I've done a courtesy search for the term The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus (The Washing of Water).htm for you. See if you can find what you're looking for in the list below:

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

  …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 »Many believe the church at Ephesus (the church being the membership) was cleanse…

• 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 Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  ther God adds them upon conditions.  “The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NKJV)  The conditions are those set forth by Peter on the day of Pentecost.   Jesus said, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 NKJV)  There are only two kingdoms, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.  One must be in the kingdom of God for salvation but Jesus is the Savior o…

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  f a congregation and organized religion in what Paul wrote to Timothy. If you desire to be saved by the blood of Jesus but stay out of the church you are out of luck.  In Acts 20:17 Paul called for the elders of the church of Ephesus and then encouraged them in Acts 20:28 to “shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood.” (NKJV)  This church had an actual earthly existence in the city of Ephesus in an organized bod…

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  Folks, the history of the church as recorded in the New Testament shows the church has rarely been what it ought to be.  There is nothing new today along that line. Even in the original church of the New Testament, the church at Jerusalem, we find the Hellenist widows being neglected in the daily distribution of food (Acts 6:1).  The Hebrew widows were being cared for but not the Hellenist widows.  Should this have been?  Of course not!  To their…

• Things People Do Not Know About the Church

  stian or the non-Christian?  If God has not added you to the church there is a good reason–you are not yet one of those who are being saved. It is only the church that Christ sanctified and cleansed “with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:25-27 NKJV)  Only the saved are in the church.  …

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

  church matters.  It is not Jesus yes and the church no. The church is what Jesus gave himself for on the cross.  “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, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:25-27 NKJV) Salvation is in Christ which is the…

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

  aid Jesus is the “Savior of the body.”  If you will read but 2 verses on down you will begin reading as follows, “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, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:25-27 NKJV)  Let me ask you one thing.  What di…

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

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

• Who Governs the Church if We Follow the Bible?

  are of the local church of God of which they were members and from which they had been appointed ruling it in accord with God’s word. In the book of Acts, chapter 20 verse 17, Paul called for the elders of the church of Ephesus to come meet him at Miletus.  One of the things he said to them was this, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of G…

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  ch is the church” (Col. 1:24 NKJV – see also Eph. 1:22-23 and Col. 1:18).  “He is the Savior of the body.” (Eph. 5:23 NKJV)  This is the body which he sanctified and cleansed “with the washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:26 NKJV), a reference to baptism all denominations to the contrary notwithstanding, in order that “he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any su…

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

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

• The Grace of God in Baptism

  lls to mind other scriptures that teach the same thing. Jesus says, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 NKJV) He says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 NKJV) Paul teaches in Titus 3:4 what Jesus taught in John 3:5. The word washed or washing is in places used as a reference to baptism. Paul says to t…

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

  ct of treachery in this case it nevertheless shows it was the traditional custom of the time), and also Matt. 7:44-45.  In the last passage Jesus is speaking to one called Simon and says, “I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet … you gave me no kiss.” (Matt. 7:44-45 NKJV)  The kiss served the purpose of being a greeting (1 Cor. 16:20), was to be holy (2 Cor. 13:12), and to be of love (1 Peter 5:14).  Thus Jesus said of Simon, the …

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

  urch?  If so why is it needful now that it do that but was not needful for hundreds of years after the first century had come and gone.  If so when did the gospel lose its power to make me just a Christian, no more, no less?  At what point in time was it that both the gospel and the Lord lost the power to save without the aid of men in building denominations? When did Jesus and the gospel begin to need help in the saving business?  When did his c…

• Which Denomination Did Jesus Build?

  pposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thess. 2:3-4 NKJV) Paul also told the elders of the church in Ephesus, “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after t…

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

  elf says we die in baptism (Rom. 6:4) and walk in newness of life upon our baptism, read all of Rom. 6:1-8.  This means our state or status is changed at baptism.  He says Christ cleansed the church “with the washing of water by the word.” (Eph. 5:26 NKJV)  The washing of water is certainly baptism.  One might ask cleansed the church of what but the answer is obvious–sin.  Was Paul ever washed in water and cleansed of sin?  Anan…

• 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 …

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

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

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  In an article I wrote some time ago I had a gentleman of the Pentecostal persuasion respond seemingly upset with me over the issue of baptism as I was emphasizing the importance of water baptism which he was discounting as being nothing more than a picture of salvation (whatever that means).  Of course, his emphasis was on Holy Spirit baptism.  In any case since I said I would respond I will do so here thinking I might as well make an article ou…

• 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…

• 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…

• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

  sus was on the cross but after his death said, “But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” (John 19:33-34 NKJV)  To me this event, the piercing of his side, had symbolic importance for the sacrifice of himself had already taken place, his life already given for ours.  Remember Lev. 17:11?  &…

• 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…

• Cornelius’ Conversion–Final Thoughts

  n of the Ethiopian eunuch as it bears on this topic.  I quote the passage at hand. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that …

• 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 …

• What Is Baptism (the Sprinkling Hoax)

  at is what the Greek meant to those people.   The Bible confirms this to be the case for Paul says, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death.” (Rom. 6:4 NKJV)  Baptism is a burial, a burial in water when used in a religious context.  Paul says again in Col. 2:11-12 (NKJV), “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circ…

• Baptism

  iend of mine–Waymon Swain.  I hope they help. The Blood of Jesus and Baptism Jesus’ Baptism and You If Baptism is not Essential for Salvation Ways Into Christ The Grace of God in Baptism How Was Noah Saved Through Water? The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus The Washing of Water by the Word–Baptism and Salvation A New Creation in Christ Christ and Baptism in Colossians Christian Circumcision Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize…

• 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…

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  vinced people it is God’s will that it be so. However, Protestants have their own problems and it centers around one thing.  They are wedded to the idea that a man is saved by faith alone and that the new birth, born of water and the spirit, has nothing to do with becoming a Christian.  The new birth involves baptism in water for the remission of sins and that they will not accept.  Water to them is only symbolic. It was not symbolic to Pet…

• Hypocrites in the Church

  1:10 NASU)  The writer of the book of Hebrews instructs us to draw near to God “with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:22 NASU)  Enough has been said without going further–God demands of us honesty, sincerity, and not hypocrisy. No one can defend a hypocrite nor would it be right to try and do so but to those who…

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

  inst the idea that these individuals were already saved prior to the reception of the Holy Spirit.  The text says, “they had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  It is obvious that this is a reference to water baptism for if it was Holy Spirit baptism how does one account for the fact they lacked spiritual gifts? Cornelius had tongues by which he could offer proof of his baptism.  The apostles had a whole range of miraculous…

• Parable of the Tares–No Middle Ground

  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 NKJV) There has been a lot of d…

• The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist

  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), “Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with …

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  preach that baptism was a non-essential and that none need to be baptized for it was Jesus himself who said, “he who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16 NKJV) and that “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5 NKJV) and it was Paul who was commanded to “arise and be baptized” to have his sins washed away (Acts 22:16 NKJV).  One can also read the …

• Diotrephes Loves To Have the Preeminence

  f God.  Repent … and pray … .” (Acts 8: 21 -22, NKJV) Simon seemed to have the same problem Diotrephes had, the desire to be seen as special among God’s people, to be the man. In Acts 20 Paul calls the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet with him and tells them what the future would bring.  He says, in part, “from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:30, NKJV)  Eld…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  hing the first gospel sermon ever heard after the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:38 NKJV). Saul was told, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins.” (Acts 22:16 NKJV) Jesus says, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  (John 3:5 NKJV) Paul, the very man who speaks of salvation by faith although never faith alone, says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Chri…

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

  o Nicodemus in John 3:3 and said to him, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” and then later in verse 5 expands on that by saying, “most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of 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 spe…

• For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith Alone

  saved without being baptized (for the remission of your sins–Acts 2:38, Acts 2:16) the same way Paul was baptized?  This body one is baptized into, the body of Christ, the church, is cleansed “with the washing of water by the word.” (Eph. 5:26 NKJV)  No washing of water (baptism) then no cleansing. Paul, unlike those today, did not see a conflict between being saved by grace through faith and being baptized for the remission of…

• Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural?

  ype into your search engine the keywords “transliterated +baptism” minus the quotes.  Read and enjoy. Paul says, “we were buried with him through baptism.” (Rom. 6:4 NKJV)  However, he was talking to people actually buried in water, not sprinkled or poured.  Sprinkling and pouring are not only frauds but also exceedingly dangerous in that many who know no better believe they have received a scriptural baptism.  It would only be scriptural if one …

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  t they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  (5) But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.   (6) They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, (7) greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’  (8) But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, an…

• 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…

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

  titude 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 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…

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

  it is a part of God’s mercy as per the teaching of this verse.  One acquainted with the New Testament cannot read Titus 3:5 without being reminded of John 3:5, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (NKJV) Clearly, Paul does teach justification by faith.  “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom. 1:17 NKJV)  “Therefore we conclude that a man …

• Does God Really Care?

  e?  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 not thought about these things.  It is important that people do not lose faith.  When one loses faith in God what is left?  The answer is only suffering without hope.  So, it …

• He Feared

  ion 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 him to sin and unfaithfulness?  The apostle Peter’s faith failed him 3 times out of fear.  He walked on the water believing Jesus would make this possible for him until his faith failed.  He denied Jesus 3 times after Jesus was arrested.  Finally, in Galatians the second chapter Paul tells us Peter withdrew from eating with the Ge…

• Is Church Attendance Essential for Christian Salvation?

  Whether or not a Christian must attend church to be saved is a question of utmost importance.  There is nothing more important than one’s eternal salvation.  Where will one spend eternity?  Will it be in a place of happiness and joy where “there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain” (Rev. 21:4 NKJV) or will it be in the place of torment “where ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’” (Mar…

• Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door

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

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

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

• Never Give Up

  When we learn the truth of the gospel message, come to believe it, and then sincerely obey it we sometimes expect more of ourselves than is humanly possible for us to deliver.  When we first come out of the water of our baptism we are determined that we will not sin, we are going to 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…

• Who is the Believer in John 3:16?

  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 “born again” in verse 3 and who will enter the kingdom of God if he is “born of water and the Spirit” in verse 5?  Most certainly!  It is all the same conversation directed at the same man, the man Nicodemus. The believer of John 3:16 is the man who is born again (verse 3), is the man who is born …

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

  dren of Israel had reach Mt. Sinai.  They had already been quarreling and complaining against Moses and the Lord a number of times.  There had been the rebellion at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:11-12, Psa. 106:7), the grumbling at the waters of Marah (Ex. 15:23-24), and the grumbling over food in the wilderness of Sin (Ex. 16:1, 2-3, 7-9, 12, 28), and now once again more of the same only a little farther along in their journey. They are now at a place cal…

• The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept

  wrong, believe what he was taught, and then go through what a denomination calls baptism and then say he was baptized scripturally.  He got wet but he was not baptized any more than a diver jumping off a diving board into the water.  One cannot accidentally obey God.  Understanding, motivation, the heart are all involved in acceptable obedience.  Paul said the Romans “obeyed from the heart” (Rom. 6:17 NKJV) which is the only way one c…

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

  re that out.  We have enough information to do that.  Note that when that time arrives we will no longer be children tossed about by every wind of doctrine.  This tells us that when the “till” comes (“we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood” – Eph. 4:13 ESV) that false doctrine will still be taught but we will no longer be carried about by it.  This means we a…

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  being told of a vision Isaiah saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, God’s people in that Old Testament time.  I mention that for we must remember that we who are Christians are God’s people today so in terms of broad principles at least, versus specific laws, there is application for us here in Isaiah as well as for those who lived back then.  Here are some of the lessons found in the first chapter. (1)  God’s people can cease to know him or unders…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  ns, in Acts 17:16, the Bible says, “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.” (NKJV)  Was Athenian culture to be embraced?  In Ephesus their culture called for the worship of the goddess (idol) Diana (see Acts 19).  Was this a culture Christians ought to value or embrace? If every culture has value in its own right why did God destroy Sodom and Gomo…

• The Army of the Lord–the Church

  an we generally are willing to accept.  We think if someone on the national scene has spoken against Christianity, it makes the news, and we hear about it, then we personally have been persecuted because we are a Christian or at least consider ourselves to be one.  Yet, in the first century when Paul was writing there was no national news that you were going to get instantly like today, no news magazines, no internet, no TV or radio. Paul was spe…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  sciples (Matt. 26:8), and Martha, Lazarus, and Mary (John 12:2-3), the latter three being a brother and his two sisters.  This was the same Lazarus that Jesus had raised from the dead (John 12:1, 9).  While Jesus was reclined at the table, according to the custom of the time, Mary comes up behind him with a flask 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…

• Singing and Playing in Christian Worship

  is way and reverse the events (in order to grasp the time element better) we would say that from the year 1341 up to the year 2011 the church did not have instruments in the worship of God.  It is pretty evident when you look at it that way that neither God nor the church thought of instruments of music of being of any value in Christian worship.  That is a long, long period of time. That said I just recently heard of a man who made the argument …

• 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 …

• Honestly Deceived

  tar 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 home on a route different from that by which he had come.  However, an old prophet intercep…

• Fear God

  e earth–to every nation tribe, tongue, and people–saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’” I believe the Bible is as clear as it can be that man is to fear God.  Call it godly fear if you will for that is what it is.  It is the kind of fear that helps a man stay faithful.  It is the fear that Noah had, th…

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

  aid that the Catholics baptize babies who cannot believe.  Do they?  Where does the Bible teach that sprinkling is baptism?  Men made sprinkling baptism, not God.  In the New Testament a man was baptized when he was buried in water.  There was no other way to be baptized.  Secondly, the Bible teaches, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16 NKJV) and not “he who is incapable of believing and is baptized will …

• Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required

  to God.  Where is this truth, “confirmation,” found in God’s word?  I looked for it but could not find it.  Am I to assume this group does not care about finding any word of God for their practice? The lady attempts to give the history of confirmation so people like me can get a handle on it but guess where she starts with that history.  Are you guessing the New Testament and the first century?  Better guess again.  She starts …

• Demas Has Forsaken Me

  told us.  We must believe there is a reward awaiting us.  “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6)  It has often been said that Peter walked on the water as long as he looked at Jesus rather than the water and that is true.  We can figuratively walk to heaven if we continue to look to Jesus rather than at the trials and troubles and temptations we are here faced with.  …

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  re also raised up with him through faith in the working of God,” (Col. 2:12 NAS) “he made you alive together with him.” (Col. 2:13 NAS)  But, this one who is made alive is a new man.  He is not the man that went down into the water and died.  This one that comes up from the water “made… alive together with him” (Col. 2:13 NAS) was raised to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4 NAS) for he is a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17 NAS). He forgave t…

• Christian Circumcision

  ions) is cast off and replaced by a new man of the spirit.  Christ does this but he uses means to do it.  By his word faith is created, the heart is changed, and then in baptism the old man is put away and one arises from the water to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4-5), a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).  This is not water salvation but salvation by faith for Paul says in Col. 2:12, one of our principle verses being discussed, “you also were r…

• Baptized For the Dead

  tized 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 t…

• Resource Sites

  have had more influence on me than any other that I have ever read and I have read many.  I believe the book of sermons, of which this sermon was one of twenty, was first published in 1869.  In any case it is free online now at:  http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/bfranklin/tgp1/TGP00.HTM.) The Audio Sermons of Bob Swain  (Bob is the son of Waymon Swain and an excellent preacher in his own right.) …

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

  ere 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 might own sufficiently large to accommodate them.  In New Testament times we do not read even once of the brethren investing in and building a structure to w…

• The Parable of the Talents–the Sin of Fear

  act.  Even Jesus had some trepidation about going to the cross but it did not stop him from obeying God so to the cross he went. Fear is contrary to faith and acts to destroy it.  When Peter got out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus he did in fact walk on the water for a time, until the time he looked around him, saw the waves, became fearful, and lost his faith. (Matt. 14:28-31 NKJV) Fear can kill us spiritually.  It led to Peter denying…

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  not.”  Baptism is into Christ (Rom. 6:3) and that being the case it is also into the benefits or blessings of Christ’s death.  You only walk in newness of life, a new creature, a new creation, when you arise as such from the waters of baptism for “our old man was crucified with him.” (Rom. 6:6)  Crucifixion means death.  We were baptized “into death.” (Rom. 6:4)  We arise from the baptismal waters to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4) because …

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

  n religion than the case of the Jews who refused to believe in Jesus.  Their emotions ruled them, over rode all reason, and ended up destroying them.  There was no reasoning with them.  The miracles of Jesus were to them like water off a duck’s back.  So Lazarus was raised from the dead.  So what?  But that is the mind set you get into when you are dealing with emotion based (or should I say “emotion ruled”) religion.  You will never change a per…

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

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

• Regrets

  od)?  We have all sunk our own boat and all of us are reaching up to Jesus for salvation.  We are all hoping with Christian expectation that Jesus will reach out his hand to us as he did to Peter when Peter was sinking in the water he had been walking on.  Only Jesus can save us. The past is the past but we can help one another, comfort and console one another, and help one another get to heaven.  We all have regrets but we all can have hope if w…

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

  ts 22:16), Peter in preaching to Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:48), Paul in preaching to Lydia (Acts 16:14-15) and to the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:31-33), Paul again in Corinth (Acts 18:8) and then later to the 12 at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-5) all preached baptism in preaching the gospel.  How do we know?  We know because in each account at the end of the preaching we find those who were receptive to the preaching being baptized.  Hard to be …

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  ecause I am scared.  I am scared for people I know and love.  I am scared for the many who are likeable, kind, and caring people–we would call them good people by our standards.  I am scared for they are not sacred, not at all.  They do not know enough to be scared.  Like an infant running toward the busy highway having no concept of the consequences that awaits them they go day by day walking toward the precipice from whence once the last …

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

  the man Ananias.  Ananias tells him to “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:16 NAS)  Jesus had already told all who would believe him quite a long time before Paul’s conversion that water 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) Wh…

• Christian Living

  tually Minded Man or Woman 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 Under…

• 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…

• King Saul–As Long as It Glorifies God

  ne it and receive into fellowship the unrepentant individual practicing it as long as we say “he is in a committed relationship.” Paul’s teaching on women preachers and leaders of the church again is as clear as crystal clear water.  Read 1 Cor. 14:34-37.  Paul closes that section by saying, “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 1…

• Faith and Baptism in Paul’s Preaching

  #8217;s gospel preaching in Philippi.  When that is done it would be good to go back and reread Rom. 6:1-8 and consider carefully what Paul says there about baptism.  It would be good to remember also that Paul took 12 men in Ephesus and had them baptized (Acts 19:1-7).  Why? Of Paul’s preaching at Corinth it is said, “many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.” (Acts 18:8 NAS)  Paul did not do mu…

• When did Obedience Become Legalism?

  nerally defined as the emotions) that counts.  Feelings and emotions are defined as love for God.  God’s grace will cover a life of sin just so a man believes in God in some abstract sense.  I might add if you doubt this just attend a few funerals and see if you can learn of any deceased who are not already in heaven based on the conversations you hear and the preaching and that no matter what kind of life the man lived. People talk about love fo…

• 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…

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” And then (Mark 10:21-23 NAS), “And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But at these words his face…

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  t admit to having.  If we do not change our ways we will get to answer as to why to Jesus the way Saul got to answer to Samuel. There is no hope of any man ever learning more who will not obey what he already knows.  If he is at the end of his obedience he is also at the end of his growth in spiritual understanding.  He can forget about any deeper spiritual understanding. I close with this.  Jesus says (Matt. 13:12 NLT), “To those who listen to m…

• 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…

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

  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” (Acts 10:47 NAS) then “he ordered them to be baptized.” (Acts 10:48 NAS)  What is another word for “ordered?”  If you check other translations you will see the wo…

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

  sed.  They are cleansed, made good, in baptism (see 1 Peter 3:21)–a baptism preceded by faith, repentance, and confession of Christ as the Son of God.  One meets up, spiritually speaking, with the blood of Christ in the waters of baptism, baptism being the final step of entering into Christ where forgiveness is found (see Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Gal. 3:26-27, Rom. 6:3, etc.).  One last passage–the passage is Heb. 10:22 on the evil cons…

• 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…

• Saul’s Conversion

  u delay?  Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’” (Acts 22:16 NAS)  Now why was this a thing Saul must do?  Because as the text in Acts 22:16 tells us, baptism is for the purpose of washing away one’s sins.  As Peter said in Acts 2:38 it is “for the forgiveness of your sins.” (NAS)  This is the very reason in every account of conversion that we have discussed in earlier articles those …

• Worship

  The Lord’s Supper as a Part of a Larger Meal–Right or Wrong? Praying to God to Bless the Bread The Need to Sing in Worship Instrumental Music in Christian Worship–Is It God’s Will? Singing and Playing in Christian Worship Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required Bible Authority, Foot Washing, the Holy Kiss, and Head Coverings King Saul–As Long as it Glorifies God Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) The Lord’s…

• Assorted

  ept If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb Abortion Luke 1 – All You Need to Know Non-Offensive Christianity Ghost Hunting and Consulting the Dead Bible Authority, Foot Washing, the Holy Kiss, and Head Coverings Christianity, Homosexuality, and Gay Marriage When Did Obedience Become Legalism? Healing For the Brokenhearted Better to Have Never Been Born Though He Slay Me The Fragrance of Chr…

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

  imitate Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1 NKJV)  In John 13:15 Jesus said he had given the disciples “an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (NKJV)  This was said in reference to a specific act, that of washing the feet, which means being one who is humble enough and servant enough to do the lowliest of jobs to be of service to others.  Peter spoke of Christ being an example when he said, “Christ also suffered for us,…

• Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation?

  e who have allowed himself to be deceived by the faith only crowd. No, we all know we cannot work our way to heaven, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration (baptism–DS) and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5 NKJV) but when the faith we hold is a faith that leads us to disobedience rather than to obedience we ought to realize this is not…

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  to him” (I Kings 13:18) claiming an angel had spoken to him countermanding God’s original command. That original command to the younger (we assume) prophet had been, “‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’” (1 Kings 13:17 NAS)  When the young prophet believed what the old prophet told him about an angel countermanding the original command, the assumption …

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

  .” (2 Thess. 2:14 NKJV)  It is “the word of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:19 NKJV)  “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’  And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’  And let him who thirsts come.  Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17 NKJV) It is an invitation but it is more than that.  It is a plea, “as though God were pleading through us:  we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor. 5:20 NKJV)  Re…

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

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

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  phet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:22-23 NAS) If I had not been baptized for the remission of sins I would be scared by that statement for it was Jesus who said, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 NAS)  It was Jesus who said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16 NAS)  It was Jesus who said to …

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

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

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

  ir hope?  Where is their comfort and peace of mind?  Where is their hope that God will be with them?  Where is their hope that all things will eventually work out for their good? Hope allows the Christian to not become bitter at life but rather have a long term optimistic outlook.  The darkness of the moment will pass and the sunshine will return.  The Christian believes this for he has hope and hope in the Bible means confident expectation, not …

• 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…

• 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…

• Non-Offensive Christianity

  dd humility (1 Peter 5:5), mercy and meekness (Col. 3:12), thankfulness (Col. 3:15), and truthfulness (Eph. 4:25) to our list and our list would still not be all inclusive of the good things to be found in Christian character at its best. It is hard to look back over this list and see anything that should offend anyone.  It is certainly not the Christian’s desire to offend.  The word of God teaches the Christian to “pursue peace with …

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  udgment of God.” (Rom. 2:5 NKJV)  The impenitent heart is a hard heart.  It will not obey God and its reward is wrath.  That reward begins at the day of death.  He will be as was the rich man who desired of Lazarus some water for his tongue for he said, “I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16:24 NKJV)  That time of torment for the hard-hearted man or woman could begin in the next few minutes for no one knows the minute of his d…

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

  1; (Acts 22:16 NAS)  Do you not find it strikingly strange that a man who believes with his whole heart still has sins 3 days later?  It shouldn’t because Paul was begotten three days earlier, not born again. Jesus says water is a part of the new birth (John 3:1-7, see verse 5).  When we understand what is involved in the new birth thus understanding how one becomes a Christian we will know when to use the word “begotten” versus…

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

  V) Luke tells us they were ordered to not depart from Jerusalem, “he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Act 1:4-5 ESV) In Acts 2 we see the arrival of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4) clothing the apostles with power from on high.  Peter…

• 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…

• The Chastening of the Lord

  the man who lacked bread in his house (verse 6), suffered from drought (verses 7-8), suffered from blight and mildew and locusts (verse 9), was thinking much on a national level.  His problems were personal–no food, no water. And, besides, how does a nation repent unless the people who comprise that nation repent on an individual basis?  There can be no national repentance without individuals repenting. There will be in life trials and tro…

• Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment

  ad 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, they had been provided with drinking water miraculously on two separate occasions (Ex. 15:22-25, Ex. 17:1-7), they had been fed with manna and quail (Ex. 16), and they had been able to defeat those who attacked them with God’s help (Ex. 17:8-13).  There w…

• Faith, Manna, and Grumbling Against God

  trust him for deliverance.  They were grumbling and complaining.  The lack of faith will do that to a man who does not trust in God for salvation. After the end of the crisis at the Red Sea they came to be in want of drinking water at Marah and the Bible says, “the people grumbled at Moses.” (Ex. 15:24 NASB)  Since Moses was merely God’s man and had no inherent power of his own a complaint against Moses was in reality a complain…

• Israel’s Rebellion at the Red Sea

  orm before the people as proof God had sent him.  These signs can be found listed in Ex. 4:1-9 and consisted of his staff being turned into a snake when thrown to the ground, his hand placed in his cloak becoming leprous, and water from the Nile being poured on the ground and becoming blood.  The snake when picked up by the tail became a staff again and the hand placed into the cloak after becoming leprous was returned healthy.  The Bible says, &…

• Faith

  st If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications Faith, Works, and Baptism Abel’s Sacrifice by Faith versus Cain’s Sacrifice Abraham’s Faith (Faith Accounted for Righteousness) The Faith of Enoch Moses, the Waters of Marah, and a Lesson for Today Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16 (This is a different article than the John 3:16 article above.) What Must a Man Believe to be Saved by the Gospel of Christ? The Kind o…

• Grace

  Misunderstanding the Grace of God For by Grace You Have Been Saved by Faith Alone The Grace of God and the Parable of the Laborers How Was Noah Saved Through Water   Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) How God’s Grace Works The Gospel of the Grace of God Noah Found Grace …

• A Heart Right With God (Test Your Heart)

  s with my whole heart.” (Psalms119:69 NKJV)  “Oh, how I love your law!  It is my meditation all the day.” (Psalms 119:97 NKJV)  “I love your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold!” (Psalms 119:127 NKJV)  “Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep your law.” (Psalms 119:136 NKJV) “Your commandments are my delights.” (Psalms 119:143 NKJV)  “My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on your word…

• Work Out Your Own Salvation

  were a vast number of Greek scholars behind these translations so I think the question as to whether or not the text has been correctly translated has been answered.  An argument based on the idea of a mistranslation holds no water. The other man I was reading after based his argument on verse 13, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure.” (NKJV)  His idea seemed to be that it is not really us working out our s…

• Though He Slay Me

  the Holy Spirit speaking through James about Job. Hundreds of years after the fact God saw fit to use James as his mouth piece and reveal more of the purpose behind suffering that seemed without reason or purpose, even unjust at the time.  Job was to be an example for mankind (along with the prophets–James 5:10-11) of the kind of patience and endurance we are to have and it is made known to us that the end result of all such godly endurance…

• He Went Away Grieved

  People came to Jesus while he was on earth for different reasons.  Some came because they felt he could provide them with the necessities of life.  After having fed the 5,000 the crowd intended to take him by force to make him king (John 6:15).  Jesus said to them, “You seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” (John 6:26 NKJV) Others sought after him that they might be healed of sickness and dis…

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

  oming more obvious what we are going to do with it every day.  We are going to use the Bible as a football and give it a big swift kick, one so hard that it will get it so far away from us we will never have to see it again.  At least when one kicks a football he can go get it again and bring it back but it is not quite so easy getting the Bible back after you kick it away.  There has to be a desire to go get it and with the Bible the desire for …

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  outheast Asia were justified.  Their cultures said those things were right and thus their conscience did not bother them by participating in such acts. Paul while persecuting Christians even to the death had a good conscience at the time he was doing so.  He said, in reference to that time, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut …

• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  en but if he was then subject to the Father then certainly he was subject to him earlier while on earth. We also know that when this world comes to an end and the Day of Judgment has come to be history that Jesus who now sits at the “right hand of the majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3 NKJV) ruling “till he has put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor. 15:25 NKJV) will then himself “be subject to him who put all things under h…

• Receiving the Gospel (Acts 2:41)

  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 the church that day ….”   The International Standard Version translates this way, “So those who welcomed his message were baptized ….”   The New King James Version says, “Then those who gladly received hi…

• Philip Preaching the Gospel in Samaria

  what did they do?  The text says “they were being baptized” when they believed.  In Acts 2:41 when they received Peter’s word what did they do?  They were baptized.  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 t…

• Things God Cannot Do

  orced and remarried couples, couples that are living in adultery, that are members in good standing in many churches?  I know of one man who left his wife of, I am told, 37 years for another woman, married this woman, and now attends another congregation which seemed to accept him and her with open arms unrepentant.  How about the churches one hears of on the news from time to time welcoming homosexual pastors or priests as they call them?  God i…

• The Christian, Politics, and the Government

  ought to do under some of the scenarios which arise but we have God given principles by which we can act. I write on this topic not so much out of a desire to do so but because a discussion of the subject is needed especially at this time where here in America I doubt the country has ever been more sharply divided than it is now other than in the years leading up to and during the Civil War.  There are two very distinct trains of thought in our s…

• 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…

• Spiritual Mirages

  20;From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sle…

• Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation

  Most everyone is willing to concede they desire to go to heaven after this life is over and live there with God eternally versus dying and going to hell “where ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’” (Mark 9:48 NKJV)  That is the way we ought to feel and God certainly approves of our desire along that line.  Unfortunately, our desire for heaven and our attitudes while living here on earth are often in con…

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

  riptures.  (4) Those groups we might call modernists. A modernist, for those who might not be sure, is an individual or religious body (denomination) that takes the smorgasbord approach to the New Testament if they believe it at all.  The New Testament is not seen as being trustworthy in its statements and man must decide what is true and what is not, separate fact from fiction, and build his own religion on his own thoughts (thoughts that are an…

• Ignorance Does Not Excuse Sin

  all we can about God’s word.  We accept the fact we will be saved by God’s grace and not by perfection in commandment keeping and rejoice in that fact but, that having been said, what about the man that takes a lackadaisical attitude toward learning God’s will and obeying his commandments.  Does God’s grace cover man’s indifference? Does a man want to try and go to heaven as one who never cared enough about God and his will to try and learn his …

• Why Men Do Not Believe

  onest, perhaps the majority, for who can say?  Paul, or Saul, was on the scene quite early in days of the beginning of the Christian religion.  In Acts 7 we are told that those who stoned Stephen “laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man name Saul.” (Acts 7:58 NAS)  And then we read in chapter 8, the first verse, that “Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.” (NAS)  This was in the very earliest da…

• Why Do Men Run From God?

  to us.  Even then we may end up scratching our head in bewilderment.  They may tell us what they think but do they themselves even understand the processes of the heart and mind that have led them to the point where they are at? If there be a God (I am not expressing doubt) then by definition of what it means to be God it is clear one could not successfully run from him.  Hear David in the 139th Psalm. “O LORD, You have searched me and kno…