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

  …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 »The church of the New Testament is in the scriptures referred to under sev…

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

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

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

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

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  There are many misconceptions about the church of Christ and about its membership and what they think.  It is often said that the membership of the church of Christ are the people who think they are the only ones who are going to be saved.  One wonders if people who make statements like that have ever read their Bible. The Bible clearly teaches one must be a member of the church of Christ (the church either belongs to Christ or it doesn’t—…

• If Baptism is Not Essential for Salvation

  Baptism is not essential for salvation according to most denominations.  The thought came to me recently if baptism is not essential for salvation what then?  What are the necessary implications of such a doctrine?  (1)  If baptism is not essential for salvation then Jesus taught error when he said, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5 NKJV) for you can enter the kingdom of God without water …

• 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…

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  It is only human nature to want the way to heaven to be as broad and all-inclusive as possible thus the more ways into Christ that can be found the better from our earthly point of view.  We have people we want to see saved and yet we are pretty sure they are not due to either the way they are living or to the beliefs they hold thus a broad gate and a wide way to heaven would suit us just fine.  But it goes without saying that our love for one w…

• Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural?

  zing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20 NKJV)  This is the “one baptism” Paul spoke of in Eph. 4:5 that places one in Christ (Gal. 3:27) where salvation is found (2 Tim. 2:10).  It is therefore spoken of as being “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38) and is a baptism into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13) of which he is the “the Sa…

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

  Baptism is essential to salvation but there are many non-believers.  I want to deal with one passage today that teaches this but which is seldom used because the word baptize is not found in the passage.  The phrase used is “washing of water” as found in Eph. 5:25-27. Eph. 5:25-27, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,…

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  Christians, God’s children, have for years taken a beating by those who make the claim that Christians have been responsible in part, at least, for religious wars that killed tens of thousands of people during the Crusades and in Europe itself during the Middle Ages.  There never was any truth to it and never will be. Just because a Catholic claims to be a Christian does not make him one.  Just because a Protestant makes the claim to be a …

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

  Did Paul preach the same gospel at Corinth that he taught elsewhere?  Everywhere else he taught, as part of the gospel, baptism for the remission of sins.  One can go to Acts 16 and read two accounts, in the same chapter, of conversions made by Paul–Lydia and the Philippian jailer–in which in both instances those being converted were baptized.  Paul himself, in his conversion, was baptized.  You may recall the words of Ananias to him…

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  mous religious bodies today?  I remember when going to a state university back in the 60’s when Friday’s (I believe it was a Friday–it has been a long time ago) were special days in the college cafeteria because of what one religious body could and could not eat on that day.  Their numbers were such that they had that influence on the menu. The bottom line is Christ is all a Christian needs.  Christ is found in his word and not in things th…

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

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

• For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith Alone

  or out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man.” (Matt. 15:19-20 NKJV)  “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10 NKJV)  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23 NKJV) Yes, I am thankful for grace for my own sins wear me down but it distresses me to see what man has done to Eph….

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  The church Christ built is worthless to man if it is impossible to find it (or establish it), if it only existed in ancient history, and cannot be known today.  Fortunately, like all things that exist, there are marks of identification that allow us to know his church from those made by man.  We are able to distinguish one thing from another in life because of characteristics that each possess that differ from another.   True, there may be many …

• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  be the word “reliable.”  Other synonyms might be “dependable” or “trustworthy.”  My Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Thesaurus says of the word faithful, “firm in adherence to whatever one is bound to by duty or promise.” The Bible speaks of God being faithful.  “Therefore know that the Lord your God, he is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy.” (Deut. 7:9 NKJV)  What does t…

• Does God Really Care?

  formities 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 easy to give up on God as one contemplates what he has seen and heard.  It is easy to lose faith.  What is the answer?  This is a subject that is important to study because there has probably never been a person who at some point in time in his or he…

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  Lest the reader be misled by the title reading into it what is not there the church that is being talked about in this article may not be the one you are a member of so proceed if at all with caution having been forewarned.  You can judge for yourself after reading.  I begin with Jesus as the foundation of the church. After Jesus’ arrest he was brought before the Jewish council where he was asked, “‘Are you then the Son of God?…

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

  Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (NASU) and then a couple of verses later clarifies his statement when he says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 NASU) This passage has greatly troubled people over the years to the extent that many have just c…

• Christian Circumcision

  be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.” (NKJV)  To be uncircumcised was to be unclean and unholy. Circumcision was to be a sign of a relationship, of a covenant that was being kept, not of one being disregarded.  It was meant not to be just an outward act but an act that tied the heart of man to the heart of God.  True an 8 day old child knows nothing of any of this but as he grew up and was taught it was to h…

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

  matter.  Now that is a scholarly concept for you is it not but that is the position of the professors of science in our schools today.  They proclaim that position as being the scientific, the reasonable, and the intellectual one.  Save us from the scholars if that is the way one defines reason. The atheist, the evolutionist, all non-believers have staked their eternal well being on their thesis that Christ did not rise from the dead.  Thus the f…

• Which Denomination Did Jesus Build?

  ches generally all agree that those in other denominations can and will be saved the same as they will be.  Which means what? It logically follows if you hold to that thinking that you can never admit your denomination is the one church Jesus built.  If you did that it would put all other denominations outside the church thus you have to take the position this woman took.  Jesus is “the Savior of the body” (Eph. 5:23 NKJV) and the bod…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  aptize, but to preach the gospel.” (1 Cor. 1:17a NKJV)  What is Paul saying here?  Is he saying that Christ does not care whether or not disciples are baptized?  Is he saying it is unimportant and makes no difference to one’s salvation whether or not he/she is baptized?  It is the purpose of this article to show the folly of taking that kind of stance based on this scripture.  Let me begin by asking a question that must be answered if…

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

  Many years ago I asked a lady this very question–can one be just a Christian in Christ’s church without being in a denomination?  Her answer was that while that was once possible it is no longer possible today.  I have never understood that kind of thinking.  To her the church that is Christ’s simply cannot exist today alone by itself outside of denominationalism.  That raises all kinds of problems. If what she said is true then of what va…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  (Bainton 259).”  (Petty’s source:  Bainton, Roland H., Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, New York: New American Library, 1950; 1978.) Martin Luther’s doctrine does indeed make Paul and James contradict one another.  That fact alone ought to tell you he was wrong in his theology no matter how sincere.  Any time your doctrine makes the Bible contradict itself this tells you, if you will listen, that your doctrine is in error…

• Things People Do Not Know About the Church

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

• Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb

  My wife and I went to visit Lincoln’s Tomb yesterday, March 21, 2009, in Springfield, Illinois.  I must say it is a massive structure, very impressive, and quite a sight to see in a very scenic setting.  As for the cemetery itself I guess one could say as cemeteries go this was and is as beautiful a cemetery as one is likely to see anywhere.  It is very hilly with giant oak trees and quiet as cemeteries generally are, very well kept. It was for …

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  It is not uncommon to hear people express their opinion that organized religion (the church) has nothing to do with salvation.  All that matters it is said is whether or not one has a personal relationship with Jesus. I do not know where this “personal relationship with Jesus” language came from for if you type in the phrase in any online Bible concordance you will not get a single return for the phrase is manmade and not found in sc…

• Misunderstanding the Grace of God

  man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4 NKJV)  Note the way he phrased that statement, he said “by every word … of God”, not just by the words of one’s choosing. In the second place it needs to be pointed out that I think every single person that makes the claim to be a Christian believes salvation is by grace through faith including myself.  Is there a person o…

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  There is a faith, a so called Christian faith, which destroys.  Those who hold such a faith, while sincere, do not understand faith from a scriptural point of view.  Faith is all too often defined as “what I believe.”  There is more to saving faith than just believing in Jesus, believing he is the Son of God. If faith alone, defined as what one believes, could save by itself then even the demons could be saved for James says, “…

• 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…

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

  That the gospel of Christ must be believed (as well as obeyed) in order to receive Christian salvation is made abundantly clear by the apostle Paul in one of the best known passages found in the Bible–Rom. 1:16:  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom. 1:16 NAS)  It thus becomes essential that we learn what it is that …

• Abuse of the Old Testament

  avid in the Psalms to see prayer from the heart.  Learn how to praise God in prayer and how to petition him for his blessings.  Learn how to thank God. Need wisdom?  Go to the book of Proverbs.  Many, many New Testaments that one can buy also include as an addition the books of Psalms and Proverbs.  They are books that are often consulted by men today and rightly so. I have said many good and true things in praise of the Old Testament scriptures….

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

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

• Parable of the Tares–No Middle Ground

  does not matter for the thing that struck me as I was reading this passage a few days back and which has spurred me to write on it is the stark contrast between the tares and the wheat.  There is no middle ground to be had.  One is either a tare or wheat and which one it is makes all the difference in the world. Let us say for the sake of argument the parable is a reference to the church and the saved Christians in it (the wheat) versus those wh…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  How does Christianity relate to the concept of multiculturalism?  The answer to that depends in large part on one’s definition of multiculturalism and there are many definitions of it given as you see when you begin researching the topic.  For the purpose of this article I will define it as the idea that all cultures are of equal value, none to be judged as superior to another, that society should be oriented around groups versus a common …

• 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…

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

  Many Americans can remember years ago when O. J. Simpson was arrested and put on trial for the murder of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman.  I remember a comment I heard on TV at the time that simply astounded me.  One lady that was being interviewed, for what reason I no longer recall, made the comment that if she had seen O. J. commit the murder with her owns eyes she would not believe it.  I guess her idea was that she could not trust herself, she …

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  a picture of salvation (whatever that 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 ba…

• I Can Do All Things Through Christ

  and powerful.” (Heb. 4:12 NKJV)  It has caused people to repent of their sinful lives and make a 180 degree turn in their lives.  There were 3,000 who repented the very first day the gospel of Christ was preached. (Acts 2)   One cannot separate power from God’s word nor can one separate God from his word.  The word has the power it does because it is his word, not mine nor yours.  There is power in that word to create faith and thus change lives…

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

  nswer seems so evident–we must believe in Jesus.  Yes, that is true, but what does that mean?  I will talk about that later in the article but there are other things we also must believe according to the scriptures. (1) One must believe in God’s existence and that he rewards those who diligently seek him.  “But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarde…

• The Fragrance of Christ

  The apostle Paul made the following statement in 2 Cor. 2:15-16, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  To the one we are the aroma of death to death, and to the other the aroma of life to life.  And who is sufficient for these things?” (NKJV) I like the phrase “the fragrance of Christ.”  When I think of the word fragrance I think of that which has a pleasant smell–a f…

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

  at it means to be a denomination.  We also understand that the thing that distinguishes such a group from others is considered to be so important, so serious a matter, as to require separation or division from others. This is one of the ironies I see in denominationalism.  On the one hand they feel their differences on the issues are so great as to require separation and division from others, knowing the Bible clearly teaches that division among …

• 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…

• 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, …

• He Feared

  ou of little faith, why did you doubt?”  (Matt. 14:31 NAS) We learn from this passage that there is power in faith, power to protect.  As long as faith had the ascendancy Peter was protected from drowning.  We also learn that one needs to build his faith beyond that which is described by Jesus himself as “little faith.”  Little faith is not a shield for us nor was it for Peter.  Great faith is. And, finally, we learn fear was the cause of faith f…

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

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

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

  h whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” (NAS) It is widely taught that man is saved by faith alone and this passage is often used as one proof text.  Of course we are justified by faith but not faith alone or faith only.  “You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24 NAS)  Faith must be accompanied by obedience for it is …

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

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

• The Church

  Things People Do Not Know About the Church How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built? Saved by Jesus Outside the Church Jesus the Foundation of and Builder of the Church One Church–A Thing Hard to Accept Which Denomination Did Jesus Build? The Church as the Family of God–Things Found in It The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification Can One be Just a Christian in Christ’s Church Without being in a Denomination? Ch…

• Resource Sites

  t of instrumental music it would be worth its weight in gold just in the discussion on faith and opinion.) The Sonship of Christ  (Be sure and scroll down the page once you get to it.  This is an extremely unique and valuable one of a kind sermon.  It details the relationship of Christ the Son with God the Father like nothing else I have ever read, a late 1800′s sermon by Dr. T. W. Brents.) Short Essays in Biblical Criticism  (Have you ever…

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

  Beginning in about John 6:27 Jesus begins a discussion with those with whom he is conversing that carries through most of the rest of the chapter about himself being the bread of life sent down from the Father (John 6:32-35) that man might eat of this bread and have eternal life.  There are many, many descriptive terms used in reference to Jesus in the Bible of which the bread of life is but one. In the book of John alone Jesus is described as t…

• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

  I know of no one who claims to be a Christian but what believes we are saved by the blood of Jesus.  All believe that for the Bible clearly teaches it stating it plainly, “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Eph 1:7 NKJV)  There are very few, however, who realize where God has placed that blood spiritually speaking.  Christianity is a religion of the spirit.  No man is saved by coming into physical contac…

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

  f, 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 and another thing at another time.  It is to say there is more than one gospel whic…

• Walk in Truth—the Joy of John the Apostle

  man’s fantasy who desires that it might have been different than what it was and whose desire is thus to make it seem to be different than it was as recorded. Men today do not want to believe that the Bible teaches but one truth.  They do not want to believe that it is possible for men to know and believe “the truth” for the desire is for hundreds and thousands of different truths to all come from the same book, the Bible.  If …

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  I recently got into a discussion with a messianic Jew who insisted he had the right to use the title “Rabbi” without any violation of scripture.  I pointed him to Matt. 23:8, “but you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren” (NKJV) to no avail.  He is not alone for you could point a Catholic priest to Matt. 23:9, “do not call anyone on earth your father; f…

• The Need to Preach on Sin

  There is a great need to preach on sin today.  I am not at all sure that sin is any worse or more prevalent today than in generations gone by for one can go back in history and find unimaginable sin.  Human sacrifice, cannibalism, idol worship, all forms of sexual debauchery, witchcraft, mass murderers (think Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot), you name it and you can find it in the history of the sins of mankind.  History teaches us just how bad man…

• 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…

• 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…

• Honestly Deceived

  In 1 Kings 13:1-33 we read of a man of God, a prophet, who came from Judah to Bethel to prophecy against the altar there.  Jeroboam, the king of Israel, was present at the altar.  Jeroboam was the king who had made the two golden calves for the children of Israel to worship one of which resided at Bethel (1 Kings 12:25-33).  On the altar there sacrifices were made to the golden calf that resided there.  As the prophet arrived he found Jeroboam a…

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

  how the error of that position.  On this subject timing makes all the difference. When did Jesus become a king with a kingdom over which to rule?  When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus in John 3:3 and said to him, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” and then later in verse 5 expands on that by saying, “most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of …

• 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…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  Sometimes even when we do good we receive criticism and blame as though that which we did was evil rather than good.  Such was the case with Mary of Bethany a friend of Jesus and one whom Jesus loved (John 11:5).  If you are not familiar with the story of Mary who anointed Jesus with some very expensive oil of spikenard not long before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion you can read the account in Matt. 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8. I w…

• Abraham’s Faith (Faith Accounted for Righteousness)

  on but believe God he did as did Sarah.  “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.  Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude–innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.” (NKJV)  Rom. 4:19 tells us Abraham “did not consider his own body,…

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

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

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

  the Holy Spirit, “baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21 NAS) but not with them for they will not believe the words of Jesus and are ashamed of all such.  Even when Jesus spoke directly on the subject, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5 NAS) it is not accepted.  Of such people it will never be said of them that they obeyed Jesus who said, “If anyone keeps my …

• 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 …

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

  Is a man saved by faith or saved by Holy Spirit baptism?  I personally do not believe either but there are many advocates of one or the other.  (Yes, I believe faith is essential but just not that it is the final step to salvation.) There are a number of people in what is commonly called the Christian community who are thoroughly convinced that one is saved by Holy Spirit baptism.  I do not believe they are in the majority but they are out ther…

• The Christian, Politics, and the Government

  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 the subject.  As it relates to specifics it is often hard to know exactly what one ought to do under some of the scenarios which arise but we have God given principles by which we can act. I write on this topic not so much out of a desire to do so but because a discussion of the subject is needed espec…

• The Grace of God in Baptism

  Most Americans of a Christian persuasion believe that baptism has little to nothing to do with the grace of God. One wonders have they never read Titus 3:4-7? The truth about God’s grace and its tie in with baptism is clearly set forth in Paul’s passage to Titus which reads as follows: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he s…

• The Army of the Lord–the Church

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

• The Great Commission and Cornelius

  ns “into.”  If you do not believe that check it out for yourself by getting a New American Standard original edition reference Bible and check the side margin, or center column, references out.  If you do not have one here is what you will find, the exact words, “Lit., into“.  Lit. means literal, meaning “into” is the literal translation.  The original American Standard translation of 1901 used the word “…

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

  The Bible speaks of the conscience of man describing it in several different ways as the state of the conscience varies from man to man and sometimes from time to time within the same man.  The conscience can be good, pure, and without offense but it can also be weak, defiled, evil, and even seared.  It is the negative traits of the conscience I wish to discuss in this article.  What is a weak conscience?  The first time one reads about a weak c…

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  his sense of justice, etc.  I think most of us would like to know God better and Isaiah gives us that opportunity.  There are lessons for the church, God’s people, found in the very first chapter of Isaiah. As Isaiah chapter one opens (Isa. 1:1) we learn that we are being told of a vision Isaiah saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, God’s people in that Old Testament time.  I mention that for we must remember that we who are Christians are God’s p…

• Pray For Others Lest You Sin

  elf.” (Matt. 22:39 NKJV)  Do we pray for ourselves?  If we do are we not under obligation to pray for our neighbor?  We are if we love him and if we do not love him we stand condemned already. We are clearly commanded to love one another as disciples of Jesus for none other than Jesus himself gave the commandment when he said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John …

• The Silence of the Scriptures

  h the Catholic Church resides in the church itself, their church, not in scripture.  There is no need for anyone to get mad over me saying this.  It is established fact.  Their church doctrine overrides scripture.  Where does one find in scripture the idea of praying to dead saints just as an example?  I have got time.  I can wait but it is certain I will be dead before you find the passage teaching such in your New Testament. When one takes the …

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

  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 that is the case then the one who says the New Testament scriptures alone are insufficient is in an awful bind.  Why?  Because his position is that the man of God cannot be complete by the scriptures alone and he thus puts himself in opposition to wh…

• Better to Never Have Been Born–Why?

  d how it is that some do not seem to understand that they are not in charge of their lives.  Everyday people die unexpectedly, suddenly, without warning whether from accidents, heart attacks, 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 ju…

• The Sin of Contempt (Verbal Abuse)

  cribed it as “a term of utter vilification.”  I believe from my study that the YLT (Young’s Literal Translation) comes the closest of any of the translations in giving the best translation of the Greek. When one takes a look at the various translations given above for the Greek and learns the meaning of the Greek word used behind those translations it becomes obvious that we have a sin that can be committed today even though we …

• The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell

  America has rejected the God of the Bible and has made its own God in its own image.  He is generally seen, unlike the God of heaven, when man looks into a mirror.  And the best part about this American God is he condemns no one.  I have never been to a funeral but what the individual being eulogized seems to be setting in heaven even as the speaker speaks. A good example of the kind of thing I am talking about is some news out just this past we…

• The Peace Found in Forgiveness of Others

  ssess these traits are not pleasant to be around.  That is not to say they have no friends but only that the kind of person that takes up with them is very likely to share some of the same traits they have.  And, I might add, one of the positive things about family is they are likely to love you no matter what so they will put up with you. While I listed 5 traits it is easy to see how they are all related.  Why is a person unwilling to forgive or…

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

  ng ruler he was not talking to you and me.  The only lessons in the account of the rich young ruler that could be made applicable to us is (1) a man may be very religious but lost and (2) the danger of having a hidden idol in one’s heart. Your salvation and mine does not depend on what Jesus did or did not 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 direct…

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

  86 times in the Old Testament according to our English NAS translation thus the best place to start to understand the meaning as Jesus used it is in the Old Testament scriptures.  It is a phrase that can be used in more than one way thus have more than one meaning.  Some meanings are easy enough to figure out for in some few places the phrase is used like we would use it today but I am not interested in those passages.  I want to know the unique…

• Repent–How Hard It Is To Do

  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 believe Noah preached 120 years (based on Gen. 6:3) and yet the only ones converted by his preaching were members of his own family.  Only 8 people were saved from the flood–Noah and his wife and his sons and their wives. The Bible says of those who died in the flood that they were “dis…

• Is America a Christian Nation—the Sandra Fluke Controversy

  ss of 10 students.  A big class for our community was 16 which is what the class ahead of me had.  But, the point I want to make is I never knew of a single divorced couple who had kids in our school in all those years, not a one.  Every child lived with their biological parents.  I graduated from high school in 1965. Children today do not have parents.  They have live ins, here today, gone tomorrow.  It is mom’s boy friend, not dad.  It is…

• God the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit

  Does God Really Care? Things God Cannot Do Jesus as the Bread of Life Jesus and the Furnace of Fire Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door The Need to Preach on Sin What Does the Phrase “My Name” Mean in the Bible?   Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Wonderful Jesus Who Is Jesus? Born To Die The Appearance of Jesus All Spiritual Blessings Are in Christ Enemies of Christ The Holy Spirit (Part I) The Holy Spirit (Part II) The Ho…

• Non-Offensive Christianity

  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. 12:18 NKJV).  How is it then when it is the Christian̵…

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  e armor of God?” (Eph. 6:11 NKJV)  No!  Do they intend to?  No!  And the list could go on and on.  Just common ordinary day folks.  Where are they headed?  You say don’t judge.  I am just quoting Jesus.  He is the one that said that those who practice lawlessness will be cast into the lake of fire.  I just happen to know what lawlessness is–disregarding his word. Paul, for example, gave us a list of sins in Gal. 5:19-21, “…

• Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

  The title here is taken from part of the lyrics from the theme song for the TV show “Cops.”  It is a catchy tune but it raises a question we all have to deal with like it or not and most of us don’t like it.  The undertaker and his helpers are coming for us, no doubt about it, one of these days.  What are we gonna do? In life we confront things that are coming for us.  We see it coming and we do not like it but being rational p…

• The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

  hed, 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 name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 NKJV)  Now note, when does the Holy Spirit promise these believers they will …

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  e Bible even the new literal translations like the ESV, NASB, and the NKJV, all excellent translations when taken as a whole, have led us slightly astray 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 w…

• Indifference – The Great Destroyer

  Indifference is one of the scariest words in the English language for it is a word whose companion is another word called failure. The word indifference refers to an attitude held by a man or woman indicating a lack of zeal or commitment or concern regarding whatever that person is indifferent toward. There are many things a person can be indifferent toward and it does not make the least bit of difference. For example, I am indifferent toward wh…

• Israel’s Rebellion at the Red Sea

  t the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” (Ex. 5:21 NKJV)  They were not seeing any exodus.  One suspects this was the time referred to in Ex. 14:12 at the Red Sea rebellion when the children of Israel seeing the Egyptian army approaching told Moses, “Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, …

• Cornelius’ Conversion–Final Thoughts

  The idea is in vogue in some quarters that Cornelius was saved when the Holy Spirit fell upon him (Acts 10:44) without any further action on his part.  One of the verses used to support this idea is 1 John 4:13, “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” (NKJV)  So, it is said that settles it. I went to take a look at that verse and read it in context.  Now understand I believe the Sp…

• Jesus Defines Repentance

  NKJV)  Now belief is not repentance but it is a prerequisite to it.  Where there is no belief there will be no repentance.  In fact, such is an impossibility.  We say it is hard to get people to repent and so it is but why?  One of the biggest reasons is disbelief. What must one believe in order to repent?  He must believe God is.  He must believe he stands guilty before God.  He must believe he is a condemned man in his present state.  Belief i…

• 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…

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

  I am sure there are millions of people who call themselves Christians who have never given the subject of instrumental music in Christian worship a thought.  It is just taken for granted that it is a part of acceptable worship to God.  I suspect even most of us who were raised in a religious setting where instruments were never used in worship wondered about it at one point in time or another.  Was it really wrong to use them in worship and if s…

• Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door

  It is sometimes hard for Christians to grasp emotionally that they will be judged by Christ on the Day of Judgment.  So much has been made of the grace of God and God’s love that it is hard to come to grips with the idea of judgment but James in writing to Christians says, “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.  Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!” (James 5:9 NKJV)  That ought to be a sober…

• Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation?

  One of the great dangers we all face in Bible study is that of taking a particular passage, isolating it from all the rest of the scriptures, and make it teach a doctrine it was never meant to teach.  The question asked in the title of this article, are works essential for Christian salvation, is easily answered by taking one such passage and doing exactly that.  The passage is Eph. 2:8-9 which reads, “For by grace you have been saved thro…

• Never Give Up

  al world with the pressures that daily face people.  When they are confronted with them, are no longer sheltered but must face them head on, they begin to stumble here and there on occasion.  Discouragement settles in for the one who was sincere in his or her gospel obedience. The thinking becomes I have sinned, and then I did it again either in the same way or another way, and then again, and the first thing you know it seems like you are trappe…

• Jesus’ Baptism and You?

  as no possibility in their mind that they could be wrong in their religion.  What he had to say had to be heresy. A man ought to be cautious in reaching conclusions in spiritual matters for once this life is over and the next one has begun there is no going back a second time and getting it right.  There are no second chances and eternity is a long, long time.  I would like to look at baptism and want to start with an account that is often overlo…

• When did Obedience Become Legalism?

  ther than obedience.  In 1 Cor. 13 we have Paul discussing love in verses 4-8.  In verse 6 of that chapter he says love “does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth.” (NKJV)  Iniquity is the opposite of obedience.  One can no more join love with iniquity than he can a lamb with a lion.  But we have come to believe God’s grace covers everything and obedience is not necessary.  We now accept iniquity because we are no longer willing to a…

• Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16

  (God the Father). Many cling to John 3:16 with the idea being that all Jesus requires of man for salvation is a belief in Jesus without ever giving any real serious thought as to how Jesus would define a believer in himself, one whose faith is sufficient to save.  They merely assume they know so every man becomes a law unto himself, declares himself a believer, and is in his mind (and often in his family and friend’s minds) saved without e…

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

  fe. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak.” (John 12:48-50 NKJV)  He says again, “The word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.” (John 14:24 NKJV)  One could add to these references but the point has been made. Before Jesus ascended back to heaven he promised to send the Holy Spirit to his apostles.  “But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in m…

• Healing For the Brokenhearted

  “Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick.  And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.” (Psalms 69:20 NASU)  Read in context one sees clearly that this passage of scripture refers to Jesus toward the very end of his life on earth when facing the cross and perhaps, very possibly, on the cross itself.  The heart has been broken to the point of sickness. Is there a person whose heart has …

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  tament era read their Bible (the Old Testament) and prayed and yet to what avail? We are all familiar with the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee beginning in Luke 18:9 who both went up to the temple to pray.  Only one went down from it justified.  Prayer was of no profit to the Pharisee. We might also say with justification that the Pharisees seemed to know the Old Testament scriptures in the sense that they could tell you what they s…

• Things God Cannot Do

  “playing church” we do. Need an example or two?  How about all the unscripturally divorced and remarried couples, couples that are living in adultery, that are members in good standing in many churches?  I know of one man who left his wife of, I am told, 37 years for another woman, married this woman, and now attends another congregation which seemed to accept him and her with open arms unrepentant.  How about the churches one hears o…

• What Is Baptism (the Sprinkling Hoax)

  hat the word “baptize” and all of its derivatives are not English words at all.  They are Greek words that were anglicized.  What does that mean?  My Merriam Webster Dictionary says the word anglicize means number one “to make English” and meaning number two “to borrow (a foreign word or phrase) into English without changing form or spelling and sometimes without changing pronunciation.”  Thus those men who tra…

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

  e 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 were mistreated.  We h…

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

  When the children of Israel left Egypt, led by Moses, the first major event one reads about in the book of Exodus after the Red Sea crossing is found in Exodus  15:22-26, the crisis at the waters of Marah.  I say crisis for that was how the children of Israel perceived it.  They had been traveling three days in the wilderness and had found no water to drink during that time. Was that a crisis?  It was when you consider how much water was require…

• God’s Willingness to Forgive–King Manasseh

  el:  Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.” And then verse 16: “Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.” What does one say about such a man?  What can one say?  Manasseh was the personification of evil.  Can y…

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

  Israel out of Egypt. That night he struck dead the firstborn of the Egyptians while passing over the homes of the children of Israel who had sacrificed a Passover lamb and put the blood on their two doorposts and the lintel. One can read about the institution of the Passover and what it was about in Exodus 12. Jesus is the Passover lamb for Christians, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Cor. 5:7 ESV) It is by his bl…

• Faith and Baptism in Paul’s Preaching

  ong all the Gentiles, for his name’s sake.” (Rom. 1:5 NAS)  The gospel is not just facts to believe but also acts to obey (repentance, confession of Jesus, and baptism).  The gospel must be “obeyed” if one is to avoid the vengeance of Jesus at his second coming (read 2 Thess. 1:8 NKJV).  Both Lydia and the Philippian jailer exercised the obedience of faith in being baptized.  Those who believe faith excludes baptism, who b…

• Faith, Manna, and Grumbling Against God

  In 1 Cor. 10:10 the Christian is commanded to not grumble (NASB).  Taken in context (1 Cor. 10:1-11) the passage is telling us not to follow the example of the children of Israel in the things they did of which grumbling against God was one and which thing seemed to be a national pastime.  If you read the book of Exodus you soon learn they were continually grumbling against God.  They were a dissatisfied and unhappy lot and their dissatisfaction…

• Born Again At The Point Of Faith – John 1:12-13

  is in conflict with verse 13.  Verse 12 says that those who believe have the right to become God’s children meaning they are not yet–not at the point of belief.  Yet, verse 13 says they were born of God. How does one deal with this apparent contradiction?  If you have a New American Standard Reference Edition Bible (one of the best reference Bibles on the market) you will find in the reference notes on verse 13 that the word “b…

• 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…

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  A good and pure conscience is essential to a person’s happiness and sense of well-being.  One can never depend on his/her conscience as an infallible guide for that it is not the function of the conscience, not its role, but nevertheless violate your conscience and the end result is a sense of guilt, sorrow, and unhappiness. The conscience is that which is within us that pricks us, perhaps troubles us would be a better way of putting it, w…

• 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…

• Acceptable Prayer

  When a person runs into trouble in his or her life they are often counseled to pray.  That is usually one of the very first things that is done and most certainly we ought to turn to God in our times of trouble.  James says, “Is anyone among you suffering?  Let him pray.” (James 5:13 NAS)  The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grac…

• The Need to Sing in Worship

  ;And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”  (Matt. 26:30 NKJV)  Speaking of Jesus we find in Heb. 2:11-12 this, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying:  ‘I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.’” (NKJV)  Again note the singing is …

• The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist

  n also be safely assumed that he was not possessed of any miraculous spiritual gift that would have conferred this knowledge to him or else he would have known and not needed further instruction from Priscilla and Aquila. So, one of the big mysteries concerning Apollos is how he failed to come to this knowledge long before meeting up with Priscilla and Aquila.  Why did not his earlier instructors in the way of the Lord convey this truth to him?  …

• Baptism

  Baptism has been a hot topic down through the ages–who should be baptized, why, for what purpose, are there any prerequisites, what is accomplished in it, does it matter, is it essential for salvation or have anything at all to do with it, what is baptism (is it sprinkling, pouring, immersion, or take your choice?).  So many questions but are there no answers?  Was God such a poor communicator that he could not make the subject clear?  Wha…

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  had at what is generally felt to be a hard price to pay.  That price is the shame and humiliation of admitting (confessing) our sin and making whatever restitution, if any, that can be made for it.  It is awfully hard to put oneself through that but that is exactly the price the conscience requires of us before it will let us go free. I know of a man who recently went before the church confessing his unfaithfulness.  Afterwards he spoke of what …

• Spiritual Mirages

  then found out to their utter dismay that the love they felt sure was mutual between them and their beloved was all just an illusion and the object of their affections was in reality ready to dump them.  The first reaction is one of shock and disbelief.  Only later are they able to look back and perhaps pick up on some signs that should have clued them in all along, signs which at the time were hidden to their eyes.  Sadly, this sort of thing hap…

• 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…

• 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…

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  t was the same as that taught by Peter in Acts 2 by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  For it to be otherwise would be to say two or more different gospels were preached which we are sure was not the case.  Peter did not preach one gospel one day and another gospel another day.  He did not have a different gospel for everyday of the week or month nor did one apostle preach one thing and another apostle preach something else. In order to not make th…

• He Went Away Grieved

  for spiritual enlightenment or uplifting. There was a man in the Bible we read about who came to Jesus for what appeared to be the right motive, a spiritual motive, that he might be saved.  This meant that he saw Jesus as the one who could point him in the right way.  He had faith enough in Jesus to go seek him out and that for the purpose of finding the way of life.  Matthew tells us he was a young man and Luke informs us that he was a ruler thu…

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

  One thing that is often overlooked is the value of being a Christian and living the Christian life in the here and now, not just for the benefit of the afterlife to come.  There is nothing as important as where you are going to live in eternity but there are enormous benefits to living the Christian life aside from those benefits to come when this life has ended.  I list but three of those benefits here. (1)  Hope When one takes hope away from a…

• Denominationalism’s Sin Against Peter

  hat point.  It is considered an established fact by all as far as I know. However, few to no denominationalists believe that what he said that day is bound in heaven thus fight against both Jesus and Peter.  Wow!  Is there no one they will not take on? On that day in Acts 2 when those to whom Peter spoke “were cut to the heart (by Peter’s sermon–DS), and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what s…

• Philip Preaching the Gospel in Samaria

  of the good news?  It is if it is “for the forgiveness of your sins” as per Acts 2:38.  It is if Peter preached it.  It is if Philip preached it.  It is if these two Holy Spirit inspired men preached it. Only when one receives the word, the gospel, only when one believes it, is he baptized.  Those who did not receive the word, did not believe it, were not baptized.  This pretty much tells us who has believed the gospel and who has bel…

• Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings

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

• Faith

  Paul’s Conversion–Justified by Faith Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God–the Implications Who is the Believer in John 3:16? What is it a Man Must Believe in Order to be Saved? Faith is Not Just What You Believe Obedience of Faith and Justification by Faith–Opposing Doctrines? Disobedience to Jesus The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father I Can Do All Things Through Christ If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implicatio…

• Receiving the Gospel (Acts 2:41)

  tional Standard Version translates this way, “So those who welcomed his message were baptized ….”   The New King James Version says, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized ….”   I guess one who does not believe that baptism is essential for remission of sins can choose his poison here.  What had Peter preached?  “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness o…

• Keep Your Heart With All Diligence

  ) we doubt ourselves. As I have grown older in life I have finally come to believe we are all pretty much in the same boat.  “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Gal. 5:17 NKJV)  I think the TEV translation of the last phrase of this verse nails the meaning where it says, “this means that you cannot do what you want to do…

• The Faith of Enoch

  (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 Elisha his traveling companion and the one appointed to take his place as a prophet of God.  Of Enoch we only know the Bible says he was taken up.  How we are not told. Very little is known about Enoch and his life.  We know he was the father of Methuselah (Gen. …

• New Birth

  Born Again at the Point of Faith – John 1:12-13 Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith) What Does the Phrase “Born of Water and the Spirit” Mean? The Kingdom of God and The New Birth The New Birth and Water A New Creation in Christ The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept   Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Born Again When One Obeys the Gospel Things That Happen With Gospel Obedience Why I Am a Christian Keeping…

• Assorted

  ngs God Cannot Do Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers The Christian, Politics, and the Government Why Men Do Not Believe Did Christ Rise From the Dead or is Faith Folly? Denominationalism’s Sin Against Peter Which Denomination Did Jesus Build? What Does the Phrase “My Name” Mean in the Bible?   Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) The Burden of Life The Pot of Gold at the End of God’s Rainbow Heaven (Part…

• 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 …

• Though He Slay Me

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

• 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…

• 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…

• Faith is Not Just What You Believe

  f someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14 NKJV)  You know that is a rhetorical question, to ask is to answer.  James later says “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:20 NKJV)  Can one be saved by a dead faith?  The demons had a dead faith. (James 2:19). What kind of faith saves?  “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24 NKJV)  The faith that saves is thus a w…

• The Parable of the 10 Virgins–7 Lessons

  The parable of the 10 virgins found in Matt. 25:1-13 has more to say to us than we often realize. One of the things that troubles a person most, that nags and gnaws at our spirit, is when we mess up, make a bad mistake, and then have to pay for it when we had realized from the beginning what it was we needed to do which would have avoided the whole thing but simply failed to do it for one reason or another.  We blame ourselves for the mess we go…

• Baptized For the Dead

  ” (NKJV)  They were hearing what was demanded of them–faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins. But, many will object to the last point.  Remember who established the church at Corinth–Paul.  He is the one doing the preaching.  He is the one Ananias told, in Acts 22:16, to “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16 NKJV)  Is Paul who had to be baptized to wash away his si…

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

  “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17 NKJV)  On its surface this proclamation by Paul is very simple and easy to understand and yet the failure to grasp its implications has brought much division and strife among those who believe Jesus is the Son of God.  Faith and opinion are mixed and it seems no one is able to separate the two.  It appears to the casual observer that one man’s faith is another man’s op…

• Salvation (Becoming a Christian)

  – The Great Destroyer God’s Plea–On Christ’s Behalf be Reconciled to God Why You Cannot be Saved like the Thief on the Cross Bible Contradictions on Salvation How Was Noah Saved Through Water? How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built? Saved by Jesus Outside the Church Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation? Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven? …

• How Was Noah Saved Through Water?

  mined to destroy man for his evil, an evil so great it grieved God in his heart and made him sorry he had created 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 salv…

• Saul’s Conversion

  8220;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 did not tell Saul what he must do then who did?  It was not Christ for he could have d…

• Work Out Your Own Salvation

  find a couple of authors whose work I took a look at.  It seemed to me like both had worked themselves almost into a state of frenzy trying to deny what the passage clearly states, that a man must work out his own salvation.  One denied the Greek was correctly translated and made his argument on that basis. Let me quote the Philippians passage to you so we will have it before us and know what it says. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always ob…

• 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 Sin of Being Unthankful and the Need for Thanksgiving

  n that was merciful to others?  If such exist they are rare creatures indeed.  Unthankfulness and mercy are like fire and gasoline–they do not go together.  It is certain the unthankful person is not merciful toward the one who showed kindness to him. Jesus knows better than anyone what it is to do good to others and then find them unthankful.  What was his crime that he should be crucified?  Was it that he went about doing good, healing, c…

• 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 …

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

  wonder why it is that a person cannot seem to see the truth.  Well, you have to have a desire to see it and thus be looking for it to find it.  “Seek and you shall find” (Matt. 7:7 NAS) is rule, that is the way it works.  But one only seeks when one has a desire to find and if you are satisfied with what you have little seeking will be done. We do not want to see a reason why we should not marry an individual we have fallen in love with.  We do n…

• The Conscience as a Witness

  A man can run from many things but one thing he cannot run from is his own conscience.  Wherever a man goes his conscience follows him just as much as his shadow and is a constant companion.  It is a man’s witness to himself and to God of his character as it relates to his willingness or 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’…

• Sin

  Honestly Deceived The Pleasures of Sin Better to Have Never Been Born Jesus and the Furnace of Fire Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? More on Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation Disobedience to Jesus Must a Man Seek God Indifference – The Great Destroyer Looking Down Your Nose Ghost Hunting and Consulting the Dead Christianity, Homosexuality, and Gay Marriage The Wicked Shall be Tu…

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

  e request it unless he felt some urgency about it, unless he felt there was a need? Philip taught the eunuch baptism because as Peter said on the Day of Pentecost baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) without 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…

• Reconciling With a Brother

  ved who has contempt for and mistreats his fellowman?  John says no when he says, “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10 NAS)  Contempt for and mistreatment of a brother are the opposite of love and places one in the devil’s camp.  Four verses later John says, “We know that we …

• 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…

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

  it and said, ‘It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.’” (NKJV) Faith can be based on false information or misunderstanding and yet be so strong that one is firmly convinced that the error he believes is the truth. Because of the evidence presented to him (misinformation) Jacob was certain his son Joseph was dead, killed as he said by “a wild beast”. (Gen 37:3…

• Singing and Playing in Christian Worship

  lay a gambling game with God when you are the only possible loser?  There is no gambling in singing.  You do not have to hope that singing is pleasing to God for you can read your New Testament and see clearly that it is.  No one has ever disputed that (emphasis on “no one”). In years gone by some use to argue that in the Greek the word that is translated “sing” had the instrument inherent in the meaning of the word.  Many debates were held and b…

• Word of God

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

• Anger

  we today read this passage and it brings questions to our minds wondering exactly what he meant in some of the things he said here and what if any application the passage might have to us today. I suspect most of us have at one point in time or another just read over the passage and gone on. That is what we often do with passages we really do not understand. Yet, if there is a lesson for us in the passage as there was for those who first hear…

• Christian Living

  ng Charge Whatsoever He Saith Do It Christian Duty Love The Cost of Discipleship Keeping The Commandments of God Making the Right Choices When Your Walking Stick Comes Home No Condemnation The Doctrine of Eternal Life Nothing But Leaves Don’t Live in the Past Be Careful How You Bend That Twig The Home As God Sees It Remove Not the Ancient Landmarks The Pot of Gold at the End of God’s Rainbow Why I Am a Christian The Disciples Prayer …

• Ignorance Does Not Excuse Sin

  ut, that having been said, what about the man that takes a lackadaisical attitude toward learning God’s will and obeying his commandments.  Does God’s grace cover man’s indifference? Does a man want to try and go to heaven as one who never cared enough about God and his will to try and learn his commands so he could obey them?  I fear such a man may well meet up with 2 Tim. 2:15 at the Day of Judgment, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to…

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

  One of the wonderful things about America is that we have gotten to be smarter than God (hope you recognize satire when you read it).  We are now wiser than he is, we know better than he does how to love our fellowman and what is inherently right, and we no longer need his word as any kind of a guide to life.  God if you will just take a seat over here to our left behind us and let us handle this we will take care of it.  Yes, maybe you had it r…

• Waymon Swain’s Audio Sermons

  Waymon Swain is a gospel preacher from Bastrop, LA.  You will find Waymon’s sermons listed at the bottom of each of the following subject/topic pages. If you have Windows Media Player they will start playing immediately once you click on the sermon title.  However, if you are using some other player other than Windows Media Player or browser other than Internet Explorer there may be a few seconds delay while the file downloads completely. …

• The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

  e demons also believe and shudder (James 2:19), are they saved?  Because “many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him,” (John 12:42 NAS) were they saved?  Can one be saved who is unwilling to confess Jesus?  Can one believe in Jesus but refuse to confess him and yet be saved?  Paul says, “With the mouth confession is made to salvation.” (Rom. 10:10 NKJV)  In the verse …

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  There are passages in the Bible that are frightening.  Heb. 3:12-13 is one such passage. “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while 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 appl…

• Fear God

  I have often heard it said that a Christian should have no fear of God.  I have mixed feelings when I hear that for it is one of those truths that can easily lead to false conclusions unless the statement is clarified. John indeed says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”  (I John 4:18 NKJV)  It is true that every Christian can have fear …

• 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…

• Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment

  he event are made–DS) the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.” (Ex. 19:11 NASB)  It will be the time when the Lord delivers the 10 commandments. A question is in order here.  Why was one of the purposes of this event “so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you (Moses–DS) forever”? (Ex. 19:9 NASB)  The answer to this question is simple enough.  Moses wa…

• Bible Conversions

  In the book of Acts one finds the inspired apostles and evangelists going out into the world and preaching the gospel.  That statement in itself while true is misleading to a degree for if those who preached the gospel were inspired the preaching was in reality that of the Holy Spirit.  What was demanded of those being converted for salvation was being demanded not by Peter, Philip, or Paul but rather by the Holy Spirit himself. The conversion e…

• A Heart Right With God (Test Your Heart)

  in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (‘motives’ in the NASU–DS).” (Prov. 16:2 NKJV)  Such a man is clean in his own eyes for he has convinced himself his motives are above board whether true or not. I think one of the most fearful statements found in the Bible is this one:  “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.” (Prov. 28:26 NKJV)  Why do I say that?  Because based on what I hear it seems most in Christendom are trusting w…

• 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…