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• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

  w you and I do this.  He says in Rom. 6:3, “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (NKJV)  He goes on, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:4 NKJV)  When is a person to walk in newness of life?  After baptism….

• If Baptism is Not Essential for Salvation

  om of God without water if baptism is not essential for salvation.  But it is said that water here is not to be taken literally.  If that be correct then there is no reason to take Spirit literally either.  The two are joined together.  If one is figurative the other is as well.  If one is literal the other is as well.  (2)  If baptism is not essential for salvation then Jesus errored again when he said, “He who believes and is baptized will be s…

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  nd then says, “to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be…

• Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural?

  There are many different baptisms being performed today by religious people–different methods and for different purposes.  However, the only baptism that I as an individual facing eternity ought to be concerned with is the baptism that Jesus spoke of when he said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16 NKJV) This is the baptism of the Great Commission when Jesus told the apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of a…

• Jesus’ Baptism and You?

  Does baptism matter?  Most Americans have come to the conclusion that it does not, a person can be saved and go to heaven baptized or not.  It is such a settled conviction with most that they are not willing to give the study of the topic the time of day.  It is ridiculous to even consider it as they see it. It seems to me this is taking the same attitude the Pharisees took back in the first century.  They had their settled law and there was no …

• 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 Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist

  t was not a part of the gospel? In Acts 19:2 Paul talks of that time “when you believed.”  Then in verse 3 immediately following he says, “into what then were you baptized?”  He ties belief and baptism together.  If you believed you were baptized is what he is saying.  All of the conversion accounts in the book of Acts teach the same thing.  The question all men and women must ask themselves is what am I personally going t…

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

  e just quoted in the prior paragraph.  But, Paul tells us more here.  What? He tells us you cannot separate faith from baptism unless you do it on your own initiative.  The word “for” beginning the second sentence ties it to the first sentence.  You cannot separate the two sentences.  Furthermore, you may or may not know this, the Bible in the original manuscripts did not have verses or sentences (punctuation).  That was all of man…

• Christian Circumcision

  ed with him in baptism, in which you also were raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” (NKJV) Forgiveness of sins is found in Christ.  Salvation is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:10).  The phrase “in him” is used 3 times in the passage just q…

• Faith and Baptism in Paul’s Preaching

  saved?” (Acts 16:30 NAS)  The entire conversion account follows: “And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.’  And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.  And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.  And he brought them into his house and set food befo…

• 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…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  I have not mentioned even one item that conflicts with another in the teaching of God’s word concerning those things that bring about our salvation the reason being that everything God has had to say on the matter works together in perfect harmony with everything else he has had to say about it.  Faith is not in conflict with works, is not in conflict with obedience, and is not in conflict with baptism. But, the Bible teaches there are othe…

• 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…

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

  ow full well he was sent from God and you are going to do what–doubt him and his message?  I don’t think so! Here is a point that is often overlooked at is relates to justification by faith and baptism, tying them together, and which pretty much proves the point I am trying to make relating to Paul’s conversion.  Speaking of the baptism taught and practiced by John the Baptist the Bible says, “The Pharisees and lawyers rej…

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

  ch, “by the washing of water with the word.” (Eph. 5:26 NAS)  Who was cleansed that way?  Those Paul said earlier had been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).  The washing of water with the word is clearly a reference to baptism.  What did Jesus teach about baptism?  “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16 NAS)  “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 NA…

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

  nto Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (NAS)  We need for the purpose of our study to emphasize the words “baptized into Christ”.  But first what does the word “for” mean?  Has Paul not tied faith in Christ directly with baptism with his second use of the word “for” in this passage?  If you have faith in Christ you are baptized.  If you do not have faith in Christ you are not baptized.  It is th…

• The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept

  it.  Again, there is no being in between.  You are either in or you are out.  You cannot join his spiritual body.  Paul did not say go out and join God’s spiritual body.  He said to be baptized into it.  If there is no baptism then there is no being in the body of Christ.  Case closed.  You cannot join Christ’s body, you are baptized into it. What does this mean then as far as what is considered to be religiously correct in the denom…

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  m in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.  And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.” (NAS) The passage begins with the phrase “in him.”  In him, in Christ, is life, a new creation.  While Paul is speaking of a spiritual circumcision here in Colos…

• 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,…

• The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

  sion 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 receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?  Is it before repentance and baptism for the remission of sins or after?  The answer is evident.  This raises a question.  Is there one gospel in one location and another in a different location so that we can never really know what the gospel is?  Does…

• The Great Commission and Cornelius

  A great many people believe that Cornelius was saved the moment the Holy Spirit fell on him to which I disagree.  It seems to be a topic of interest so I have decided to write on the subject from a different vantage point than is usual. This is really, at its core, a discussion of whether or not water baptism is for the remission of sins as stated in Acts 2:38.  Since that is the basis of opposition every related subject such as conversion, the …

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  into his death? Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no lo…

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

  matter no mention of faith is made in this Acts 5 sermon either but it is implied.  Where is the man to be found capable of scriptural repentance who does not first believe?  Where is the man who is willing to be obedient to baptism who does not first believe?  Can a man be scripturally baptized who does not believe?  No!  When a thing is clearly implied in scripture it does not need to be mentioned. It is said that the Catholics baptize babies …

• Misunderstanding the Grace of God

  to Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Rom 6:3 NKJV)  And he makes the same statement in Gal. 3:27 when he says, “as many of you as were baptized into Christ.” (NKJV)  Anyone who can put two and two together can add the same here. Paul said the same thing earlier in the book of Romans when he said that we are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 3:24 NKJV)  A p…

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

  :38 NKJV)  There are many who will say that yes they believe in order to be saved one must also in addition to having faith repent of his sins.  However, that is where they want to stop.  They want to separate repentance from baptism in the passage and gladly ignore the fact there is a coordinating conjunction there, the word “and,” that joins the two words making one just as essential as another.  (They do the same thing with the word “and” in M…

• What Is Baptism (the Sprinkling Hoax)

  It may well be that there is no Bible subject that has caused more confusion among men than the subject of baptism.  What is baptism?  What is its purpose?  Who should be baptized?  Why?  I would like to take a look at all of these questions and deal with all of them over time but for the present, for the purposes of this article, I will confine myself to the question what is baptism.  I doubt that very many people know what I am about to say.  …

• Things People Do Not Know About the Church

  ch. (9)  The church is the household of God (Eph. 2:19), a spiritual building built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus as the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20), a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:21), “built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22 NKJV).  One either desires to be a living stone in that building or he does not.  “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthoo…

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

  piration in Acts 2:38, we readily see why that was the case.  What did Paul preach to Lydia?  We all agree he taught the fundamentals of the Christian faith.  With Paul, as with the other evangelists of his day, that included baptism for the remission of sins.  The text says Lydia was baptized along with her household (Acts 16:15) but when did she do this and why?  The verse before, verse 14, tells us that she was responding “to the things …

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

  ded from the truth out of willingness to be blind and preference for it.  God has said you must be born of water (and spirit of course) but they say it is not so and we will not do it. Needless to say, water is a reference to baptism.  However, lest I be like the man who says water is not water but offers no proof I need to prove my statement.  First of all Jesus taught baptism as essential when he gave the Great Commission.  He says, He who has …

• 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…

• A New Creation in Christ

  to His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of  His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no l…

• Cornelius’ Conversion–Final Thoughts

  ence to God (gospel obedience) for there can be no obedience to what is thrust upon you (baptism of the Holy Spirit).  To say that obedience to the gospel (a command of God–2 Thess. 1:8, 1 Peter 4:17) equals Holy Spirit baptism and vice versa is to say in reality that there is nothing to obey since only Jesus could baptize one with the Holy Spirit.  Had Cornelius obeyed the gospel? Paul said, concerning the matter of salvation in Rom. 6:17-…

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

  Conscience” which can be found on this site.  If one is to draw near to God “in full assurance of faith” he needs a clean conscience and a baptized body according to this scripture.  God tied the conscience together with baptism in two different passages.  There was a reason for that.  There is hope for the weak and/or defiled conscience but it is found in surrender to God.  Fail to do that and one will eventually find himself …

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

  ken to Saul by Ananias?  Is there more than one gospel that will save?  It has already shown in previous articles, as taken in chronological order, that in every instance the preaching by these inspired men immediately led to baptism on the part of those who accepted the preaching.  Baptism was a part of the message.  Is it any different this time with Cornelius?  No!  Hear Peter, “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  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 one is to take the position that baptism does not matter and that Paul was teaching that in this passage.  Here is the question–if it did not matter, if it has nothing to do with salvation, if Christ did not want Paul to baptize why did Paul baptize? …

• For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith Alone

  s.  No one would or could be baptized into Christ without first having faith in him.  Forgiving grace is found in Christ.  The reader will see readily that I do not pit Paul against himself.  Faith, grace, and baptism all fit together into one package.  Paul meant what he said in every single passage of scripture he wrote but those who interpret Eph. 2:8-9 the way most do today have him fighting himself for they cannot admit he meant what he said…

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

  “And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.  And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:35-36 NAS) This is the account of Philip and his encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch.  It shows that when Jesus is preached baptism is preached as a part of preaching Jesus to an alien sinner.  When th…

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

  r was involved in salvation. “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 NAS)  He said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16 NAS) What is baptism?  It is one aspect of obedience of faith.  In Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached that first sermon would there have been obedience of faith had those he spoke to failed to heed his admonition?  What i…

• How Was Noah Saved Through Water?

  How was Noah and his family saved through water?  Peter, in 1 Peter 3:20-21, says they were but just how is a little hard to understand without some thought and study.  The passage reads as follows:  “when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.  There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the f…

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

  usness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” (Rom. 10:9-10 NKJV) The final condition one is met with before it can be said he has entered the body of Christ of which Christ said he is the Savior (Eph. 5:23) is baptism.  “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.  For in fact the body is not one member but many.” (…

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

  and another something different. In Peter’s gospel sermon in Acts 2, the first such sermon ever preached after Christ’s ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, Peter preached repentance and baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).  Was one required to believe him?  Was this something a person had to believe in order to be saved?  Was what he preached a part of the gospel?  Did he preach by inspiration tha…

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

  ad come down from heaven, from God himself. What had they seen and heard that day?  They had heard the sound that came from heaven “as of a rushing mighty wind” (Acts 2:2 NKJV) which is why they had come to gather together.  Whether they had seen the “tongues, as of fire” (Acts 2:3 NKJV) that sat upon the apostles one cannot say with certainty but they most assuredly had heard the sound and then witnessed and heard the apo…

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

  asing the Father? In closing it needs to be repeated for emphasis sake that it all begins with gospel obedience and contrary to the thoughts of the denominational world that does include not only faith and repentance but also baptism as well.  It is only in baptism that we die to sin for it is there where we were crucified with Christ being baptized into his death (meaning the benefits of his death).  Read carefully Rom. 6:2-8 and then read the c…

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  your conscience has been trained than anything else. Peter associates baptism with a good conscience in this scripture and none can deny that.  A good conscience (which one can readily equate with a pure heart for the two go together) is essential to salvation, baptism is thus essential to salvation.  On a practical level it matters not whether baptism is an “answer” of a good conscience as per the NKJV or an “appeal” for…

• The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

  Jesus”?  The jailer needed to know.  What was to be believed?  He was receptive if he could only learn what it was he was to believe.  Verse 32 indicates that Paul and Silas did speak “the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.” (Acts 16:32 NAS)  But, that is all that is said about the preaching.  We would have to look elsewhere to find what the gospel is for we are all certain he preached the gospel. …

• God’s Willingness to Forgive–King Manasseh

  It is not unusual to find in religion, as it relates to Christianity, two extremes of thought.  There are those who feel God is so full of loving kindness that he will readily forgive us of any and all of our sins if we just ask him.  We may be kind of sorry that we  did whatever it was we did, sorry about the consequences at least, so feel we must ask God’s forgiveness but the truth is if the same set of circumstances were to arise again we wou…

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  tt. 5:39 NKJV) Yes, we all know the multitude of passages in the New Testament teaching us to love our fellowman, to be kind and tender hearted, longsuffering and forbearing, and yet we seemingly are unable to put two and two together and say that hey, there is something wrong here.  Would true Christians in the tens of thousands voluntarily offer themselves up to go to war to destroy pagans?  Do we not know the Bible teaches we are to teach and …

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

  little deeper about the matter.  Is Jesus just talking about our mental state of mind when he gives this warning against being ashamed of him?  I think not. Jesus made another statement found in Matt. 10:32-33 that I believe ties in with the Luke 9 passage just quoted above.  He says, “Everyone therefore who shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my father who is in heaven.  But whoever shall deny me before men, I will…

• Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required

  ady knew it was not in the New Testament as you also know if you have ever read it. The lady says in the early church (she means the Catholic church not the first century New Testament church) confirmation was associated with baptism.  I guess from what she wrote that a bishop would confirm a new convert after his/her baptism and sometimes quite a long while after that baptism.  Confirmation was thus just some words a bishop would utter in some k…

• Baptized For the Dead

  for the dead.”  It is common to find in most commentaries an extended discussion of the verse with much more space being devoted to it than there is to the average verse. I have no doubt that the verse is a reference to water baptism for the remission of sins (yes, I can hear my critics already).  Why do I say that?  In the very first chapter of First Corinthians Paul begins a discussion of the divisions in the church at Corinth.  To show the bre…

• Praying to God to Bless the Bread–Really?

  thus “likewise” means Jesus gave thanks. If the reader will just remember 1 Cor. 14:16-17 he/she will never be confused again with regards to  this subject.  Many years ago it was common when people were gathered together for a meal to hear the one in charge ask another “to give the blessing.”  People back in those days knew what the  blessing was.  Times have changed.  To bless or give the blessing is to have a prayer of…

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

  edition of the Bible (read John 16:12-15 for proof of this statement). Many are the men who say they believe in Jesus but who do not believe what he said about the new birth having water in it (John 3:5) or what he said about baptism (Mark 16:16).  One must believe Jesus, must believe what he said on each and every topic about which he spoke.  For me to say I believe in a man but I just do not believe what he said about this or that shows my beli…

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  and be saved by a personal relationship with Jesus separate and apart from the church (from the brethren).  “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, … for if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of j…

• Disobedience to Jesus

  ve choices to make to either obey or disobey the commands of God.  Where are you going to be next Sunday morning?  Will you obey Jesus by assembling with the saints?  We are admonished to not forsake “our own assembling together.” (Heb. 10:25 NAS)  We either obey or disobey.  Life consists of two choices–disobedience to Jesus or obedience to Jesus.  We have free will.  We get to choose.  We also get to reap the end result of our…

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

  I recently had an individual ask the question that if baptism is essential for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38) then why did not Jesus tell the rich young ruler?  (This individual does not believe what Peter taught on the subject in Acts 2 where Peter makes baptism essential to salvation.)  It is the wrong question to ask.  Why?  Because when Jesus was talking to the rich young ruler he was not talking to you and me.  The only lessons in the …

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  they have the book of James covered by the good works which they do. The trouble is they will not take God at his word.  They cannot accept that Jesus and the Holy Spirit said what they meant and meant what they said.  Forget baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21).  They do not believe the words out of Jesus’ own mouth, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbeliev…

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  have “the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38 NAS).  What was that one thing he mentioned that it would take to obtain the forgiveness of sins in addition to repentance on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2?  It was baptism. Now note what Barnes said as quoted earlier.  “It (a reference to the Greek word translated “return” in the NAS or “be converted” in the NKJV–DS) is a word used in a general sense…

• Does God Really Care?

  must suffer.  I would like to read a paraphrase that I believe to be accurate in terms of expressing the meaning of Rom. 8:17 from the New Living Translation.  “And since we are his children, we are his heirs.  In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.  But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” I hope you got the last sentence, “if we are to share his glory, we must also share hi…

• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  Hebrews 3:1-2 reads as follows:  “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful in all his house.” (NKJV) Reading this passage and its surrounding context awhile back got me to thinking about the faithfulness of Jesus.  We seldom think about Jesus being “faithful,” that…

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  ught to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Heb. 5:12 NKJV)  Some were forsaking the assembling of themselves together (Heb. 10:25).  They had need of endurance (Heb. 10:36).  A careful reading of the book leaves one with the impression they were wavering, or were on the brink of it, and thus were being exhorted and encouraged to st…

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

  of truth no matter how many scriptures you show them.  They would flunk out of a high school or college class for they will not accept factual statements or any kind of sound reasoning.  Show them a passage like Acts 2:38 on baptism for the remission of sins (add to that Acts 22:16 and 1 Peter 3:21) and they will say the text cannot mean what it seems to be saying, that would be impossible from their point of view, for like the lady with O.J. it…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  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 diversity but rather unity which brings up the question of whether or not Christianity is a multicultural religion.  If it is the…

• The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell

  David, in Psalms 9:17, made this statement:  “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (NKJV)  That is strong, strong language and language people do not want to hear.  Some would probably call it hate speech.  People do not want to hear about hell and many reject God because of the concept of hell as taught in the Bible.  I suspect it is highly likely many who look at what I write from time to time…

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

  Sometimes we run across phrases in the Bible that we really do not understand yet we think we can kind of guess at the meaning and come close enough thus we never bother to study them out to get at the truth.  The phrases trouble us a little but not enough for us to do any extra work to find out the meanings.  The phrase “my name” as found in the Bible is just such a phrase. The exact phrase “my name” is found 118 times i…

• Denominationalism’s Sin Against Peter

  e of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” (Act 2:38 NKJV)  Their faith was evident by their asking the question. Denominationalists say Peter could not have meant what the words he spoke seem to be saying–that baptism is for the remission of sins.  Hmmm!  I thought he was inspired; I thought the Holy Spirit fell on him and the other apostles that day prior to the sermon.  If so, and I thought it was, I thought God was capable of s…

• Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16

  Who has everlasting life?  Is it the man Jesus spoke of in John 3:16 when he said, “whoever believes in him (speaking of himself–DS) should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV) or is it the man he spoke of in John 5:24 when he said, “I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life” (NKJV)?  First,  Jesus says in the former passage believe in him for everlasting life wh…

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  It begins with the Spirit in that through the Spirit’s word, the gospel message, man is led to faith and repentance and a willingness and desire to confess Christ for who he is–the Son of God–and it culminates in baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16) but more succinctly to put to death the old man of sin and to arise a new spiritual creation (Rom. 6:4-6).  The old man dies in baptism (Rom. 6:4), “we were buried with …

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  ple of God” (1 Cor. 3:16 NKJV) and says 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’…

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  talking about in the passage under discussion. Have they ever been baptized for the remission of sins?  (Acts 2:38)  No!  Do they intend to?  No!  Do they worship God?  No!  Do they “forsake the assembling of ourselves together?” (Heb. 10:25 NKJV)  Yes!  Have they put on “the whole 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 th…

• Which Denomination Did Jesus Build?

  out very clearly for any thinking individual.  If your denomination thinks those in another denomination can be saved the same as you can and will be (?) is it not sin on your group’s part if you do not disband and join together with them?  If not why not?  Who gives your group the right to stay separated from fellow believers that you admit will be saved?  Why are you not guilty of willful sin if you refuse to disband and join with them, i…

• Must a Man Seek God?

  arged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.  As it is written:  ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.  They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.’” (Rom. 3:9-12 NKJV)  Did you note there is none who seek after God in this passage and they are all in sin? David in Psalms 10:4 said, R…

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

  al will be served and eat it all up before others arrive. Believe it if you can. The very verses that are said to prove this prove just the opposite, verses 33 and 34 of 1 Cor. 11. “Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment.” (NKJV) The Lord’s Supper is not about satisfying hunger. Eat at home is what Paul says about sa…

• Abortion Luke 1 – All You Need to Know

  has to say really means absolutely nothing as to whether or not a thing is right in God’s eyes.  God does not determine righteousness based on man’s thoughts, opinions, or consensus.  Whatever it is whether living together outside of marriage, homosexual unions, abortion, or whatever, it makes no difference what public opinion polls say the majority believe and are willing to accept–not with God.  God does not care. “̵…

• 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…

• Better to Never Have Been Born–Why?

  Jesus in reference to his betrayer Judas said, “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (Matt. 26:24 ESV)  Most of us who believe the Bible can understand what Jesus said and why as it pertains to Judas and if we could leave it at that we could rest in peace.  Why then does such a statement torment us? The answer is because we know the truth to be that any man or woman whether it is our mother or dad, our wif…

• 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…

• Acceptable Prayer

  fference?  He surely did for he asks others to pray for him.  Why do so if there is nothing to be gained by prayer?  He says, “Brethren, pray for us.” (1 Thess. 5:25 NAS)  Then in Rom. 15:30 we read, “strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” (NAS) Prayer is actually a Christian work or labor as suggested by the word “strive.”  Paul, speaking of Epaphras, says to the Colossians, he is “alway…

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

  s manifested a lack of faith in God.  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 wi…

• Who is the Believer in John 3:16?

  Jesus had to be a teacher from God because of the miracles he had been doing.  “No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2 NKJV)  The reader would do well to open his Bible to John 3 and if you have a red letter edition all the better.  You can readily see this conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus runs from John 3:1-21. John 3:16 has given comfort to many, self included, as it should.  It clearly tea…

• 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…

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

  tten.  There is a judgment day where we will have to provide answers as to what we did and why in the religious realm of our life (as well as in other areas). Often the answer that comes up is that all the denominations taken together are the church Jesus built.  We all know deep down that is not true but again we do not like to think about it.  Every one of them was built hundreds of years after the fact by man, not by God.  We also know that th…

• The Christian, Politics, and the Government

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

• They Loved the Praise of Men

  st certainly will concede on doctrinal matters.  Is it not true that the desire for the praise of men is behind much of the extremely liberal views of the Bible?  The New Testament is clear in its teaching on subjects such as baptism, the role of women, homosexuality and yet it makes but little difference to many.  We must be politically correct and pleasing to the culture of the time.  To teach against things such as homosexuality is considered …

• Is Church Attendance Essential for Christian Salvation?

  he will not attend church by which is meant the church worship services.  Hear God’s word on the subject. (1) “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:24-25 NKJV) This passage clearly commands the Christian to assemble with other Christians.  That b…

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

  ority? Remember when Jesus was confronted by the chief priests and elders who wanted to know by what authority he was doing the things he was doing?  He told them he would answer when they answered his question which was “The baptism of John, where was it from?  From heaven or from men?” (Matt. 21:25 NKJV)  Thus we need to ask the question of the instrument in Christian worship, where was it from, from heaven or from man?  To ask is to answer if …

• Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door

  )  Who is the “we” being spoken to, who has received the knowledge of the truth–the Christian.  The verse just prior to that one speaks of those who are guilty of “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” (Heb. 10:25 NKJV)  The writer closes this section of his writing by saying, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31 NKJV) In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul begins by …

• Repentance–How Can I Be Sure?

  Acts 2, the conclusion of Peter’s inspired sermon was, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:38 NKJV)  Repentance was made essential to salvation (as was baptism unless you have a good set of scissors which many do). Who must repent?  Sinners.  “For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.  As it is written:  ‘There is none righteous, no, n…

• The Silence of the Scriptures

  From a book entitled A Short History of Christianity by Stephen Tomkins I quote as follows:  “The basic difference between Zwingli and Luther was in their attitudes to the Bible.  Zwingli saw it as a precise blueprint for church life.  For Luther, what is not forbidden is permitted; for Zwingli, what is not permitted is forbidden.” (page 141)  Both Zwingli and Luther lived in the Age of Reformation often called the Protestant Reforma…

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

  ment, the word of God alone, as our guide a lot of things will have to be given up.  One does not read in his New Testament of, as examples, sprinkling of infants, christenings, sprinkling of any one at any age and calling it baptism, baptism for any purpose other than the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), instruments of music being used in worship, dramas being performed, group musical performances, and a host of other things that have today become…

• 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…

• 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 …

• Faith is Not Just What You Believe

  6:46 NKJV)  He is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Heb. 5:9 NKJV) Thus a salvation by faith without works of obedience would also be a salvation without love for God.  Faith only advocates will not have baptism as an element of salvation for they fear it is a work.  Well, no more so than repentance.  When the Bible teaches we are saved by grace through faith and not of works, Eph. 2:8-9, is that passage teaching we are save…

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

  tments but when our hope is in God we can believe that he will be with us and see us through the tough spots.  Our hope is in God whom we believe and know from the scriptures loves us.  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 NKJV)  We can believe that even though things are hard in our life God will work it out for us if we will be fa…

• Saul’s Conversion

  “And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he arose and was baptized.” (Acts 9:18 NAS)  In Acts chapter 9 verses 1 through 18 we have the account of Saul’s conversion from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle of Christ.  In the early years of Christianity when a person heard and believed the gospel, accepting it, it always led immediately to baptism.  The reader and Bible…

• 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…

• 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 …

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  ral affection…love of kindred, especially of parents for children and children for parents.”  The Greek is the word “astorgos.” An example of natural affection is found in the story of the two women (harlots) who while living together gave birth to sons 3 days apart.  The one woman lay on her son in the night killing him by accident.  She then claimed the other woman’s son as her own.  The matter was taken before King Solomon who heard both women…

• He Went Away Grieved

  ?” (NKJV)  The real motive for the acquisition of wealth is generally just that, “the desires for pleasure”.  He says then in the next verse they do not have because they do not ask and then in verse 3 he makes a comment that ties in directly with out subject. He says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3 NKJV)  Wealth is not given a man for the purpose of having multiple homes i…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  ple. Should we stop worship services saying it is a waste of time and the time could be better spent out in the community helping the poor keep up their houses, doing errands for them, etc.?  Let every member cease assembling together for worship and use the time instead to do good works and no doubt much help could be rendered but God is to be worshipped. It is not wrong to worship God because you are taking time away from helping the poor.  If …

• 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…

• Non-Offensive Christianity

  aw to live a life of fornication who is likely to be offended by that belief?  To ask is to answer—the fornicator, to those who see sex as a sort of human right married or not.  If the Christian was to speak up against living together outside of marriage how many friends do you think he would make in the world we live in today here in America?  Not many.  If he speaks up it is said he is making himself a judge and just causing trouble.  He is con…

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  or 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 creator, the God of the universe.  One will pay for his sin, “For the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23 NKJV)  One does …

• Philip Preaching the Gospel in Samaria

  ptized.  Thus we see that in the beginning of the church, of Christianity, of faith in Christ, that when the gospel was preached and believed or received it led to people being baptized.  There has to be a reason for that. Is baptism a part of the gospel?  Is it a part 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 Ho…

• When did Obedience Become Legalism?

  We seem to be living in a time in the present Christian era where people seem to feel that all that matters in Christianity is love and God’s grace, that obedience is simply legalism, and that people do not have to obey Bible commands for salvation (except, of course, for the command to believe in Jesus as the Savior). Grace is made cheap.  Live as you like, call yourself a Christian, and God’s grace will cover you.  It is said it is what is in …

• 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:…

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

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

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  u read from God’s word, all of it for it is not a buffet where you get to pick and choose, or will it be you have no intention of acting on any commandment unless it suits what you think is fitting or proper? The rejection of baptism is rampant in the religious world today as is God’s teaching on marriage, divorce, and remarriage, women in leadership positions in the church, and we are heading to the point where God’s teaching on homosexuality wi…

• 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 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…

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

  Does Bible authority matter or is man free to do as he sees fit in the Christian religion?  Most have come to the conclusion today that it does not matter.  The result is that there are more unheard of things going on in Christian worship today than ever before.  You name it and it is being done somewhere.  Every type of special service the mind can imagine (and many that you cannot) is being held.  The idea is that anything we do in worship wit…

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

  cannot be the ruling force in the life of one who would live a Christian life pleasing to God and be saved in the end. In speaking to Judah through Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 1:18 the Lord said, “Come now, and let us reason together.” (NKJV)  That is what we ought to do and must do (use the head, not the emotions) if we are going to do God’s will and be saved in the last day. There is always hope for man as long as there is a Bible provided the…

• Regrets

  r Adam I am only willing to say that I do not know what happened in the many years after his fall in the garden.  Did he repent?  Did God forgive him?  I am willing to leave that with them. Because we are all in the same boat together should we not fully accept one another with all of our faults of the past and count them as but nothing (the assumption being we have repented and turned to God)?  We have all sunk our own boat and all of us are rea…

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

  ked the authority of Christ.  Did he?  That is the subject I wish to pursue in this article.  I add that the reality is that if what Paul wrote is not authoritative then we cannot stop there but have to go right down the line and ask about what Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter, and Jude wrote as well. The truth of the matter is every single word of the New Testament excepting only those words added by translators for clarification (usually…

• The Struggle to be a Spiritually Minded Man or Woman

  and develop spiritual mindedness in his/her life he or she needs the companionship of like minded people.  “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” (Heb. 10:24-25 NKJV) There is an old saying to the effect that we ought to choose our friends wisely and there is much truth in that adage.  Become close friends with the wrong kind of people and you will de…

• Why Do Men Run From God?

  le only teaches one church and one faith and it does not teach a thousand different competing doctrines.   ”There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Eph. 4:4-6 NKJV)  Churches today have many, many people in them who are in reality running from God but are not willing to admit …

• Receiving the Gospel (Acts 2:41)

  public record proclaiming that?  If you would not then why not?  Most denominational bodies run into serious trouble with this verse for if Peter did indeed preach a gospel sermon here then to receive it the text teaches that baptism is required.  They cannot accept that nor are they willing to.  The New Living Translation, a dynamic equivalence translation, puts it this way, “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to th…

• Work Out Your Own Salvation

  to him and confess that Jesus is Lord. (Philippians 2:9-11) But, now note how verse 12, the first verse of our text (Philippians 2:12-13) begins.  It begins with our word “therefore” again meaning all of this has been tied in together thus the broader context within which Philippians 2:12-13 is found.  Jesus was obedient to death (verse 8).  Paul says the Philippians “have always obeyed” (Philippians 2:12).  His admonition then, taken in context,…

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

  no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (2 Cor. 11:14-15 NKJV) Satan quoted scripture to Jesus while tempting him after his baptism. False teachers can quote scripture. We today are gullible. We believe about anything that is called Christian, whether in doctrine or works, is God approved. We just accept it and go on and assume it is fine with Go…

• Israel’s Rebellion at the Red Sea

  m.   Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.’” (Ex. 3:6-10 NKJV) Moses was instructed to go to Egypt, gather the elders of the people together, tell them of God and the mission he had sent Moses on, and specifically (for the purposes of this article) tell them, “I (God–DS) will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to … a land flowing wit…

• God’s Hardening of the Human Heart

  harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.” (Exod. 4:21 NKJV) Why did God do this?  He tells us as he told Pharaoh, “But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” (Exod. 9:16 NKJV)  Paul quotes this passage in Rom. 9:17 and then in the very next verse says, “Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He ha…

• 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…

• A Heart Right With God (Test Your Heart)

  In Acts 8:21 Peter uttered the following words to Simon who was in his company, “Your heart is not right in the sight of God.” (NKJV)  How important it is that the heart be right with God.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8 NKJV)  Simon could not be saved without a change of heart.  It is imperative that we know all we can about the human heart of which the Bible speaks and which we each possess.  Knowing the he…

• 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…

• Abuse of the Old Testament

  There are many things practiced in the name of Christianity today that have no biblical basis to be found in the law of Christ.  The Old Testament is, at times, appealed to as the source of authority.  Does the Old Testament have the same authority for Christians today as the New Testament?  How should Christians today relate to and handle the Old Testament scriptures?  These are questions we all ought to be interested in for we are saved by tru…

• 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, …

• Jesus Defines Repentance

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

• Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

  told you–repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins. So a man can prepare to meet God in death by hearing, believing, and obeying the gospel which includes not only faith but also repentance, confession, and baptism for the remission of sins.  This many have not done and thus wait unprepared for the bridegroom. In Matt. 24:35-44 Jesus is speaking to his disciples and says: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words wil…

• The Heart of Man from a Biblical Perspective

  affection?  The Greeks had, if I recall correctly, 4 words which when translated into English are all translated by the one English word “love.”  When we talk about sex, friendship, affection, etc. we just kind of lump it all together into one big word, the word “love,” and let the reader decide for himself what we are talking about.  The Greeks were much more precise in their language.  The Greek word found behind our English word “love” most of…

• 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…

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

  ith built upon reason based on the word of God confirmed by miracles.  I believe not because I am naive and will believe anything and will buy bridges in deserts but rather because God said, “come now, and let us reason together.” (Isa. 1:18 NKJV)  I have done that–reasoning based on the word of God confirmed by miracles. Why was the tomb of Jesus empty the third day?  Why could the Romans not find the body of Jesus?  Why did th…

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

  born” could have been “begotten”.  It is a translator’s choice as to which word to use.  In fact, the Analytical-Literal Translation uses the word “begotten.”  Use the word “begotten” and the conflict between verse 12 and 13 disappears. How do we know the word “begotten” is the correct word to use here when either “begotten” or “born” can be used with justification as a…

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

  “Nor let us try the Lord.” (1 Cor 10:9 NASB)  A lot of translations use the word “test” here rather than the word “try” as the meaning is the same.  According to Peter, in Acts 5:9, Ananias and Sapphira “put the Spirit of the Lord to the test” (NASB) and died as a consequence. This is the very thing the children of Israel did time and time again.  In Numbers 14:22-23 the Lord says, in speaking to Mo…

• Case of Cornelius

  Was Cornelius Saved Before Baptism? The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit The Great Commission and Cornelius Saved by Faith or Saved by Holy Spirit Baptism? Cornelius’ Conversion–Final Thoughts …

• Parable of the Tares–No Middle Ground

  enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’  But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”” (Matt. 13:24-30…

• Salvation (Becoming a Christian)

  e Written There? The Doctrine of Eternal Life The Goodness and Severity of God There is No Difference Are You Ready? All Spiritual Blessings Are in Christ Abiding in The Doctrine Making the Right Choices Things God Has Joined Together The Pot of Gold at the End of God’s Rainbow …

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

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

• The Prodigal Son–When He Came to Himself

  whole world seems to be condoning their sin?  How do you sin when there is no such thing as sin such as has come to be the standard of thought in America today? There was a time in my life (I am 62) where if a couple moved in together not being married it was looked down upon by just about the whole community.  I now know of those who not only move in together, but buy a house, and have children and it is thought to be a wonderful thing even thou…

• Diotrephes Loves To Have the Preeminence

  In the third book of John we read about a man by the name of Diotrephes as follows: “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.  Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words.  And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.” (3 John 1:9-10 …

• He Feared

  n chapter 6 verse 11, tells them to, “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” (NAS)  In verse 13 he explains saying, “that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”  In speaking of this armor he refers to faith as a shield (verse 16). In ancient times in battle as long as a man had a shield and could keep it placed between his body and the swo…

• The Need to Sing in Worship

  mediately know you are where you want to be and where you ought to be when the singing is as powerful as it can be. That power comes not from the best voices in the land but from some of the best hearts as brethren worshiping together in deep sincerity sing God’s praises.  Besides, even though we may not have the best voices in the land I have never heard a time when there was a large group of brethren gathered together singing when the sin…

• Pray For Others Lest You Sin

  13:18 NKJV) There is one prayer request by Paul that seems to be more than just a request.  To the Romans he writes, “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” (Rom. 15:30 NKJV) That one especially touches the heart, “I beg you.”  Have you ever wished people would pray for you?  I have wished they would pray for me.  We often feel al…

• Faith

  rmons  (by Waymon Swain) Faith–What it is And What it Does (Part I) Faith–What it is And What it Does (Part II) Test of Faith What Faith Is and Does Why We Believe in God Why I Am a Christian Things God Has Joined Together …

• Never Give Up

  ;don’t give up.  No matter how weak you may be at times, no matter how many sins you may commit as a Christian, no matter how bad they may be don’t give up.  It is never hopeless until we give up.  We are all in the same boat together.  John says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8 NKJV)  Sin hits us all even as Christians.  The other guy may just do a better job hiding his.  Quitters never w…

• Looking Down Your Nose

  that we are a lot like that here in America in some respects even today.  It is not likely you will see a janitor or clerk, for example, visiting and socializing with an executive in their home.  Teachers and cooks do not get together and visit in each others homes but it is that way pretty much all across our society. James by inspiration tells us this is not the way the Christian is supposed to be.  We are to treat each other honorably and show…

• The Sin of Being Unthankful and the Need for Thanksgiving

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

• 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…

• Repent–How Hard It Is To Do

  ve but are unwilling to repent, unwilling to give up their lifestyle. I want to deal with that in just a minute but first I want to suggest this.  While belief and repentance are two separate factors yet they are closely tied together.  If a person truly had the depth of conviction (call it faith or belief) that hell was real and as bad as the Bible teaches it is and believed they were going there I think most men would repent.  Who volunteers to…

• I Can Do All Things Through Christ

  has not gone there is not and cannot be faith in Jesus Christ. So we see when all things are placed in proper order we have Jesus first, then his word, then faith, then power (the strengthening) and these are tied so closely together that they are like links in a chain.  Which one could you remove without destroying the chain? There was power enough in the words Jesus spoke to change Saul’s life for Saul was now to become Paul, Paul the apostle….

• Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings

  do not know is that the phrase “the faith” is found in your Bible more times than you know.  Why do I say that?  Because those who translated our Bibles left it out thinking it unnecessary to translate both words together in several different places instead just using the word “faith” without the article “the” that preceded it in the Greek.  Let me give you some examples. Gal. 3:14, “That the blessing of…

• Forgiveness

  God’s Willingness to Forgive–King Manasseh Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? More on Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? The Need to Preach on Sin The Peace Found in the Forgiveness of Others Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Forgiveness Contacting the Blood of Salvation No Condemnation Is Your Name Written There? The Goodness and Severity of God Are You Ready? …

• Spiritual Mirages

  It is so easy to be misled in life.  Things appear to be a certain way when the reality is they are just the opposite of what they seem to be.  Ask any young man or woman or husband or wife who has been deeply in love and 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 o…

• The Peace Found in Forgiveness of Others

  If you or I or any other were asked to compile a list of the ugliest traits of character that a person could have and that we run across in people I am sure that things like hatred, anger, bitterness, malice, and an unwillingness to forgive would all rank up there near the top of our list.  People who possess 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 t…

• 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…

• Bible Conversions

  soul’s peril. The links below will take you to articles (written by me) and audio sermons (sermons by a friend of mine–Waymon Swain) discussing mainly conversions recorded in the book of Acts with the emphasis on baptism.  Why that emphasis?  Because very few, if any, debate the necessity of faith, repentance, or the need to confess Christ. Receiving the Gospel – Acts 2:41 Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon Peter’s Preach…

• DennySmith.Net

  on site according to WordPress.  Most of the articles if printed out would average 3 pages or more.  Waymon has over 110 audio sermons here.  You may find things here you do not agree with especially if you are one who feels baptism is a non-essential for salvation.  I learned this the hard way by posting my articles on various article directories around the web beginning back in 2008.  Believe me when I say I heard about it.  Nevertheless, I th…

• The Faith of Enoch

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

• Honestly Deceived

  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 obeys God and starts for h…

• The Chastening of the Lord

  People often have a misconception about God.  They cannot imagine that God would ever bring upon us trials and tribulations, punish us for our sins, or do anything in this life but bring us good–good as we measure it.  God is love, God is grace, and the very idea that God would ever send upon us anything but that which is most pleasant is abhorrent to their way of thinking. There is no doubt that when one looks at the big picture that God …

• Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation

  em in their proper place.  We want the extra nice home or car, that which we cannot comfortably afford, and thus there goes the benevolence we could have practiced had we purchased more modestly.  We want to have a family get together.  Great!  We ought to do that.  But do we say no worship this Sunday, for there is no time as we have guests coming for lunch (called dinner where I live)?  Or, do we have to get to such and such a place in time for…

• 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 Holy Sp…

• 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’…

• Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives

  “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who did not obey?  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” (NKJV)  The reader ought to note carefully how the Hebrew writer ties together faith and obedience or unbelief and disobedience.  Those who believe obey; those who disbelieve disobey. Why did the adults of that group we refer to as the children of Israel who left Egypt with Moses to go to the …

• Singing and Playing in Christian Worship

  ing” could mean either just sing or sing and play both.  The trouble is that is not true.  Sing means sing or else words have no meaning and if that is the case we soon lose our ability to communicate.  We may put two and two together today because of the common practice that singers also often play while singing but still singing is singing and that is all the word means.  When you begin to say it also means or could include playing you are walk…

• The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God

  ssing of affliction, and see in it the goodness of God in that it will draw us to him if we will allow it.  No matter if the affliction is from the devil himself, as when he tempted Jesus, God is able to make “all things work together for good to those who love God.” (Rom. 8:28 NKJV)  If your affliction leads you to a greater dependence and a drawing near to God in greater faith and obedience you have been blessed for you will soon be passing fro…

• 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…

• The Book of Ecclesiastes

  Is the book of Ecclesiastes the most depressing book in the Bible?  Well, it can be–no doubt about it.  I don’t think it would make very many people’s list of favorite Bible books.  I know personally it always kind of depressed me in days gone by when I would read it but that was my fault, not the book’s fault.  I would like to try and show the upbeat side of the book of Ecclesiastes. What the book of Ecclesiastes does is…

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

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

• Fear God

  r banished from his life whether young or old. Just a few verses later John says, “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments”.  (1 John 5:3)  This freedom from fear is available to any Christian living a faithful and dedicated life, one who is observing all the commandments of God, who truly repents when he does transgress, who puts God first in his life in every respect.  Such a man fears neither man, death, nor the judgment. Paul w…

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

  Everyone is pleased to have the grace of God in their life but are we disturbed by it when his grace shows up in the lives of others seemingly more generously than in our own?  I am afraid that is sometimes the case.  The parable of the laborers found in Matt. 20:1-16 is a perfect example and is also an excellent illustration of how man feels he knows more about what is just and right than God does. The passage is too long to quote here but I wi…

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  be hardened by sin is applicable to all men. The fact that a man can be hardened by sin is scary in that the implication is that a person might well get to the point where he/she is so hardened that they can no longer repent and thus lose all possibility of  being forgiven.  Sufficient hardening leads to damnation.  When your heart becomes so hard you cannot repent, for your heart will not allow it, you are done. The spiritual heart of man can b…

• 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

  . Kurfees.  As soon as you click the link here you will see the contents outlined so you can immediately go to the chapter that interests you the most.  A pretty exhaustive study and covers about every aspect of the subject.) Baptism  (A sermon by J. W. McGarvey on the subject taking an approach to its study that is unusual and one I have not taken in any of the writing I have done on the topic.  Another late 1800′s sermon.) The Course to P…

• 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…

• Abraham’s Faith (Faith Accounted for Righteousness)

  Every person who truly believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is interested in having what we might term “saving faith.”  The Bible could not be any clearer than it is on our need for such faith.  Paul tells the Ephesian Christians, “By grace you have been saved through faith.” (Eph. 2:8 NKJV)  To the Christians at Rome he speaks of them “having been justified by faith” (Rom. 5:1 NKJV) and then the…

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

  , the subjective opinion of man.  If “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17), and that is what the Bible says, then where there is no word there is opinion only. True, we are commanded to assemble together (Heb. 10:25) but that does not necessarily require a building owned by the brethren.  The church could rent, they could meet in a shelter house at a local park, they could meet at the home or property a brother migh…

• 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…

• 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…

• 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 Pleasures of Sin

  seat that day, not worshipped at all, because of some special event that brought pleasure?   Give a man who has an interest in it a ticket to an NFL game, the Indy 500, or whatever it might be, even just a special family get together, and chances are God will come in second place.  Our idea is we can worship God any old Sunday but this is a one time opportunity.  We ought to ask ourselves “a one time opportunity to do what–put God second?”…

• Faith, Manna, and Grumbling Against God

  lmost say from the get go.  It is also a plague many who claim to be believers suffer from today. Why are some who claim to be Christians and saved disobedient to God’s command to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Heb. 10:24-25); why do some go through life claiming faith but never submit themselves to being baptized (Acts 2:38); why do some claiming faith never open the pages of the Bible to read it (2 Tim. 3:16-17)?  A man…

• Christian Living

  an Fear God Regrets If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications Work Out Your Own Salvation Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door Looking Down Your Nose He Went Away Grieved Bible Authority, Foot Washing, the Holy Kiss, and Head Coverings King Saul–As Long as it Glorifies God When Did Obedience Become Legalism? Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions? Healing For the Brokenhearted Deeper Spiritual Understanding They Loved the …

• Assorted

  hings That Could be Written on the Door to Hell The Goodness and Severity of God What a Preacher Must Preach Keeping the Commandments of God Why So Many Travel the Broad Way Making the Right Choices Love Things God Has Joined Together Things That Trouble The Providence of God Abiding in The Doctrine There Is No Difference A Crucial Difference Division Outstanding Women of the Bible   …

• Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment

  What do the children of Israel coming to Mt. Sinai have to do with the Day of Judgment?  More than you might think.  The children of Israel reached Mt. Sinai in the third month after they left Egypt (Ex. 19:1-2).  They had had by this time many experiences and had seen God working actively on their behalf in miracle after miracle.  They had seen the plagues in Egypt from many of which they were spared.  They had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground…

• King Saul–As Long as It Glorifies God

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

• Keep Your Heart With All Diligence

  If you are like me you were always a little fearful that you were perhaps not normal.  That is to say you have struggled being the person you ought to be and like Eve have desired the forbidden fruit and the thought has come to your mind that that is not normal, not normal for those who want to do what is right.  We get to the point where we question our heart.  Maybe we just have a bad heart.  Maybe we are just a little more depraved than other…

• Ghost Hunting and Consulting the Dead

  Ghost hunting has become popular on TV in recent years.  Just about all of us are curious about those things that are unknown, mysterious, and frightening and we think maybe even a little dangerous.  Some people believe in ghosts and some do not.  The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost when they saw Jesus walking on the water–Matt. 14:26, Mark 6:49–but that may have been simply because they felt there was no other way of acco…

• Fornication–Take It Lightly at Your Peril

  “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are:  adultery, fornication…and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal. 5:19-21 NKJV)  One of two things is true today–the world either believes it can treat God with utter contempt or no longer believes in him and his word period.  Man has always had to battle sexual desire …

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

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

• The 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…

• Willful Sin–Can Anyone Be Saved?

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

• 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 The C…

• 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 …

• Word of God

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

• Authority

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

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

  ou think brought him to tears?  In Matthew we find his feelings expressed when he says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37 NKJV)  This was God crying for his lost alienated children who would not come home. God’s plea is that we be reconciled to him.  …