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• A New Creation in Christ

  …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 »In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus gave a parable of two men who went up to pray that reads a…

• Does God Really Care?

  Over the course of time just about all of us are confronted with the reality of suffering and abuse not just on newscasts but in our own personal world where we live day by day and experience life up close.  Why are small precious children abused?  Why do many of them from all outward appearances not have a chance from the get go due to the circumstances they were born into?  Why do old people often get in such horrible conditions as you find th…

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

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

• What Is Baptism (the Sprinkling Hoax)

  em 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.  We all assume that the words found in our New Testaments are English words translated from the original Greek.  You may well be surprised to learn that the word “baptize” and all of its derivatives are not English words at all.  They are Greek words that…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  on, prohibit judging but only unjust judgment.  “Judge with righteous judgment,” (John 7:24 NKJV) Jesus said. To make no judgments at all, and yes I am speaking of value judgments, opposes everything taught in the New Testament and in life.  The New Testament praises those who because of full age are able to absorb solid food, “that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” …

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

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

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

  LL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” (NASU) How is one taught of God?  The answer is through the teachings of the Holy Spirit found in our day in the pages of the New Testament.  Hear Jesus, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63 NASU)  So it is clearly seen that words do make a …

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  t 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 Testament …

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

  he Bible (the gospel message) made Christians and Christians only that were added by God to the church.  “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NKJV)  If the pure gospel message of the New Testament will not do that today then of what value is it? Does the gospel message now add you both to the church Jesus built and to a denomination simultaneously?  If so when did that begin?  If so where can I read abou…

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  The fact that baptism is essential to becoming a Christian and being saved is written on page after page in the New Testament despite being rejected by most who call themselves Christians.  I have never understood how something so clearly taught can so readily be rejected by so many other than through the power that tradition and religious heritage exerts on people. Error believed has the same faith affect upon a man or woman as truth believed a…

• 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…

• 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…

• 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. …

• 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…

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  the church in the Bible is just the word “church” itself as all Bible readers know. The listing above is not an exhaustive list but it is enough of a list to give you the idea that the church is not given a formal name in the New Testament.  Are there any implications that can be correctly drawn from what has been studied here?  One thing that sticks out to me as I look back over the list–the name Christ or God is given in all the reference…

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  hrist the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:22-23 NKJV)  If a man is going to be laid as a living stone into this spiritual building called the church, which Jesus has built and continues to build by adding new stones onto it, then he must be laid on top of this foundational rock that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world as the lamb of God to give his life as a sacrifice for all of mankind’s sins i…

• Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath?

  commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Deut. 5:15 NKJV)  If you are a Gentile God did not bring your ancestors out of Egypt and that being the case the Sabbath law was never directed to you. It is time to move to the New Testament.  We find the Sabbath in the New Testament but we need to make some distinctions.  First we must remember Jesus was a Jew “born under the law” (Gal. 4:4 NKJV) and he and his fellow Jews were under o…

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  Most of us prefer a version of the Bible today that is a little more up to date in its language than is the old original American Standard Version of 1901 or the King James Version thus making the Bible a little easier to read and understand.  However, in a few passages scattered about the Bible even the new literal translations like the ESV, NASB, and the NKJV, all excellent translations when taken as a whole, have led us slightly astray with i…

• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  covenant—the Law of Moses. We can see then that being faithful means, on man’s part, being obedient to the covenant he is under with God.  Have you ever read or paid any attention to the cover page or title page of your New Testament?  The New Testament I am using as I write says on its cover page “The New Testament of Our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ.”  The older versions used to read differently.  I am now looking at the cover…

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  . The lady’s idea was that no matter what a body of believers was to believe and practice today it would end up being no more than another denomination for it is simply impossible in our day and age to have the original New Testament church.  It is sad we have come to that kind of thinking in our time but denominationalism is dependent on that line of thought and cannot survive without it. If the New Testament church was to exist on earth t…

• Which Denomination Did Jesus Build?

  ice do not matter if you can be saved in any denomination regardless of belief and practice. Paul spoke of his ways in Christ which he said “I teach everywhere in every church.” (1 Cor. 4:17 NKJV)  Every church in New Testament times received the same teaching.  There were no opposing doctrines save from false teachers.  What was taught in one place by a Holy Spirit inspired teacher was taught in every place.  Now we say it doesn̵…

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

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

• Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required

  re we free to just make up worship to suit ourselves?  The lady says in her article, and I quote directly from it, “Confirmation is a rite done in the church during worship.”  You cannot find such an animal in the New Testament but you can find it in this denomination which went outside the New Testament for its practice and authority.  Who has such authority?  I would think it would take a bold man to say I’ll bring it into the…

• The Pleasures of Sin

  Is there pleasure in sin?  The Bible teaches that sometimes there is–that is for a time.  You are probably familiar with the passage in the Bible found in Heb. 11:24-25 that speaks of the “pleasures of sin for a season” (KJV) or “the passing pleasures of sin” as the New King James puts it.  “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God…

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  are these men who must give an account?  It is the same men whom Paul gave Timothy the qualifications to meet (1 Tim. 3:2-7) in order to qualify them as bishops in the church (a bishop and an elder are the same person in the New Testament).  He said, in part, “If a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” (1 Tim. 3:5 NKJV)  What is the point? It is this–Christians are to be in or…

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

  Why write an article on the topic the kingdom of God and the new birth?  The answer is really quite simple.  As long as people today have a desire to be saved in the way Jesus saved some during his personal ministry on earth–by faith without baptism–there will be a need to show the error of that position.  On this subject timing makes all the difference. When did Jesus become a king with a kingdom over which to rule?  When Jesus was …

• 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…

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  s the Savior is his spiritual body, the church, for the church is his body (Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 1:18) which makes being “in Christ” essential.  We must be in that which Christ is going to save.  “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation,” (2 Cor. 5:17 NKJV) emphasis on “in Christ” and not out of him.  Thus it is essential to be “in Christ” for that is where “every spiritual blessing” is found (Eph. 1:3 NKJV) which, of course, includes salvation…

• 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…

• Why Do Men Run From God?

  will ever have. I would dare say that last Sunday the majority by far of those the world calls Christians engaged in a worship service (if they went at all) in which they did at least some things which cannot be found in the New Testament of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, things that sprang up in some man’s mind once upon a time and that was taken up by a body of believers and has been handed down by tradition through the years as if it…

• If Baptism is Not Essential for Salvation

  ptized into Christ have put on Christ.”  That is a necessary implication of the doctrine that baptism does not matter – a rewriting of the Biblical text.  (8)  If baptism is not essential for salvation then neither is being a new creation.  “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17 NKJV)  All things have become new where?  In Christ.  How does one enter into Chris…

• The Grace of God in Baptism

  Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by his grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7 NKJV) I would encourage the reader to compare this passage as rendered in the New King James Version just quoted with its rendering in other reliable translations such as the English Standard Version and the New American Standard Version. It would also be good to read it from the New International Ver…

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

  y much of the problem with God’s people in the Old Testament can be traced back to the idea that they did not think who they worshipped or how they worshipped made much difference.  One sees some of the same tendencies in the New Testament.  What is Paul’s rebuke of the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 11 all about if it is not about the corruption of the worship in how the Lord’s Supper is to be partaken of?  Does it matter to God?  Some are still saying t…

• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

  :4 NKJV)  Again, God speaking to Moses in Lev. 17:11 says to Moses, “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” (NKJV)  And, then again, in Lev. 17:14, “The life of all flesh is its blood.” (NKJV)  In the New Testament when Judas had betrayed the Lord, felt remorse, and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders his statement to them was, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” (Matt. 27…

• The Silence of the Scriptures

  ne overrides scripture.  Where does one find in scripture the idea of praying to dead saints just as an example?  I have got time.  I can wait but it is certain I will be dead before you find the passage teaching such in your New Testament. When one takes the position Luther took one cannot complain too much, and be consistent, about wild innovations in the church.  If what is not forbidden is permitted then pretty much anything goes.  In searchi…

• How Was Noah Saved Through Water?

  race but had something to do, an obligation to fulfill, if he was to be saved.  Being saved by God’s grace does not mean man has no part in his own salvation, that man has nothing to do. There is also one other very important New Testament verse on Noah’s salvation.  “By faith Noah, being divinely warned (God’s grace-DS) of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world…

• Praying to God to Bless the Bread–Really?

  the idea that Jesus ever blessed  the bread or the fruit of the vine in instituting the Lord’s Supper based on what is recorded in the word.  If he did where is it found?  Furthermore, where is the example of any man in New Testament times asking God to bless the bread and/or the fruit of the vine? What does the word “bless” mean as it relates to prayer?  There is one passage that is so clear on the matter as to settle the issue…

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  ting on Matt. 23:8)  Man had come up with a title to give to himself that pleased his vanity. Jesus likewise forbids our calling anyone Father as a religious title in Matt. 23:9 already quoted.  The word father is used in the New Testament as well as in the Old Testament many times in many different ways.  Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words lists 9 different applications of the noun as used in the New Testament alone.  This…

• Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural?

  ge the meaning of his inspired word or to add to it.  “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches.” (1 Cor. 2:13 NKJV) The words baptize, baptism, etc., found in your New Testament were words from the Greek carried over into the English without ever being translated.  We call them transliterated words.  Why were these Greek words never translated?  Because the Greek means to submerge, imm…

• Christian Circumcision

  o the era of Christianity.  When Christ died on the cross, was buried, resurrected, returned to heaven, and then sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 an old era ended (the Law of Moses) and a new era began (the era of Christianity).  The Jews continued to circumcise their male children but it was no longer required in the law of God.  “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the c…

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

  The church of the New Testament is in the scriptures referred to under several different designations or appellations one of which is the body of Christ.  “And he put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Eph. 1:22-23 NKJV)  “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for th…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  s, “Once Luther remarked that he would give his doctor’s beret to anyone who could reconcile James and Paul (Bainton 259).”  (Petty’s source:  Bainton, Roland H., Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, New York: New American Library, 1950; 1978.) Martin Luther’s doctrine does indeed make Paul and James contradict one another.  That fact alone ought to tell you he was wrong in his theology no matter how sincere.  Any …

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

  estament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.” (Heb 9:16-17 NKJV) Jesus “has become a surety of a better covenant.” (Heb. 7:22 NKJV)  “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one (the Law of Moses–DS) obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” (Heb 8:13 NKJV)  “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity …

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

  re men and uphold his honor in that regard than there are people who are willing to accept his words. First of all I want you all to understand that the words of Jesus are not just confined to the words printed in red in your New Testament.  Jesus, in John 16, spoke of the coming of the Holy Spirit and said this, “He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He …

• Work Out Your Own Salvation

  l. 2:12-13 NKJV) Is this a correct translation of the Greek text?  It is according to the American Standard Version of 1901, the English Standard Version, the Holman Christian Standard, the International Standard Version, the New International Version, the King James, the New King James, the New American Standard, the New American Standard Update, the NET, and the Revised Standard Version.  There were a vast number of Greek scholars behind these …

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

  l wrote is not authoritative then we cannot stop there but have to go right down the line and ask about what Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter, and Jude wrote as well. The truth of the matter is every single word of the New Testament excepting only those words added by translators for clarification (usually marked by being printed in italics) came directly from God the Father including the words of Jesus himself.  In John 1:1 Jesus is calle…

• God’s Hardening of the Human Heart

  an. In both the cases above just cited was God not executing judgment on men while they lived by ending their lives?  Many other such examples could be given from the Old Testament and then we have Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament (Acts 5).  I do not see where the Bible teaches that a man can go on and on and on in sin without any need of fearing God here and now.  A person living in sin ought to be scared to death everyday.  I am not sa…

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

  it that the bills were paid and the work would prosper and the church would grow in numbers. But here was the problem–God’s word does not one time speak of building a house to worship in.  One will read the pages of the New Testament until old age dims his eyes and never read one time of a church building such as you see on nearly every corner today.  There is no word from God on building a material brick and mortar building to worship God …

• 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…

• The Peace Found in Forgiveness of Others

  to others (or even things we should have done as acts of consideration or kindness or love but failed to do)?  Why is it we come to see everything as one sided as though it is the world against us but our purity is as of the new fallen snow without spot? Certainly, there are some things that would be hard to forgive–adultery committed against us, desertion by a husband against his wife and children, physical abuse, lies told against us, hu…

• Fear God

  ld those who were already Christians at Ephesus to “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness.”  (Eph. 4:22-24 NKJV) We know that this is not always easy to do.  Paul said to the Corinthians, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to …

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

  saying to those Jews to whom he was speaking in Rome “you won’t hear but they will.”  Both could have heard.  The only difference between the two parties was the heart.  The Jewish heart had grown dull.  The New Living Translation uses the word “hardened” rather than the phrase “grown dull.”  The Jewish heart had been hardened but it was of their own doing, of their own will.  Man hardens his own heart an…

• Disobedience to Jesus

  passage, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (NAS – see also the ASV, ESV, RSV, NRSV, LITV, GNB, and the ISV)  The New King James Version translates it, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (NKJV)  At first glance it migh…

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  , we are starting to travel a dangerous road.  Who is the man who is qualified to tell us what changes need to be made in the Christian faith and practice of today versus that of the first century as found in the pages of the New Testament?  There are many who feel they are qualified for they are busy telling us all the time what is allowable today even though unheard of in the New Testament but I have always been a little afraid of blind guides …

• The Heart of Man from a Biblical Perspective

  The Bible has much to say about the heart of man.  The word “heart” in the New King James Version of the Bible is found 835 times in 775 verses according to the E-Sword concordance for the NKJV.  The study of the heart of man is thus a massive study and I might add from a human point of view a complex one.  God knows all of our hearts, “For you alone know the hearts of all the sons of men.” (I Kings 8:39 NKJV)  The question is do you and I know …

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

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

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

  d dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” (Rom 8:9 NKJV)  Does this mean, however, that salvation came as a result of Holy Spirit baptism? There are but two known examples in the New Testament beyond dispute of Holy Spirit baptism–the apostles in Acts 2 and Cornelius and his household in Acts 11:15-17.  Yes, many others had received spiritual gifts but no where is it said that any others were e…

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

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

• Repentance–How Can I Be Sure?

  The words repent and repentance are Bible words, words hardly ever used outside of a religious context.  In reading one’s New Testament, beginning with the gospel accounts, the first preaching that is recorded is that of John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:2 NKJV)  In Matt. 4:17 we see Jesus preaching the exact same message.  The call to men from inspiration from the very …

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

  his word (God’s word–DS) abiding in you, because whom he sent, him you do not believe (speaking of himself–DS).” (John 5:38 NKJV)  One must believe the things Jesus said which means believe the entire New Testament and 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 …

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

  John 1:12-13 from the New American Standard Version:  “(12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name:  (13) who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will on man, but of God.” [verse numbers added by me for clarification—DS] Many believe that they are born again (become Christians) at the moment they come to believe in Jesus as t…

• Receiving the Gospel (Acts 2:41)

  national bodies run into serious trouble with this verse for if Peter did indeed preach a gospel sermon here then to receive it the text teaches that baptism is required.  They cannot accept that nor are they willing to.  The New Living Translation, a dynamic equivalence translation, puts it this way, “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day ….”   The International Standard Version translates …

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

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

• Baptism

  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?  What does the New Testament say about the topic?  What did the early church after the apostles passing have to say on the subject?  Surely, there are some answers if we will accept them. Below you will find links to many articles written …

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

  does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.” (1 John 5:10 NKJV)  The testimony God has given concerning his Son is found written on the pages of the New Testament.  However, all of the New Testament is God’s word and to disbelieve any part of it is to make God out to be a liar for all those who wrote therein wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Do we believe G…

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

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

• Singing and Playing in Christian Worship

  argument that when we invite someone in to sing, speaking of today, the here and now, we just naturally assume he or she will bring their musical instruments with them and use them in the performance thus the word sing in the New Testament does not necessarily mean just sing alone.  They might have been bringing their instruments with them.  If so the historians are wrong for that is the very thing they say was not done.  Do the research yourself…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  2 NKJV)  Mary was still choosing that good part which would not be taken away as she poured the oil onto the Lord’s head and onto his feet wiping his feet with her hair (John 12:3).  It was not cheap.  A footnote in the New Living Translation of the Bible at Mark 14:5 says that the 300 denarii cost of the oil would be the equivalent of 300 day’s wages. What lessons can we learn from this account?  There are several.  (1) When you love…

• Who is the Believer in John 3:16?

  elf included, as it should.  It clearly teaches, for it clearly states, that the 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…

• The Need to Sing in Worship

  221; (Ex. 15:1 NKJV).  This is very important.  Please note that they sang to the Lord.  The singing was worship.  So it is today.  17 times in the Old Testament the phrase “sing to the Lord” is found based on the New King James Version and the E-Sword concordance.  There is thus no doubt as to whom the singing is addressed.  Singing is an act of worship. In Rom. 15:8-9 (ESV) Paul says, “For I tell you that Christ became a serva…

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  220;God gave them up” (v. 26), and “God gave them over” (v. 28) all talking about God giving those people up to sins of various kinds which means he ceased to exercise any restraining influence on them.  The New Living Translation says “God abandoned them” in verses 24 and 26 and in verse 28 “he abandoned them.”  How would you like God to abandon you, to give up on you, to allow you to go on in sin with n…

• For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith Alone

  No, Eph. 2:8-9 does not read that way but that is the way most seem to want to read it.  Let me quote the verses for you from the New King James version. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” There is no believer in his right mind who would discount the grace of God in man’s salvation.  You do not believe you deserve to be sav…

• Regrets

  great man of God.  I do not recall a single passage that speaks ill of Samuel.  He was God’s man and judged Israel all the days of his life (1 Sam. 7:15) and, furthermore, he was a prophet of God ((1 Sam. 3:20).  In the New Testament we find him listed in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, along with others in what one might call faith’s all of fame.  And, yet, we find this.  “Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made h…

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

  fillment in doing so.  The Bible would call this malice or hatred and condemn it but the alienated feels justified. Two great examples in the Bible of men whose sons became alienated were David with his son Absalom and in the New Testament the case of the prodigal son.  David suffered immensely over Absalom.  It would take up too much space to retell the story of David’s relationship with Absalom so let me speak here only of David’s love for Absa…

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  in heaven.  If they could be forgiven of such grave sins in violation of conscience surely we can be forgiven also of our sins in violation of conscience. The exact phrase “good conscience” is found 6 times in the New King James Version of the New Testament in Acts 23:1 (previously mentioned above), 1 Tim. 1:5, 1 Tim. 1:19, Heb. 13:18, 1 Peter 3:16, and 1 Peter 3:21.  It would be good to take a quick look at the 5 verses not yet menti…

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

  John is saying the same thing Paul said in Col. 3:17.  You cannot be doing as you please, adding to God’s word, taking from it, going outside the book of authority that you have–the teaching of Christ, the pages of the New Testament. But, when emotions rule scriptures like these do not matter.  We will do what we desire word from God or no word from God and we will say whatever it is we are doing is to God’s glory and he will be pleased.  …

• I Can Do All Things Through Christ

  to do it).  Faith believes his promise. This Greek word in Hebrews 11:1 translated into English by the word “assurance” (ESV, ASV, NAS) or the phrase “being sure” (NET) or words to that effect is used in 4 other places in the New Testament where in 3 out of the 4 instances it is translated by the English word “confidence” or words similar to it.  You will find those passages in 2 Cor. 9:4, 2 Cor. 11:17, and Heb. 3:14.  Thus faith builds confidenc…

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

  nse 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 conscience in the New Testament is in 1 Cor. 8:7-12.  This entire chapter is devoted to the subject of eating meats offered to idols and whether or not it is acceptable in God’s eyes for a Christian to eat such meats.  One should also r…

• Misunderstanding the Grace of God

  if there is to be salvation it must be by grace which it is. Does this then mean that man can ignore Jesus’ commands and disbelieve the things he said whether directly or indirectly (through the inspired writers of the New Testament)?  If grace comes through faith what kind of faith is it that will not believe that which has been spoken or written?  If the Lord speaks and I claim to be a man of faith will I not believe his words?  Grace co…

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

  o God’s face on the Day of Judgment?  I am betting when that day comes this man will have changed his tune about what he has to say about God or wants to say. It is said that was then and this is now, now we are under a new covenant, but the Bible says of the Old Testament that, “whatever things were written before were written for our learning.” (Rom. 15:4 NKJV)  In talking about what happened to the children of Israel as they came out of …

• The Need to Preach on Sin

  is forgiven.  Men need to be convicted of sin in order to motivate them to turn from it and turn to God. Well what is sin and what makes it so bad?  “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4 KJV) or as the New King James Version puts it, “sin is lawlessness.”  It is disobedience to the law of God whether willful or otherwise.  What makes it so bad?  It displaces God as the rightful ruler of the world and puts man i…

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  of Adam and Eve.  Can we rewrite history?  Have those reasons changed?  If not why have we changed on this subject unless it is we lack the faith that believes and obeys? One needs to understand that every word spoken in the New Testament, every word written, is from Jesus.  Speaking of the Holy Spirit that the apostles were to receive Jesus said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for he wi…

• The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept

  d, ridiculed, and persecuted.  Man has set his own standard as regards who is a Christian and who is not and it is religiously incorrect to dispute the accepted standard. A sort of political correctness in religion is nothing new.  It existed in the days of Jesus and was something he had to fight against daily.  As far as this world is concerned he finally lost the battle as it put him on the cross.  It is pretty certain the same (persecution to …

• Better to Never Have Been Born–Why?

  g to his ways,’ says the Lord God.  ’Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.  Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.  For why should you die, O house of Israel?  For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord GOD.  ‘Therefore turn and live!’” (Ezek. 18:30-32 NKJV) &nb…

• The Struggle to be a Spiritually Minded Man or Woman

  t to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9 NKJV)  Remember when Peter and Barnabas refused to eat with the Gentiles in Gal. 2:11-13 thus sinning?  Always remember why much of the New Testament was written–to straighten out sin in the lives of Christians (1 Corinthians being the best example). I have brought these things up for one reason–to warn us all not to despair and be overcome by di…

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

  ndments given to their parents (Adam and Eve) and thus passed on down to them from parent to child.  That God spoke directly with not only Adam and Eve but also with Cain we see from Gen. 4:6-7 and Gen. 4:9-15.  Jesus, in the New Testament, in Luke 11:49-51, includes Abel with the prophets so we know God spoke to him as well.  A prophet was one who proclaimed God’s will and not just necessarily one who only fore-told things to come. Further…

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (NAS)  The English Standard Version has, “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out.”  The New King James has, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” Albert Barnes, the well known Bible commentator, says of the Greek word translated “return” or “turn a…

• The Great Commission and Cornelius

  han 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 new birth, and baptism enter into or bear upon the case of Cornelius. I want to deal with something I had overlooked myself until I was doing a little reading where it was brought to my attention.  In his speech to Cornelius…

• The Fragrance of Christ

  nce of Christ.”  When I think of the word fragrance I think of that which has a pleasant smell–a flower out of the garden.  But there are many wonderful fragrances when you live out in the country as I do.  The smell of new mown hay, the smell of a cornfield in July on a late summer evening about dusk, the smell of the farm field after having just been turned over (plowed) in the spring.  All evoke pleasant thoughts; arouse an inner peace a…

• They Loved the Praise of Men

  ture as it so desires and feels the need for.  It was never meant to be taken literally is their idea. Thus those who speak evil of the Christian usually do so for religious reasons for even atheism is a form of religion.  In New Testament times the pagans had their idols and the Romans their emperor worship.  I believe Paul in talking about the qualifications for an elder when he says he must have a good report from those on the outside was spea…

• Willful Sin–Can Anyone Be Saved?

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

• 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…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  e all baptized into one body.”  The word “all” means every one of us, no exceptions.  How many disciples did Jesus say should be baptized back in Matt. 28:19?  None were to be exempted, not a single one.  In New Testament times there was no such thing as a Christian who had not been baptized.  That has not changed with time despite the howls and protests of me. Did Paul personally do a lot of baptizing in Corinth?  No!  Did he p…

• Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb

  d?  Maybe they need some time in the house of real mourning where, if they are wise, they will learn. The last enemy Jesus will destroy, and that at his coming, is death. (1 Cor. 15:26 NKJV)  Won’t it be wonderful to put on a new spiritual body wherein there will be eternal life for us?  Death will be no more.  There will be no need to ever be afraid of death. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor s…

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

  ook bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same manner he also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till he comes.” (1 Cor. 11:23-26 NKJV) Paul told …

• Hypocrites in the Church

  nd it is beneath them to associate with such.  They are better than that. Certainly, the Bible condemns hypocrisy.  What may surprise the reader is that the actual word “hypocrisy” is found only in 9 verses of the New American Standard Bible Update edition and the word “hypocrite” is found in only 2 verses of the same translation.  Does that mean there is not a lot written on the subject?  Not at all! One has to remember t…

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

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

• Spiritual Mirages

  s not mean things are well with us spiritually.  Just because we have a spiritual life, one we are actively involved in, does not mean it is the right religion or pleasing to God.  As far as I am able to tell from reading the New Testament the Pharisees of Jesus’ day were doing just fine as far as the blessings of this world were concerned but they were experiencing their own spiritual mirage. The Jews with which Jeremiah was dealing could …

• Is Church Attendance Essential for Christian Salvation?

  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 of Jesus either directly or indirectly.  Of the Holy Spirit Jesus said, “He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are mine.  Theref…

• 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…

• Never Give Up

  ” (Psalm 51:16-17 NKJV)  When a man or woman truly from the depths of their heart repents God will forgive them and we are talking here about the children of God.  Remember how the father received back the prodigal son in the New Testament?  The message is God wants us back. In closing I want to touch on a few passages in the New Testament.  The church at Corinth was full of sinning Christians.  The book of First Corinthians was written for the p…

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

  d apostles and prophets.  Believe in him, just not in what he has said, and you will be saved seems to be the idea.  What!  How does that work?  Someone needs to explain it to me.  What does it mean to be faithful to God as a new convert?  Lydia says, as a new convert speaking to Paul and his party, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” (Acts 16:15 NAS)  That they did because they judged her,…

• Authority

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

• The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

  Peter, an apostle, though inspired so he could teach and preach without possibility of error, does not fully comprehend the meaning of the message Christ taught in Matt. 28:18-19–the Great Commission.  This was nothing new for prophets often did not know the full import of the inspired words they spoke. (see 1 Peter 1:10-12)  In reading Acts 10 one learns by seeing Peter’s initial reaction to the heavenly sent vision he had that Pete…

• Jesus Defines Repentance

  He must believe God is.  He must believe he stands guilty before God.  He must believe he is a condemned man in his present state.  Belief is thus a necessary prerequisite to repentance. There are two or three passages in the New Testament that put repentance before belief (Acts 20:21, Heb. 6:1, Mark 1:15).  I will make a comment or two and go on without going into a long excursion on these passages.  If Jews are being addressed in a passage it i…

• Faith

  :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 of Faith in God That Destroys Faith Based on Deception–Gen. 37:31-33 Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings How Was Noah Saved Through Water? He Feared Though He Slay Me Why Men Do Not Believe Did Christ Rise From the Dead or is Faith Folly? Audio Sermons  (by Waymon Swain) Faith–What…

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

  being in the church mentioned in the Bible with denominations.  The thing Paul is discussing is not denominationalism which did not exist when Paul wrote and would not for hundreds of years to come.  One is baptized into the New Testament church, the one Christ established and gave his life for and which will be saved on the last day.  Everyone in the church will be saved provided they live faithful lives.  Now to the passage at hand which troub…

• A Heart Right With God (Test Your Heart)

  words.” (Jesus, John 14:24 NKJV)  A man loves with his heart.  “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13 NKJV)  Do you really want to test your heart–just read your New Testament and every time you come across a verse that gives a command ask yourself the question am I obeying this command.  If you are not why not?  If you are not what does it say about your heart?  Do not make excuses …

• More on Willful Sin—Can Anyone be Saved?

  f a state of sin, for the force of the verb is repeated action—’if we go on sinning,’ ‘if we continue to sin,’ ‘if we persist in sin.’”  That this is true can be seen from some of the newer Bible translations of the passage.  “For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” (Heb. 10:26 NRSV)  “Dear friend…

• The Kingdom of God

  The Kingdom of God and The New Birth   Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) The Seed of the Kingdom …

• Must a Man Seek God?

  mean that such a man never considers God in anything he does.  God is in none of his plans, is never given consideration in any of the man’s decision making, etc.  Actually, we find such a man described by Jesus in the New Testament in the parable of the rich man whose ground yielded such a plentiful crop that he knew not what to do with it all as described in Luke 12:16-21. This man decided to tear his old barns down, build bigger to stor…

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

  s are easy enough to figure out for in some few places the phrase is used like we would use it today but I am not interested in those passages.  I want to know the unique way in which God in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament used the phrase.  We start in the Old Testament. Exodus 9:16 is a good place to start.  God has instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh, “for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you my pow…

• Waymon Swain’s Audio Sermons

  rs  (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  (13 sermons) Prayer  (1 sermon) Salvation  (26 sermons) Sin  (21 sermons) The Church  (7 sermons) The Heart  (4 sermons) The Kingdom of God  (1 sermon) Word of God  (5 sermons) W…

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  see how you or I need to be told that there will not be prophecy in heaven.  Is that not self-evident?  Let me tell you what is “perfect” in addition to Jesus–his completed revelation to man in his word, the New Testament itself.  Do you doubt the word of God is perfect?  See Psalms 19:7.  The one who takes issue with me says “In John 3:5 water does not refer to Christian baptism in the name of the Lord.  Prove that it doe…

• The Faith of Enoch

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

• 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 …

• The Two Covenants

  The Kingdom of God and The New Birth Abuse of the Old Testament Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath? …

• Jesus’ Baptism and You?

  that John’s baptism was from or of God. The counsel of God was that men receive John’s message and be baptized.  John’s message was that men repent and be baptized, a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. The Good News Bible translates Mark 1:4 as follows:  “So John appeared in the desert, baptizing and preaching. ‘Turn away from your sins and be baptized,’ he told the people, ‘and God will forgive your sins.’”  This was the mes…

• Though He Slay Me

  have struggled financially, done all you can do and have gotten nowhere and now wonder what you will do perhaps even reaching a point of desperation.  You find no answers.  In an article in a recent edition of the local area newspaper I read of a woman who had been living in an alley with her two children eating out of garbage dumps until finally someone was made aware of her plight and came to her aid.  Yes, we have desperate people living amon…

• Acceptable Prayer

  to be answered, that are in accord with God’s will.  He gives only what is best as “every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above.” (James 1:17 NAS)  Why pray for myself that God grant me a new half million dollar home?  I don’t need it and neither do you and we know what he has said about those who desire to be rich in the book of 1 Timothy (6:8-10). What I am getting at is that if we want our prayers to…

• Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment

  rds of God spoken by God, not thunder.  We find further confirmation of this in Ex. 20:22, the very words of God himself directly speaking on the subject. On the day God descended on Mt. Sinai (called Horeb in Deut. 4:10) the New International Version says the people “trembled with fear.” (Ex. 20:18 NIV)  While that is not a literal translation, the literal is “they trembled” (NASB), it is the exact meaning of the literal….

• Pray For Others Lest You Sin

  neighbor?  We are if we love him and if we do not love him we stand condemned already. We are clearly commanded to love one another as disciples of Jesus for none other than Jesus himself gave the commandment when he said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34 NKJV)  Thus in the book of 1 John we read in chapter 3, verse 16, “by this we know love, because he …

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

  hers can quote scripture. We today are gullible. We believe about anything that is called Christian, whether in doctrine or works, is God approved. We just accept it and go on and assume it is fine with God and in accord with New Testament teaching. We need to beware. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1 NKJV) …

• Diotrephes Loves To Have the Preeminence

  andard Version reads in 3 John 1:9 as follows: “I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes 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 u…

• Demas Has Forsaken Me

  1;“Having loved this present world”. (2 Tim. 4:10 NKJV) One gets the idea that Demas had been with Paul for a number of years and had only recently departed.  Why else mention his departure if it was one of long standing, old news, that had occurred years before? We have then a man who had traveled and worked with Paul, sacrificed and struggled along with him, endured the hardship a number of years, and saw with but little doubt miracles Paul per…

• Faith, Manna, and Grumbling Against God

  (Ex. 16:28 NASB)  He was speaking of the children of Israel rather than to Moses as an individual. Is there a lesson for Christians living in the twenty first century in this?  If one studies the Bible carefully, both old and new testaments, he will find that obedience was always directly associated with faith.  Commonsense tells us as much.  Why would you obey if you do not believe?  Disobedience is just the natural consequence of a lack of fait…

• The Parable of the 10 Virgins–7 Lessons

  e presumptions why not just take God’s word on matters relating to life and godliness.  The Bible today has basically been rewritten by many of the major religious bodies in existence today.  They will live and die with their new interpretations of what God’s word says (means).  It is a life of presumption.  As we live so we die–the day the door is shut. (6)  There is danger in living a foolish life.  “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There…

• The Army of the Lord–the Church

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

• God’s Willingness to Forgive–King Manasseh

  him?  Two men who lived differently and died differently. I would remind you that under the Law of Moses the Jews were God’s children by physical birth into the Jewish race.  We become God’s children by a spiritual birth, the new birth, in our own era of time.  Manasseh was a child of God who strayed greatly.  You and I are God’s children. We should never give up on ourselves or other Christians no matter how far away we or they may stray.  God w…

• Salvation (Becoming a Christian)

  ctions on Salvation How Was Noah Saved Through Water? How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built? Saved by Jesus Outside the Church Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation? Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven? Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) What Must I Do To Be Saved?  (Part I) What Must I Do To Be Saved? (Part II) Fa…

• The Conscience as a Witness

  ten in Deut. 8:3 by Moses by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. No, we cannot ignore our conscience.  I do not argue that we can for we cannot.  I only argue that our conscience must be trained by the word of God as found in the New Testament, God’s law for man today, and that we may need to retrain our conscience to bring it into accord with that word.  Saul, who was to become the apostle Paul, had to when he met up with Jesus on the road to …

• The Parable of the Talents–the Sin of Fear

  make profit. The spiritual application is that God gives to each of us the ability to take whatever gifts he has given us to work with and use them to go, and do, and prosper in working spiritually in and for his kingdom.  In New Testament times God gave miraculous spiritual gifts which men (and women) were expected to exercise “for the profit of all.” (1 Cor. 12:7 NKJV)  “All” in this verse taken in context is a reference…

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  own day have a good conscience. Secondly, this prophet who sinned and met his death believed a religious man.  I will be frank.  I do not take much stock in the fact that a preacher says anything.  Why should I when I have a New Testament and probably am about as intelligent, I assume, as the average preacher? It is obvious, to those who think about it, that few preachers know what they are talking about.  How many different denominations are th…

• Faith is Not Just What You Believe

  is a driving force in the person’s life who has it.  It is not just a feeble thought or opinion.  It will force you to obey when it becomes as strong as God desires it to be. Paul speaks of his own life as a Christian in the New Testament and says: “Are they ministers of Christ?–I speak as a fool–I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I recei…

• Looking Down Your Nose

  ty by race, sex, age, looks, social skills, or the lack thereof? Kids are often embarrassed by parents and sometimes would like to hide them.  Why?  Maybe they are older and out of touch, maybe they lack the social skills the new age demands, or they are poor, maybe they are ashamed of their parents for the kind of work they do, whatever.  Is this sin?  Is this showing partiality?  So, there is more to this partiality thing than first meets the e…

• The Christian, Politics, and the Government

  nation will be held accountable which means we do need to vote for those candidates running for office who are most supportive of Christian principles. We can and ought to hate laws that are contrary to God’s teaching in the New Testament and also the kind of thinking that leads to those laws but yet have compassion for the misguided lawmakers who made them in that each has a soul that is worth more than all of the wealth of this world combined….

• Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16

  al 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 my word” (and, of course, believes in God the Father) will have everlasting life he is not adding to what i…

• Abraham’s Faith (Faith Accounted for Righteousness)

  faith today in all kinds of things not found in God’s word and have convinced themselves it is of God.  What Abraham believed was what he heard.  What we are to believe today is what we read in the word of God–the New Testament.  That is how God talks to us today.  That is how we hear him today. Personal opinion is passed off for faith in the time in which we live.  The “it seems to me” or the “I can see no wrong in …

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

  NKJV)  Are we walking in the footsteps of Jesus?  Are we feeding off his life?  Is our will as Jesus’ 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’…

• Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation?

  8221; (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 same faith held by Peter, James, John, Paul, and the other writers of the New Testament.  It is possible to “have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” (Rom. 10:2 NKJV)  A person who believes he can and will be saved by faith alone, no need to concern oneself with obeying co…

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  ce lawlessness.” (Matt. 13:41 NKJV)  I know vast numbers of people while good in many respects, many proclaiming that they believe in God, who never make any effort to obey Jesus and thus they practice lawlessness.  The New Testament is the law of Christ, the law he gave, the law he is talking about in the passage under discussion. Have they ever been baptized for the remission of sins?  (Acts 2:38)  No!  Do they intend to?  No!  Do they wo…

• 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…

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  re?  If I just read the Bible more and pray more will that do the trick?  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 pra…

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

  d 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 right once but you have grown old and we are young and our intellects are sharp and it is a new day. We are so arrogant that sometimes it is hard to believe.  Maybe we ought to call this the Age of Arrogance.  We would prefer to call it something like the Age of Enlightenment but if memory serves me correct that ap…

• He Went Away Grieved

  ct. He says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3 NKJV)  Wealth is not given a man for the purpose of having multiple homes in different locations, expensive new cars, luxurious vacations, dining out at the most exclusive restaurants, a private box at sporting events, swimming pools, grounds keepers, servants, etc. The rich young ruler wanted to be good, do right, and inherit ete…

• King Saul–As Long as It Glorifies God

  word and commandment of God is, like idolatry, a rejection of the true God.”  What could I add to that other than say amen?  I see no way around that conclusion. Saul’s sin was in actuality rebellion against God.  There was a new god in Israel–King Saul.  That was his sin and it is our sin when we decide that for all practical purposes we are going to make the Bible mean what we want it to mean despite what it says.  We will explain all of …

• When did Obedience Become Legalism?

  conceptions of what is acceptable conduct and behavior. To condemn sin as did John the Baptist, Paul, and Jesus is today seen to be unloving, intolerant, and judgmental, and thus unchristian in the minds of many.  Yet, in the New Testament Paul, by the Holy Spirit, commanded Timothy to reprove and rebuke (2 Tim. 4:2 NAS) and not go along with or to hold his silence in the presence of men sinning.  Titus was told not only to rebuke but to do so sh…

• The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell

  could not find a wicked man in 10 counties here in America.  You can find plenty of fornicators, adulterers, liars, coveters, backbiters, proud and boastful, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful, and many others mentioned in the New Testament but you cannot find any sinners that need preaching to in the public assembly about the subject of sin. To talk about sin today is to be perceived as intolerant.  We are more loving than God, more tolerant, mor…

• Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives

  cessarily mean no effort is required to take possession of the gift.  It does mean, however, because God is giving it, obey and you will succeed (no doubt about it) and become a recipient of the gift of God. God speaks in the New Testament of salvation as being a gift.  Men thinking the way they do this means to most “sit back, relax, and dump it into my lap.”  Bad mistake!  The children of Israel received the land of Canaan by God’s grace.  It w…