and the New Birth–A Matter of Timing

  spoke of it when he said, in interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed … and it shall stand forever.” (Dan 2:44) Israel and Judah of the Old Testament were ruled by kings but both nations ended up in captivity and the kingdoms were destroyed.  The Jewish nation into which Jesus was born, into which he came, had no king.  They were ruled by the Romans. We need to …

• Regrets

  t man of God.  I do not recall a single passage that speaks ill of Samuel.  He was God’s man and judged Israel all the days of his life (1 Sam. 7:15) and, furthermore, he was a prophet of God ((1 Sam. 3:20).  In the New Testament we find him listed in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, along with others in what one might call faith’s all of fame.  And, yet, we find this.  “Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his s…

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  , here is another, “even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.” (Rom. 3:22 NKJV)  A careless scholar takes these passages and many similar ones found throughout the New Testament and says “see, here it is, salvation is by faith and baptism has nothing to do with it.” There are some things that are obvious about this kind of scholarship.  For one thing it pits the writer, Paul, against himse…

• Why Men Today Cannot Be Saved Like The Thief On The Cross?

  w was fulfilled and passed away.  The old Law of Moses was nailed to the cross. (Col. 2:14)  The Christian dispensation of time when men came to live under the law of Christ began when Jesus died.  “For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.” (Heb 9:16-17 NKJV) Jesus “has become a…

• The Army of the Lord–the Church

  The army of the Lord is a phrase found only one time in the NKJV of the Bible and that in the Old Testament in Joshua 5:14 where Joshua in the vicinity of Jericho meets up with one who says of himself that he is “Commander of the army of the Lord.” (NKJV)  However, having said that, it is clear from many different New Testament passages that while the church is never called an army it is clearly described as an army in that each Christian is con…

• The Struggle to be a Spiritually Minded Man or Woman

  forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9 NKJV)  Remember when Peter and Barnabas refused to eat with the Gentiles in Gal. 2:11-13 thus sinning?  Always remember why much of the New Testament was written–to straighten out sin in the lives of Christians (1 Corinthians being the best example). I have brought these things up for one reason–to warn us all not to despair and be overcome by discou…

• The Pleasures of Sin

  e mother of us all.  That is not to say we inherit sin or have to sin but it is certain we have a strong attraction to it as human beings. The word “pleasures” (plural) is used 4 times in the New King James version of the New Testament.  Each time it is used it is in a context related to committing sin. (1) The first time it is used is in the parable of the soils (Luke 8:14) as Jesus is explaining the parable.  “And the ones (the seeds—DS) that f…

• Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives

  he fire of emotionalism. While salvation (and thus heaven itself–our promised land) is said to be a free gift from God it is no more said to be a free gift than was the promised land to the children of Israel in the Old Testament beginning with the original promise to Abraham in Gen. 12:7, “To your descendants I will give this land.” (NKJV) (See also Gen. 13:15, 17) To Moses God said, regarding Abraham’s descendants the children of Israel, …

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  If I just read the Bible more and pray more will that do the trick?  It would be good if we could say yes that is all it will take but that would not be telling the truth.  We suppose the scribes and the Pharisees of the New Testament era read their Bible (the Old Testament) and prayed and yet to what avail? We are all familiar with the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee beginning in Luke 18:9 who both went up to the temple to pray.  …

• Disobedience to Jesus

  hat you believe about the message directly affects what you will do. It is the same way with Jesus and his message for man.  What do you really believe about what he has said whether directly or through the words of other New Testament writers?  A lot of people want to take part of what he said, the part that seems reasonable to them, believe and obey it but do not and will not accept everything he has said and refuse to obey that part of the wor…

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

  Many believe the church at Ephesus (the church being the membership) was cleansed from sin by faith based on the teachings of their denomination and the famous Ephesian passage found in chapter 2 verses 8 and 9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (NAS)  Many, many passages of the New Testament teach that salvation is a matter of …

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  s for the church, God’s people, found in the very first chapter of Isaiah. As Isaiah chapter one opens (Isa. 1:1) we learn that we are being told of a vision Isaiah saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, God’s people in that Old Testament time.  I mention that for we must remember that we who are Christians are God’s people today so in terms of broad principles at least, versus specific laws, there is application for us here in Isaiah as well as for…

• What Does The Phrase “Born Of Water And The Spirit” Mean? (The New Birth)

  E TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” (NASU) How is one taught of God?  The answer is through the teachings of the Holy Spirit found in our day in the pages of the New Testament.  Hear Jesus, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63 NASU)  So it is clearly seen that words do make a diff…

• Though He Slay Me

  The title for this article comes from the Old Testament book of Job, chapter 13 verse 15, where Job makes the statement, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” (NKJV) The story of Job as told in the Old Testament is one of pain, suffering, and sorrow, of the loss of loved ones (sons and daughters), of possessions, of health, and very nearly of hope.  His state got to be such that his wife’s advice was, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9 NKJV)  De…

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

  It is not uncommon to hear people express doubts about the harmony of the preaching and teaching found in the New Testament often doing so by making the claim that the various writers of the New Testament differed in what they taught.  Often those who make such claims will pit Paul against James or Peter against Paul. The truth is the scriptures do not belong to Paul, or James, or Peter, or to any other writer even if their name happens to be at…

• The Church as the Body of Christ–Which Means What?

  The church of the New Testament is in the scriptures referred to under several different designations or appellations one of which is the body of Christ.  “And he put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Eph. 1:22-23 NKJV)  “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for th…

• Praying to God to Bless the Bread–Really?

  idea that Jesus ever blessed  the bread or the fruit of the vine in instituting the Lord’s Supper based on what is recorded in the word.  If he did where is it found?  Furthermore, where is the example of any man in New Testament times asking God to bless the bread and/or the fruit of the vine? What does the word “bless” mean as it relates to prayer?  There is one passage that is so clear on the matter as to settle the issue.  T…

• He Feared

  in the NKJV, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”  The old KJV and the ASV use the word “fearful” rather than the word “cowardly.”  If fear is a sin then surely there is a way to overcome it lest we all be condemned.  More about that later. The second instance of Pet…

• God’s Willingness to Forgive–King Manasseh

  unt of a man so evil that we are horrified as we read about the things he did.  I read from the English Standard Version of the Bible about King Manasseh of Judah as found in 2 Kings 21:1-12 and 16. “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.  His mother’s name was Hephzibah.  And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LO…

• The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God

  at we will someday die but it just does not register with us other than as an intellectual abstraction.  Death is for us so far off into the future (we think) that it really has no meaning.  We will think about it when we get old. Life is very, very brief.  “For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14 NKJV)  But when we are young the “little time” seems like generations.  Neverthe…

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

  ch is the most outlandish belief? As long as I have a Bible I will never believe what denominationalism teaches on the subject of the one church.  I include Catholicism as just another one of the bunch.  It is true in the New Testament many of the congregations were not what they ought to be (check out the 7 churches of Asia for both the good and the bad).  But this much they all had in common—in every congregation the membership had obeyed the g…

• How Was Noah Saved Through Water?

  but had something to do, an obligation to fulfill, if he was to be saved.  Being saved by God’s grace does not mean man has no part in his own salvation, that man has nothing to do. There is also one other very important New Testament verse on Noah’s salvation.  “By faith Noah, being divinely warned (God’s grace-DS) of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and…

• God’s Plea–On Christ’s Behalf be Reconciled to God

  ment in doing so.  The Bible would call this malice or hatred and condemn it but the alienated feels justified. Two great examples in the Bible of men whose sons became alienated were David with his son Absalom and in the New Testament the case of the prodigal son.  David suffered immensely over Absalom.  It would take up too much space to retell the story of David’s relationship with Absalom so let me speak here only of David’s love for Absalom …

• The Grace of God in Baptism

  ard work that saved him. Surely, we can see that. It was the grace of God that built the ark, then floated it, kept it from sinking, and then finally brought it safely to rest. If you can ever find a passage in the Bible, Old Testament or New Testament, which teaches or shows that any man ever was saved or could be saved by works apart from God’s grace please forward the passage to me. The fact God gives you something to do to be saved does not m…

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

  n is saying the same thing Paul said in Col. 3:17.  You cannot be doing as you please, adding to God’s word, taking from it, going outside the book of authority that you have–the teaching of Christ, the pages of the New Testament. But, when emotions rule scriptures like these do not matter.  We will do what we desire word from God or no word from God and we will say whatever it is we are doing is to God’s glory and he will be pleased.  Jesu…

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

  The conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who was soon to be known as Paul the apostle, is one of the most interesting accounts of conversion to Christianity found in the Bible.  One can read about Paul’s conversion in 3 different accounts given in the book of Acts–Acts 9:1-19, 22:1-16, 26:9-20.  Saul of Tarsus was one of the really bad men we read about in the New Testament which makes his conversion even more dramatic.  How bad a man was S…

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  would have none of Me.  So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels.” (NKJV)  That God was longsuffering with his people in Israel and Judah no one can doubt who has ever read the Old Testament.  Time and again in the prophets one can see God pleading with his people to repent and turn back to him but they refused to do so.  There comes a time when it is too late to repent, too late because you cannot do …

• The Need to Preach on Sin

  n’t take on a mean dog but thinks he will win against God.  Who can figure man out? God is our only hope.  We need to submit to his will.  I have never known a man who thought the teachings of Christ as found in the New Testament were evil.  All agree that if all men would live by those teachings we would have a much happier and safer world than we do today.  Those teachings bring only good to man, no evil, and give good hope of a wonderful…

• Demas Has Forsaken Me

  , “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion?  Can you bring out Mazzaroth (literally ‘Constellations’–NKJV footnote) in its season?  Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?” In the New Testament Jesus says “you cannot make one hair white or black” (Matt. 5:36).  We are unable to add a cubit to our stature, unable to add a single day to our life.  “For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for…

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

  en and uphold his honor in that regard than there are people who are willing to accept his words. First of all I want you all to understand that the words of Jesus are not just confined to the words printed in red in your New Testament.  Jesus, in John 16, spoke of the coming of the Holy Spirit and said this, “He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will…

• Saved by Faith or Saved by Holy Spirit Baptism–Which Is It?

  ells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” (Rom 8:9 NKJV)  Does this mean, however, that salvation came as a result of Holy Spirit baptism? There are but two known examples in the New Testament beyond dispute of Holy Spirit baptism–the apostles in Acts 2 and Cornelius and his household in Acts 11:15-17.  Yes, many others had received spiritual gifts but no where is it said that any others were ever …

• Are Paul’s Writings as Authoritative as Jesus’ Words?

  ote is not authoritative then we cannot stop there but have to go right down the line and ask about what Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter, and Jude wrote as well. The truth of the matter is every single word of the New Testament excepting only those words added by translators for clarification (usually marked by being printed in italics) came directly from God the Father including the words of Jesus himself.  In John 1:1 Jesus is called &#…

• Repentance–How Can I Be Sure?

  The words repent and repentance are Bible words, words hardly ever used outside of a religious context.  In reading one’s New Testament, beginning with the gospel accounts, the first preaching that is recorded is that of John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:2 NKJV)  In Matt. 4:17 we see Jesus preaching the exact same message.  The call to men from inspiration from the very …

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

  reference to baptism and is specifically excluded by Paul as being a work of righteousness which we have done.  To the contrary it is a part of God’s mercy as per the teaching of this verse.  One acquainted with the New Testament cannot read Titus 3:5 without being reminded of John 3:5, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (NKJV) Clearly, Paul does teach …

• The Conscience as a Witness

  in Deut. 8:3 by Moses by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. No, we cannot ignore our conscience.  I do not argue that we can for we cannot.  I only argue that our conscience must be trained by the word of God as found in the New Testament, God’s law for man today, and that we may need to retrain our conscience to bring it into accord with that word.  Saul, who was to become the apostle Paul, had to when he met up with Jesus on the road to Dama…

• Never Give Up

  salm 51:16-17 NKJV)  When a man or woman truly from the depths of their heart repents God will forgive them and we are talking here about the children of God.  Remember how the father received back the prodigal son in the New Testament?  The message is God wants us back. In closing I want to touch on a few passages in the New Testament.  The church at Corinth was full of sinning Christians.  The book of First Corinthians was written for the purpo…

• The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell

  d not find a wicked man in 10 counties here in America.  You can find plenty of fornicators, adulterers, liars, coveters, backbiters, proud and boastful, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful, and many others mentioned in the New Testament but you cannot find any sinners that need preaching to in the public assembly about the subject of sin. To talk about sin today is to be perceived as intolerant.  We are more loving than God, more tolerant, more ri…

• They Loved the Praise of Men

  as it so desires and feels the need for.  It was never meant to be taken literally is their idea. Thus those who speak evil of the Christian usually do so for religious reasons for even atheism is a form of religion.  In New Testament times the pagans had their idols and the Romans their emperor worship.  I believe Paul in talking about the qualifications for an elder when he says he must have a good report from those on the outside was speaking…

• Did Christ Rise From the Dead or is Faith Folly?

  Paul, in answer to the question proposed, would say faith is but folly if Christ did not rise from the dead.  “For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (1 Cor. 15:16-17 NKJV)  If Christ did not rise from the dead what hope do we have as we grow old and face the inevitable?  Are we but animals? The evolutionist would say yes we are only animals and talk l…

• Ghost Hunting and Consulting the Dead

  r a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord.” (Deut. 18:10-12 NKJV) The phrase “calls up the dead” is in the old King James Version the word “necromancer” which means, according to Albert Barnes the well known commentator, “one who interrogates the dead.”  In fact, he says that is the literal rendering of the Hebrew if I understand…

• The Book of Ecclesiastes

  fact, it led in the opposite direction.  In 1 Kings 11 we read where Solomon disobeyed God and married foreign women (he had 700 wives and 300 concubines) which was a violation of God’s law given through Moses.  In his old age the Bible says Solomon’s “heart was not loyal to the Lord his God” (1 Kings 11:4 NKJV), he “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (1 Kings 11:6 NKJV), and “he did not keep what the Lo…

• The New Birth and Water

  thinking was in the early years of the church.  Do a Google search on the article title given above and unless it has been taken down just recently you can find and read the article for yourself. Because an interpretation is old does not make it right but conversely because an interpretation is new does not make it right either.  Christianity is now about 2,000 years old.  For about 1500 years of that most who considered themselves to be Christi…

• Christianity, Homosexuality, and Gay Marriage–What Do We Do With the Bible?

  we no longer need his word as any kind of a guide to life.  God if you will just take a seat over here to our left behind us and let us handle this we will take care of it.  Yes, maybe you had it right once but you have grown old and we are young and our intellects are sharp and it is a new day. We are so arrogant that sometimes it is hard to believe.  Maybe we ought to call this the Age of Arrogance.  We would prefer to call it something like th…

• Singing and Playing in Christian Worship

  ment that when we invite someone in to sing, speaking of today, the here and now, we just naturally assume he or she will bring their musical instruments with them and use them in the performance thus the word sing in the New Testament does not necessarily mean just sing alone.  They might have been bringing their instruments with them.  If so the historians are wrong for that is the very thing they say was not done.  Do the research yourself. Th…

• What is it a Man Must Believe in Order to be Saved?

  word (God’s word–DS) abiding in you, because whom he sent, him you do not believe (speaking of himself–DS).” (John 5:38 NKJV)  One must believe the things Jesus said which means believe the entire New Testament and not just the words in red in a red letter edition of the Bible (read John 16:12-15 for proof of this statement). Many are the men who say they believe in Jesus but who do not believe what he said about the new …

• Who is the Believer in John 3:16?

  included, as it should.  It clearly teaches, for it clearly states, that the believer in Jesus will have eternal life.  But, unfortunately, this a verse that has been isolated not only from the rest of the teaching of the New Testament but even ripped from its immediate context and thus made to mean what men desire it to mean versus what it teaches when taken in context. Who is this person who will have everlasting life?  Who is this believer?  I…

• Christ the Savior of the Body but Which One–the Matter of Timing?

  In Eph. 5:23 we read where Paul says “Christ is the head of the church; and he is the savior of the body.”  This passage is clear cut and easy to understand save for one thing–what body is it he is the savior of?  The New Testament teaches the body is the church (see Col. 1:24, Eph. 1:22-23) so is it the Baptist church, the Lutheran, the Methodist, the Nazarene, or one of the hundreds of others that could be named?  Many would say it is al…

• Sin in the Desert–Testing God at Massah and Meribah

  not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.” (1 John 5:10 NKJV)  The testimony God has given concerning his Son is found written on the pages of the New Testament.  However, all of the New Testament is God’s word and to disbelieve any part of it is to make God out to be a liar for all those who wrote therein wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Do we believe God o…

• I Can Do All Things Through Christ

  o it).  Faith believes his promise. This Greek word in Hebrews 11:1 translated into English by the word “assurance” (ESV, ASV, NAS) or the phrase “being sure” (NET) or words to that effect is used in 4 other places in the New Testament where in 3 out of the 4 instances it is translated by the English word “confidence” or words similar to it.  You will find those passages in 2 Cor. 9:4, 2 Cor. 11:17, and Heb. 3:14.  Thus faith builds confidence gi…

• The Great Commission and Cornelius

  He who believes and is not baptized will be saved” for they say it is not essential.  I believe Jesus’ words are clear. Do I think it was certain that Cornelius would be saved?  Absolutely, just as much as the Old Testament prophets who were given the Holy Spirit but neither were saved without the blood of Jesus with which we come into contact with via baptism in our age or dispensation, the Christian dispensation.  Paul says we are b…

• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

  KJV)  Again, God speaking to Moses in Lev. 17:11 says to Moses, “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” (NKJV)  And, then again, in Lev. 17:14, “The life of all flesh is its blood.” (NKJV)  In the New Testament when Judas had betrayed the Lord, felt remorse, and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders his statement to them was, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” (Matt. 27:4 N…

• The Parable of the Talents–the Sin of Fear

  profit. The spiritual application is that God gives to each of us the ability to take whatever gifts he has given us to work with and use them to go, and do, and prosper in working spiritually in and for his kingdom.  In New Testament times God gave miraculous spiritual gifts which men (and women) were expected to exercise “for the profit of all.” (1 Cor. 12:7 NKJV)  “All” in this verse taken in context is a reference to …

• Looking Down Your Nose

  d is either a liar or he is not.  The only hope so many have is that God is a liar, that it is all a lie.  But there is no partiality with God neither can God lie.  Is there no fear of God within us?  I can find plenty of Old Testament examples of people who did not fear nor obey God.  Do we want to be like them? So, in this study we have looked at showing partiality from man’s side and shown it to be sin.  But we have also looked at the su…

• Moses, the Waters of Marah, and a Lesson for Today

  like–say a million dollars in the bank account–but it does mean he will see us through and that even in the valley of the shadow of death (Psa. 23:4). However, that is not the lesson I want to get out of this Old Testament story.  God did come to their rescue and provide water but how did he do it?  The Bible says he told Moses to cast a tree he showed him into the bitter waters at Marah which upon having done so the waters were made…

• Must a Man Seek God?

  n that such a man never considers God in anything he does.  God is in none of his plans, is never given consideration in any of the man’s decision making, etc.  Actually, we find such a man described by Jesus in the New Testament in the parable of the rich man whose ground yielded such a plentiful crop that he knew not what to do with it all as described in Luke 12:16-21. This man decided to tear his old barns down, build bigger to store th…

• Hypocrites in the Church

  bout him to try? Another point that needs pursuing is this–the fact that a man is in sin does not necessarily imply that he is a conscious hypocrite.  It would be easy to look at a church like that at Corinth in the New Testament and read about all of the sins in that congregation and just say that church is full of hypocrites and sinners.  I want nothing to do with them.  Does that attitude save them? What if Paul had felt that way about t…

• The Faith of Enoch

  n right.  If he says slow down I must slow down.  In other words I cannot walk with God if I do not allow him to lead me and me follow along in accord with his directions or put another way his commands. Faith in God, the Old Testament often calls this trust, manifests itself in obedience.  Years after Enoch the children of Israel were given the Promised Land but the generation who were originally set to receive it, those who came out of Egyptian…

• Waymon Swain’s Audio Sermons

  sions  (5 sermons) Christian Living  (26 sermons) Faith  (7 sermons) Forgiveness  (6 sermons) God the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit  (10 sermons) Grace  (3 sermons) Miscellaneous  (22 sermons) New Birth  (7 sermons) Old Testament Studies  (13 sermons) Prayer  (1 sermon) Salvation  (26 sermons) Sin  (21 sermons) The Church  (7 sermons) The Heart  (4 sermons) The Kingdom of God  (1 sermon) Word of God  (5 sermons) Worship  (2 sermons) …

• Indifference – The Great Destroyer

  dual is an individual that is left out in the cold and it is his own fault. That said, and the Bible being true, the cold will in due time turn to heat unless the person breaks the shackles of his/her indifference. In the Old Testament God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6 NKJV) If it happened to them could it not happen to people today? The indifferent cannot gain knowledge of God for the attitude of i…

• The Chastening of the Lord

  ss.” (verse 11) The question remains as to how God chastens us and why in a more specific sense.  I do not claim to have all the answers but I do think the book of Amos sheds some light on the subject. All students of the Old Testament are aware of how time after time after time God’s people would become unfaithful to him and how he would punish them.  However, was it just always a matter of punishment for punishment’s sake?  No, not always. “Hea…

• When did Obedience Become Legalism?

  eptions of what is acceptable conduct and behavior. To condemn sin as did John the Baptist, Paul, and Jesus is today seen to be unloving, intolerant, and judgmental, and thus unchristian in the minds of many.  Yet, in the New Testament Paul, by the Holy Spirit, commanded Timothy to reprove and rebuke (2 Tim. 4:2 NAS) and not go along with or to hold his silence in the presence of men sinning.  Titus was told not only to rebuke but to do so sharpl…

• Is Church Attendance Essential for Christian Salvation?

  5:3 NKJV)  We know from what we have discussed that one such commandment is assembling with the saints. Jesus, who is God, says “he who does not love me does not keep my words.” (John 14:24 NKJV)  Every word found in the New Testament is the word of Jesus either directly or indirectly.  Of the Holy Spirit Jesus said, “He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are mine.  Therefore …

• Misunderstanding the Grace of God

  there is to be salvation it must be by grace which it is. Does this then mean that man can ignore Jesus’ commands and disbelieve the things he said whether directly or indirectly (through the inspired writers of the New Testament)?  If grace comes through faith what kind of faith is it that will not believe that which has been spoken or written?  If the Lord speaks and I claim to be a man of faith will I not believe his words?  Grace comes …

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

  Not a single denominational church was built by Christ for he built his church, one and only, in the first century hundreds of years before any denominations came into existence.  The New Testament scriptures after the gospels and Acts chapter 2 all refer to the church as a then existing institution.  Paul wrote to various churches in some of his epistles.  Jesus in the book of Revelation instructs John to write concerning the 7 churches of Asia…

• For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith Alone

  d, in effect, do not waste your time telling me anything else for I do not want to hear it. We are unwilling to accept that the same man who wrote Eph. 2:8-9 by inspiration of the Holy Spirit also wrote other books of the New Testament by inspiration of the Holy Spirit as well and also spoke in those books on the subject.  We forget the Psalmist said, “The entirety of your word is truth.” (Psalms 119:160) We pit Paul against himself i…

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  ven of such grave sins in violation of conscience surely we can be forgiven also of our sins in violation of conscience. The exact phrase “good conscience” is found 6 times in the New King James Version of the New Testament in Acts 23:1 (previously mentioned above), 1 Tim. 1:5, 1 Tim. 1:19, Heb. 13:18, 1 Peter 3:16, and 1 Peter 3:21.  It would be good to take a quick look at the 5 verses not yet mentioned. 1 Tim. 1:5, “Now the p…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  ontinually building a spiritual relationship with God. (3) One must accept the fact that one will be criticized even for doing good on occasion.  I am not saying that will always be the case but it will happen.  Read your New Testament and see how many times Jesus was criticized for doing good.  It would be interesting to add the total up.  Anyone who has ever read the New Testament knows this happened to him time and time and time again.  If it …

• Abel’s Sacrifice by Faith versus Cain’s Sacrifice

  nts given to their parents (Adam and Eve) and thus passed on down to them from parent to child.  That God spoke directly with not only Adam and Eve but also with Cain we see from Gen. 4:6-7 and Gen. 4:9-15.  Jesus, in the New Testament, in Luke 11:49-51, includes Abel with the prophets so we know God spoke to him as well.  A prophet was one who proclaimed God’s will and not just necessarily one who only fore-told things to come. Furthermore…

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  Adam and Eve.  Can we rewrite history?  Have those reasons changed?  If not why have we changed on this subject unless it is we lack the faith that believes and obeys? One needs to understand that every word spoken in the New Testament, every word written, is from Jesus.  Speaking of the Holy Spirit that the apostles were to receive Jesus said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for he will n…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  l baptized into one body.”  The word “all” means every one of us, no exceptions.  How many disciples did Jesus say should be baptized back in Matt. 28:19?  None were to be exempted, not a single one.  In New Testament times there was no such thing as a Christian who had not been baptized.  That has not changed with time despite the howls and protests of me. Did Paul personally do a lot of baptizing in Corinth?  No!  Did he preac…

• The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist

  There are a lot of mysterious characters mentioned in the Bible we would like to know a lot more about than we do with Apollos, the eloquent evangelist, ranking right up there near the top among such New Testament characters.  However, the fact that we know but little about him could be said equally of most of the apostles.  The thing that makes Apollos mysterious is what we do know about him. Here is what we know, Acts 18:24-28 (NAS), “No…

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

  but it can also be weak, defiled, evil, and even seared.  It is the negative traits of the conscience I wish to discuss in this article.  What is a weak conscience?  The first time one reads about a weak conscience in the New Testament is in 1 Cor. 8:7-12.  This entire chapter is devoted to the subject of eating meats offered to idols and whether or not it is acceptable in God’s eyes for a Christian to eat such meats.  One should also read …

• The Church as the Family of God–Things Found in It

  The church in the New Testament is described under various appellations the best known perhaps being the family of God.  It is the designation that touches the heart with the greatest force.  We long to be part of a family, to have people that care about us and care how we are doing and who will help us willingly and gladly should we need it, people who do love us.  One of the saddest things one can experience in life, a gut wrenching experience…

• Israel’s Rebellion at the Red Sea

  here a lesson here for us as regards our faith?  Are we going to believe God is with us when things get tough or are we going to forsake him and give up our faith?  The children of Israel were giving up too soon.  What is the old saying–is it not that it is always darkest before the dawn.  We would do well to remember that and wait on the Lord.  His word is good.  If he has said a thing it will come to pass.  There are no valid grounds for …

• The Grace of God and the Parable of the Laborers–Is God Just?

  they learned of grace given to others, grace beyond what they perceived had been given to them.  Envy and jealousy arose.  If we are not careful the same attitude can develop within us and for the same reason.  It is the age old complaint that men have that God is not fair.  In the parable the vineyard owner is representative of God.  Was he fair?  Did he do what was right? In the parable, as the day went on, others were hired with the last bein…

• Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation

  eat education (most likely), great job, wonderful home and family, material possessions, and they feel like it is going to go on forever and never end.  They kind of take the hymn, without conscious thought, “Never Grow Old” and apply it to their physical life adding to it “Never Will Die” and “Never Will Face God in Judgment.”  One cannot help but wonder if worldly success will not destroy more people spiritua…

• Things People Do Not Know About the Church

  One should never minimize the importance of the church, the church Jesus built.  I am not speaking about manmade denominational churches.  They are not one and the same.  However, many people do not understand that and have grown unhappy with the old main line denominations and as a consequence have cast them aside and decided they will take Jesus alone and forget about the church.  Years ago this sentiment was popularized by the saying, “Jesus …

• Why Men Do Not Believe

  is easy to get so caught up in education, acquisition, achievement, career building, marriage, and raising a family that there is no time or interest in a spiritual life.  This continues when once started pretty much on into old age. These are people who don’t believe because they have never given themselves a chance to believe.  There is always too much to do to even give thought to God or the gospel. Luke describes these people as those …

• Ignorance Does Not Excuse Sin

  pent. In closing I reiterate ignorance does not excuse sin with God.  That being the case we have an obligation to live a life of knowledge which means for all of us it is time to get the Bible out and read and study it.  The old King James Version says, “study to show thyself approved to God.” (2 Tim. 2:15)  Let us not sin because of willful ignorance of God’s word–willful in that we prove ourselves to be too indifferent and lazy to study …

• Faith, Manna, and Grumbling Against God

  16:28 NASB)  He was speaking of the children of Israel rather than to Moses as an individual. Is there a lesson for Christians living in the twenty first century in this?  If one studies the Bible carefully, both old and new testaments, he will find that obedience was always directly associated with faith.  Commonsense tells us as much.  Why would you obey if you do not believe?  Disobedience is just the natural consequence of a lack of faith. T…

• The Prodigal Son–When He Came to Himself

  y have become and become instead the person God made them to be when they were but babes and had the hope of God and a mother and dad beside them–a hope of a wonderful godly life and of an eternal heavenly home.  As the old hymn goes God is calling the prodigal.  The prodigal can go home if he will.  God awaits him there.     …

• Healing For the Brokenhearted

  perhaps, very possibly, on the cross itself.  The heart has been broken to the point of sickness. Is there a person whose heart has never been crushed with sorrow, one whose heart has never been broken?  Most of us who are older have experienced it and sooner or later almost everyone will if they have not already.  There are the tears that flow freely and that once in motion cannot be stopped until the well has run dry but the well soon fills …

• Things God Cannot Do

  8221; (Titus 1:2 NKJV)  Titus tells us this in connection with a promise God has made to his people–the promise of eternal life.  This is a great comfort and hope as time goes by in our life and we see ourselves growing older.  We know some day we must leave this world for the great unknown but God has given a promise and he cannot lie, there is such a thing as eternal life.  What a joyous thought and hope. But, we must also remember that w…

• Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

  and less disastrous.  You will give it your best shot and that is what you ought to do. For most people the most fearful thing that is seen coming is death and yet we often fail to make preparation to meet it.  I overheard an older couple awhile back conversing with an older gentleman and in mentioning the topic of death first one then another said they just did not think about it.  I doubt the total truthfulness of those statements for how does …

• Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb

  be said of many of the graves in the cemetery outside the tomb.  Many have been dead for years and years and their bodies just lay there. I heard a preacher a few years back who was about 70 at the time say that when one gets older he begins to look at death differently.  I am not 70 yet but I am old enough to begin to see what he meant.  You go to a place like this cemetery and you are reminded that it will not be that long until you too will li…

• Faith Based On Deception–Gen. 37:31-33

  can quote scripture. We today are gullible. We believe about anything that is called Christian, whether in doctrine or works, is God approved. We just accept it and go on and assume it is fine with God and in accord with New Testament teaching. We need to beware. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1 NKJV) …

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

  ng in the church mentioned in the Bible with denominations.  The thing Paul is discussing is not denominationalism which did not exist when Paul wrote and would not for hundreds of years to come.  One is baptized into the New Testament church, the one Christ established and gave his life for and which will be saved on the last day.  Everyone in the church will be saved provided they live faithful lives.  Now to the passage at hand which troubles …

• Faith

  (This is a different article than the John 3:16 article above.) What Must a Man Believe to be Saved by the Gospel of Christ? The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys Faith Based on Deception–Gen. 37:31-33 Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings How Was Noah Saved Through Water? He Feared Though He Slay Me Why Men Do Not Believe Did Christ Rise From the Dead or is Faith Folly? Audio Sermons  (by Waymon Swain) Faith–What it …

• Authority

  Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven? Are Paul’s Writings as Authoritative as Jesus’ Words? The Silence of the Scriptures Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) False Standards of Authority       …

• Salvation (Becoming a Christian)

  ns on Salvation How Was Noah Saved Through Water? How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built? Saved by Jesus Outside the Church Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation? Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven? Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) What Must I Do To Be Saved?  (Part I) What Must I Do To Be Saved? (Part II) Factor…

• Faith is Not Just What You Believe

  a driving force in the person’s life who has it.  It is not just a feeble thought or opinion.  It will force you to obey when it becomes as strong as God desires it to be. Paul speaks of his own life as a Christian in the New Testament and says: “Are they ministers of Christ?–I speak as a fool–I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received …

• Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16

  ome for visitation and we hear how this man or woman is now in a better place. Jesus never taught even once what such men have assumed.  John 5:24 offers a commentary on John 3:16, as do many other passages throughout the New Testament, concerning who the believer of John 3:16 is.  When Jesus says in John 5:24, “he who hears my word” (and, of course, believes in God the Father) will have everlasting life he is not adding to what is re…

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  how you or I need to be told that there will not be prophecy in heaven.  Is that not self-evident?  Let me tell you what is “perfect” in addition to Jesus–his completed revelation to man in his word, the New Testament itself.  Do you doubt the word of God is perfect?  See Psalms 19:7.  The one who takes issue with me says “In John 3:5 water does not refer to Christian baptism in the name of the Lord.  Prove that it does.&#…

• More on Willful Sin—Can Anyone be Saved?

  #8221; (Heb. 10:26 NLT)  Most of the newer translations translate this passage this way.  The passage is not talking about a single act of sin but a determination to live a life of sin after having become a Christian. The New Testament never envisioned Christians ever reaching the point in this life where they would never sin.  Yes, that is the goal but the apostle John said in talking to Christians, “If we say that we have no sin, we decei…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  re correct else you have God fighting against himself.  Even worse you have God lying in one place or the other if either Paul or James is wrong.  If both are correct truth is harmonious as it must be. Everyone agrees the New Testament is full of passages that teach that a man is saved by faith so due to space considerations I will only list a couple.  “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.” (John 3:36 NKJV)  “Therefo…

• Word of God

  Are Paul’s Writings as Authoritative as Jesus’ Words? Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven? The Need to Preach on Sin I Can Do All Things Through Christ If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) What a Preacher Must Preach The Power of the Word of God to Change Lives False Standards of Authority What the Word of God is Like Some Great Bible Questions …

• The Heart of Man from a Biblical Perspective

  one big word, the word “love,” and let the reader decide for himself what we are talking about.  The Greeks were much more precise in their language.  The Greek word found behind our English word “love” most often in our New Testaments is the word agape (noun) or agapao (the verb form). The reader may be surprised to learn (speaking of this Greek term) that, “Christian love…is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the nat…

• Jesus as the Bread of Life (John 6:48)

  )  Are we walking in the footsteps of Jesus?  Are we feeding off his life?  Is our will as Jesus’ was when he said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 4:34 NKJV)  To read and study the New Testament and obey its teachings is to feed on Christ the giver of the same. Today many people in what is called Christendom feel as though one is being a legalist when he emphasizes strict obedience to keeping God’s c…

• Willful Sin–Can Anyone Be Saved?

  The text for this article is Heb. 10:26-27, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.  But a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” (NKJV) These verses have probably caused Christians about as much anguish as any you will find in the pages of the New Testament.  Make no mistake about it the verse…

• Work Out Your Own Salvation

  destroyed from among the people.” (NKJV)  That makes it clear to me.  “Utterly destroyed” are the words.  Who will be utterly destroyed–those who will not hear (meaning heed or obey) his words.  Remember the entire New Testament is the words of Jesus for Jesus himself said of the Holy Spirit who inspired men to write, “He will not speak on his own authority … he will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you.” (Joh…

• Diotrephes Loves To Have the Preeminence

  rd Version reads in 3 John 1:9 as follows: “I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.” In studying various Christian men in the New Testament in order to understand how faith can fail we need to try and analyze the cases to see why it happened and what we personally can learn from them that will be of benefit to us. The lust for power is one of the uglie…

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  awlessness.” (Matt. 13:41 NKJV)  I know vast numbers of people while good in many respects, many proclaiming that they believe in God, who never make any effort to obey Jesus and thus they practice lawlessness.  The New Testament is the law of Christ, the law he gave, the law he is talking about in the passage under discussion. Have they ever been baptized for the remission of sins?  (Acts 2:38)  No!  Do they intend to?  No!  Do they worshi…

• Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation?

  ; (Titus 3:5 NKJV) but when the faith we hold is a faith that leads us to disobedience rather than to obedience we ought to realize this is not the same faith held by Peter, James, John, Paul, and the other writers of the New Testament.  It is possible to “have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” (Rom. 10:2 NKJV)  A person who believes he can and will be saved by faith alone, no need to concern oneself with obeying comman…

• A Heart Right With God (Test Your Heart)

  s.” (Jesus, John 14:24 NKJV)  A man loves with his heart.  “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13 NKJV)  Do you really want to test your heart–just read your New Testament and every time you come across a verse that gives a command ask yourself the question am I obeying this command.  If you are not why not?  If you are not what does it say about your heart?  Do not make excuses for …

• Jesus Defines Repentance

  ust believe God is.  He must believe he stands guilty before God.  He must believe he is a condemned man in his present state.  Belief is thus a necessary prerequisite to repentance. There are two or three passages in the New Testament that put repentance before belief (Acts 20:21, Heb. 6:1, Mark 1:15).  I will make a comment or two and go on without going into a long excursion on these passages.  If Jews are being addressed in a passage it is ev…

• Baptism

  ith it, what is baptism (is it sprinkling, pouring, immersion, or take your choice?).  So many questions but are there no answers?  Was God such a poor communicator that he could not make the subject clear?  What does the New Testament say about the topic?  What did the early church after the apostles passing have to say on the subject?  Surely, there are some answers if we will accept them. Below you will find links to many articles written by m…

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  er’s first gospel sermon (Acts 2) he does not mention faith in Christ.  Is it because he does not think it matters?  That is ridiculous in view of the fact Peter is speaking by means of the Holy Spirit and the whole New Testament emphasizes faith.  The explanation lies elsewhere.  In Acts 3 faith in Christ is understood.  How so?  No one repents until convicted by guilt.  No one is convicted by guilt of sin until they come to believe.  It i…

• The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept

  ptized just as long as they believe. What is wrong here, aside from a blatant contradiction of scripture and the establishment of a religion unknown to the Bible, is a total misunderstanding of what faith as taught in the New Testament is.  Yes, most certainly the Bible teaches man is saved by faith in place after place but one must understand what biblical faith is and what it encompasses.  Faith means you believe what the Bible says, for starte…