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By What Authority Are You Doing These Things?
by Heath Rogers “Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ˜By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?'” (Matthew 21:23). A study of authority in religious matters is very important. It lies…
Read MoreA Round Tuit
by Jefferson David Tant Dear Reader, If you are reading this, you are probably wondering what in the world that circle represents. Well, there is a name for it. It’s called “A Round Tuit.” You may not be familiar with an image with that name, but the title of the circle is a well-known phrase.…
Read MoreOur Part Is to Try and Trust
by Gary Henry Reaching Forward 31 October 2012 “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). One of life’s great discouragements is the thought that it “won’t…
Read MoreA Lack of Knowledge Brings Destruction
by Andy Sochor Through the prophet Hosea, God made known His “case against” His people (Hosea 4:1). The Lord’s complaint was that there was “no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1). Because of their unfaithfulness, God was going to destroy them. The people, priests, and prophets were all to…
Read MoreHave You Been Bewitched? – Galatians 3:1-5
by Thomas Thornhill In these verses, Paul calls the Galatians “foolish” and “bewitched” for being deceived by Judaizing false teachers. He doesn’t believe in such superstition but uses it as sarcasm to make them think. How did they receive the Spirit that brought justification and salvation? Paul is deeply distressed that the Galatians were so…
Read MoreAn Unlikely Candidate
by George Slover “Then Ananias answered, ˜Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name” (Acts 9:13-14). The initial reaction of Ananias to God’s instructions to preach…
Read MoreA Review of Homer Hailey’s book, “God’s Judgments and Punishments”
by Jim R. Everett Such is the title of the last book of brother Hailey’s illustrious career. Brother Hailey was writing excellent, resourceful material well past his 70th birthday. However, if I live to be 70, I will probably quit writing. That is not to denigrate others who write so ably when they are much…
Read MoreWatering Down Hell
by Jim R. Everett An Answer to “Conditional Immortality” The modern, liberal theologian has joined the cultic religionist in seeking to “water down” hell and make eternal punishment nothing more than a momentary oxidation of the body. He inconsistently affirms the eternal nature of God and the future state of the righteous by denying the…
Read MoreJesus, the Stone of Stumbling
by Doy Moyer “But the LORD (Yahweh) of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants…
Read MoreSeeking the Face of God
by Mike Johnson Many think David wrote Psalm 27 when fleeing from Saul, which is likely the case. Earlier in the Psalm, he expresses strong faith and confidence in God, but Psalms 27:8-9 reflect him apparently facing difficulties. In these verses, he addresses God saying, “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to…
Read MoreAre We Asking the Right Question About God and Evil?
by Perry Hall I have been studying and teaching “The Problem of Evil and Theodicy.” The main question usually asked is, “If God is good, why does God allow evil in this world?” The question needs to change. Change is needed because I am not sure that question is plainly asked and answered in the…
Read MoreSymbolism in Revelation
by Hugh DeLong As you are reading through Revelation, one of the things that should be abundantly evident is that the book is not about literal events. We see dragons with tails able to knock a third of the stars of heaven onto the earth (and yet the earth not only survives but is only…
Read MoreAn Inspired Prayer to Both the LORD and Jesus
by Doy Moyer
Read MoreThe Witness
by Jefferson David Tant We are all familiar with the role witnesses fill in our lives. If we have a document that needs some verification, we go to a Notary Public and sign it, and then the notary places a seal on it as proof that the notary has been a witness to my signature.…
Read MorePearls from Proverbs: Where There Is No Vision
by Irvin Himmel Guardian of Truth XXXI: 5, p. 134 March 5, 1987 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18). The first part of this proverb is quoted frequently and pretty generally misapplied. Vision The “vision” under consideration is not an object of imaginative…
Read MorePearls from Proverbs: Glorying in Glory
by Irvin Himmel Guardian of Truth XXXI: 15, p. 456, August 6, 1987 “It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory” (Proverbs 25:27). A highly nutritious food, honey was often found in ancient times in trees, in holes in the ground, in crevices between…
Read MoreWhat Is Your Future?
by Jefferson David Tant There is something that I believe comes into the minds of every living being from time to time. And that “something” is “What is in the future for me — tomorrow, next week, next year, ten years?” Some seeking to know, go to fortune tellers who are good at guessing. Then…
Read MoreFaithfulness (Unknown)
Author Unknown A preacher was asked to define “faithful attendance at worship.” He replied that the best way to understand it was to apply the same standards of faithfulness that we do in other areas of our life. Consider the examples he gave: If your car started one out of three times, would you consider…
Read MoreAlways Grateful
by Doy Moyer How we think about God and our level of gratitude are connected. If we think about God respectfully and remember what He has done and continues to do, we will be grateful. How can we not be? Paul makes this connection in Romans 1:21-22. In a context where he is speaking about…
Read MoreRules for Preaching
by James Madison Mathes (1808-1892) The Christian Record, Vol. 3, 1845 Use the mother speech and tone, without affectation or imitation of any man, that you may not seem to act a comedy, instead of preaching a sermon. Clog not your memory too much, it will exceedingly hinder invention and mar delivery. Be sure you…
Read MoreJamaica Patois Wisdom – Effort
by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…
Read MoreWhat Is Tolerated Today Becomes Accepted Tomorrow
by Dick Millwee Many years ago I read a quote that I found to be true. This was the quote: “What is tolerated today becomes accepted tomorrow.” Whoever said that said a mouthful and hit the nail on the head. Let me give a couple of examples. In 1939 a movie was made that had…
Read MoreIs Sincerity All We Need?
by Jefferson David Tant A common expression I hear from time to time about religion is, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, so long as you are sincere.” Well, sincerity is not only good, but it is necessary in whatever activity in which we are engaged. This is fundamental in our family relationships, our business…
Read MoreWhen You Are Discouraged
by Jefferson David Tant Do you ever feel discouraged or disappointed? Welcome to the club! Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. There are countless numbers of people who can sympathize with you, as these feelings have impacted people on planet earth for multiple thousands of years. We are familiar with the…
Read MoreThe Problem of People
by Doy Moyer While many turn away from God due to some perceived problem with God (e.g., allowing evil to exist), I have found that just as prominent is a problem that they have with those who call themselves Christians. Because Christians have been hypocritical, unloving, divisive, and abusive, some have walked away thinking that…
Read MoreDo the Churches of Christ Suffer from Amnesia?
by Hugh Fulford In the October 2022 issue of the Christian Chronicle (identified as a subsidiary of Oklahoma Christian University), a book review is set forth under the headline, “New book explores where Churches of Christ fit” (p. 37). The name of the book reviewed is In the Great Stream: Imagining Churches of Christ in…
Read MoreSo, What’s a Good Sermon?
by Jefferson David Tant Out of all the thousands of sermons preachers have delivered and to which people have listened, how would we determine which sermons are good, which are bad, or which are so-so? I would suppose that even preachers evaluate themselves from time to time, and on occasion might conclude, “Well, I’ll never…
Read MoreHow Fundamental Is Faith to Christianity
by Afolabi Akinyemi (Nigeria) “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). No other Bible passage describes the importance of faith to Christianity than the one quoted above. The…
Read MoreNames Names Names (Ezra 2)
by Jarrod M. Jacobs Interspersed in the Bible are lists of names. Sometimes, these are genealogies of certain families (Genesis 5, 10, etc.). Often, these genealogies focus on Judah’s descendants leading to Christ (Ruth 4; Matthew 1; Luke 3). At other times, these names teach us about faith (Hebrews 11; Romans 16). There are also…
Read MoreCalling on the Name of the Lord (Thetford)
by Richard Thetford I am sure that our readers have heard people say words to the effect, “If you are not a Christian, all you need to do is call upon the name of the Lord, and you can be saved.” Some will tell you to say, “Lord be merciful to me a sinner,” or…
Read MoreImplications in the Sermon on the Mount
by Doy Moyer One way to see the sermon on the mount is through the lens of Matthew 5:20, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.” Along these lines, I believe an important hermeneutical point can be seen right…
Read MoreBlessed Are the Peacemakers
Adapted from a lesson by Dorris B. Billingsley published in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1952. Jesus began His great Sermon on the Mount by relating a number of characteristics that would be possessed by those who would be ready for His kingdom which was soon to come. He said, “Blessed are the poor…
Read MoreThe Universe — How and When?
by Dennis Abernathy Stephen Hawkins, (now deceased) the theoretical physicist and cosmologist, and director of research at the University of Cambridge, and Leonard Mlodinow, physicist and screenwriter, in their book The Grand Design, explored the questions: “When and how did the universe begin?” “Why are we here?” “Is the apparent grand design of our universe…
Read MoreLukewarmness
by Matthew W. Bassford Lukewarmness among the people of God is hardly a new problem. Malachi warned against apathy explicitly, and signs of apathy are evident as far back as the Exodus. Unsurprisingly, preachers today also often warn their hearers about the dangers of indifference. I read one such warning recently, and it led me…
Read MoreI Need God
by Doy Moyer “I need God because I am a sinner in need of forgiveness.” This is true, but if we are not careful we might tend to think that were it not for the fact that we have sinned, we really wouldn’t need God all that much. This presents a faulty view of God,…
Read MoreSo That
by Doy Moyer Have you noticed how often the purpose of something is stated? This is often done by using the term ἵνα in the New Testament (often translated as “that” or “so that”), which is meant to denote purpose. It’s used quite a lot, and I believe we ought to pay attention to it…
Read MoreThe Memory of the Righteous
by Matthew W. Bassford Proverbs 10:7 reads, “The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.” It neatly sums up what is left of my earthly aspirations. My life is so reduced that the usual distractions don’t matter much to me anymore, but my reputation has become even more…
Read MoreA Pattern of Peace
by Doy Moyer John 20:18-21 shows an important pattern. Jesus was raised up from the grave and first appeared to Mary Magdalene then to the disciples (sans Thomas). Notice the pattern: Mary to the disciples: “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18). The disciples to Thomas: “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). Jesus offers…
Read MoreBalance in Sound Preaching
by Dudley Spears One of the definitions of balance is, “A harmonious satisfying arrangement or proportion of parts or elements, as in a design. An influence or force tending to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.” Paul wrote the Philippians, “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5). Preaching sound doctrine…
Read MoreFive Smooth Stones of Parenting
by Sewell Hall In Goliath, David faced what seemed an indomitable foe. David’s goal was not so much to kill the giant as to protect the children and honor God. He took five smooth stones from the brook to achieve his purpose. In the pervasive humanism of our society, parents face what appears to be…
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