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

  …ster WongMixxMySpaceNetvouzNewsvineoneviewOnlyWirePlugIMPropellerRedditSegnaloShoutwireSimpySlashdotSurphaceSphinnSpurlSquidooStumbleUponTechnoratiThisNextTwitterWebrideWindows LiveYahoo!Email This to a Friend  Link HTML:  Permalink:  If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.Powered by Bookmarkify™ More »The church of the New Testament is in the scriptures referred to under several d…

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

  church Jesus built.  If being in a denomination is the same as being in the church built by Jesus then the denomination has no reason for existence and should drop its denominational name and associations and just call itself what it would be under those circumstances–the church of God, the church of Christ, the church, or some other scriptural name or designation.  It would be “the church” and not “a denomination.”  It would be the church …

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

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

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

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

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

  still have the problem of figuring out just which church it is that Christ is going to save as we have hundreds and hundreds of churches today.  Is there any help in figuring it out?  Yes, all kinds of help. I will start with what ought to be obvious to any and all.  If the church of which a person is a member began centuries after the New Testament was written it is not the church which Jesus said he would save.  The church Jesus established and…

• Things People Do Not Know About the Church

  t.” (Eph. 5:25 NKJV)  Will we say Christ loved the church and still say it is worthless and does not matter?  If he loved the church should we not also love it?  The church is, after all, just brothers and sisters in Christ.  What has Christ said about loving one another?  Speaking through John the apostle he said, “He who does not love his brother abides in death.” (1 John 3:14 NKJV) (6)  When one persecutes, or belittles, or makes fun of the ch…

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  If they are saying they can be saved outside of a denominational church I again completely agree.  If, however, they are saying they can be saved outside the church one reads about in the Bible and outside of any association whatsoever with other Christians in an organized manner (an organized congregation) when such association is possible (that is such congregations exist in the area where one lives) I disagree. Here is the problem with this w…

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

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

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

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

• Which Denomination Did Jesus Build?

  Years ago I had a lady tell me it was impossible to be just a Christian without being in a denomination.  Did Jesus build a denomination?  Which denomination did Jesus build?  I fear the lady I spoke of above was in grave error those many years ago but she was in a bind.  What do I mean?  Those who are in denominational churches generally all agree that those in other denominations can and will be saved the same as they will be.  Which means wha…

• 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…

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

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

• The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept

  s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” (Rom. 10:2-3 NKJV)  The same could be said of our own generation.  The zeal is there but not the truth. What did God do with the generation of which Paul spoke?  They were destroyed in 70 A. D. when the Roman army took Jerusalem with massive loss of life.  The Bible says that when Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, “He saw th…

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

  l know I am well aware of them. I might also add here I am thankful it is that way.  If salvation was of works a man might well come up short (the Bible teaches he would–see Gal. 3:21).  He would worry continually about what works (do I know all of them I need to do).  The thought would always be in his mind have I done enough. Just about all of us have been involved in working endeavors in our life where we gave it our best, worked as hard…

• Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural?

  t many who know no better believe they have received a scriptural baptism.  It would only be scriptural if one could change the meaning of God’s word.  Want to try?  Not me.  But, that is not the main thrust of this article.  What I really want to deal with is denominational baptism.  While sprinkling and pouring are about the method of baptism leading men into error denominational baptism is about the purpose or meaning of baptism leading men in…

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

  they can be saved outside the Savior?  If one thinks so it is equivalent to saying the Savior is not needed. Eph. 5:25-27 teaches that Jesus sanctified the body and cleansed it by the washing of water (baptism)–that is what it says; read it for yourself.  Since you and I are the church that is how we are sanctified and cleansed.  We are as living stones “being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices …

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  today’s world where people have swallowed the denominational line that you need not be baptized?  Here I am commanded to baptize people yet they refuse thinking it unnecessary even though Jesus commanded it.  By definition of what the word disciple means how can one do that (refuse baptism considering it a non-essential) and still claim discipleship?  Discipleship ends at that point where one bulks at a command and refuses obedience. I have said …

• The Church

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

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

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

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

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

• If Baptism is Not Essential for Salvation

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

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  (1 Tim. 2:14 NAS)  We need to read the Bible, even more we need to study it, “a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of God.” (2 Tim. 2:15 NAS)  We need to read the book of Colossians and see what it teaches about Christ and baptism.  What Paul teaches there he teaches elsewhere in the New Testament as well. “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” (Col. 1:27 NAS) is a central theme of the first two chapters of the bo…

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

  nt them.  If this number is correct we have gone from 1 church in the New Testament to 38,000 today.  How have we gotten to where we are at today? I think we all understand each denomination has a unique belief different from what other denominations have.  That is just part of the definition of what it means to be a denomination.  We also understand that the thing that distinguishes such a group from others is considered to be so important, so s…

• Parable of the Tares–No Middle Ground

  ved Christians in it (the wheat) versus those who are ungodly characters in it (the tares).  There is no middle ground there and to bring the point home if the ungodly in the church are not to be saved (and they are not) then what hope does that leave for the ungodly outside the church?  The answer is none. All the godly are in the church.  One cannot be godly and be outside the church for the same process that saves a man (gospel obedience) make…

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

  ering the emotional pain that comes with it. The sickness of heart so many experience who feel abandoned and alone is far more painful than any physical ailment for it touches the soul.   When one is unloved and unwanted then what is left when that comes into a person’s life?  “By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” (Prov. 15:13 NKJV)  God knew what he was talking about.  All human experience has borne out the truth of this statement of sc…

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

  :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 they not even look for it?  What profit was there to be had in preaching Jesus as did Peter and the other apostles if they knew they had stolen the body and hidden it?  Was there money in it?  Was there power?  Was there security in doing so or danger?…

• For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith Alone

  is none righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10 NKJV)  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23 NKJV) Yes, I am thankful for grace for my own sins wear me down but it distresses me to see what man has done to Eph. 2:8-9.  The passage has been perverted; the perversion has been made the be all and end all of God’s teaching on the subject.  It is as if no other verses in the Bible have any authority on th…

• Christian Circumcision

  off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” (v. 14 NKJV) Those who were not fleshly descendants of Abraham were not totally excluded from having a spiritual relationship with God among the Jews.  They could become what we call proselytes as shown by Exodus 12:48, “And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall …

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  , I suspect any interviewer who tried to do so would lose his job.  There is little doubt his superiors would call him on the carpet and accuse him of being disrespectful.  There is no problem being disrespectful to Jesus and what Jesus said but just do not offend the Catholic priest or the Catholic Church. What did Jesus teach on this subject?  The answer is found in Matt. 23:1-12: “(1) Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His discipl…

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

  (NASU)  How many times does Jesus say a man is born again?  Once!  If we make this two births, one of water and the other of the Spirit, then we have one more birth than Jesus requires.  One is born again not twice but once. What is the role of the Spirit?  Jesus says in John 6:44-45, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.  It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHAL…

• Praying to God to Bless the Bread–Really?

  communion table this way–by making more bread and more fruit of the vine?  I think not. When we ask God to bless the bread and/or the fruit of the vine at the communion table even those who ask do not know or understand what it is they are asking for or what they are expecting from God.  We want God to bless it but we do not have the slightest idea of what we expect as a result of his doing so.  What is supposed to happen when he does bless…

• Hypocrites in the Church

  re not, men pretending to be fathers but are not, there are women pretending to be mothers but are not.  One could go on and talk about politicians, friends, you name them, but the question to be dealt with in this article is what shall we do about hypocrites in the church? There are some people who lay all the blame for their own failure to obey the gospel on hypocrites in the church.  They talk as though they want nothing to do with such a bunc…

• 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…

• Does God Really Care?

  or mind?  Why do we have earthquakes that kill thousands including infants and toddlers, why cyclones, why starvation?  And the list could go on and on and on. Does God care?  It is easy to give up on God as one contemplates what he has seen and heard.  It is easy to lose faith.  What is the answer?  This is a subject that is important to study because there has probably never been a person who at some point in time in his or her life who has no…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  Sometimes it is easy to misunderstand passages of scripture and especially so if we are getting all kinds of help doing so.  Paul’s statement in 1 Cor. 1:17 is such a passage.  It reads as follows:  “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” (1 Cor. 1:17a NKJV)  What is Paul saying here?  Is he saying that Christ does not care whether or not disciples are baptized?  Is he saying it is unimportant and mak…

• Abuse of the Old Testament

  15) and Peter says (2 Peter 3:16) that the scriptures can be twisted to our own destruction thus we must be careful and not make assumptions or just give our opinion.  We can only rightly divide the word of truth by following what God has said about how to do that.  We then know we are on safe ground. That the Old Testament scriptures have value for us today there is no doubt for Paul says, “For whatever was written in earlier times was wri…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  ask of fragrant oil (John 12:5), burst it open, and anointed both his head and feet with the oil (Matt. 26:7, John 12:3). This angered some among them.  “When his disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘To what purpose is this waste?  For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.’” (Matt. 26:8-9 NKJV)  Mark says, “They criticized her sharply.” (Mark 14:5 NKJV)  Jesus interve…

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  Paul says, in Rom. 15:4, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning” (NKJV) as he writes to the saints (Christians) in Rome (Rom. 1:7 NKJV).  The prophetic book of Isaiah written hundreds of years before Christ can teach us much about God–what pleases him, what displeases him, his nature, who he is, what or how he feels, his thoughts, his sense of justice, etc.  I think most of us would like to know God better a…

• Diotrephes Loves To Have the Preeminence

  to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.” In studying various Christian men in the New Testament in order to understand how faith can fail we need to try and analyze the cases to see why it happened and what we personally can learn from them that will be of benefit to us. The lust for power is one of the ugliest of all the various kinds of lusts man is subject to.  The desire to be boss, to rule over people, to be seen as t…

• 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 Army of the Lord–the Church

  d are ill prepared and too often unready and unwilling to engage in it.  Yes, there is love, peace, mercy, grace, and hope in Christ but one has to remember these are mostly things that are found within one’s being because of what he has become in Christ and what Christ has done for him.  As far as the outside world goes it is an entirely different matter.  You have to a large degree become the enemy to the world unless you are going to try and b…

• Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door

  ins as found in Matt. 15:18-19.  “God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 2:16 NKJV)  “All things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13 NKJV) What I have written so far I have written both to the saint (the Christian) and to the sinner (the one who has never obeyed the gospel).  But, I want to direct my words now to those who are Christians or who believe they are…

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

  e in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Tim. 1:16 NLT)  The NLT (New Living Translation) is not a literal translation but I believe it is an accurate rendition of the meaning of this verse and makes it easy to understand what Paul is saying.  Paul considered himself to be chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15) and said he was “not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Cor. 15:9 NKJV)  He said as all …

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

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

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

    (Mat 3:11 NKJV)  It is very important to note who will be doing the baptizing in the Holy Spirit and fire.  Will it be the apostles, will it be man?  No, for the text says “He,” a reference to Jesus, which means what?  If you are going to receive Holy Spirit baptism it will not be at the hands of men.  It will have to come directly from heaven itself.  But, it means even more.  It means it cannot be a command for it is something Chr…

• Is Church Attendance Essential for Christian Salvation?

  s is found in Heb. 10:25 and there is such a thing as willful sin (Heb. 10:26). (2) Can one be saved who does not love God?  John said, “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” (1 John 5:3 NKJV)  We know from what we have discussed that one such commandment is assembling with the saints. Jesus, who is God, says “he who does not love me does not keep my words.” (John 14:24 NKJV)  Every word found in the New Testament is the word o…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  itics of difference.”  Often proponents of the concept argue that in democracies it is majority rule and thus minorities are held down and discriminated against.  The desire is to withdraw from the majority culture.  So what does the Bible have to say, if anything, on the topic? 1 Cor. 1:10 reads as follows:  “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no …

• A New Creation in Christ

  ot needed, man is saved without it.  Not a chance.  Look at the word “if” in this Roman passage from chapter 6 (verses two through eight) and in the 2 Tim. 2:11 passage.  President Clinton use to say it depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.  Are we in the Christian religious world now at the point where we must argue that it depends on what the word “if” means?  Are we all so ignorant we do not know …

• Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb

  years and their bodies just lay there. I heard a preacher a few years back who was about 70 at the time say that when one gets older he begins to look at death differently.  I am not 70 yet but I am old enough to begin to see what he meant.  You go to a place like this cemetery and you are reminded that it will not be that long until you too will lie there or in a similar place. We love life.  Very few people have a desire to die save for perhaps…

• Singing and Playing in Christian Worship

  ble, the word of God?  Simple!  Just sing.  Want to follow man.  Simple again!  Play musical instruments in worship.  There is nothing difficult about it. It is hard for people to get a good grasp on time.  We fail to realize what an enormously long period of time it was before the church ever introduced even the first instrument of music, what an awfully long period of time it was where the only music in worship was that of singing.  This helps …

• Misunderstanding the Grace of God

  all this is a poor approach to God’s word to isolate and elevate part of his word over and above the rest of his word.  That approach makes me and you a judge over the word where we get to make ourselves God and decide what is vital in his word and what is not.  Jesus when tempted by the devil said that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4 NKJV)  Note the way he …

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

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

• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  tion of the world.” (1 Peter 1:20 NKJV) Jesus was born into the world to be a sacrifice for man’s sin.  “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death (emphasis on what you have just read-–DS) … that he, by the grace of God might taste death for everyone.” (Heb. 2:9 NKJV)  Jesus came into the world for the express purpose of dying “for everyone.”  This was by God̵…

• Demas Has Forsaken Me

  and desires the things of the world. John tells us, “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16 NAS)  What Demas wanted out of the world we are not told.  Was it money, an easier life, respect?  We are not told.  In a way it makes no difference. There is no doubt the world has much to offer as long as we live in the flesh.  …

• 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.  …

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

  What is it a man must believe in order to be saved according to the Bible?  If salvation is dependent on faith which the Bible clearly teaches then it is essential to know what it is that the Bible teaches we must believe.  This is not a subject that is studied a whole lot for the answer seems so evident–we must believe in Jesus.  Yes, that is true, but what does that mean?  I will talk about that later in the article but there are other t…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  If we believe the Bible is the word of God why do we often interpret it in a way that makes it contradict itself?  Truth is harmonious or else it’s not truth and cannot be.  Jesus says of God’s word, “your word is truth.” (John 17:17)  It does not oppose itself when properly interpreted. Martin Luther was persuaded he had found contradiction in the Bible between what Paul wrote in Romans about salvation being by faith ver…

• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

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

• 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…

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  Hell is not real for most people.  They think little about it and really do not believe that if there is such a place they could end up there.  Hell would only be reserved for characters like Hitler, Himmler, Stalin, murderers, child molesters, etc., the very worst society has to offer.  It is not a place for the average man or woman is the general thinking. The Bible teaches no such thing.  What it does teach is that it is very possible for you…

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

  8217; was when he said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 4:34 NKJV)  To read and study the New Testament and obey its teachings is to feed on Christ the giver of the same. Today many people in what is called Christendom feel as though one is being a legalist when he emphasizes strict obedience to keeping God’s commandments and they somehow feel as though to do so is unspiritual.  If that is true what do you …

• The Struggle to be a Spiritually Minded Man or Woman

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

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

  n hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:1-2 NKJV) In the book of Romans Paul is writing to a mixed audience of Jews and Greeks.  The Jews came to Christianity out of the background of Judaism and the Law of Moses.  Much of what Paul writes in Romans is directed to the Jews whose inclination through much of the first century was to try and hang on both to the Law of Moses and to Christ at the same time.  The Law of Moses was a law system, not a…

• Resource Sites

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

• He Feared

  us from going there is faithful obedience we will be faithful.  Sin is a direct result of a weak faith.  We some how convince ourselves that we can disobey God and yet be saved which is another way of saying we do not believe what God has said.  To quote the Hebrew writer, speaking of Jesus, “He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:9 NKJV)  We either believe that or we do not. But who was the man whose fear led …

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  would be good if we could say yes that is all it will take but that would not be telling the truth.  We suppose the scribes and the Pharisees of the New Testament era read their Bible (the Old Testament) and prayed and yet to what avail? We are all familiar with the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee beginning in Luke 18:9 who both went up to the temple to pray.  Only one went down from it justified.  Prayer was of no profit to the Pha…

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

  NAS) Jesus said, in speaking of himself in John 8:24, “unless you believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins.” (NAS)  Jesus again, “he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:16 NAS)  We might say disbelieved what?  The gospel message (1 Cor. 15:1-4, Mark 16:15-16), the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Acts 8:37, Philippians 2:11, 1 John 3:23), that he is Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). So, faith is essential to salvat…

• Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required

  Our local paper has an article in it this week by the woman pastor/preacher (call her whatever you want–she calls herself Rev.) from one of the nearby denominations entitled, “What is Confirmation?” which she wanted to explain since they have a confirmation Sunday planned.  Needless to say since I have never read of such a thing in the Bible and have known many people in this particular denomination over the years I ended up re…

• The Fragrance of Christ

  Bible in the newer translations sometimes uses the phrase “selfish ambition,” or the word “selfishness,” or “self-seeking” with regards to a certain state of mind) and they thus harden their heart as they do not want to hear what they will not accept and that which condemns them. To the one who hears the gospel and accepts it there is a sense of freedom, the conscience is made clean, and burdens are lifted as the song goes “at Calvary.”  To the …

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

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

• I Can Do All Things Through Christ

  The passage written by the apostle Paul and found in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (NKJV) is a verse I became very familiar with when our young son entered kindergarten many years ago.  Tears and fear is what we had on a regular basis that first year.  It tears a Dad and Mom’s heart out to send them off into what is for them the dark terrifying unknown when as they leave the house it is all they can d…

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

  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 Testament scriptures alone are not sufficient in guiding us to heaven what more is needed?  Where is this extra guidance or material (if it be in document form) to come from?  What happened to those say in the second or third century who lacked this something extra in addition to the New Testa…

• Why Do Men Run From God?

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

• The Grace of God in Baptism

  glish Standard Version and the New American Standard Version. It would also be good to read it from the New International Version. It is always good to read a passage from more than one translation to make sure you understand what it says. What does the passage teach? It teaches what it says. We are saved by God’s mercy and we are justified by his grace which is one and the same thing. To be saved is to be justified. But, let us be honest–i…

• Honestly Deceived

  water in this place.  For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord …”  (1 Kings 13:8-9 NASB) We have a sincere and honest man seeking to do God’s will and apparently trying his best and yet he is struck down by God for what many of us would be inclined to see as an honest error.  Was it an honest error?  I believe the man of God thought that was the case.  He had been lied to and that by another man of God.  From a human point of view it i…

• 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…

• Never Give Up

  o live sin free.  This attitude is to be highly commended but is also unrealistic. Many who obey the gospel do so when young and thus their own expectations about life are not in accord with reality.  They have little idea of what it will be like to live as an adult in the real world with the pressures that daily face people.  When they are confronted with them, are no longer sheltered but must face them head on, they begin to stumble here and th…

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

  evil of no one.” (Titus 3:2 NKJV)  “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17 NKJV)  I think you get the idea.  When you have the word of God that you can quote on a subject and you believe what the word says it can be said of your faith that it came by hearing the word of God.  It is scriptural faith defined as that which came from hearing God’s word. But things are often said to be matters of faith which clea…

• 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 …

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

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

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

  ident to, “Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, ‘I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land…

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

  ternity but there are enormous benefits to living the Christian life aside from those benefits to come when this life has ended.  I list but three of those benefits here. (1)  Hope When one takes hope away from a man or woman what is left?  Nothing!  I doubt there has ever been a suicide committed by anyone who had not first lost all hope unless that person was under the influence of drugs.  The very worse thing about visiting in a nursing home i…

• Non-Offensive Christianity

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

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47 NAS) and this was after Pentecost but before the events recorded in Acts 3. Of those sermons, of which we know nothing, we can only say with certainty that the truth was taught and what was taught was the same as that taught by Peter in Acts 2 by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  For it to be otherwise would be to say two or more different gospels were preached which we are sure was not the case.  Peter…

• 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 Great Commission and Cornelius

  “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.” (Acts 10:44 NKJV) I want you to take a closer look at verse 43.  There are three words there I had overlooked.  What were they?  The words “through His name.”  It was pointed out to me that words do have meanings and they are not just in there to take up space.  “Through His name, whoever believes in Him will have re…

• Baptized For the Dead

  In 1 Cor. 15:29 Paul says, “Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?” (NKJV)  It is said by commentators that there is broad disagreement as to what is being referred to by the phrase “baptized 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…

• 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…

• The Parable of the Talents–the Sin of Fear

  ack in the days when that meant he would be gone a long time.  He being a man of means and needing to keep affairs at home going while he was gone divided his goods up among 3 servants.  He did not divide evenly but gave each what he thought he could reasonably be expected to succeed with.  Upon his return home after returning from “a far country,” as the Bible calls it, the servants were called in to give an account. The first two se…

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

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

• 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…

• Regrets

  back at some of the Bible’s famous men and see if they had any regrets.  By doing so it may give us a degree of strength to go on and not give up. Adam was the very first man, our great ancestor.  There is no doubt but what this man had deep regrets.  He once lived in a paradise on earth and had an unending life ahead of him having free access to the tree of life.  For food all he had to do was reach up and pluck it from the tree on which …

• The Need to Preach on Sin

  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 can be. It may also be that one can find others worse than himself as regards sin.  So what?  Does that make a man a success just because he can find others worse than himself?  Does that make me sin free?  No way!  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23 NKJV)  “If w…

• He Went Away Grieved

  his life.  Even today the politicians will be sure and hit the churches before a major election and most certainly not for spiritual enlightenment or uplifting. There was a man in the Bible we read about who came to Jesus for what appeared to be the right motive, a spiritual motive, that he might be saved.  This meant that he saw Jesus as the one who could point him in the right way.  He had faith enough in Jesus to go seek him out and that for t…

• 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…

• 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…

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

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

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

  a matter of inheritance from one generation to another. In studying the subject of instrumental music no man alive today can remember when there was a time when instruments were not in common use and generally accepted across what is called Christendom.  However, it was over 600 years after Christ before instrumental music was introduced into worship.  Pope Vitalian, it is said, was the first to add the instrument to the worship with the date bei…

• Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings

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

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  that which we consider to be wrong.  Generally speaking we knew the deed was wrong before we committed it but went ahead, violated our conscience, and did it anyway.  We then feel guilt and shame.  Also it is not always just what we do that condemns us in our conscience but often things we know we should have done in helping others out but which we let slide and failed to do when we knew we should have stepped in and acted. Of course, we have to…

• The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

  There are many who believe beyond doubt that Cornelius was saved at the time the Holy Spirit came upon him and his household.  It is a topic that ought to be discussed.  While I have written once before on this subject more needs to be said as there has been some objection to what was written.  I know of no person who claims to be a Christian who would deny the fact that the very first gospel sermon ever preached after Christ’s death, buri…

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

  d if they are to have any hope of Jesus not being ashamed of them in the day he returns to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31) – (1) being ashamed of Jesus, (2) being ashamed of the words of Jesus. We might well ask what is there about Jesus to be ashamed of.  The answer is obvious, nothing at all.  But lest we think we are clear on this count and before we begin to pat ourselves on the back thinking we are not ashamed of him let us thi…

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

  ter in verse 5 expands on that by saying, “most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” was Jesus already a king with a kingdom?  Was he speaking of what already existed and speaking in the present tense or was he speaking prophetically? He was speaking prophetically.  Much of the teaching Jesus did while on earth related to the coming kingdom over which he would become …

• 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…

• The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist

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

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

  ible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.” (NASB)  “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17 NASB)  But, what happens when one does not trust the word of God?  How does one seek God outside of God’s word?  To not believe God’s word is to make God out to be a liar. “He who believes in the Son of God has the wit…

• The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

  ll of this had occurred in the city before the jailing of Paul and Silas.   Secondly, it is clear the jailer felt confident that there were things that he would have to do to be saved.  It was just not completely clear to him what those things would be.  In response to the jailer’s question Paul and Silas tell him to “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31 NAS)  This was a stateme…

• 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…

• They Loved the Praise of Men

  Most of us given a choice would like to be well thought of and spoken well of for our life and beliefs rather than to be reviled, criticized, and despised.  This is natural and easily understood but there is danger that this natural desire lead us into sin.  When one gets to the point where he cares more about what people think than what God thinks and what God commands he is in trouble, in trouble with the Lord and Savior. In studying the subje…

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

  xact phrase “my name” is found 118 times in the NAS and a 119 times in the NKJV Bible.  For the purpose of this study I used the NAS and read through all 118 verses where the phrase is used to get at the meaning.  What did Jesus mean when he used the phrase “my name” which he frequently did?  We seldom use the phrase today in personal conversation, certainly not like Jesus did, unless we are introducing ourselves.  Is that…

• Receiving the Gospel (Acts 2:41)

  admits that Peter preaches the first gospel sermon there ever to be preached.  The text then says, “those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” (NAS)  What was his word that they received?  Was it the gospel?  If it was not the gospel would you be willing to stand up and shout out to the world “no it was not the gospel?”  Would you be willing to go on public re…

• 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…

• Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

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

• Who is the Believer in John 3:16?

  e believer in Jesus will have eternal life.  But, unfortunately, this a verse that has been isolated not only from the rest of the teaching of the New Testament but even ripped from its immediate context and thus made to mean what men desire it to mean versus what it teaches when taken in context. Who is this person who will have everlasting life?  Who is this believer?  Is it not the same person that will see the kingdom of heaven if he is ̶…

• Ignorance Does Not Excuse Sin

  gladness more than your companions.” (Psalm 45:7 NKJV)  Jesus hates wickedness and wickedness is just another name for sin.  God’s people are also to hate evil.  “You who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Psalm 97:10 NKJV)  That is what it will take within us to develop a Christ like character.  “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.” (Prov. 8:13 NKJV)  “Hate evil, love good.” (Amos 5:5 NKJV) Since, as the Psalmist says in Psalms 119::172, “all your co…

• The Prodigal Son–When He Came to Himself

  ase in the account we do not talk enough about–the phrase “when he came to himself” found in verse 17. This verse marks the point in the young man’s life where his eyes were opened to the extent he could now see clearly what before had been hidden from his eyes and as a result repentance entered his heart.  As the text says (NKJV), “he came to himself.” To me there is a teaching in that phrase that has generally been overlooked or at least …

• Repentance–How Can I Be Sure?

  one.” (Rom. 3:9-10 NKJV)  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23 NKJV)  Repentance is repentance of and from sin against God. Well, if I am commanded to repent on the penalty of repent or perish what is it I must do?  What does it mean to repent?  It is very common to find people who do not understand and who simply think to repent means to be sorry. If sorrow was repentance then Judas, the betrayer of the Lord, was…

• 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…

• 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…

• Salvation (Becoming a Christian)

  Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching Jesus as the Bread of Life Must a Man Seek God? Jesus and the Furnace of Fire Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You? Indifference – The Great Destroyer God’s Plea–On Christ’s Behalf be Reconciled to God Why You Cannot be Saved like the Thief on the Cross Bible Contradictions on Salvation How Was Noah Saved Through Water? How Doe…

• 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 Hardening of the Human Heart

  r heart becomes so hard you cannot repent, for your heart will not allow it, you are done. The spiritual heart of man can be likened to cement in that when cement is wet, before it has settled and dried, you can fashion it in whatever manner you choose but once it has hardened it becomes a different matter altogether. Once a person hears the truth, whether it be about the gospel  or the truth as regards a particular sin, and that person refuses t…

• Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation

  the understanding of the prudent.’” (1 Cor. 1:19 NKJV)  “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26 NKJV)  What Paul is saying in 1 Cor. 1:26 is that few of that particular class which are called by the preaching of the gospel will heed the call and respond to it. In the International Standard Version this verse reads as follows,…

• Repent–How Hard It Is To Do

  ll never convince them of their need.  I am satisfied that was the case with the rich man’s brothers. It seems to me everyone is of the opinion that one way or another they are going to get by when the Day of Judgment comes.  Whatever their degree of faith and obedience is (should I say disobedience?) they are of the belief that they will scrape by.  Most simply do not believe they need to repent.  They are good enough just as they are.  Thus bel…

• 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…

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

  Many years ago as a young man I heard it said by a young lady of my own age that the apostle Paul just had a thing against women with the idea being that what he wrote on the subject of women had no authority but was merely the expression of personal prejudice on his part.  That young lady many years later became a preacher (?) within her denominational body contrary to Paul’s teaching on the subject in 1 Tim. 2:12. Over the course of the …

• Healing For the Brokenhearted

  ieved victory so any other thing that could come along would be but nothing.  There is no longer anything to fear.  The only emotion left is heart wrenching sorrow.  The heart is numb and immune to further pain or insult.  Do what you will to me, it matters not. The greatest hurt in the world is a broken heart.  Nothing hurts worse than to have one’s heart crushed.  It often comes from those we love most making the hurt almost unbearable.  …

• 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…

• Fear God

  emphasize reverence for God over godly fear.  We should reverence God but how can there be reverence for God without Godly fear?  It is said that God is like our earthy fathers whom we love and obey and whom we do not fear.  What?  Kids obey Mom or Dad without fear?  Since when? A family where children have no fear of breaking the rules is a family where the children run amuck, who are out of control, disrespectful, disobedient.  Every parent wo…

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  tinually 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 only be had at what is generally felt to be a hard price to pay.  That price is the shame and humiliation of admitting (confessing) our sin and making whatever restitution, if any, that can be made for it.  It is awfully hard to put onesel…

• 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…

• Abortion Luke 1 – All You Need to Know

  hing else you want to do.  (I don’t know whether or not they charged admission—does that matter?  I think not.  People wanted to see it whether they had to pay to see it or not.  That is how depraved a society can get.) What American society or law, or this political party or that one, or this politician or that one, has to say really means absolutely nothing as to whether or not a thing is right in God’s eyes.  God does not determine…

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  curate.  “And this is the second thing you do:  You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; so he does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.  Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’  Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.  But did he not make them one, having a re…

• The Peace Found in Forgiveness of Others

  o friends but only that the kind of person that takes up with them is very likely to share some of the same traits they have.  And, I might add, one of the positive things about family is they are likely to love you no matter what so they will put up with you. While I listed 5 traits it is easy to see how they are all related.  Why is a person unwilling to forgive or lacks the desire to do so?  Is it not because of hatred, anger, bitterness, and …

• Acceptable Prayer

  ay.” (James 5:13 NAS)  The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16 NAS)  What we often fail to consider is that both writers are writing to Christians, not just anyone but to God’s own people.  Let us take a look at some passages. Prov. 15:8, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomina…

• 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…

• Philip Preaching the Gospel in Samaria

  article on this web site from an earlier time in the book of Acts, an article entitled, “Receiving the Gospel–Acts 2:41,” as Acts 8:12 is pretty much a parallel passage teaching the same thing as Acts 2:41.  What was the good news Philip preached?  Was it the gospel?  If it was not the gospel what was it?  If it was not the gospel those people of whom it was said “they believed” walked away lost in their sins.  Phili…

• Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation?

  15:2 NKJV)  It is like saying in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) that one need not use his talent for God will not “cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness” (Matt. 25:30 NKJV) contrary to what Jesus said who said that is exactly what would happen. I was recently reading Matt. 25 talking about the judgment scene to come in the last day, the Day of Judgment.  The reading begins in Matt. 25:31 and continues thro…

• Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives

  e other hand if I give to an orphanage that is a true gift freely given for there is nothing forcing me to give other than the desire of my heart to do so.  If God gave the land of Canaan to the children of Israel, as he did, what forced him to do that?  Was he under obligation or was it the desire of his heart? Man can complain all he wants about the children of Israel having to fight all those battles and say to himself “what kind of gift is th…

• Though He Slay Me

  ay?  None of us can.  We only make wild guesses and speculate but it is certain God has his reason. God had a reason in the case of Job and while the whole reason was never completely revealed to Job we are given a glimpse of what was going on behind the scenes and out of human sight.  Who can say today what is going on behind the scenes and out of sight? James talks about Job in James 5:11 where he says, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure….

• 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…

• Pray For Others Lest You Sin

  V) Now I am not a Samuel nor are you but it makes you stop and think does it not?  Samuel was praying for God’s people.  Are we exempt from doing the same?  Are we under no obligation? During Jesus’ ministry he once was asked what the greatest commandment in the law was. (Matt. 22:36)  His response was love for God “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37 NKJV) but he then went on to talk about the second gre…

• Disobedience to Jesus

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

• God’s Hardening of the Human Heart

  that were not already hard.  It takes a hard heart to burn your son or daughter to death. Both of these cases, that of Pharaoh and the Egyptians and that of the people who inhabited the land of Canaan, seem to be examples of what some would call a judicial hardening.  God had determined to pass judgment on them due to their sins and thus hardened their hearts to bring about their destruction.  It was judgment day for them. Two points ought to be…

• The Faith of Enoch

  te judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’” (Jude 14-15 NAS) What can we learn from these passages?  To be more specific what can we learn about the faith of Enoch?  The answer is more than is first apparent. The Hebrew writer in Heb. 11:5 tells us “by faith Enoch was taken up.&…

• More on Willful Sin—Can Anyone be Saved?

  re they would never sin.  Yes, that is the goal but the apostle John said in talking to Christians, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8 NKJV)  Well, then, what is the Christian to do about his sin?  John tells us in the very next verse where he says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”…

• Work Out Your Own Salvation

  As I was thinking about doing an article on this famous passage from the book of Philippians (Phil. 2:12-13) I first did a little Google research to see if anyone else had done so and if so to see what they were saying.  I did find a couple of authors whose work I took a look at.  It seemed to me like both had worked themselves almost into a state of frenzy trying to deny what the passage clearly states, that a man must work out his own salvatio…

• Cornelius’ Conversion–Final Thoughts

  items being listed by which we can measure whether or not we are in a faithful relationship with God. The passage (1 John 4:13) is not talking about initial obedience 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 noth…

• The Heart of Man from a Biblical Perspective

  estion becomes am I being honest with myself?  We obviously need to learn all we can about the human heart with the hope being that we can come to know ourselves better and improve our hearts.  Who is the real me?  Who am I?  What is the true state of my heart, not what I think about it but what is its true state in reality? When the Bible speaks of the human heart it is speaking of man’s intellect, man’s will, man’s emotions or feelings, o…

• 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…

• How Was Noah Saved Through Water?

  ich now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (NKJV) How was Noah and his family saved through water?  What was he saved from?  What is an antitype?  Was he saved by grace or by works (he did build the ark)?  There are a lot of questions.  Let us start from the beginning. We are all aware of the story of how the flood came ab…

• 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…

• Christian Living

  f Jesus and His Words I Can Do All Things Through Christ The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Heaven (Part I) Heaven (Part II) A Crucial Difference Christ’s Parting Charge Whatsoever He Saith Do It Christian Duty Love The Cost of Discipleship Keeping The Commandments of God Making the Right Choices When Your Walking Stick Comes Home No Condemnation The Doctrine of Eternal Life Nothing But Leav…

• 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…

• The Need to Sing in Worship

  hen you do not sing for I do not know your situation but when Sunday after Sunday rolls around and you never sing while physically able to do so there is a problem.  When you never or only very rarely sing there is a problem. What is that problem?  The question is answered with another.  Is singing a command of God for worship?  If it is but I fail to do it when I am able am I sinning?  I see no way around that conclusion.  If I am a Christian an…

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

  The word reconciliation is a very emotionally laden word.  There are millions upon millions of people in this world of billions who have sorrow in their hearts that words cannot express.  It is a sadness that goes with them day by day and night by night, month by month and year by year, and how can they tell anyone about it?  What can they say?  They cannot verbalize the feelings even to themselves let alone to others.  It is a sadness, a depres…

• Faith

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

• Denominationalism’s Sin Against Peter

  ter his sermon in Acts 2 he was honored by those who proclaimed faith in God and belief in Christ as the Son of God.  Today, however, men who claim Christianity pretty much just ignore his sermon that day for they do not like what he said and they no longer believe it. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven by Jesus himself in Matt. 16:19, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will…

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

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

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

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

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

  orn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” (NKJV) It is probably worthwhile to read what followed seemingly immediately afterwards in conversation between God and Cain.  “So the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?…

• Ghost Hunting and Consulting the Dead

  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 accounting for what their eyes were seeing. Be that as it may and no matter how great the bravado there are many places we would prefer to not spend the night alone no matter who we are.  Most of us have no interest in spending the night i…

• The Chastening of the Lord

  ove, 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 only does what is best for us for our eternal welfare.  Loving parents are like that with their children.  All that they do in regard to their children is for the child’s welfare if they are the kind of parents they ought to be.  Does…

• Must a Man Seek God?

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

• Fornication–Take It Lightly at Your Peril

  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 and temptation and has often lost the battle but what has changed in the past few decades is that men and women are willing to openly flout their sin and no longer see themselves as doing anything morally or spiritually wrong. I went to a tiny high school in the early 60’s…

• Assorted

  fection and Covenant Breakers The Christian, Politics, and the Government Why Men Do Not Believe Did Christ Rise From the Dead or is Faith Folly? Denominationalism’s Sin Against Peter Which Denomination Did Jesus Build? What Does the Phrase “My Name” Mean in the Bible?   Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain)    The Burden of Life The Pot of Gold at the End of God’s Rainbow Heaven (Part I) Heaven (Part II) Where Are The D…

• Israel’s Rebellion at the Red Sea

  ot understand your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of your mercies, but rebelled by the sea–the Red Sea.” (Psa. 106:7 NKJV)  It is a profitable study to look into the details of that rebellion and see what can be learned from it that would be of value to us today. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush he introduced himself as follows:  “‘I am the God of your father–the God of Abraham, the God of…

• 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…

• Looking Down Your Nose

  sort of thing.  The attitude conveyed is that if only these guys and gals below me had half my drive and natural ability they would have done as well as me.  They are not as smart, lack my drive, and really are not worthy of what I receive.  Any imbecile can do their work but it takes a special type person to do mine, one who is worthy. It is said by those who study such things that during our Civil War many southerners were dirt poor and had no…

• The Sin of Being Unthankful and the Need for Thanksgiving

  rateful people that turns us away. When we do an act of kindness out of genuine concern for another or just to show our appreciation for them, maybe even just to let them know we care about them, and then they react as though what we did for them or gave to them meant nothing at all to them it hurts us down to the bone.  It tells us they do not care about us and it hurts.  It is a sin for a person to respond to an act of kindness and love that wa…

• Faith is Not Just What You Believe

  ward power that drives man to act and do, to sacrifice, to seek, to suffer, to endure, to commit, and drive on when there appears to be no longer reason nor common sense in doing so. Much is made about the faith people have.  What I have observed over the years is that many who speak of their faith seem to have a faith that by all outward appearances has driven them to do nothing.  It is as dead as a door nail by all outward measurements.  Many w…

• Saul’s Conversion

  and was baptized.” (Acts 9:18 NAS)  The reader needs to take note of some things said in earlier verses.  Jesus, in speaking to Saul on the road to Damascus, says to him, “enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.” (Acts 9:6 NAS)  Just a few verses later we see the Lord sending a man by the name of Ananias to Saul (Acts 9:11).   Ananias was sent to Saul for more than one reason, to achieve more than one end, bu…

• Bible Conversions

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

• Waymon Swain’s Audio Sermons

  ent preacher in his own right and so here is a link to Bob’s audio sermons as well:  Bob Swain’s Audio Sermons Authority  (1 sermon) Baptism  (4 sermons) Bible Characters  (1 sermon) Bible Conversions  (5 sermons) Christian Living  (26 sermons) Faith  (7 sermons) Forgiveness  (6 sermons) God the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit  (10 sermons) Grace  (3 sermons) Miscellaneous  (22 sermons) New Birth  (7 sermons) Old Testament Studies…

• 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’…

• 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…

• Sin

  he Peace Found in the Forgiveness of Others The Sin of Being Unthankful and the Need for Thanksgiving Ashamed of Jesus and His Words Why Do Men Run From God? Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Christ’s Teaching About Sin What About Sin? Thou Has Destroyed Thyself Sin and Its Consequences Drawn Away by Our Lust Sin the Separator You Cannot Hide Sin (Part I) You Cannot Hide Sin (Part II) Sin Lieth at the Door The Unpardonable Sin Wrong is…

• 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 …

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

  mation) Jacob was certain his son Joseph was dead, killed as he said by “a wild beast”. (Gen 37:33 NAS) He was fed disinformation and with good reason, based on the information he was presented with, believed that which was false. Why would he disbelieve? Did he not get his information from people he had complete trust in? Every Christian ought to immediately perk his ears up when he thinks back on this account and take heed and learn…

• Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16

  ears to worship God or read his word let alone put him first in their life yet they are saved.  We go to the funeral home for visitation and we hear how this man or woman is now in a better place. Jesus never taught even once what such men have assumed.  John 5:24 offers a commentary on John 3:16, as do many other passages throughout the New Testament, concerning who the believer of John 3:16 is.  When Jesus says in John 5:24, “he who hears…

• A Heart Right With God (Test Your Heart)

  his motives are above board whether true or not. I think one of the most fearful statements found in the Bible is this one:  “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.” (Prov. 28:26 NKJV)  Why do I say that?  Because based on what I hear it seems most in Christendom are trusting what their heart is telling them about their relationship with Christ and it seems it is telling them all they are in good shape all the while they remain divided believi…

• Jesus’ Baptism and You?

  t be in error.  When Jesus came along and started questioning some of their beliefs and practices there was nothing to do but crucify him for there was no possibility in their mind that they could be wrong in their religion.  What he had to say had to be heresy. A man ought to be cautious in reaching conclusions in spiritual matters for once this life is over and the next one has begun there is no going back a second time and getting it right.  T…