Jesus Was Deeply Moved
by Hugh DeLong When Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, died, Scripture states twice that Jesus was “deeply moved” (John 11:33, 38). The Scriptures encourage us: “Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7). “We have a high priest that can be ‘touched by our sorrows’” (Hebrews 4:15-16). Yet, many feel as did…
Read MoreContrasts in Colossians
by David Gibson Reading through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, I was struck by its depth and richness. It includes soul-stretching truths that soar to the heavens as well as practical instructions about everyday living. The following passages emphasize the tremendous change we experience when we leave our old life of sin behind and experience…
Read MoreWhat does “inherit the kingdom of God” mean?
Question: The statement in Galatians 5:21, “shall not inherit the kingdom of God,” is often interpreted to mean that Christ will not reign over those who practice such things. Is that correct? My understanding is that the kingdom of God that will be inherited refers to the eternal heavenly kingdom. However, someone else argues that…
Read MoreThe Good Shepherd of Ezekiel
by Hugh DeLong In the Old Testament, the Good Shepherd Psalm is Psalm 23. The Lord is my Shepherd. Yet many in Israel had proven not to be his sheep, and many of the appointed shepherds were self-serving and a detriment to God’s flock. Thus Ezekiel 34:11-12 declares: “For thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold,…
Read MoreExamining I Corinthians 14:34-35
by Steve A. Hamilton “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to…
Read MoreNot Ashamed
by David Gibson We need an encouraging word to stay faithful, no matter what suffering and opposition we face. We need someone to tell us to be strong and hold true, no matter what. That’s what Paul was doing for Timothy, who evidently needed this exhortation. And so do we. Paul was not ashamed. “……
Read MoreApollos and the More Accurate Way
by Edwin Crozier In Acts 18:24-28, we meet Apollos. He was a Jew from Alexandria who came to Ephesus. Keep in mind Alexandria was considered an educational center of the known world. The Torah had been translated into Greek in Alexandria. Just by hearing Apollos was from Alexandria, we expect him to be educationally a…
Read MoreGod’s Assessment of You
by Zeke Flores “The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, ‘Yahweh is with you, O valiant warrior'” (Judges 6:12). Gideon didn’t feel like a valiant warrior; he was hiding in a winepress. But God’s words weren’t based on Gideon’s feelings; they were based on His plan. Yahweh saw what Gideon would…
Read MoreA Common Faith
by David Gibson What is so remarkable about this statement by Paul: “To Titus, my true child in a common faith” (Titus 1:4)? Paul was a Jew, and his coworker Titus was a Gentile (Galatians 2:3). The gulf separating Jews and Gentiles was so deep and wide and of such long standing that unity between…
Read MoreGreat Resolves of Heart
by Leon Mauldin via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 Judges 2 records how the Angel of the Lord rebuked the people because they had broken their covenant with God; they had not obeyed His voice (Judges 2:1-3) and had allowed the idolatrous Canaanites to remain in the land. Israel’s reaction is instructive. The…
Read MoreJesus’ Demanding Teaching on Non-Retaliation
by Clay Gentry via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 We live in a society that no longer regards the Golden Rule as the supreme code for moral conduct. Rather, the prevailing mantras of the day are “Do unto others as they do unto you” or, worse, “Don’t get mad, get even.” These do…
Read MoreThe Shocking Point about Resurrection
by Edwin Crozier As Paul and Silas continued their European tour, they made their way through Thessalonica–where they caused an uproar, Berea–where the Jews were more noble-minded, and Athens–where Paul was dragged before the Areopagus to defend his preaching. They called him a babbler and accused him of preaching foreign divinities. These accusations call to…
Read MoreJesus, Adultery, and Forgiveness
by Hugh DeLong One of the favorite stories about Jesus is found here in John 8. Elsewhere I have written a short article concerning whether this should be included in our Bibles, but my bottom-line conclusion is that it fairly demonstrates the teaching of the rest of the New Testament and the character of Jesus.…
Read MoreGod Works Through Volunteers
“That the leaders led in Israel, that the people volunteered, bless Yahweh!” (Judges 5:2). Judges 5 celebrates leadership and willingness. Deborah’s song highlights something simple but important. When leaders lead and people volunteer, Yahweh is honored. Israel’s victory wasn’t just about military strategy; it was about people stepping into their roles. The chapter contrasts tribes…
Read MoreThe Story Is Not Over
by David Gibson Don’t you love hearing about those who were far from where they needed to be, but made an unexpected, dramatic turnaround? Jacob deceived his blind father and took advantage of his brother, yet God shaped him into someone He could use. He grew—so much so that he is included among those heroes…
Read MoreHandling Opposition
Handling Opposition (Part 1)Handling Opposition by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Nehemiah 6:15-19 I. Nehemiah took on an ambitious project to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. A. He completed the project in just 52 days – Nehemiah 6:15 B. That alone is an amazing feat, but we can’t overlook the fact that the project did not go smoothly.…
Read MoreOversimplifying God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/Oversimplifying-God.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 139:1-18 I. The American poet, John Godfrey Saxe, wrote a poem based on a fable told in India. A. It is an example of how limited perceptions can lead to misinterpretations. B. Oversimplification leads to misconceptions and misunderstandings The Blind Men and the Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe It was…
Read MoreBehold, I Thought
by David A. Cox via Market Street Messenger “But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought…” (II Kings 5:11). Naaman came to Elisha with a serious problem—he was a leper. He wanted to be cleansed, but when God’s prophet told him to “Go and wash in Jordan seven times” (II Kings…
Read MoreSharing the Good News
Author Unknown via Seeking Things Above We tend to talk with others about what interests us most. Golfers like to talk about golf, musicians about music, and hunters about hunting. The point here is this: Do Christians like to talk about Christ, the church, and the Bible? How committed are we to who we are…
Read MoreThe Boundaries of Grace
by Greg Gwin via Seeking Things Above Everyone likes to talk about God’s grace – and rightly so. We would have no hope without it. But many have stretched the concept far beyond what Scripture actually teaches. Some view grace as if it automatically overlooks every act of disobedience. Others make it so mysterious that…
Read MoreMarks of Divine Wisdom
by Terry Wane Benton Daniel told the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, that “there is a God who reveals secrets” (Daniel 2). All the false gods of Babylon and Egypt were no match for the true, living God. Daniel demonstrated the power of the true God by not only telling the king what he dreamed, but what…
Read MoreHusbands Are to Rule Well
by Bill Walton via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 In Ephesians 5:22-24, Paul says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church…Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives…
Read MoreGod Hears Supplications of the Righteous
by Samuel A. Matthews “O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my…
Read MoreDid Not Moses Give You the Law
by Hugh DeLong Did Moses write the books of the law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)? This question has been debated for more than 100 years. There have been many theories and speculations concerning who is believed to be the author(s) of the books of Moses; yet the testimony of the Bible, as a…
Read MoreHow Were Gentiles Included?
by Terry Wane Benton How were the Gentiles included in the covenant promises to Israel? Jeremiah said that the new covenant would be made with “Israel and Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31f). So the question is: “How did Gentiles get to be included in the covenant promises to Israel and Judah?” We are not of Israel or…
Read MoreLoving Your Jailer
by Edwin Crozier Paul and Silas heeded the Macedonian call, met Lydia by the river, and started a congregation in Philippi. As they continued their work, Paul became fed up with a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. He cast out the spirit, which ruined the money-making scheme of the family that owned…
Read MoreAn Ancient Worship Practice We Need to Recover
by Jeff Wilson and Jackson Sneed via InLight Media Why should Christians sing the Psalms when we live under the New Covenant? And what can the Psalter teach us about worship, theology, grief, and our relationship with God? In this conversation, we explore why the Psalms remain essential for Christian worship and spiritual formation. Although…
Read MoreDon’t Let Anyone Look Down On You
by Jefferson David Tant Dear Readers, If you’re familiar with the Bible, God’s Word, you probably recognize that the words in this article’s title were written to a young man named Timothy, a friend of the apostle Paul. Note the full quote of the verse: “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather…
Read MoreHow to Get Wisdom
by David Gibson Defining wisdom “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge” (Charles Spurgeon). “Wisdom is the common sense to put into practice the principles and instructions given us in the revelation of God’s Word” (J. W. Roberts, A Commentary on the General Epistle of James, 46). Wisdom “is the God-given understanding that enables a…
Read MoreThey Were for Testing
by Zeke Flores “They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of Yahweh, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses” (Judges 3:4). Judges 3 explains something important. Yahweh allowed certain nations to remain in the land as a test. Not a trap, a test. Israel’s obedience wasn’t theoretical;…
Read MoreThe Jerusalem Council? Are You sure?
by Edwin Crozier In Acts 15, Paul, Barnabas, and others from the Antioch congregation were sent to Jerusalem to discuss the question of circumcision. Could/can Gentiles be saved without it? In Jerusalem, the apostles, elders, and the whole congregation (see Acts 15:22) discussed the issue with representatives from Antioch. By the time they were done,…
Read MoreThe Nature of the Bible
“The Bible is one continuous and organic story though told in a variety of genres and by a variety of authors who provided different perspectives on the same truth. The Bible is composed of many books but in the end it is a single book. It has many authors but ultimately is the product of…
Read MoreJesus the Prophet (DeLong)
by Hugh DeLong We often speak of Jesus being the Messiah and the Son of God; less often do we talk of Him being ‘the Prophet’. He was not just another prophet, though; He was the prophet. The people had learned many of the Old Testament prophecies pointing to this coming one: one of David’s…
Read MoreJesus Is the Son of God
by Hugh DeLong John closed his gospel: “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in…
Read MoreGood Things
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus said the Father knows how to give good things, and in Matthew he compares it to parents giving good gifts to their children (Matthew 7:7-11), while Luke specifically mentions giving the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9-13). When Peter told the 3000 what to do to have remission of sins, he added…
Read MoreMen Like Us
by Edwin Crozier According to legend, Zeus and Hermes had once visited the region of Phrygia seeking hospitality. House after house rejected them until they came to the home of an elderly couple, Philemon and Baucis, who served them the little food they had left. Zeus and Hermes rewarded the couple greatly and brought judgment…
Read MoreHow Jesus Validated the Old Testament
by David Gibson Jesus repeatedly validated the authenticity of Old Testament characters and events. Here is just a brief sample: “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female . . . ?” (Matthew 19:4-6 ESV). “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the…
Read MoreWhat does it mean that the Father granted the Son to have life in himself?
Question: In John 5:26, it says, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” How should I understand the line, “God has granted the Son to have life in Himself”? Is it contradictory to John 1:4, which says, “in him was life”? Answer: “Truly,…
Read MoreGo Only to the Lost Sheep of Israel
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus’ command to His apostles at the start of His ministry was strategic, not permanent. “Go to Israel” was the limited mission (Matthew 10:5-6), often called the “limited commission” because it was strategically set to get the lost sheep of the house of Israel into His kingdom first, and then after…
Read MorePraying at Mary’s House
by Edwin Crozier Herod decided to take action against the growing church by whittling away at the leadership. Interestingly, he first killed James, the brother of John. When that pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter. As Peter was kept in prison, “earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church” (Acts 12:5 ESV).…
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