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• DennySmith.Net

  …tories around the web beginning back in 2008.  Believe me when I say I heard about it.  Nevertheless, I think Peter gave awfully good advice (if you want to call it advice) when he said “we ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29 NKJV) and that is what I have tried to do in my writing. In the final analysis we are all responsible for our own salvation in that we are responsible for what we believe and either obey or disobey.  I …

• They Loved the Praise of Men

  …e point where he cares more about what people think than what God thinks and what God commands he is in trouble, in trouble with the Lord and Savior. In studying the subject of why faith fails we find an account of a group of men who had this very problem–the desire for the praise of men. “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synago…

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  w Testament church and the Catholic religion has nothing to do with Christianity.  The Catholic church cannot exist without going outside the pages of the Bible for authority and when they do so that authority comes from mere men.  The New Testament knows nothing about Popes, or praying to Mary, or indulgences, or burning people at the stake, or authority residing in the church, or a thousand and one other things practiced by the Catholic Church …

• Was Cornelius Saved Before Baptism? (Cornelius’ Conversion)

  I have written a series of articles on the subject of obeying the gospel in the first century based on the history given in the book of Acts.  The idea has been to cover every such conversion to Christianity listed in Acts.  This is another installment dealing with the same subject.  Why do so?  Because there is absolutely no possibility that Holy Spirit inspired men, some apostles, could have gotten it wrong.  The case of Cornelius is unique in…

• The New Birth and Water

  Having written on the subject of the new birth before I was surprised, although I doubt I should have been, to have gotten some comments back to the effect that the water mentioned in John 3:5 where Jesus says, “most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (NKJV) had reference not to baptism but to the water of childbirth.  Probably shows what a sheltered life I have led to be surp…

• Why Men Do Not Believe

  ….) Paul in writing to the Thessalonians asked the brethren to “pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.” (2 Thess. 3:2 NAS) The question I want to deal with in this article is why do men not believe?  This is a question that has bothered me over the years for it seems to me only natural to be…

• Diotrephes Loves To Have the Preeminence

  English Standard 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 o…

• Saul’s Conversion

  … earlier verses.  Jesus, in speaking to Saul on the road to Damascus, says to him, “enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.” (Acts 9:6 NAS)  Just a few verses later we see the Lord sending a man by the name of Ananias to Saul (Acts 9:11).   Ananias was sent to Saul for more than one reason, to achieve more than one end, but I ask this – was not one end to tell Saul “what you must do?”  If Ananias d…

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  …t alone for you could point a Catholic priest to Matt. 23:9, “do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven,” (NKJV) and it would have no effect upon him either. Not only are men accepting religious titles, contrary to Jesus’ teaching, but the general public is just as guilty in granting these titles.  I have never seen a single instance in my lifetime of a Catholic priest being interviewed…

• Non-Offensive Christianity

  … its best. It is hard to look back over this list and see anything that should offend anyone.  It is certainly not the Christian’s desire to offend.  The word of God teaches the Christian to “pursue peace with all men” (Heb. 12:14 NKJV), “to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men” (Titus 3:2 NKJV), and “as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Rom. 1…

• The Christian, Politics, and the Government

  What role if any should the Christian play in politics?  All any man can know about the subject is what the Bible says and since it was written for the benefit and enlightenment of all men in all ages of time from the time it was first penned until the last day of this earth’s existence and for all cultures and under all the different kinds of governments under which men have lived it speaks to us not in specifics but in general statements on th…

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  lt or came into existence centuries later for the first time cannot be the church Jesus built. (2)  The builder–Christ himself built his church.  If a church can trace its beginnings back to a particular man or group of men that can be named for its founding it is clearly not the church Christ built. (3)  Its name.  If a church is the church Jesus built then one would expect that it would not have a name attached to it given by men.  Actual…

• 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…

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

  In Luke 9:26 Jesus made the following statement, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (NAS)  There are two things here that men are told they must avoid if they are to have any hope of Jesus not being ashamed of them in the day he returns to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31) – (1) being ashamed of …

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

  rst century had come and gone.  If so when did the gospel lose its power to make me just a Christian, no more, no less?  At what point in time was it that both the gospel and the Lord lost the power to save without the aid of men in building denominations? When did Jesus and the gospel begin to need help in the saving business?  When did his church alone cease to be the body of the saved?  “He is the Savior of the body.” (Eph. 5:23 NKJV)  The bod…

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

  …tell a man living under the Law of Moses some time prior to his own death on the cross.  Our salvation depends on what Jesus says directly to you and me today under his law, the law of Christ, which began to be preached among men beginning on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Jesus, in speaking to his disciples after the resurrection, said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and…

• Repent–How Hard It Is To Do

  It is hard to repent, no doubt about it.  I remember the comment made by a well known preacher of the nineteenth century that the hardest thing there was to do was to get men to repent.  By contrast it was easy to get men to believe.  He considered his greatest failure was in convincing men to repent. He was not the first preacher to have that problem.  The Bible calls Noah “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5 NKJV).  Most Bible students b…

• Why Do Men Run From God?

  Why do men run from God?  It has been a question with me for years and one I have had the deepest interest in because I cannot understand it and things I cannot understand when it comes to the way people behave have a way of bothering me.  I have always wanted to know why men do what they do.  I have wanted to know how men think and why they think the way they do and thus what motivates a man.   The reality is only God can know for sure for only…

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

  …ate for them (and for us).  Does this mean we will be another Sodom and Gomorrah?  God will decide that.  What it does mean is that we approve of the homosexual life. When Lot settled in the area of Sodom the Bible says, “the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.” (Gen. 13:13 ESV)  We know, because we are told, that Sodom would have been spared destruction had God been able to find as few as 10 righteous men there (Gen. 18:32)…

• A New Creation in Christ

  In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus gave a parable of two men who went up to pray that reads as follows: “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men–extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even…

• Be Faithful to the Lord (The Conversion of Lydia)

  “And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us.” (Acts 16:15 NAS)  In Acts 16:13-15 we find the account of the conversion of Lydia in the city of Philippi.  This is a very interesting conversion account and one that men have debated as to what actually happened.  Yet, when one reads closely,…

• Bible Conversions

  at Jesus taught while on earth with regards to man’s salvation was to be understood when put into practise after his death and ascension back to heaven and the guide to that was the Holy Spirit speaking through inspired men telling alien sinners not only what they must believe but also what they must do.  A lot of people miss that last point.  The Holy Spirit made demands on men who were being converted in the book of Acts.  It is a point t…

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

  aved for the hundreds of years prior to his denomination’s establishment but after Christ’s purchase of the church with his own blood (Acts 20:28 NKJV).  That would mean no one at Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, or any other city mentioned in the New Testament was saved. If you admit the obvious that your denomination is not the church Christ built then troubling questions arise.  Why does it exist? Who built it?  Jesus built his church but the chron…

• What Is Baptism (the Sprinkling Hoax)

  It may well be that there is no Bible subject that has caused more confusion among men than the subject of baptism.  What is baptism?  What is its purpose?  Who should be baptized?  Why?  I would like to take a look at all of these questions and deal with all of them over 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.  …

• Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment

  l in Rom. 3 as being “under sin” (ver. 9) one of the condemning factors is, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3:18 NASB)  Paul speaks of a factor that motivates him to preach to sinful men.  He says, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men.” (2 Cor. 5:11 NASB)  He does not want men to experience condemnation and knows there is a reason to fear such an end. Yes, I know perfect …

• The Silence of the Scriptures

  fe.  For Luther, what is not forbidden is permitted; for Zwingli, what is not permitted is forbidden.” (page 141)  Both Zwingli and Luther lived in the Age of Reformation often called the Protestant Reformation and both men were leading figures in its beginnings.  The subject of this article is the issue that separated Luther from Zwingli, namely, the silence of the scriptures.  Does the silence of the scriptures on a practice permit that p…

• 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…

• Resource Sites

  he 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.  Not only does he know the Bible he also knows what men are saying about it.) Walking by Faith:  Origin of Instrumental Music in Christian Worship  (This is an online copy of what was once a pamphlet consisting of two sermons delivered in the late 1800′s by M. C. Kurfee…

• Assorted

  This page consists of articles that do not fit well into any of the other categories listed on the menu.  Likewise with the audio sermons at the bottom of the page. Christianity and Multiculturalism Christian Wars–A Misnomer Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions? The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb Abortion Luke 1 – All You …

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

  …t of Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:10 NAS)  Jesus says God the Father gave him “authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.” (John 5:27 NAS) The law of Jesus cannot be found in a denominational body of men legislating doctrine who cannot even agree among themselves in many cases but have to take a vote.  Is God’s law decided by a majority vote? We know where we can find the law of Christ.  It is in the same place it …

• Must a Man Seek God?

  Should a man seek God?  Many men and women who if you were to ask them if they believed there is a supreme being we call God would answer in the affirmative and yet they feel no need to seek God.  With them God is God and he is just and good and so he will save them as long as they live what they consider to be a reasonably good life (reasonably good by their own personal standards and society’s standard).  They do not concern themselves w…

• The Need to Preach on Sin

  elves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8 NKJV)  “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23 NKJV)  We all live condemned before the God of the universe based on the sin in our life unless it is forgiven.  Men need to be convicted of sin in order to motivate them to turn from it and turn to God. Well what is sin and what makes it so bad?  “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4 KJV) or as the New King Jam…

• The Parable of the Talents–the Sin of Fear

  The parable of the talents is found in Matthew 25:14-30 with an account that is similar in many respects in Luke 19:12-28 although there are differences.  Only the account given in Matthew is referred to, by men, as the parable of the talents but it is profitable to read Luke along with Matthew.  Differences aside both accounts seem to be teaching about the same lesson and one I have needed throughout my life. The account is too long to quote he…

• Regrets

  While it would be wonderful to live a life of no regrets there are few if any of us that have or will.  By the time one reaches old age, and generally a long, long time before, one can look back at his life and see things he wishes he had done differently.  These things may relate to about any area of our life.   I think it would do us some good to look back at some of the Bible’s famous men and see if they had any regrets.  By doing so it…

• Baptism

  …e 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 me (Denny Smith) on the subject as well as audio sermons on the topic by a friend of mine–Waymon Swain.  I hope they help. The Blood of Jesus and Baptism Jesus’ Baptism and You If Baptism is not Essential for …

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

  …iests and elders who wanted to know by what authority he was doing the things he was doing?  He told them he would answer when they answered his question which was “The baptism of John, where was it from?  From heaven or from men?” (Matt. 21:25 NKJV)  Thus we need to ask the question of the instrument in Christian worship, where was it from, from heaven or from man?  To ask is to answer if for no other reason than the date of its introduction. A …

• What Must a Man Believe to be Saved by the Gospel?

  ound in the gospel and thus things that must be believed.  (1) Christ died for our sins.  (2) He was resurrected from the dead.  We will discuss each.  We will not discuss his burial for it has never been an issue about which men have doubted. One must believe that Christ died for a purpose, to accomplish a goal–he died for our sins.  He died as a propitiation for our sins.  “He himself is the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John…

• Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural?

  Solomon said, “God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” (Eccl. 7:29 NKJV)  Human nature never changed and so it is today as it was back then. The first invention of man was the idea that he could sprinkle men and call it baptism and put his man made invention on an equal plain with the baptism of the Great Commission.  Man can try it and use that procedure and pay for his error in the end.  God never gave man the authority to…

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

  nd of the day when the owner of the vineyard paid those who came into the field last, late in the day, the same amount as those who had gone to work first.  They complained feeling they had been treated unjustly.  “These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.” (Matt. 20:12 NKJV) It is easy to read this account and at first impulse feel that indeed the earliest workers w…

• Demas Has Forsaken Me

  The man by the name of Demas is only mentioned in the Bible three times, all three times by the apostle Paul.  Demas was for a time a fellow traveler and fellow worker with Paul.  He is mentioned in the closing of the book of Colossians, a book written around AD 60, as one who with Paul and others sent their greetings to the church at Closse (Col. 4:14). Again in the book of Philemon in verse 23 and 24 he along with Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, …

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

  …itual body.  Peter describes the church as a building but what he says is applicable here for he says, “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house.” (1 Peter 2:5 NKJV)  The church is spiritual made up of men and women and boys and girls of accountable age who each in their individual spirits have submitted to Christ in both faith and obedience.  “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells …

• Hypocrites in the Church

  Are there hypocrites in the church?  Surely, there are some.  Paul dealt with such in his day for he said in 2 Cor. 11:13, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.” (NASU)  In Gal. 2:4 he speaks of “false brethren secretly brought in.” (NASU)  Hypocrisy is thus an age old problem and one we will never rid ourselves of in this life. There are hypocrites about everywh…

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

  …, Matt. 16:18) and when Paul speaking by the Holy Spirit says “there is one body” (Eph. 4:4 NKJV) and has told us in two different places that the church is the body of Christ (see Eph. 1:22-23 and Col. 1:18) that men seem to think that one is equivalent to thirty some thousand? How is it we have here in the Bible a plain statement of scripture as plain as anything Paul spoke to the Jews in centuries gone by and yet the eyes are close…

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  … means).  Of course, his emphasis was on Holy Spirit baptism.  In any case since I said I would respond I will do so here thinking I might as well make an article out of my response.  When one reads the gospels the very first mention of the subject of baptism comes with the introduction of John the Baptist.  Mark says, “Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, co…

• The Conscience as a Witness

  …unwillingness to abide in what he considers to be that which is right and good. The conscience cannot be a man’s perfect guide for it like man’s intellect must be properly trained to be useful.  Throughout history men have committed atrocities in all good conscience against other men.  Men have burned other men at the stake, slit the throats of others, sacrificed their children as burnt offerings all in good conscience because the con…

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  …with other Christians in an organized manner (an organized congregation) when such association is possible (that is such congregations exist in the area where one lives) I disagree. Here is the problem with this whole concept men have that salvation is possible outside the church–God adds to the church every man who is saved.  All the saved are in the church and none outside it.  That does not mean that every man in the church is saved for …

• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

  n God’s word says “repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Act 2:38 NKJV) one wonders how such a passage can possibly be misunderstood by rational men.   A question that arises in my mind is this.  Let us suppose for sake of argument that God wanted to tell men that they must be baptized in order to have their sins forgiven and to be saved.  Since the language he used …

• He Feared

  Why men become unfaithful varies from man to man.  The faith of Demas failed because he loved the world; the faith of Diotrephes failed because he loved the preeminence; the faith of the man I am about to talk about failed because of fear. Of course, there is a sense in which faith never fails.  It is the man who fails, fails to have faith in sufficient strength to remain faithful.  It is a challenge to all men to develop a strong faith. Paul, i…

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

  …he Roman army was death if the matter was pursued.  You do not fall asleep on guard duty. Secondly, it was not a matter of one man alone on the job for then we could imagine one man might fall asleep.  We cannot know how many men had guard duty that night but we know there were at least a few for only “some of the guard” (Matt. 28:11) go to report the happenings to the priests.  Some is plural and also the some who did not go was likely more than…

• Jesus’ Baptism and You?

  …:24-26 NKJV), “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John, where was it from?  From heaven or from men?’  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us ‘Why then did you not believe him?’  ‘But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.’” Jesus…

• Jesus Defines Repentance

  The Bible clearly teaches that repentance is a command of God to all men (Acts 17:30) and that if we fail to repent we shall perish (Luke 13:3, 5).  It is essential then that we come to a proper understanding of the meaning of repentance.  What does it mean to repent?  Jesus tells us and we can find no higher authority on the subject than Christ himself.  Let us hear what he has said. “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this ge…

• The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept

  Most people who call themselves Christians are in reality not Christians at all no matter how dedicated they may be to their faith.  The word of God is truth (Jesus speaking–John 17:17) and stands as the one and only standard that is acceptable to the God of heaven and of men.  It, not man, sets the standard for who is a Christian. As there is a political correctness in our land there is likewise a religious correctness that one must adher…

• Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required

  #8221;   I did find it in 2 locations.  Paul spoke about “confirmation of the gospel” in Philippians 1:7 and the writer of the book of Hebrews spoke of how an “oath for confirmation” (Heb. 6:16) is for men an end of all dispute but was just making an observation about secular matters among men in order to make a greater point about the confirmation God has made to man.  Another search on the word “confirm” only…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  …Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’” (Mark 16:15-16 NKJV)  God is “the Savior of all men” (1 Tim. 4:10 NKJV), not just the Savior of one nationality, or one language, or one race of people.  In this sense then certainly the gospel is multicultural.  Where you live, what color your skin is, what languag…

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  idden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3 NAS)  In him we are “made complete.” (Col. 2:10 NAS)  We are not therefore to be taken “captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men.” (Col. 2:8 NAS)  We are not to submit ourselves to decrees “in accordance with the commandments and teaching of men.” (Col. 2:22 NAS) With Christ we have all we need and should thus stay far away from all impositions up…

• Pray For Others Lest You Sin

  ll we get the kind of prayers that are needed. It is “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man” that “avails much.” (James 5:16 NKJV) Paul prayed for others continually.  To the Romans he says, “without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.” (Rom. 1:9 NKJV)  To the Colossians he wrote, “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” (Col. 1:3 NKJV)  To the Philippians he wrote, “in ev…

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  …od’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 those who lived ba…

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

  at the nature of this faith is.  Most are persuaded today (and have been since the Reformation) that it is merely a state of the mind regarding a belief one has in Jesus, who he is, and what he has accomplished for us.  It is mental assent to the teachings of the scriptures about him.  This is the faith that it is said saves.  I certainly agree with that as far as it goes but it stops short, too short.  One must not only believe what the scriptur…

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  …ay with inferior translations in an attempt to make reading easier for us. One such example is found in Rom. 1:31.  In Romans 1 Paul toward the middle of the chapter begins to talk about the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (v. 18) and then in the last few verses lists a series of sins into which mankind had fallen.  Verse 31 is a part of this listing and reads as follows from the New King James version, “undiscerning, untrustworthy, unlovi…

• Healing For the Brokenhearted

  …ent, and it seems family does not care or love them any more.  The heart is broken.  Deep sorrow and sadness seems to be all that is left and old people are not supposed to cry.  But the heart is broken. Can a broken heart be mended?  At the time it seems life will simply stop and that the heart will never recover.  Nevertheless, hearts can be healed even though a scar may always cover the wound that was received.  Scars are eventually forgotten …

• When did Obedience Become Legalism?

  …gmental, 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 sharply (Titus 2:13, see also Titus 2:15).  The Ephesians were told, thus meaning it is applicable to us as well, to “take no part in the unfruitful works of darkn…

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

  k then.  Here one comes into your midst claiming to speak for God.  Is he delusional, a mad man?  Is he a charlatan?  Why should I give him the time of day? People speak of blind faith.  The kind of faith the Bible demands of men is not blind faith but faith built upon reason based on the word of God confirmed by miracles.  I believe not because I am naive and will believe anything and will buy bridges in deserts but rather because God said, R…

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  destroys rather than saves.  “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.” (NAS)  Would you say these believers were saved? In the late chapters of the book of Acts we find Paul being examined by one official after another on his way to Rome after being p…

• Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives

  How God gives to men is not only an interesting study but also one of upmost importance as it relates to our salvation, a salvation which is clearly set forth in the scriptures as being a free gift of God to man.  “Being justified freely by is grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3:24 NKJV)  It is by grace through faith that we are saved and not by works. (Eph. 2:8-9)  Salvation is specifically said to be “the gift of God…

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

  …stion for every man.  Paul says in the beginning of 1 Cor. 8 in verse 4, “we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.” (NAS)  He then says, “However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.” (1 Cor. 8:7 NAS) It is good to see how this passage …

• God’s Hardening of the Human Heart

  …den Pharaoh’s heart. Does God harden people’s hearts arbitrarily; just pick out people at random to harden their hearts?  We know he does not for “God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NKJV)  He “desires all men to be saved.” (1 Tim. 2:4 NKJV)  He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  “He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of m…

• Better to Never Have Been Born–Why?

  …acks, you name it.  Even with long life one cannot overcome death.  It is going to get each of us sooner or later.  It is a battle we cannot win.  So what then–then after death? The answer is, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Heb. 9:27 NKJV)  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, w…

• Things God Cannot Do

  … (Isa 1:4 NKJV)  They were up to their necks in sin of all kinds and yet were still offering sacrifices to God (V. 11) and observing the assemblies (v. 13).  They were a people full of hypocrisy. What then is the teaching for men today as found in this passage?  Exactly the same as it was to the people of that day.  God cannot endure hypocrisy.  Living a life of sinful indulgence and disregard for God’s word did not please God then nor will…

• Fear God

  …loved His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:7-8 NKJV) One is also reminded of the stories of the early martyrs of the church who rather than deny the faith allowed themselves to be burnt at the stake during the Roman persecutions.  These men and women were fearless and their love perfected. It ought to be the goal of all Christians to have this kind of faith in God that would lead us to such faithfulness and dedication and I might add to peace and joy.  It i…

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

  …t he did in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 he was not excluding his own writings or talking merely about the Old Testament scriptures.  Neither was he excluding what might be written later in other New Testament books by other apostles or men of inspiration. But now note something else.  What is the purpose of scripture?  It is, as Paul puts it, “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:17 NKJV)  If …

• Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

  …hat 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 one just completely erase the thought from the mind?  Nevertheless,…

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

  …he Spirit of the Lord to the test” (NASB) and died as a consequence. This is the very thing the children of Israel did time and time again.  In Numbers 14:22-23 the Lord says, in speaking to Moses, “Surely all the men who have seen my glory and my signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not listened to my voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their f…

• God’s Willingness to Forgive–King Manasseh

  …a Christian you ask God’s forgiveness he is merciful and will forgive.  If you are determined to fight the temptation when confronted again, even though you might fail, God will forgive. The other attitude we sometimes see in men is the attitude that my sins are so great or so numerous, and perhaps my sins have hurt so many people, God could not possibly forgive me.  Since we are talking about Christians we are talking about those who have wonder…

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

  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 birth having water in it (John 3:5) or what he said about baptism (Mark 16:16).  One must believe Jesus, must believe what he said on each a…

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

  sins if you do not have any so evidently Ananias felt pretty sure that Paul still had some that needed to be taken care of.  Many modern day preachers speak as though they know more about it than what Ananias did as they say men are saved at the point of faith without baptism and thus have no sins to wash away.  There is a passage in 1 Corinthians that cause some people trouble on the subject of baptism–1 Cor. 1:14.  Paul preached baptism,…

• Abraham’s Faith (Faith Accounted for Righteousness)

  untry and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’” (Acts 7:2-3 NKJV) Note that God had chosen Abraham for he could have just as well have appeared to anyone of hundreds or thousands of other men but he chose Abraham telling him, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 12:2-3 N…

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  Catholic doctrine to the contrary notwithstanding.  No one can enter the church built by Jesus who does not believe this foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. Jesus is described by Peter as a living stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious (1 Peter 2:4).  He goes on a couple of verses later to say, “it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who belie…

• 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 …

• The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

  …oly Spirit, speaking through Peter, said on that occasion in response to those who asked “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37 NKJV)  They had heard the sermon Peter preached, believed it, and now these men who were “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37 NKJV) find themselves in need of forgiveness.  What is Peter’s reply speaking by the Holy Spirit?  It is “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the …

• Work Out Your Own Salvation

  …ess and he will do one or the other as there is no third option.  A man is either going to try and obey (try to be righteous) or else he is going to be disobedient (unrighteous).  It is an either or matter. Which of these two men do you think will get to heaven?  Which is going down the difficult way Jesus spoke of?  “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matt. 7:14 NKJV)  Is it the man …

• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  …d humanity dwelt within Jesus at the same time.  I am avoiding that subject in this article like the plague.  I am only saying here that in Jesus’ role as the Son of Man he had a dependency on God the Father just as all men do.  Even as the Son of God sons are subject to their fathers and must always show them honor and respect. The Bible says Jesus was “faithful” to God who appointed him as the apostle and high priest of our co…

• Never Give Up

  …n it is that Christians find themselves in very high stress situations, under all kinds of pressure, and the result is that we too end up like Moses and sin under the stress.  What kinds of sin?  A whole host of sins could be mentioned, here are a few.  We begin to put God on the back burner and give him second place in our lives feeling that there is just not enough time to do everything.  Attendance at worship services begin to lag, Bible readi…

• The Heart of Man from a Biblical Perspective

  The Bible has much to say about the heart of man.  The word “heart” in the New King James Version of the Bible is found 835 times in 775 verses according to the E-Sword concordance for the NKJV.  The study of the heart of man is thus a massive study and I might add from a human point of view a complex one.  God knows all of our hearts, “For you alone know the hearts of all the sons of men.” (I Kings 8:39 NKJV)  The question is do you and I know …

• He Went Away Grieved

  he was the ideal role model.  I believe he was humble, honest, moral, and deeply religious.  There is little bad to say about him.  He was oh so good but oh so lost.  In that itself there is a lesson that is badly needed—good men can and will be lost at the last day. The Bible teaches us that “the Lord sees not as man sees:  man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7 ESV)  From what you and I might have se…

• King Saul–As Long as It Glorifies God

  …NAS, and “arrogance” in the NIV.  The meaning seems to be that Saul was determined to do his will rather than God’s.  Would he dare do it?  He did but why?  Surely he had some fear of God. It seems Saul had the same idea many men have today who believe they are pleasing God all the while clearly being disobedient to his word.  They consider themselves godly men and would defend themselves as Saul did before Samuel, at least as long as he could. (…

• The Struggle to be a Spiritually Minded Man or Woman

  d.” (ESV)  Another list is given in 1 Cor. 6:9-10, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (ESV)  Actually, any and every sin would fit into the category of being a work o…

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

  …or my feet … you gave me no kiss.” (Matt. 7:44-45 NKJV)  The kiss served the purpose of being a greeting (1 Cor. 16:20), was to be holy (2 Cor. 13:12), and to be of love (1 Peter 5:14).  Thus Jesus said of Simon, the one just mentioned, who had failed to provide water for the feet and failed to give the kiss, “the same loves little.” (Luke 7:47 NKJV) Another culture another time but it is said I am inconsistent if I do not adopt an ancient cultur…

• Christian Circumcision

  …he flesh no longer matters there is a circumcision that does matter and always has–the circumcision of the heart.  “Circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” (Rom. 2:29 NKJV)  “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Phil. 3:3 NKJV)  The “we” in thi…

• Looking Down Your Nose

  …e caste system was the way society was organized so that your birth determined what social/economic group you would be in for life.  If you were born into a low caste family it meant you would remain there all your life doing menial labor for low wages.  You did not marry or socialize outside your caste.  This is the way it was for the slaves in the pre Civil War south. The thought comes to me that we are a lot like that here in America in some r…

• The Sin of Being Unthankful and the Need for Thanksgiving

  When we are unthankful it tells a lot about our character.  It tells all who can see that we are unloving and uncaring.  Not only is it a sin to be unloving it is also a sin to be unthankful (actually the two are tied together).  In writing to Timothy, Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit lists a long list of sins in 2 Tim. 3:1-5, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  For men will be lovers of themselves, lover…

• Denominationalism’s Sin Against Peter

  The apostle Peter has taken a beating among denominationalists.  I would feel sorry for him save for the fact that I would be feeling sorry for the wrong party seeing as how he was an inspired apostle of God and his antagonists are but mere flesh and blood men and totally uninspired. It was not always the way it is today.  For at least a few hundred years after his sermon in Acts 2 he was honored by those who proclaimed faith in God and belief i…

• The Prodigal Son–When He Came to Himself

  one winning hand after another (a worldly phrase that is applicable here). “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26 NKJV)  All men are called by the gospel so what does this verse mean?  It means that those who are living this kind of life where everything is seemingly going right and nothing going wrong, a life they can brag about for its worldly s…

• Spiritual Mirages

  … were left alive.  Only the very poorest of the land were left in Judah to till the land under the leadership of a man appointed by the king of Babylon for that job, Gedaliah. Due to some outside intrigue by the king of Ammon men were sent to assassinate Gedaliah which mission they accomplished.  This put great fear into the Jews left in the land fearing that the king of Babylon would return and punish them over the affair even though they were n…

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

  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.  The real question men and women need to be seeking an answer to is not how do I get into this denomination or that one but how do I get into the church Christ built? One must understand that being in the church Christ built is an entirely dif…

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

  … and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2 NKJV)  To know our family will have us back, forgive us, and love us despite our past sin is a wonderful thing.  An unforgiving Christian is an unsaved Christian.  “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:14-15 NKJV) (6)  Help and support.  If it is need…

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  it is called ‘TODAY,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (NKJV)  This is a passage addressed to Christians but the idea that the heart can be hardened by sin is applicable to all men. The fact that a man can be hardened by sin is scary in that the implication is that a person might well get to the point where he/she is so hardened that they can no longer repent and thus lose all possibility of  being…

• Abuse of the Old Testament

  5:11 NAS) Hebrews chapter 11 is another good illustration.  We are taught by the examples of Old Testament characters what faith is and what it means to have faith.  We are encouraged to persevere as we see what some of those men and women were willing to do and endure to be faithful to God.  We compare our trials with theirs and ours seem but little things and we are given strength to go on and not give up.  The Bible speaks of these as being th…

• The Faith of Enoch

  The Bible tells us that, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.” (Heb. 11:5 NAS)  Enoch and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) were the only two men to ever be born and not die a physical death.  Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven after a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated him from …

• 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…

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

  o do this they emotionally kill the other party and seemingly find some fulfillment 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 r…

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

  …forever, and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.” (1 Kings 9:3 NASU)  Would a man defile the temple of God, the place where God had put his name and all that is implied by that name, and go away guilt free?  Men did defile the temple of God but they did not do so and go away guilt free.  God’s name must be honored.  “For my own sake, for my own sake, I will act; for how can my name be profaned?” (Isa. 48:11 NAS…

• Preaching Jesus Means Preaching Baptism–The Conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch

  …ut which one cannot be saved. When Philip preached in the city of Samaria the Bible says he preached “the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12 NAS) with the result being that men and women “were being baptized” (Acts 8:12 NAS).  Here in Acts 8:35-36 he has an audience of only one man and in a different location but we still see him preaching with the same result – baptism.  This…

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

  …Peter preaching.  Did he use the keys of the kingdom that day to open the door to the kingdom of God to mankind?  Did anyone that day learn how to enter the kingdom?  Was anyone that day born of water and the spirit? What did men do that day when they became convinced Peter had preached the truth (thus had developed faith)?  What did he, the man with the keys, tell them to do?  Did he not say to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be ba…

• Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door

  e heart.” (Psalms 44:21 NKJV)  Yes, he knows your evil thoughts (Matt. 9:4) and we will be judged for evil thoughts for they are listed in a list of sins as found in Matt. 15:18-19.  “God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 2:16 NKJV)  “All things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13 NKJV) What I have written so far I have written both to the saint (the Chr…

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  …gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.” (Matt. 7:14 NKJV) Salvation is found only in Christ.  “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NKJV)  Jesus said he was “the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)  Again, he says, “I am the door.  If anyone enters by me…

• Philip Preaching the Gospel in Samaria

  “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Acts 8:12 NAS) It would be good to read an earlier article on this web site from an earlier time in the book of Acts, an article entitled, “Receiving the Gospel–Acts 2:41,” as Acts 8:12 is pretty much a parallel passage teaching the same thing as Acts 2:41.  …

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

  o a semblance of legitimacy.  It is a worship of man and man’s desires. “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.  But in vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.” (Matt. 15:8-9 NAS)  They would never admit to making commandments and would say it is a lie if you said they were doing so. However, what if the leadership decides that next Sunday we will have a special worship servic…

• A Heart Right With God (Test Your Heart)

  …rt is a fool.” (Prov. 28:26 NKJV)  Jesus spoke a parable specifically, although applicable to all to profit from, “to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous.” (Luke 18:9 NKJV)  This was the parable of the two men who went up to pray.  Every person you read about in the Bible that transgressed God’s law thinking it would be all right, God would accept what he was doing and he would get by with it, was a person who trusted in his o…

• Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath?

  There are many people who believe the Christian must keep the Sabbath.  It is one of the Ten Commandments and many believe we are under command to keep all the Ten Commandments.  Are they correct?  What does the Bible say about the Sabbath?  Who was to keep it–was it for all men and for all time?  How was it to be kept?  Let us see what the Bible has to say about the matter. The first time one finds the word “Sabbath” in the Bi…

• The Peace Found in Forgiveness of Others

  iend all the while grieving him?  So we see the one who will not forgive needs forgiving himself. It would be good to hear some scripture on the subject of forgiveness and our great need to forgive others. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:14-15 NKJV)  “And whenever you stand praying, if …

• The Grace of God in Baptism

  ESV). Anyone who can add two plus two and come up with four can clearly see then that in God’s eyes baptism is not a work of righteousness which we have done that merits salvation by works and yet that is one of the arguments men make time and time and time again against baptism. They say baptism is salvation by works and they thus contradict Paul in Titus. Who you going to believe? I know whom I believe. Baptism is as much a part of God’s grace …

• The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

  … was “what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30 NAS)  There is a lot of information that can be gleaned from those few words.  First, it can be fairly inferred that the jailer was convinced that Paul and Silas were men of God who knew God’s will.  Perhaps their reputation had proceeded them as not long before this they had converted Lydia (Acts 16:14-15) and also had cast out a spirit of divination from a slave girl, a spirit tha…

• Fornication–Take It Lightly at Your Peril

  …can treat God with utter contempt or no longer believes in him and his word period.  Man has always had to battle sexual desire and temptation and has often lost the battle but what has changed in the past few decades is that men and women are willing to openly flout their sin and no longer see themselves as doing anything morally or spiritually wrong. I went to a tiny high school in the early 60’s.  There were only 40 to 45 of us (the entire sch…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  …riticized Jesus over the course of his ministry but I am only saying we need to expect criticism while doing good and learn to deal with it.  Our real problem comes when we never receive criticism.  “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26 NKJV) (4) Finally, this is the point I have been wanting to get to.  The text (Jesus speaking) says of Mary, “She has done what s…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  nclude any water.  It was only after he decided to go about it God’s way that he was cleansed.  We ought to learn from that.  If God wants water involved in our cleansing from sin why should we object? So far I have not mentioned even one item that conflicts with another in the teaching of God’s word concerning those things that bring about our salvation the reason being that everything God has had to say on the matter works together …

• Faith is Not Just What You Believe

  …an’t do it for it would be salvation by works.” But, my goal in this article (and I have been side tracked) is to show how scriptural faith drives a man to obedience, to suffering and sacrifice, and all the other things mentioned earlier in this article.  Abraham’s faith drove him so strongly that it forced him to sacrifice Isaac his son.  Only God’s direct intervention prevented the deed from being done. In the faith chapter of the Bible, …

• Honestly Deceived

  …oter and as the Bible calls him–a deceiver.  He will ambush you at the first opportunity.  The prophet from Judah was deceived by one who had himself been a man of God.  Who would have believed it?  Paul says, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Cor.11:13-14 NASB) Those who are most dangerous are too often tho…

• Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb

  …ernal life otherwise? But, lest I stray from my topic, I was reminded of the words of The Preacher (Solomon) in Eccl. 7:2, “Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart.” (NKJV) What does that mean?  Our time on earth is limited.  We need to use it wisely.  Do not get caught up in trivia, things that seem so important to us at the time but in realit…

• How Was Noah Saved Through Water?

  …reated man. (Gen. 6:6-7) However, the text then says, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Gen. 6:8 NKJV)  One cannot emphasize too much the teaching of this text.  That said it goes against almost everything that men today have to say about grace.  Grace today, as men see it, means you need do nothing at all toward your own salvation other than believe in Jesus.  If more was required of you that would be, so they reason, salvation by…

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

  water was required for this mass human exodus to succeed.  In Ex. 12:37-38 we get some idea of the numbers.  It reads as follows:  “And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.  A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.” (ESV)  There may well have been easily over 2 million men, women, and children needin…

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

  ok “Hermeneutics”, by D. R. Dungan, page 305, he says, “This is many times the case with the salvation of sinners.  The whole number of conditions are indicated by the use of one.  Generally the first one is mentioned – that of faith – because without it nothing else could follow.” Every one of us knows that there is truth in this.  How so?  Because even if you are a faith only advocate and can come up with ver…

• Acceptable Prayer

  … have him do he believed and obeyed what he was told. However, if you are one who is not truly seeking God, but only one who is seeking to get out of a tight spot, and there is no true repentance, then you fit into that class mentioned in Prov. 28:9, “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (NAS)  One must be willing to hear what God says and be willing to follow God to have his prayer …

• The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell

  … NKJV) Today you could 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, m…

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

  Many are the men and women who believe that since the Bible teaches justification by faith (Rom. 5:1) and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5) that baptism is excluded as an act essential to salvation despite many passages that teach the contrary (Acts 2:38, 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Titus 3:5, Eph. 5:26, 1 Cor. 12:13 compared with Eph. 5:23, John 3:5, Gal. 3:26-27, etc.).  They are greatly mistaken. In the first place the Bible clearly teaches that …

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  …  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” (2 Cor. 510-11 NKJV) Jesus says he will judge us by his words.  “He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him–the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (John 12:4…

• Obedience of Faith and Justification by Faith–Opposing Doctrines?

  …:42 NAS) The faith Paul spoke of in the book of Romans was that which led to obedience.  It was an obedience of faith.  It was a living faith and not a dead faith. I have said all of that to get to this point.  Why is it that men use Rom. 5:1-2 in such a way as to make void works (obedience) of faith?  Rom. 5:1-2 reads as follows: “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we…

• Does God Really Care?

  e get go due to the circumstances they were born into?  Why do old people often get in such horrible conditions as you find them without exception in substantial numbers in nursing homes?  Why are people born with physical or mental disabilities, deformities of body or mind?  Why do we have earthquakes that kill thousands including infants and toddlers, why cyclones, why starvation?  And the list could go on and on and on. Does God care?  It is e…

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

  … made its appearance.  To have a clean conscience, to know you have lived by Christian principles and have not mistreated anyone, is another wonderful blessing, a blessing of peace of mind. When the Christian does sin, as all men do, he has a way to renew within himself a clean and clear conscience, the opportunity to start over again knowing that with repentance and confession the blood of Jesus will cleanse his sin and make him white as snow ag…

• Indifference – The Great Destroyer

  to God? Grief and sorrow yes but joy no. A lot has been made of the fact that salvation from sin is a free gift from God. This while true when properly understood is seldom understood properly because seldom taught properly. Men have gotten it into their heads that their soul’s salvation is solely dependent on God. No need to seek God, from their point of few, despite the fact he says in his word, “He is a rewarder of those who dilig…

• The Great Commission and Cornelius

  …ging ourselves into submission to their combined authority and receive all the blessings that go along with doing that. That the baptism of the Great Commission was water baptism goes without saying as the command was made to men to do this to others.  Only God, not man, can baptize one in the Holy Spirit.  Furthermore, those they taught and baptized were to go out and do the same thing (“teaching them to observe all things that I have comm…

• For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith Alone

  it is what I believe.  I knew a lady who once said words to the effect that she did not care what Paul said about women preachers.  She knew what she believed was her idea.  Bingo!  That is how faith is commonly defined among men today as it relates to Eph. 2:8-9. Works is defined as being anything that requires me taking a single breath.  If I have to lift my eye lids it is salvation by works. I totally reject all of the above.  I say it is a pe…

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

  sed on biblically defined faith (that which comes from hearing) as per Rom. 10:17. I can have faith that a man must repent of sins because God’s word says, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30 NKJV)  My faith is based on hearing the word of God.  It is not a matter of opinion whether a man ought to repent.   It is a matter of the revealed word of God.  If I believe it the rea…

• Christian Living

  Coverings King Saul–As Long as it Glorifies God When Did Obedience Become Legalism? Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions? Healing For the Brokenhearted Deeper Spiritual Understanding They Loved the Praise of Men The Chastening of the Lord The Peace Found in the Forgiveness of Others The Christian, Politics, and the Government Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath? Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation The Sin of Being…

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  … the church at Philippi.  But even in the church at Colosse they were subjecting themselves to regulations (Col. 2:20-22) that were no part of the law of Christ but were in accord with “the commandments and doctrines of men.” (Col. 2:22 NKJV)  The church of the Thessalonians had those who were walking disorderly (2 Thess. 3:11).  The church has always had problems and often very serious ones and one can only wonder how long the church…

• More on Willful Sin—Can Anyone be Saved?

  …s son who he loved so deeply?  This whole thing with Absalom tore David’s heart out.  Then think about what he had to live with in having had Bathsheba’s husband murdered and his adultery with her.  Many of us are men and women of sorrows but we have to lean on the only hope we have, a true hope, one that will forgive—Jesus.   …

• Faith

  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 is And What it Does (Part I) Faith–What it is And What it Does (Part II) Test of Faith What Fait…

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  …hristians. The goal for all of us is to so live as Paul did in the matter of conscience.  Our goal ought to be as he said his was when he said, “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” (Acts 24:16 NKJV)  However, we should not despair if we fail to live up to such a high standard. Peter denied Christ and I think we would all agree he knew at the time he should not do such a thing and had previo…

• Parable of the Tares–No Middle Ground

  The story of the parable of the tares is found in Matt. 13:24-30 and then explained by Jesus in verses 36-43.  I quote the parable as follows: “Another parable he put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So th…

• Bible Characters

  Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can Demas Has Forsaken Me Diotrephes Loves to Have the Preeminence The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist Never Give Up (Moses and David) Regrets He Feared (Peter) Honestly Deceived (the young prophet and Eve) He Went Away Grieved (the rich young ruler) King Saul–As Long as it Glorifies God They Loved the Praise of Men Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Moses–The Fork in the Road …

• Disobedience to Jesus

  Disobedience to Jesus is far more widespread among people who call themselves Christians than what is generally recognized to be the case.  Over the years the doctrine that man is saved by grace through faith alone without any kind of works has become so prevalent in men’s thinking that it seems it has driven out of men’s lives the sense of any kind of responsibility to obey God other than mentally assenting to the son ship of Jesus….

• Who is the Believer in John 3:16?

  …iever 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?  Is it not the same person that will see the kingdom of heaven if he is “bor…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  …do with salvation, if Christ did not want Paul to baptize why did Paul baptize?  He says in verses 14 and 16 that he baptized Crispus and Gaius and the household of Stephanas.  In Acts 19:1-7 Paul came to Ephesus and found 12 men there that had not been baptized properly and he baptized them.  Why?  Why if Paul felt it was unnecessary?  One also finds others who were baptized either by Paul or by a companion of his as a result of Paul’s tea…

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

  ipture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Tim. 3:16 NKJV)  The scriptures came by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  God used men’s tongues and pens to give us the message of inspiration.  To say that one New Testament preacher/writer contradicted another is to say that God himself is inconsistent and says and teaches one thing at one time an…

• Baptized For the Dead

  dy).  Why do I say that?  In the very first chapter of First Corinthians Paul begins a discussion of the divisions in the church at Corinth.  To show the brethren the error they were following in dividing up into followers of men he says, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own na…

• Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16

  …rship God or read his word let alone put him first in their life yet they are saved.  We go to the funeral home 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&#…

• Sin

  …–Take it Lightly at Your Peril Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers The Peace Found in the Forgiveness of Others The Sin of Being Unthankful and the Need for Thanksgiving Ashamed of Jesus and His Words Why Do Men Run From God? Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Christ’s Teaching About Sin What About Sin? Thou Has Destroyed Thyself Sin and Its Consequences Drawn Away by Our Lust Sin the Separator You Cannot Hide Sin (Part I)…

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

  … of the word of God in the pages of the New Testament.  In the parable of the sower (or soils if you prefer) as found in Luke 8 Jesus said “the seed is the word of God.” (Luke 8:11)  As it is sown in the hearts of men it bears fruit, not in all but in those willing to hear and accept it.  Four types of soils are mentioned in the parable but only one soil type brought forth fruit.  Jesus in speaking of that soil says “the seed in…

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

  Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, is the first person listed among many in Hebrews chapter 11 commended by the Holy Spirit for their faith.  Of Abel it is said, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” (Heb. 11:4 NKJV)  Men have long been troubled by this passage trying to figure ou…

• The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God

  …g, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26 NKJV)  Yet, we know all are called by the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14) and that the gospel was to be preached to all men in all the world (Mark 16:15) thus what Paul is saying to us is that not many of that class of which he speaks will respond to the gospel.  The question then is why not? There is more than one reason but certainly one of…

• Which Denomination Did Jesus Build?

  as to ask the question why is it that a person cannot be just a member of the church Christ established?  Why must one also be a member of a denomination which was unheard of in Jesus’ time?  I asked the lady that who I mentioned in the first paragraph of this article.  She could never give me an answer other than to say just because, just because it was no longer possible. Do you believe that?  If so why do you believe it?  Why could one n…

• Praying to God to Bless the Bread–Really?

  220;bless” is used in the King James New Testament is in James 3:8-9.  “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.”  Here again is another passage showing that bless in prayer means to give thanks.  The TEV, or as it is sometimes called “The Good News Bible,” translates t…

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  … peace. However, as was first pointed out in this piece, most of us are not in Paul’s camp.  We cannot say we have never violated our conscience, quite the contrary.  In fact, the very nature of temptation and sin leads men into the violation of their conscience and into sin.  James says, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is a…

• Faith and Baptism in Paul’s Preaching

  r Paul’s gospel preaching in Philippi.  When that is done it would be good to go back and reread Rom. 6:1-8 and consider carefully what Paul says there about baptism.  It would be good to remember also that Paul took 12 men in Ephesus and had them baptized (Acts 19:1-7).  Why? Of Paul’s preaching at Corinth it is said, “many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.” (Acts 18:8 NAS)  Paul did no…