Archive for 2006
Irresistible Grace and Matthew 23:37
by Bryan Sharp In Matthew 23:37 Christ proclaims: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!” Jesus is bemoaning the fact that the people…
Read MoreShould games be offered at youth groups?
Question: Without asking or even wanting, my wife and I found ourselves in our church’s youth ministry. I’ve been saved for five years and my wife three. I have a ministry dilemma. I believe in the things that your congregation believes in, providing for others their spiritual needs. As a result, I got rid of…
Read MoreIntroducing Ourselves: We Are a Church of Christ
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton based on several similar works by other authors Who we are We are a church of Christ in the most biblical way possible. Being Christians individually, together we are a church. We are baptized believers, raised to walk in “newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4) through faith in God’s work of salvation…
Read MoreInterpretation Versus Belief
by Phillip Owens via The Elgin Hills Examiner, Vol. 1, No. 5, May, 2006. “Interpreters” explain or give the meaning of words from one language to another language. No one would knowingly say of a competent interpreter, “Well, that’s just his interpretation,” meaning that his translation is only an opinion, has no solid basis to…
Read MoreInsufficient Evidence
by Allen Dvorak Perpetua and Felicitas were two young women who were martyred in A.D. 203 at Carthage, victims of the Roman persecution of the church. When they were condemned to die in the arena, Perpetua was a woman of 22 years with a young child and Felicitas was pregnant. Tertullian is believed by some to…
Read MoreThe Lineage of Jesus
Text: Hebrews 7:1-17 I. Those who refuse to believe the truth of the Bible often seek ways to discredit its statements. A. One objection is the statement that Jesus was of the tribe of Judah – Hebrews 7:13-14 B. The argument is that since Jesus had no earthly father, then he did not have tribal identity that…
Read MoreIf the Lord Wills
by Ron Drumm Our world is much like the New Testament world concerning buying and selling merchandise and being involved in marketing a product. Business involves planning how to market and sell your goods. God cares about our business endeavors. But He wants us to see the importance of not boasting about our work. James…
Read MoreThe Ideal Bible Teacher
by Johnny Ramsey via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 55, No. 39, Sept. 29, 2006 Jesus was born to die, but He lived to teach. I know that we have all heard that, but there are some statements that we hear over and over again that never get old. We have also heard that Christianity is “caught” as…
Read MoreThe Baptism of Cornelius
Text: Acts 10:34-48 I. Groups who believe in the direct operation of the Holy Spirit in their lives today will cite the conversion of Cornelius and his household as proof A. Some will go so far as to state that a person is not really saved unless they experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. B. It…
Read MoreHow to Defeat Temptation
by Kent Heaton Whenever we think of something as a temptation we consider it evil. The original Latin could suggest something good or bad but the evil sense has taken a predominant role in its definition. The idea of temptation is rooted in the challenge of character. Trials rightly faced are harmless, but wrongly met…
Read MoreWhy are you cherry-picking laws from Leviticus to condemn homosexuality?
Question: I just read the article on homosexuality and was concerned it excludes all the other 613 commandments of God dealing with slavery, leprosy, woman’s issues, dietary codes, etc. Instead of cherry-picking laws from Leviticus, the guidance of Jesus is far more valuable and would have been of more useful. Jesus said the old is…
Read MoreWas it right to put our old dog to sleep?
Question: My wife of 5 months (we have dated for 8 years) had a dog 17 years old. One year ago it had lost the use of its back leg, so it had to be helped outside with each step. About 3 weeks ago it had a stroke and wasn’t able to walk at all,…
Read MoreYou are a false prophet
Question: I read a most interesting Sermon your church is promoting as being the word of God in answering the question of “are there prophets today”. I would remind you of a few facts. In the old testiment God makes a declaritive statement “I do nothing unless I speak to my friends the prophets first”. …
Read MoreWhy should Christians learn the Old Testament?
Question: Why is it important for Christians today to understand the Jewish scriptures of the Old Testament? Answer: Try for a moment to pretend that you know nothing of the Old Testament. You sit down and read about the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke 17: “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and…
Read MoreWhy do you teach that men are born without sin?
Question: I am perplexed by the fact that you can expound upon the idea that all man is born sinless. I am afraid that you need to complete the chapter in Ezekiel 18 – where God says He invites us all to repent, after which He can give us the Holy Spirit which provides us with…
Read MoreHow Can I Keep from Singing?
by Robert Lowry, 1860 My life flows on in endless song; Above earth’s lamentation I hear the sweet though off hymn That hails a new creation: Through all the tumult and the strife I hear the music ringing; It finds an echo in my soul — How can I keep from singing? What though my…
Read MoreHis Parents Were Too Strict
by Boyd Sellers Have you ever heard that statement? You’ll see some scraggly kid who cares about nothing and nobody, who has long ago left the Lord (though he may have been faithfully “going to church”), and who has literally broken his parents’ hearts. You ask a friend, “What happened to him?” And he answers,…
Read MoreAm I on the right track for finding a spouse?
Question: I know the kind of man I want to marry and I am ready for marriage. I am not dating anyone because I will be leaving the country to study overseas, but I want the person I want to marry to come from that country I am going to study. I am fasting and…
Read MoreIf one person was forgiven of adultery and his spouse later commits adultery, doesn’t it mean neither can remarry?
Question: I have been reading your scriptural interpretation on remarriage, and as a member of the church of Christ, I was surprised. You said that if both spouses had committed adultery, there was a possibility for remarriage. I was always under the understanding that if they both committed adultery, neither one could remarry. Is this…
Read MoreWhose idea what it to send spies into Canaan?
Question: One of our members came to me following our class last evening disagreeing with the answer I gave to the question, “Whose idea was it to send spies into the land of Canaan?” She believes it was the people’s idea not God’s. I have studied it more and come up with the following. If you…
Read MoreWhat do you think about the idea “anything you do in moderation is not a sin?”
Question: My sister and her husband patronize the gambling casino’s at least 2 or 3 times a week. I mentioned to them that I feel that gambling is a sin. My brother-in-law’s answer was, “anything you do in moderation is not a sin.” I do not believe this to be true. I still believe that…
Read MoreHe Says He Didn’t Do It
by Greg Gwin A few years ago there was a national controversy concerning allegations of immorality made against the man who was then President. He had been accused of serious and repeated sexual misconduct. The President and his aides vehemently denied any wrongdoing. What could be done? How could we know if he was guilty,…
Read MoreCan you get pregnant from pre-nut?
Question: Can you plan to get pregnant off of pre-nut? When my boyfriend and I have sex, he pulls it out then puts it back in without wiping. He just found out that you could get pregnant off of it, so he`s telling me that I should have been pregnant because of how many times…
Read MoreWhy wasn’t Jesus named Immanuel?
Question: I have another question from my studies involving Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). How is it that Jesus was not named Immanuel? Is this a contradiction? Also, I’ve heard that virgin is…
Read MoreHow do I help my depressed teenage daughter?
Question: I am in desperate need of information to help my teenage daughter. She is struggling with self-esteem issues and the like — all of your normal teenage troubles. Now she is showing some signs of depression. She is 13. I have just spent the last 2 hours talking with her, and I thought it…
Read MoreCan personal sins blind a person to the truth?
Question: In a discussion on Calvinism, I stated, “I would advise any reading this thread not to hinge their belief of Calvinism on this verse or discussion alone. ( Ephesians 4:14 ) This is a very deep topic. I would also counsel against taking this sort of scriptural meat on when you know you have…
Read MoreWhat does it mean to be converted and become like children?
Question: Would you please elaborate on what it means to be “converted and become like children” as stated in Matthew 18:1-4? Answer: “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,…
Read MoreWhat does the sign of the water and blood mean in John 19:34?
Question: In John 19:34, what does the sign of water and blood mean? Answer: “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:34). This is not a sign in the sense that the water and blood represented something greater, it is a statement of…
Read MoreWhat do you think the book of Revelation refers to?
Question: Just out of curiosity, what are you teaching on the Book of Revelation? Are you teaching it’s referring to Jerusalem(AD 70) or Rome? Or …? Answer: First, the book of Revelation is quite clear that it is dealing with things that would take place shortly after its writing. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which…
Read MoreWhat did the lampstand and table of showbread represent?
Question: Thank you again for your site and answers to questions about the Bible and Christian living. Now, I have another question concerning the ‘lampstand’ that was in the Temple where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. What was the lampstand used for and what was its significance? I have seen different verses that…
Read MoreDoes smoking menthol cigarettes cause erectile dysfunction?
Question: Lots of people tell me if I smoke menthol cigarettes that I can have a loss of an erection? Is it true or not? Answer: It appears that for many years there has been a rumor that menthol cigarettes are more harmful than non-menthol brands. I suspect that this rumor has its roots in…
Read MoreDoes it matter how long was Jesus’ hair?
Question: Interesting and thank you for the insight concerning the length of Jesus’ hair, though it does not seem necessary to teach it. It is true. We don’t know if he had long hair or not. How long would it have to be to be considered long anyway? The Bible doesn’t tell us if he had…
Read MoreHas the Bible Been Changed?
by Greg Gwin We are frequently asked about the reliability of our Bibles. Specifically, how can we be sure that the Bibles we are reading today are true to the original messages delivered so long ago? In particular, can we be sure that the New Testament has not been altered and changed in the almost…
Read MoreWhy aren’t we following the Holy Spirit?
Question: I believe that the word of God is truly inspired and is the divine authority in every aspect of our lives today. The one problem I see in this answer to this question is that you seem to assume that everyone who believes that God speaks today does not read and study the Scripture…
Read MoreWhy are there musical instruments in Revelation?
Question: If the New Testament forbids the use of musical instruments in the worship service, why are there musical instruments in the Book of Revelation? Answer: Before answering your question, let’s get a bit more precision. The New Testament doesn’t forbid the use of instrumental music in worship; that is, there is no direct or…
Read MoreWho is the Queen of the South?
Question: Who is the Queen of the South? Answer: “The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). This is a reference…
Read MoreA Great Scientific Find Turns Out to be an Old Stomach Ache for Scientists
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 10, Nov. 1995. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of foolishness that can be wrapped up in a single bit of wisdom from the wise of this world. That large segment of the scientific community, wed to the theory of evolution, often…
Read MoreThe Grace of God that Brings Salvation
by Irvin Himmel via Truth Magazine, December 1973 Nothing is more clearly revealed in the Scriptures than our dependence on God’s grace for redemption. Paul said to the saints in Ephesus, “by grace are ye saved” (Ephesians 2:5). Everyone who is permitted to enter heaven will be there by grace. Today there are teachers, even in…
Read MoreWhat saved Joshua and Caleb?
Question: While teaching then the book of Numbers last evening all went pretty well until we arrived at chapter 14. The question was asked: “Apparently, what saved Joshua and Caleb?” I said that it was Moses because he was their mediator and interceded for the people. Several in the class disagreed and said it was…
Read MoreGod Needs More Foot Soldiers
by Thomas Thornhill At this time our nation is in a conflict taking place mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our uniformed personnel are daily placed in harm’s way, facing an enemy which in many cases is often unseen until they strike. This is of course a physical confrontation in which people use material weaponry to…
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