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• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  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 »Hebrews 3:1-2 reads as follows:  “Therefore, holy brethren, partaker…

• 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,…

• Does God Really Care?

  ho warned us to stop at a sign or was the fault with us for ignoring the warning. (2)  In the second place God begs and pleads with us through his word to repent and turn from disaster and avoid the suffering.  Peter says the Lord is “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  He has given us a time to repent, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of…

• Fear God

  nor the judgment. Paul was such a man.  Near the end of his life he says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have 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 …

• Faith and Baptism in Paul’s Preaching

  ia’s conversion is so short we can quote all scripture has to say about it here:  “And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.  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.…

• He Feared

  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 Peter’s faith failing him because of fear was when the Lord was arrested and Peter followed after him into the courtyard of the high priest.  We all remember how confident Peter was in his faith.  He tells the Lord that even if he has to die he will not deny him.  We know the re…

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

  One lesson that is clearly taught in the Bible is that man is not to test God.  Moses in speaking to the children of Israel told them, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” (Deut. 6:16 NASB)  Jesus in speaking with the devil while he was being tempted said, “It is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Matt: 4:7 NASB)  Paul in telling us not to follow t…

• God’s Willingness to Forgive–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 LORD drove out before the people of Israel.  For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made …

• Healing For the Brokenhearted

  spond what is there that God cannot do?  Do you believe God can and does intervene in the affairs of men?  If he does not why then do you pray? Let me quote a passage to you from Psalms 34:15-19 (NASU), “The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.  The face of the LORD is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all t…

• Acceptable Prayer

  ten fail to consider is that both writers are writing to Christians, not just anyone but to God’s own people.  Let us take a look at some passages. Prov. 15:8, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.” (NASU)  Prov. 15:29, “The Lord is far from the wicked.” (NASU)  And, now get this, Prov. 28:9, “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (N…

• Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment

  ).  There was also the cloud that accompanied them by day and the pillar of fire that accompanied them by night.  Evidence of God’s presence with them and of his care for them was everywhere to be seen. At Mt. Sinai the Lord spoke to Moses from the mountain (Ex. 19:3) with a message for the children of Israel.  They were to be reminded of what they had seen the Lord do to the Egyptians and “how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and b…

• Never Give Up

  ed to enter the Promised Land.  (See the accounts of this in Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:2-13, Numbers 20:24, Numbers 27:12-14, and Deut. 32:48-52.) Moses was such a great man of God that God spoke to him face to face.  “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11 NKJV – see also Num. 12:8 and Deut. 34:10).  Please note that this is said of Moses 16 chapters after the events concerning the water at t…

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

  d will work it out for us if we will be faithful.  Remember Job? The Hebrew writer tells us as Christians that “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’  So we may bold say:  ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6 NKJV)  Here is the promise and the hope we have that God will not leave us–a Christian hope, blessing, and comfort. There has never…

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4 NAS)  It is those who practice lawlessness, Jesus says, who will be cast into the furnace of fire. To be saved a man must love Jesus.  “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed.” (1Co 16:22 NKJV)  “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me,” says Jesus. (John 14:21 NKJV)  The apostle John says, “Now by this we kno…

• The Need to Sing in Worship

  is that problem?  The question is answered with another.  Is singing a command of God for worship?  If it is but I fail to do it when I am able am I sinning?  I see no way around that conclusion.  If I am a Christian and the Lord’s Supper is being observed and the emblems are passed around but I fail to partake is it sin?  How can it be anything else? I would like to take a look at what the Bible has to say about singing and would like to …

• Better to Never Have Been Born–Why?

  . 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, whether good or bad.  Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” (2 Cor. 5:10-11a NKJV)  Thus what comes after death is the judgment and its terrors for those unprepared. Paul says he knew “the terror of the Lord” but it seems few do today.  It is…

• Abuse of the Old Testament

  ve us hope. No better example can be given than what James said in illustrating this point.  He says, “Behold, we count those blessed who endured.  You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” (James 5:11 NAS) Hebrews chapter 11 is another good illustration.  We are taught by the examples of Old Testament characters what faith is and…

• Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath?

  God (see Ex. 16:2-3, 7), complaining about food, and the time when God gave them manna to eat.  They were given instructions from God through Moses about how to gather the manna, store it, and use it. “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’” (E…

• 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…

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  h once saved always saved.  That being said if you find a saved man he is going to be found in the church and not outside it. Scripture is what counts, not what a man says, so what does scripture say?  It says that “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:38 NKJV)  This is the church of which Jesus said, “I will build my church” (NKJV) in Matt. 16:18.  If you are saved you cannot help but be…

• They Loved the Praise of Men

  Most of us given a choice would like to be well thought of and spoken well of for our life and beliefs rather than to be reviled, criticized, and despised.  This is natural and easily understood but there is danger that this natural desire lead us into sin.  When one gets to the 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 subje…

• Reconciling With a Brother

  ake God’s place as judge of all.  His outward commandment keeping, the outward observances of such, had led him to judge himself a righteous man in need of no forgiveness. God judges a man’s heart.  “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘…for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” (1 Sam. 16:7 NAS)  “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Eve…

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

  nian captivity said of them, “They refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.  Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit.” (Zech. 7:11-12 NKJV)  It was not a matter of they couldn’t hear but rather that they wouldn’t hear. When Paul says the Gentiles “will hear it” (the referen…

• The Chastening of the Lord

  ave a happy future, not necessarily a pleasant here and now. Hebrews 12:5-11 use to be a little hard for me to understand and that is probably true with most people who read and study the Bible.  What is the chastening of the Lord?  How does God do that?  How can I recognize it when it is occurring?  Questions just naturally come to mind. To refresh your memory of this passage I quote it here: “(5) And you have forgotten the exhortation which spe…

• The Christian, Politics, and the Government

  istian to become bitter and angry and think and speak evil of others who are in opposition and even reach the point where he/she despises them in his/her heart.  Yes, the Bible teaches we ought to hate evil, “You who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Psalms 97:10 NKJV, see also Prov. 8:13 and Amos 5:15)  Hate the evil but love the person.  “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NKJV) We ought to hate the evil a governmen…

• Abraham’s Faith (Faith Accounted for Righteousness)

  221; (Gen. 12:2-3 NKJV) Note that God actually “appeared” to Abraham at that early stage of his historical record.  He was 75 years old when he departed Haran for Canaan (Gen. 12:4).  When he arrived in Canaan the Lord appeared to him again, promised to give the land to Abraham’s descendants, and Abraham built an altar to the Lord there (Gen. 12:7).  From there he moved to Bethel where it is said, “he built an altar to the…

• Israel’s Rebellion at the Red Sea

  bush he introduced himself as follows:  “‘I am the God of your father–the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’  And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.  And the Lord said:  ‘I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.   So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of th…

• God’s Hardening of the Human Heart

  Does God ever harden people’s hearts?  No doubt about it.  Every Bible student is aware of God’s hardening the heart of Pharaoh back in the book of Exodus.  This was God’s plan before Moses arrived in Egypt.  “And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.”…

• 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. …

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

  nce.  They obviously were for God made them so.  One was expected to be exceedingly careful and detailed in his worship to God and in how things were done in that service. When Nadab and Abihu “offered profane fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them” (Lev. 10:1 NKJV) “fire went out from the Lord and devoured them” (Lev. 10:2 NKJV).  God said, “By those who come near me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I mu…

• Repentance–How Can I Be Sure?

  or perish what is it I must do?  What does it mean to repent?  It is very common to find people who do not understand and who simply think to repent means to be sorry. If sorrow was repentance then Judas, the betrayer of the Lord, was a saved man.  The Bible says, “Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that he had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.” (Matt. 27:3 NKJV)  His sorro…

• Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

  death.  The Hebrew writer says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Heb. 9:27 NKJV)  A few verses later in chapter 10 verses 30 and 31 we read, “And again, ‘The LORD will judge His people.’  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Paul says it this way in 2 Cor. 5:10-11 (NKJV), “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, tha…

• The Parable of the 10 Virgins–7 Lessons

  e a hasty trip to purchase from those who sold but upon their return found the “the door was shut” and they were not allowed entrance. It is obvious that the main lesson of the parable is about the need to be prepared for the Lord’s return–“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matt. 25:13 NKJV)  But, I want to take as in depth a look at this parable as I am capable of doing and get …

• Faith is Not Just What You Believe

  hem, it is he who loves Me.” (John 14:21 NKJV)  “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.” (John 14:23 NKJV)  “He who does not love Me does not keep My words.” (John 14:24 NKJV)  Paul says, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed.” (1 Cor. 16:22 NKJV) Jesus again says, “why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46 NKJV)  He is “the author of eternal salvation to all…

• The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

  nt that there were things that he would have to do to be saved.  It was just not completely clear to him what those things would be.  In response to the jailer’s question Paul and Silas tell him to “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31 NAS)  This was a statement that needed clarification calling for preaching.  What does it mean to “believe in the Lord Jesus”?  The j…

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

  e two of us alone.  He is the only one that can go with me through the gates of death.  It means a lot to know he will be by my side through life and death. Finally, I must close with the elder son of the Christian family the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  How much does he love me, love you?  To ask is to answer for there was, is, and ever will be the cross.  “He himself is the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 2:2 NKJV) When I think of Jesus I…

• Regrets

  of lives one or more of their children lived. David was another great man of God.  Here is what God thought about David after his death, speaking of King Abijam, the scripture says, “His heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father.” (I Kings 15:3 ESV)  And then in the latter part of verse 4 of the same chapter we read, “David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside fr…

• When did Obedience Become Legalism?

  faith and making up our own religion as did the Jews of Jesus’ day.  They were “seeking to establish their own righteousness” (Rom. 10:3 NKJV) and we seem to be doing the same thing. Jesus said, “But why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46 NKJV)  Does anyone have an answer?  Love means obedience and obedience, despite the cry to the contrary, is not legalism. Did you ever give it thought that if obedienc…

• A New Creation in Christ

  “faith” is the source of all allegiance and obedience it can be said that such faith saves but we have to remember that the reason faith saves is that it does lead to an acceptance of a king (King Jesus) and of a Lord (Lord Jesus) to whom we must give our lives in total acceptance and obedience.  It leads to “obedience to righteousness” (Rom. 6:16 NKJV) thus leads to repentance, confession of Christ, and to the baptism th…

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

  how can we know this?  How can you be sure?  Do you just know it because your heart tells you so? Jeremiah said, (Jer. 17:9 NKJV), “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  Again the Lord says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isa. 55:8 NKJV)  Just how can a person know that a thing that clearly came from man, not God, is a matter of little or no co…

• The Prodigal Son–When He Came to Himself

  The story of the prodigal son as told by Jesus in Luke 15:11-32 is too long to quote here but also so well known that almost everyone acquainted with the Bible at all knows the story and the main thrust of the lesson taught there.  However, there is one phrase in the account we do not talk enough about–the phrase “when he came to himself” found in verse 17. This verse marks the point in the young man’s life where his eyes were opened to th…

• Things God Cannot Do

  The Bible teaches there are things God cannot do.  Why not?  It is certainly not because he is wanting in power or knowledge but it is a matter of who he is, his nature or character.  We can understand that.  There are things you and I could do but our character would never allow it.  I thought it would be good to use an online Bible concordance for the New King James Version and type in the word “cannot” and see what came up.  I was…

• Finding Truth in Divided Christendom

  How can one find and know the truth of Christianity that comes from God in a world that is divided over that truth to the extent that today we have thousands and thousands of denominations because they cannot agree with one another over what that truth is.  Many no longer think it is possible to know the truth in any absolute sense.  It is just a matter of individual opinion is a common thought.  Consequently, it is not unusual to hear sentiment…

• The Struggle to be a Spiritually Minded Man or Woman

  Every person that has ever contemplated the subject of life and death, the meaning of life and eternal destiny, and has chosen faith in Christ as the route he/she desires to walk has found himself/herself in a constant struggle.  On the one hand there is the deep desire to do what is right according to the will of God as we read it in the Bible and on the other hand there is that desire within us that wants to do what we want to do which often m…

• Cornelius’ Conversion–Final Thoughts

  om sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (NKJV)  There is then something to obey.  What?  The command of Peter to Cornelius and those gathered with him, “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (Acts 10:48 NKJV)  The reader would do well to read Rom. 6:1-6 where Paul talks about baptism in the same chapter as the verse just quoted above (Rom. 6:17-18). Let the reader note that obedience from the heart …

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  ays that the Spirit of God dwells in it (1 Cor. 3:16) and says it is “holy” (1 Cor. 3:17 NKJV).  In Ephesians he describes it thus, “the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:21-22 NKJV) Paul makes a statement in connection with the church being God’s temple that ought to frighten all those…

• Misunderstanding the Grace of God

  s of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4 NKJV)  Is this not God’s grace?  Is not his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering toward us that we might repent of our sins God’s grace? Peter says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  Is this not grace?  Jus…

• Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door

  ding at the door!” (James 5:9 NKJV)  That ought to be a sobering thought to all who seriously contemplate it. “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  For it is written:  ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:10-12 NKJV)  If the Bible is true, and I say that it is without a doub…

• Parable of the Tares–No Middle Ground

  ne. All the godly are in the church.  One cannot be godly and be outside the church for the same process that saves a man (gospel obedience) makes him godly.  God adds the saved, the godly ones, to the church.  “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NKJV)  The church is that which Jesus is the Savior of.  “Christ is the head of the church; and he is the Savior of the body.” (Eph. 5:…

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  of the heart.” (Psalms 44:21 NKJV)  Then we are told, “All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13 NKJV)  David in speaking to his son Solomon said, “The Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts.” (1 Chron. 28:9 NKJV)  One can fool other men as to his motives and as to what he thinks.  He can mislead, deceive, and even tell outright lies b…

• Non-Offensive Christianity

  If someone was to ask you or me what constitutes Christian character what would we say?  Off the top of our head we would most likely say love for God and our fellowman and faith in the Lord Jesus.  As we thought about it more intently we would add things like the fruit of the spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23 NKJV)  We m…

• Spiritual Mirages

  nsulted with Jeremiah asking him on their behalf to seek God’s will in the matter.  Having done so and received from God an answer they were instructed and warned not to go to Egypt. “Then hear now the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you wholly set your faces to enter Egypt, and go to dwell there, then it shall be that the sword which you feared shall overtake you there i…

• Praying to God to Bless the Bread–Really?

  “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24 NKJV) Whose job is it to bless the bread and bless the fruit of the vine when the Lord’s Supper is being  observed in the communion service?  One hears continually prayers or petitions to God to “bless the bread” and to “bless the fruit of the vine.”  Why?  I have no idea other than it has been done so long it has…

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  individual matter.  “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 las…

• Must a Man Seek God?

  our goodness. The reality is it does not work that way.  Man does not get to pass judgment on God nor bully God into saving him.  “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord.  ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isa. 55:8-9 NKJV)  God will remain God and you and I will remain flesh and …

• The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell

  s 7:11 NKJV)  “The wicked and the one who loves violence his soul hates.” (Psalm 11:5 NKJV)  “All the wicked he will destroy.” (Psalm 145:20 NKJV)  “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.” (Prov. 15:9 NKJV)  “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked.” (Nahum 1:3)  “Upon the wicked he will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind…

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

  e 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).  He could not do it for they were not there. Well,…

• Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb

  ple; were we gentle, patient, and understanding?  Did we care about people?  Did we love?  Were we forgiving?  Did we seek God?  Did we obey the gospel and his commandments?  Were we faithful to Jesus and did we accept him as Lord?  Did we worship and serve God?  These are the kinds of things that matter.  These are the kinds of things that will matter when death comes. But as I thought on this visit at Lincoln’s tomb the thought came to mind tha…

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  make for a loving church atmosphere would it not?  Paul says, “No, you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and you do these things to your brethren!” (1 Cor. 6:8 NKJV)  Then there was the way they were conducting the Lord’s Supper which was atrocious (1 Cor. 11:20-22).  Paul said about that, “I do not praise you.” (1 Cor. 11:22 NKJV) Later in 2 Cor. 12:20-21 when Paul was planning another trip to Corinth he writes to th…

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

  is life to Christ. It means we allow ourselves by following after Christ to be remade in the image of Christ.  “But we all (speaking to Christians–DS), with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor. 3:18 NKJV)  As Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Chris…

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

  rving a response.  We know Paul preached baptism at Corinth.  How do we know?  In Acts 18:8 we find the result of Paul’s preaching at Corinth.  The text says, “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.” (Acts 18:8 NAS)  I stop here and ask a question.  If Paul was not preaching baptism at Corinth who was?  Some…

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  n 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.”  If you recall John 3:5 reads as follows, “Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’…

• He Went Away Grieved

  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 seen from this young man we would have assumed he was in a saved condition …

• Things People Do Not Know About the Church

  it does not matter whether or not you are a member of their particular denomination for they say you can be saved without being a member of their group).  But, with that said it is a whole different story when it comes to the Lord’s church.  Here is a list of 12 things many people do not know or understand about the Lord’s church–things that make all the difference in the world. (1)  The same process that makes you a Christian adds you to t…

• Looking Down Your Nose

  The expression “looking down your nose” was and is an American idiom used with reference to looking upon someone dishonorably with a degree of contempt.  It is felt that the person so looked upon is beneath the one doing the judging in respect to honor and dignity.  That is the subject of this article. James says: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.  For if there sho…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  so due to space considerations I will only list a couple.  “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.” (John 3:36 NKJV)  “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:1 NKJV) We all accept these passages and this teaching but too often people do not consider or give thought to what faith is.  Do these passages define faith?  Do they tell you whether this …

• Pray For Others Lest You Sin

  Is it a sin to not pray for others?  When we think of sin I am sure a failure to pray for others does not come immediately to mind like say robbery, murder, adultery,  lying, and the list goes on of the more notorious sins.  Yet, in the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 12, verse 23, we read this statement from Samuel spoken to the children of Israel:  “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you….

• Demas Has Forsaken Me

  l said in 2 Tim. 4:16 (NAS) concerning his trial, “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.”  Are we stronger than they were?  Are we stronger than Peter who denied the Lord three times?  We are, at our best, but weak and feeble men and women prone to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. What can we do to keep our faith from failing us?  There is a vast multit…

• Honestly Deceived

  here sacrifices were made to the golden calf that resided there.  As the prophet arrived he found Jeroboam at the altar preparing to burn incense to his idol. The prophet was sent to Bethel on this mission “by the word of the Lord” (1 Kings 13:1 NKJV) and given distinct instructions as how to proceed.  He was to eat no 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 …

• Is Church Attendance Essential for Christian Salvation?

  ly…no longer remains a sacrifice for sins…fearful expectation of judgment…fiery indignation…trampled the Son of God underfoot…counted the blood of the covenant…a common thing…insulted the Spirit of grace…I will repay says the Lord…a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:26-31) “Sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4 KJV)  The law on attendance at church services is found in Heb. 10:25 and there is such a thi…

• Why Do Men Run From God?

  ed them to the point where they are at? If there be a God (I am not expressing doubt) then by definition of what it means to be God it is clear one could not successfully run from him.  Hear David in the 139th Psalm. “O LORD, You have searched me and known me.   You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.   You comprehend my path and my lying down,  And are acquainted with all my ways.   For there is not a…

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  a covenant one has made with another. Hear the words of Malachi 2:13-16 and for this I will use the NKJV simply because it reads easier and is still accurate.  “And this is the second thing you do:  You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; so he does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.  Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’  Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife…

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

  n that will in time no longer see the need for Bible authority even though those holding to such a religion call themselves Christians.  Paul said, in Col. 3:17, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (NKJV) It is a little hard to see how one can do a thing in the name of the Lord Jesus about which the Lord Jesus has said nothing.  To do a thing in the name of the …

• The Heart of Man from a Biblical Perspective

  r God, your words were heard.” (Dan. 10:12 NKJV)  Daniel willed or determined to understand and to humble himself.  “Set your heart” means to will in your heart as used in this context. “Take from among you an offering to the Lord.  Whoever is of a willing heart.” (Exod. 35:5 NKJV)  One cannot obey God whose heart is unwilling.  There were rulers who believed in Jesus (John 12:42) but were unwilling to confess him lest they be put out of the syna…

• Indifference – The Great Destroyer

  ted Him, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’ So he answered and said, ‘ ”YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND,’ and ‘YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ ‘ And He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this…

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  itents in Isa. 1:27, of their being saved, he goes on in the next verse and says, and I am going to quote from the NLT for its clarity in meaning, “But rebels and sinners will be completely destroyed, and those who desert the Lord will be consumed.” (Isa. 1:28 NLT)  Then in the last verse of the chapter, “They and their evil works will burn up together, and no one will be able to put out the fire.” (Isa. 1:31 NLT) One cannot rebel against one’s c…

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

  olutely essential to salvation but to be in Christ is to be in his body, the church.  The church is thus essential. One cannot join the church Christ built.  God adds the man or woman to it under certain conditions.  “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NKJV).  Who were added to the church?  Those who were being saved.  Who then is in the church?  The saved.  Who is outside the church?  The unsaved. Does…

• Baptism

  opian Eunuch) Moses, the Waters of Marah, and a Lesson for Today Saul’s Conversion Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith) Was Cornelius Saved Before Baptism? The Great Commission and Cornelius Be Faithful to the Lord–The Conversion of Lydia The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer Gospel Obedience at Corinth The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist What is Baptism (The Sprinkling Hoax) Baptized For the Dead Peter’s Preaching a…

• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

  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 NKJV)  What did he mean by using the ph…

• Keep Your Heart With All Diligence

  de for yourself. Perhaps a few Bible examples would help us out.  I was recently reading of the account of Achan’s sin in Joshua 7:20-21.  The Bible says, “And Achan answered Joshua and said, ‘Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done:  When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.” (NKJV) …

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

  How so?  Back in Ex. 3:16-17 before the plagues, before Moses ever entered Egypt after his exile, God told Moses at the burning bush incident to, “Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, ‘I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction …

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

  ast book written by Paul.  Was Paul excluding his own writings when he spoke of scripture being given by inspiration of God? To the Corinthians Paul told them “the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 14:37 NKJV) But we also have Peter’s testimony on the subject when he says, “as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epi…

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

  ld be given?  So, yes, I think we are all glad salvation is a matter of God’s grace. God’s grace is granted to us as a result of faith we possess.  “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.” (Rom. 5:1-2 NAS)  “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” (Eph. 2:8 NAS)  There are many other pas…

• A Heart Right With God (Test Your Heart)

  for, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9 NKJV) But, know our heart we must for God testifying in Jeremiah about the deceitfulness of the heart goes on to say, “I, the Lord, search the heart.” (Jer. 17:10 NKJV)  God knows the heart, “So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them.” (Acts 15:8 NKJV)  He knew the hearts of the children of Israel who came out of Egypt.  “They always go astray…

• The Parable of the Talents–the Sin of Fear

  n could give thus one talent was all he gave but he had confidence enough in the man to be fully persuaded he could handle that one talent. We are sometimes afraid, fearful to act, yet the master who gave us the talent is the Lord himself.  Would he give us something too great for us to handle?  If we have the talent and God gave it to us then it tells us God has faith in us that we can handle what he has given.  The only question then relates to…

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

  word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money.” (Acts 8:14-18 N…

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

  Jesus?  God the Father (see John 3:16-17, John 8:16, 1 John 4:14, 1 John 1:3).  In Rom. 4 we are told our faith will be accounted for righteousness.  “It shall be imputed to us who believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (NKJV)  Who raised Jesus from the dead?  God the Father (more on this later).  Man must believe not only in the Lord Jesus but also in God the Father of Jesus. (3) One must believe the truth, not e…

• Ignorance Does Not Excuse Sin

  God does not consider ignorance an excuse for sin and will not overlook a sin just because you or I were ignorant of the sin when we committed it.  The verse that teaches this is found in Lev. 5:17, “If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.” (NKJV)  (See also Lev. 4:1-2, 13, 22, 27 and Lev. 5:2 and 5:…

• More on Willful Sin—Can Anyone be Saved?

  In July 2008 I posted an article online entitled “Willful Sin – Can Anyone Be Saved?  Heb 10:26-27.”  Within the past couple of weeks I received a comment from a lady who was reading the article for the first time.  She took the position that there was no hope for a person who committed a willful sin after their conversion.  That was the way I read her comment and I was not the only one for not long thereafter another lady commented …

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  A good conscience is a wonderful thing to have.  Without it there is no inner peace–only turmoil, anxiety, and restlessness.  Anyone who has ever violated his conscience knows of that which I speak. A bad conscience pricks us continually without let up.  It is the perfect tormentor.  Day and night we suffer from its attacks.  Wherever we go it travels with us.  We cannot lose it.  It is determined to give us no rest or relief. Rest can onl…

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

  ;  For another example along the same line see Zech. 13:9. Lev. 19:12 is another example where God says to the children of Israel, “You shall not swear falsely by my name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.” (NASU)  To do so would have reflected badly back on God as though God was approving such conduct.  His character was to be kept unblemished.  Don’t use God’s name, for the name represents the being, …

• The Peace Found in Forgiveness of Others

  created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26).  As we have received hurt at the hands of others we have to remember we all, every one of us, have hurt God with our own lives.  This has been true of man from the beginning.  “And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart.” (Gen. 6:6 NKJV)  This was because “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only…

• King Saul–As Long as It Glorifies God

  He disobeyed sparing the life of King Agag, king of the Amalekites, and the best of the livestock bringing them back to Israel. (1 Sam. 15:9)  Samuel in his meeting with Saul utters the famous statement I here quote: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubb…

• The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist

  Here is what we know, Acts 18:24-28 (NAS), “Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla an…

• Faith, Manna, and Grumbling Against God

  et arrived at Sinai.  Here the complaint is this:  “The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.  The sons of Israel said to them, ‘Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’” (Ex. 16:2-3 NASB…

• The Silence of the Scriptures

  church “has a long tradition of outstanding musical worship and offers a variety of musical opportunities for those who would like to share their talents as an offering through musical worship.  …musicians celebrate the Lord with voice, instruments and drama.”  Can you imagine in your wildest imagination Peter or Paul acting in a drama performance and that in a worship service? But that is but the tip of the iceberg.  Type into your G…

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

  e really bad men we read about in the New Testament which makes his conversion even more dramatic.  How bad a man was Saul? In Acts 9:1 we read about Saul “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” (NKJV)  Evidently, if it was something he was still doing it was pretty much a habitual thing with him.  This was said at a time when he was setting out to Damascus to find Christians he could bind and bring bac…

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

  willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  As far back as Ezekiel we read the words of God, “‘I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God.  ‘Therefore turn and live.’” (Ezek. 18:32 NKJV)  “God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NAS)  God’s desire for man is man’s salvation but “all have sinned and fall short of the g…

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  who was not baptized either on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2:38) nor at Corinth (1 Cor. 12:13). Paul himself was made a believer and repented when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus.  Was he saved?  The Lord sent Ananias to him with a message indicating God did not consider him to be for Ananias says to Paul, “Now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins.” (Acts 22:16 NKJV)  When a man’s sins are…

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  have 4 legs, two ears, a tail, walk on all fours, have bodies covered with hair, etc.) but the differences are such as to make identification easy in distinguishing between the two. What are the marks of identification of the Lord’s church versus man made churches? (1) The time of its founding.  The Lord’s church began in the first century on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.  Any church that was built or came into existence centuries later for the…

• The Faith of Enoch

  dred and sixty-five years.  And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen. 5:21-24 NAS) “And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinner…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  not matter and Paul did not care whether people were baptized or not then why was Paul baptized?  Was more required of Paul than anyone else in becoming a Christian?  The command to Paul by Ananias, a man sent directly by the Lord himself (see Acts 9:10-16) to Paul (at that time called Saul), was “arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins.” (Acts 22:16 NKJV) Most today, if they were to be consistent in what they teach, would have…

• Work Out Your Own Salvation

  mmandments are righteousness”–Psalm 119:172 NKJV), there is no man who works righteousness (obeys God’s commands).  Man is to walk uprightly and work righteousness (Psalm 15:2) if he is to abide in the tabernacle of the Lord according to the Psalmist. To say that a man is to work righteousness, which means only that he is to obey God’s commands, is a vast cry from saying that man is saved by works or that he is working his way to heaven or …

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

  nto them more than they should in that they feel Paul is there giving uninspired advice or giving only his own judgment or opinion apart from any direction of the Spirit.  For example, Paul says in verse 12, “I, not the Lord, say,” (NKJV) and then in verse 25 he says, “I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in his mercy has made trustworthy.” (1 Cor. 7:25 NKJV)  Well, is Paul trustwor…

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

  e events about to overtake her here is what he said, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33 NKJV) When John the Baptist comes on the scene and begin…

• The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God

  of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12:20 NKJV) It would be good to read the verse that is the subject of this article (Psalms 119:71) in context.  “You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word.  Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe your commandments.  Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.  You are good, and do good; teach me your statutes…I will…

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

  hall be condemned.” (Mark 16:16 NAS)  We might say disbelieved what?  The gospel message (1 Cor. 15:1-4, Mark 16:15-16), the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Acts 8:37, Philippians 2:11, 1 John 3:23), that he is Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). So, faith is essential to salvation.  Where there is no faith salvation is impossible.  We must always remember, however, that “faith without works is useless.” (James 2:20 NAS)  “Faith without w…

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

  5 we read about the offering as follows:  “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.  Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” (…

• Diotrephes Loves To Have the Preeminence

  herly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” (Rom 12:10, NKJV)  This passage clearly is violated by such men as we have been discussing.  What does it mean to be kindly affectionate to one another?  Does it mean to lord it over him and make yourself out to be better than him?  Does it mean to belittle him in your heart?  I think not.  Neither do such men give preference to the other.  They give preference to themselves. Paul again, jus…

• Baptized For the Dead

  es not mean that only a few of those whom Paul converted in Corinth were baptized, not at all.  Paul established the church in Corinth in Acts 18 and it is said there that “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.” (Act 18:8 NKJV)  What were the Corinthians hearing? They were hearing the entire gospel message (1 Cor. 15:3-4), “For I delivere…

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  is again a sermon preached by Peter as found in the next chapter in Acts–chapter 3.  That there was preaching being done between Peter’s first sermon and his second there is no doubt for the Bible says “the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47 NAS) and this was after Pentecost but before the events recorded in Acts 3. Of those sermons, of which we know nothing, we can only say …

• Singing and Playing in Christian Worship

  id, in what I read, that Ephesians 5:19 has nothing to do with singing in the assembly of the saints.  It reads, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (NKJV)  His idea is, evidently, this is just to be done at home.  When you get somewhere where there are people you can actually speak to in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (because you are in the assembly) then yo…

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

  Should the Lord’s Supper be incorporated as a part of a larger meal in the worship of God in the Christian religion? Some are today arguing for such a practice. All any of us can know about what we should or should not do is found in the Bible, at least that has been the traditional view of conservatives. Today there is a liberal element in Christianity who feels they no longer need Bible authority for what they do. That being the case they feel…

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

  f what she said is true then of what value is the Bible in our generation?  In the early years of Christianity the Bible (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 c…

• What Is Baptism (the Sprinkling Hoax)

  e confirming the word with signs following? (Mark 16:20)  Joshua said in the long ago that the people needed to make a choice–serve the gods on the other side of the river (the Nile), or the gods of the Amorites, or the Lord.  Then he goes on and says that, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15 NKJV)  We today need to make a choice.  Will we believe and practice those things that came into our midst rel…

• The Book of Ecclesiastes

  omon 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 Lord had commanded” (1 Kings 11:10 NKJV).  He worshipped idols, forei…

• I Can Do All Things Through Christ

  sus merely appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus and not spoken all Paul would have know was that he had experienced a vision of a heavenly being.  Paul did not know who this was who spoke to him for he says, “Who are You, Lord?” (Acts 9:5 NKJV) Without word from Jesus (although Paul did not know that this was Jesus until Jesus told him) Saul might well have left thinking he was being punished by the loss of his sight for not doing enough to d…

• The Grace of God in Baptism

  in places used as a reference to baptism. Paul says to the Corinthians, after listing a group of sins, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor. 6:11 NKJV) How were they justified? Read Titus 3:4-7 again and you will be told if you read carefully. How did Jesus cleanse the church at Ephesus? “That he might san…

• The Sin of Being Unthankful and the Need for Thanksgiving

  ot his own things but God’s blessings with others. Here is a quick look at some scriptures and their teaching on giving thanks. Eph. 5:20 – “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NKJV) Col. 3:17 – “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (NKJV) Col. 4:2 – “Continue earnestly i…

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

  hey say the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God (Acts 5:32).  One must obey God then to have the Spirit.  When Jesus returns it will be “in flaming fire taking vengeance…on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 1:8 NKJV)  All the apostles were thus in agreement on the need for obedience and this would include Paul when he later became an apostle. This was what Peter preached in his second gospel …

• Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation

  who agrees with them on their way of thinking about life and eternity, and so they are happy.  Isaiah 55:8 means nothing to them, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord.” (NKJV)  There is a good chance they do not even know the passage exists due to their indifference. There is an arrogance in this attitude but it is unclear to me whether or not those who hold this attitude are a…

• The Church

  e Savior of the Body but Which One–the Matter of Timing Who Governs the Church if we Follow the Bible? Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church? The Church as the Body of Christ–Which Means What? The Army of the Lord–the Church Unhappy With the Church of Christ? Lessons for the Church from Isaiah Chapter One Hypocrites in the Church Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) A Description of the Church The Misunderstood Church The Churc…

• Ghost Hunting and Consulting the Dead

  practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or 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 fac…

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  t for they want to lay the cause of their troubles on Paul just being a man kind of out of step with the times.  The words Paul spoke, however, were not his own. There is a faith that will save.  It is that faith where if the Lord speaks (he does so today through his word) we will believe it and obey it even if it causes us problems.  When Abraham was commanded to go out and offer his son Isaac as a burnt sacrifice that caused Abraham problems.  …

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

  o something that does not exist.  The church was begun on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 commencing with those who responded to Peter’s preaching that day.  In Acts 2:47 the New King James version of the Bible reads, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”  Much more could be written on the establishment of the church but that is not the purpose of this particular article. Every denomination that exists today was buil…

• Who Governs the Church if We Follow the Bible?

  that is a New Testament church.  If it is not we ought to get out of it. “Christ is head of the church” (Eph. 5:23 NKJV) and whatever is done in the church or anywhere else is to be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17 NKJV), meaning by his authority.  Jesus has all authority, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.” (Matt. 28:18 NKJV)  We cannot step outside the authority of Chr…

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

  hin you.” (Col. 3:16 NAS)  He does not say a word about letting the latest council decision dwell richly within you.  Then he says in the next verse, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Col. 3:17 NAS)  Not a word about doing a thing in the name of a council. Women preachers, homosexual ministers, the acceptance of adultery without repentance in the church, and a ton of other things came …

• Hypocrites in the Church

  eceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.” (1 Peter 2:1 NASU)  The words Joshua spoke to the children of Israel in his day are just as applicable to us as they were to them.  He said, “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth.” (Joshua 24:14 NASU) Paul’s desire for the Philippians (and for us) was that they might be “sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” (Phil. 1:10 NASU)…

• Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16

  nding.  To fail to believe Jesus (fail to believe what he says) is to fail to believe in him. A good example of what I am talking about is found in Matt. 7:21 where Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21 NKJV)  If you really believe in Jesus you must believe what he said here and thus understand that salvation …

• Though He Slay Me

  day what is going on behind the scenes and out of sight? James talks about Job in James 5:11 where he says, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure.  You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord–that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” (NKJV)  We say, as I did, that James said this.  So he did.  However, these were truly the words of the Holy Spirit speaking through James about Job. Hundreds of …

• Jesus Defines Repentance

  nd comment I will make in passing is that the order of the wording does not necessarily imply that the one action preceded the other.  Paul, in Rom. 10:9, puts confession before faith, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (NKJV)  Do you think Paul meant to imply that confession is to come before faith?  How would that work?  How could Jesus be Lord…

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

  re God has spoken on a matter I can take his word to the bank, as the old saying goes.  I need not doubt.  His word is not just as good as gold, it is better, more valuable, perfect in purity and truth.  “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold.” (Psalms 19:9-10 NKJV)  Faith based on word from God is faith put on a sure and solid foundation that cannot fail. But…

• How Was Noah Saved Through Water?

  ild the ark)?  There are a lot of questions.  Let us start from the beginning. We are all aware of the story of how the flood came about.  After God made man in due time mankind came to be great sinners before God.  “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6:5 NKJV)  God determined to destroy man for his evil, an evil so great it grie…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  riminated against.  The desire is to withdraw from the majority culture.  So what does the Bible have to say, if anything, on the topic? 1 Cor. 1:10 reads as follows:  “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (NKJV)  Here we have a plea not for …

• Abortion Luke 1 – All You Need to Know

  o difference what public opinion polls say the majority believe and are willing to accept–not with God.  God does not care. “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD.” (Isa. 55:8 NKJV)  To the sinner in Psalms 50:21 God says, “You thought that I was altogether like you.” (NKJV)  Mistake!  Big Mistake!!  Our Mistake? So what did Luke say about abortion that makes Go…

• The Need to Preach on Sin

  so God could rule and punish men for their sin?  Not at all!  Man was created to live with God eternally.  “God is not willing that any should perish.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  “‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.’” (Ezek. 33:11 NKJV)  Man was created to give God glory throughout eternity.  “Everyone who is…

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  tament.  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 our Lord.” (commenting on Matt. 23:8)  Man had come up with a title to give to himself that pleased his vanity. Jesus likewise forbids our calling anyone Father as a religious title in Matt. 23:9 already quoted.  The word …

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

  Paul arrives in your village the question is who this man is?  What is he talking about?  The Bible thus says that after Jesus gave the Great Commission in Mark 16:15-16 the eleven “went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.” (Mark 16:20 NKJV)  Paul spoke of the signs of an apostle.  He said in speaking to the Corinthians, “In nothing was I behind the most…

• Denominationalism’s Sin Against Peter

  eived some counseling by today’s Christians (?) who are in the know.  In Acts 10:48 he is again commanding people to be baptized at the house of Cornelius.  “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (NKJV)  The gall of the man, commanding a non-essential, but then if memory recalls correctly I believe that man was inspired was he not?  Maybe it is not Peter with the problem.  What do you think? Sadly, many …

• Disobedience to Jesus

  tions.  If you believe Jesus have you repented of your sins?  Jesus commanded it (Acts 2:38, Mark 1:15, Acts 3:19, Acts 17:30).  Will you obey or will you live in disobedience to Jesus?  Have you confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus?  Jesus commanded it (Rom. 10:9-10, Matt. 10:32-33, Phil. 2:11, 1 John 4:3).  We either confess him or we live in disobedience to Jesus.  Jesus commanded baptism and we all know it (Mark 16:15-15, Matt. 28:18-20, …

• Old Testament Studies

  ick 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 Epitaphs God Wrote Psalms 15 Psalms 23 Entangling Alliances What More Has the Lord Said? …

• Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings

  s that we have heard about so long and so much that we read right over the top of it not giving it a thought thinking we understand what is being said without even a pause to consider it. We think it means trust in God or the Lord Jesus and it most certainly does.  The word is used with this meaning more than any other meaning given the word in the New Testament scriptures.  I think the classic example of this kind of faith (trust in God) found i…

• The Washing of Water by the Word–Baptism and Salvation

  sins and says that those who do those things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  He then goes on and says, “And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11 NKJV)  “By the Spirit of our God” means the Spirit was involved but we are not told how he was involved, not here.  We are told in the passage that is the subject of thi…

• Christian Circumcision

  ally excluded from having a spiritual relationship with God among the Jews.  They could become what we call proselytes as shown by Exodus 12:48, “And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.” (NKJV)  To be uncircumcised was to be unclean and unho…

• The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

  and became the apostle Paul not because he heard the gospel in the normal way and responded.  We doubt that would ever have happened with Saul left to his own devices with the attitude he had.  But, God acted directly and the Lord appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus.  Why?  Because he had a special reason for doing so.  The case of Cornelius is similar.  I close with this.  One who has objected to my position has said that 1 John 4:13 means …

• Repent–How Hard It Is To Do

  for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.’” (Matt. 11:20-23 NKJV) How hard is it to repent?  We learn from this passage that even the direct preaching of the Lord himself accompanied by miracles would not get some to repent.  Remember also Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.  It was another city that did not repent at his preaching. Remember the account of the rich man and Lazarus as t…

• Jesus’ Baptism and You?

  ng time.  I would like to look at baptism and want to start with an account that is often overlooked–the baptism of Jesus when John baptized him. It is certainly true that the baptism of John differs from that which the Lord commanded in the great commission as given in Matthew 28 and Mark 16.  If I was to be baptized with the baptism of John today it would not do me an ounce of good for its time has long since come and gone.  Nevertheless,…

• Saul’s Conversion

  some things said in 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?&#…

• Children of Israel

  Israel’s Rebellion at the Red Sea Moses, the Waters of Marah, and a Lesson for Today Faith, Manna, and Grumbling Against God Sin in the Desert–Testing God at Massah and Meribah Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives The Chastening of the Lord …

• Christian Living

  ;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 Unthankful and the Need f…

• Repentance

  Jesus Defines Repentance Repentance–How Can I Be Sure? Repent–How Hard It Is To Do Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? More on Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? The Chastening of the Lord The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God …

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

  1; (Rom. 1:17 NKJV)  “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” (Rom. 3:28 NKJV)  “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:1-2 NKJV) In the book of Romans Paul is writing to a mixed audience of J…

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

  his blood for the remission of man’s sins if sin does not matter?  Repentance is thus required of man for salvation (Acts 2:38). A third condition is a confession of Jesus with the mouth.  “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” (Rom. 10:9-10 NKJV) The f…

• The Fragrance of Christ

  ll of the farm field after having just been turned over (plowed) in the spring.  All evoke pleasant thoughts; arouse an inner peace and contentment, a satisfaction with God’s creation, and a comfort in knowing he is out there Lord over all his creation.  Strange how smells can direct one to thoughts of God but then God created them that way.  Nature is a witness of God (Rom. 1:20, also read God’s answer to Job beginning in Job 38). If we are a Ch…

• Fornication–Take It Lightly at Your Peril

  , “you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you…deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Cor. 5:2-5 NKJV)  This was a man who was a Christian but who stood condemned because of his fornication. Today we celebrate, or are expected to, the birth of children born of fornication.  Now do not get me w…

• Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives

  nts of the land and did not believe God’s word that he had given them the land (and thus would fight with them in all their battles allowing victory).  Moses speaking to them says, “You rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God, and you did not believe him nor obey his voice.” (Deut. 9:23 NKJV) When men do not believe they do not obey.  Obedience then is a matter of faith, disobedience a matter of a lack of faith.  Why are men today w…

• Why Men Do Not Believe

  (While this study is meant to be primarily a study of those who reject Christianity on the grounds of disbelief some of what is said would apply equally to those who call themselves Christians but hold to false doctrine in one realm or another.) 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 fro…

• The Pleasures of Sin

  g that the pleasures of life can get in the way of more important things, spiritual matters, and in the end result in a man having no spiritual crop to harvest.  In the last day what do they do who have no crop to give to the Lord?  “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!” (Jer. 8:20 NKJV) I understand what a disaster it would be for a farmer to come to the end of the season and have no crop but how about a man who comes …

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  sus said of her then, “Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42 NKJV)  Mary was still choosing that good part which would not be taken away as she poured the oil onto the Lord’s head and onto his feet wiping his feet with her hair (John 12:3).  It was not cheap.  A footnote in the New Living Translation of the Bible at Mark 14:5 says that the 300 denarii cost of the oil would be the equ…

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  y as best as we have known how to do for otherwise there would have been no good conscience.  Thus one sees again that faithfulness (obedience) ties in directly with a good conscience. 1 Peter 3:15-16, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience.” (NKJV)  Is this not a command to keep a g…

• The Conscience as a Witness

  ce but God’s word.  The Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV)  Man is to walk in (live by) God’s word.  Jeremiah under inspiration wrote, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” (Jer. 10:23 NKJV)  If it was in man to direct his own steps then conscience might well be a suitable guide but that is…

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  6:20, 2 Cor. 7:10, 2 Peter 3:9, Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19, Acts 17:30. A man then must confess his faith in Jesus as the Christ, the son of God and Savior of the world.  Rom. 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (NKJV) Those in …

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

  all take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you.” (John 16:13-14 NAS)  My copy of the original ASV of 1901 New Testament has on its title page these words: “The New Covenant commonly called The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”  That is what it is exactly.  Every word on its pages came from Jesus either directly or indirectly through the Holy Spirit. Great indeed is the number of those who claim to be Christians…