Article
A Lesson from Noah
by Art Driedger III Many today scoff at the story of Noah’s ark, doubting that there was ever a flood that covered the whole earth. Well, I must admit that it is an amazing story because the flood was catastrophic. Of course, for practical purposes, the only evidence for the flood is found in the…
Read MoreLeaving a Vacancy
by Irvin Himmel via Guardian of Truth XL: 7 p. 4, April 4, 1996 Eddie was a clerk in a hardware store. He made a name for himself as the most inefficient and contentious salesman ever. The atmosphere when he was absent one day was like the tranquil beauty of summer weather after a bad thunderstorm. One…
Read MoreThe “Law” in Christ
by Robert F. Turner When Martin Luther sought to counter the Roman Catholics’ over-emphasis on “works” for salvation, he adopted such an emphasis on “grace” that his followers practically lost sight of the necessity for obedience. And the pendulum continues to swing! Judging by public prayers and careless statements made in articles and sermons some…
Read MoreThe Kings of the Earth
by Wayne S. Walker “All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, when they hear the words of Your mouth’ (Psalm 138:4). While we understand that God’s greatest gift to mankind involves salvation through Jesus Christ, we know that His plan for our lives here on this earth also includes civil government…
Read MoreCrossing the Sea
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The Junior High class had an excellent question the other day: Just where did the Israelites cross over from Egypt to the Sinai Peninsula? If you look at the maps in the back of most of our Bibles you will find multiple routes shown. None of the routes actually cross the…
Read MoreHe Didn’t Write It
by Robert McKay Mormons believe that the Book of Mormon is a product of divine inspiration. They feel that God both caused the book to be written and provided means for its translation. Mormons are adamant in taking the position that Joseph Smith did not write the Book of Mormon. Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “no man (and this…
Read MoreDemoniacs
by Bobby K. Thompson via The Jackson Drive News and Notes, No. 2, Jan. 9, 2005. A demoniac is defined: “a person supposedly possessed by a demon.” The word is frequently used in the New Testament, and applied to persons suffering under the possession of a demon or evil spirit. Much is being said lately…
Read MoreJust Your Average Joe
by Steven Harper Joe was born in a small town in the Midwest and was welcomed into the family by his parents, both of whom were committed, believing disciples who had come out of denominationalism and a long family history of following religious beliefs, not in accord with New Testament Christianity. His parents had the…
Read MoreJesus of Nazareth: The World’s Greatest Character
by N. B. Hardeman The Dallas Lectures for 1943, pages 122-125. Back in 1943, N. B. Hardeman and ten other men preached a series of sermons in Dallas, Texas—brother Hardeman was the featured speaker of the group. There were fifteen sermons with brother Hardeman preaching five of them. The sermons were recorded and printed in…
Read MoreJesus and the Sabbath Law
by Walton Weaver From That They All May Be One: Studies on Unity, Freedom and Authority in the Body of Christ, pp. 90-93 Those who adopt this way of handling the word of God believe that the law of love gives them the “right” to exalt love above God’s law and to act on their own…
Read MoreI Wanted to Change the World
Author Unknown When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I…
Read MoreI Study My Bible Like I Plow My Field
Author Unknown A farmer explained: “I study my Bible like I plow my field. Oftentimes when I’m plowing or breaking new ground, my plow will get hung under a root, and if I’m going at a pretty good clip it will really jar me. But I don’t get mad and beat my mule and burn…
Read MoreIs There a God?
by Keith Sharp In 1986 a famous visitor made a brief tour of the inner solar system. A luminous body with a long, faint tail hurried on its journey around the sun and returned to the recesses of space. The British astronomer Edmond Halley observed this phenomenon in 1682 and, based on the times of…
Read MoreIs It Always Wrong to Judge?
by Bob Myhan There are those who seem to think that it is always wrong to judge because Jesus said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). We can know with certainty, however, that this was definitely not what Jesus meant. We know this because He also said, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge…
Read MoreUnderstanding Matthew 24
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The teachings of Jesus recorded in Matthew 24 are commonly misapplied by people in the denominational world. People want to know what will happen in the future. They don’t enjoy having secrets kept from them. This is true whether we are talking about our jobs lasting another year or about important…
Read MoreIn the Words of the Pope and the Church
by Jefferson David Tant Most people are familiar with the Roman Catholic Church and the man who is its leader, the Pope of Rome. The history of this office can be traced at least back to around 600 AD when Boniface III assumed the title of Bishop or Pope. While some claim that the first…
Read MoreIntelligent Design Explains Nothing?
by William C. Sexton As I glanced at the Opinion Page of my Fort Smith Time Record Thursday morning, August 4th, 2005, I find an article written by the “Script Howard News Service” with the following heading: “Bush is of Two minds, One is Wrong.” As I read on I notice they say: “When it…
Read MoreIf There is Only One in the Godhead
by Johnie Edwards via Back To Basics, Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2005. There are consequences of the doctrine that there is only one person in the Godhead. We take a look at some of these: Why the Word “Both?” The word “both” means more than one. John wrote, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in…
Read MoreI Can’t Make You Read This
by Steven Harper We are told within the revealed and written Word of God that God had established a plan for man’s salvation through Jesus Christ even before the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:20) or, as Paul said it, “before time began” (II Timothy 1:9). We are also told within the revealed and written Word…
Read MoreHow Effective Is Your Congregation?
by Gilbert Alexander Evaluating a local congregation and its effectiveness in a community is not a simple task. Population shifts affect the number of members in a local church. Such shifts may be caused by economic changes, persecution, or the relocation of people who have an interest in spiritual things. If some of our modern…
Read MoreHow an Old-Time Preacher Handled Mischief
Author Unknown One of the best-known preachers of the first half of the last century was J. D. Tant (1861-1941). My Dad knew brother Tant and heard him preach. A few months before Dad died, he was telling me about some of the preachers he had known and some of the things that had transpired…
Read MoreThe Hidden Ball Trick
by Thomas A. Thornhill, Jr. Most of you know that one of my “hobbies” is officiating sports. In an odd sort of way, I call it “stress relief” as I focus on the game I am officiating. I work in three sports, but the one I am most proficient in (and experienced in) is baseball. This brings us…
Read MoreHave You Gone to Him About It?
by Brian A. Yeager How brethren deal with sin among the saints should often be brought into question. In fact, one could easily write many articles pointing out how infrequently brethren will apply what the scriptures teach when it comes to congregational discipline. Then, when brethren finally decided to practice scriptural discipline it is sad…
Read MoreHalloween (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells his audience that we are to be lights that shine forth in a dark world. Letting our lights shine lets the world see what it is like to be a follower of God. As we shine forth, our reputations reflect the glory of the Father, bringing…
Read MoreThe Greatest Question
by Foy E. Wallace, Jr. The question of all questions is “What think ye of the Christ?” What one thinks of Christ determines his thoughts and actions on every question. The correctness of faith depends on the correct answer to the superlative question “What think ye of Christ?” The question of how and when one…
Read MoreThe Fruits and Tendencies of Evolution
by Jon Gary Williams Typical of many evolutionists is this statement from The Meaning of Evolution, by G. G. Simpson: “Man is the result of a purposeless and materialistic process that did not have him in mind.” A more recent statement by the famed evolutionist, Julian Huxley, expresses the same sentiment: “Darwinism removed the whole idea…
Read MoreFrom a Fortune Cookie
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I was at a Chinese restaurant the other day. It had been several years since I had been there, and the food quality had gone downhill in the meantime. But at the end of the meal came the traditional fortune cookie. As I munched on the treat I read the slip…
Read MoreFreedom Under God
by Robert F. Turner via Guardian of Truth XL: 2 p. 1 January 18, 1996 Freedom … The word is almost sacred to the American people, and over the world today it stirs great hope and aspirations. Our Declaration of Independence calls it an “inalienable” right and a truth “self-evident.” What is the source of this freedom,…
Read MoreFellowship Halls (Miller)
Adapted from an article by James P. Miller via Stand, March 1981. It is with regret that we learn that one of the congregations is now building a “fellowship hall” to advance their understanding of the gospel of Christ. We regret more for it widens the gulf between them and all brethren who seek to stand…
Read MoreFalse Reports from the Watchtower
by Fred Shewmaker God’s people always have had a problem with false prophets. If God had not given a standard by which to measure prophets, it might be difficult to determine whether or not they are from God or false prophets. However, by Moses, He said, “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the…
Read MoreExpendable
by Robert F. Turner via Plain Talk, February 1974 During World War II, when British troops were facing Dunkirk; when our boys were pushed from Bataan; someone applied the term “expendable” to forces left to cover the withdrawal. They were considered certainly lost — given to the enemy — their death or capture, the price…
Read MoreEmployer — Employee
by Homer Hailey in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 12, Oct. 1952. In this, the Christian dispensation, God does not set forth one form of civil government as being above another. He does, however, lay down definite principles which are to govern the conduct of any kind of government, and principles which are to govern the…
Read MoreDying Wedding Vows
by Joe R. Price Remember when “honor and obey” was a standard part of wedding vows? Then, the feminist movement said, “No way will I vow to obey my husband!” Today, you rarely hear a couple using this worthy vow to recognize and accept the roles and relationships God established in marriage (Genesis 2:22-24; 3:16;…
Read MoreDo the Work of an Evangelist
by Keith Storment via The Preceptor, September 1983 In II Timothy 4:5 Paul admonishes his young protégé, Timothy, to “be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” We can see in the context of this verse several reasons why we need faithful men, young and old, to be…
Read MoreNo Longer “Living in Sin”
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Sometimes you find interesting coincidences in the paper. One article brings up a question and another, unrelated one, supplies the answer. Recently I spotted an article in the June 7, 1995 edition of the Omaha World-Herald that shows the birthrate of children born to unwed mothers has increased 54 percent from…
Read MoreDoes One Have a Right to His Own Belief?
by Eugene W. Clevenger via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1952. A question that we often hear asked is, Does every person have a right to his own belief? I cannot answer that question honestly and completely with a simple “Yes” or “No”, because to me the answer is both “Yes” and “No.” Looking…
Read MoreHow Do They Do That?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton You watch as the magician waves his hands and mutters mysterious words. Suddenly, the handkerchief he was holding becomes a dove. You know it is a trick, but you wonder how he did it. You read yet another account of a con man taking the money of several people. The lies…
Read MoreThe Ruse of the Rapture
by Dudley Ross Spears Maybe you have seen the bumper sticker that reads, “In case the Rapture occurs, this car will be driverless.” With tensions building in the Middle East, expectations are being sharpened in those who believe that the Rapture is about to take place. The Rapture is an intriguing topic and we will…
Read MorePeople Love To Have It So: The Rapture
by Gary McDade Human nature has changed very little since Bible times as is evidenced by comparing a statement in the Book of Jeremiah with a seemingly unabated infatuation with a contrived doctrine commonly known as “the Rapture.” In the sixth century BC Jeremiah said, “A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;…
Read MoreWhat Is the Rapture?
by V. Glenn McCoy A young Christian mother recently came into my office with her two children and said, “Will you please explain to my children what the ‘Rapture’ is?” Her children had been exposed to the “Rapture” through some of their friends and they were left confused. Most of us have seen bumper…
Read More