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Blessed 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…
Read MoreGrumbling
by Matthew W. Bassford We don’t often think of it this way, but one of the most significant moments in the Pentateuch occurs in Exodus 16:2. By this point in time, the Israelites have seen one of the most impressive displays of God’s power in the entire Bible. He rescued them from Egypt, brought them…
Read MoreSojourners and Pilgrims
by Ed Brand Peter urges saints to regard themselves as sojourners and pilgrims. A sojourner is one who lives among aliens. Pilgrims live in a strange place, away from one’s own people. Hostility is injected into this alien, strange place by the phrase, which wars against the soul (I Peter 2:11). He says the present…
Read MoreGod and 1984
by Orlando Gonzalez Several days ago, I had gotten around to finishing George Orwell’s (pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair) magnum opus, 1984. Despite being written about 73 years ago, I can certainly see that it still stands the test of time as one of the most recognizable and profound novels of the 20th and 21st…
Read MoreDo you have an article by a liberal preacher on your website?
Question: Is the article “Is the Christian Obligated to Forgive the Sinner Who Will Not Repent?” by the Curtis A. Cates who was at one time the director of the Memphis School of Preaching in Memphis, Tennessee? Answer: “John answered and said, ‘Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried…
Read MoreThree Reasons I Don’t Like Denominations
by Wes McAdams Radically Christian Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” If you ask me, I’d say, “I love Christ (and I love you), but I do not like your denominations. Your denominations are so unlike Christ.” If…
Read MoreMarriage Counseling
by Matthew W. Bassford I’m a simple man. I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and that it is sufficient to equip us for every good work. My favorite hymn is “Give Me the Bible”. Consequently, whenever I encounter a problem that afflicts the soul, I presume that the solution lies…
Read MoreThe Bible Doesn’t Say, “Don’t Do It,” Does it?
by Wayne Jackson Solomon once wrote that “there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Certainly that saying is true with reference to the arguments that a swelling “progressive” element within the church is employing in defense of the idea that the use of musical instruments is permissible in Christian worship. Or at…
Read MoreBlind to the Truth
by Matthew W. Bassford Upton Sinclair once said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” Few better illustrations of this truth exist than the behavior of the craftsmen of Ephesus in Acts 19. They, along with everyone else in the city, are familiar…
Read MoreIs Change Always Right?
by Glen Young Change is difficult. We all have experienced this truth. How many New Year resolutions have fallen by the wayside after a few weeks? There is no doubt that changing bad behavior is necessary even though it is difficult. It is not my intention to discuss the need to change bad behavior. However,…
Read MoreReasoning Includes God
by Doy Moyer Reason has been granted to us by God as those made in His image. When we try to reason without acknowledging God, we become our own idols by assuming that we do not need God. This leads to futility in thinking (Romans 1:21; Ephesians 4:17). In doing this we are relying on…
Read MoreBack to Basics
by Frank Jamerson Christ and the Law Covenants The Kingdom
Read MoreReturn to the Lord
by Warren E. Berkley “‘Yet even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.’ Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil” (Joel…
Read MoreGod’s Unchanging Hand
by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we,…
Read MoreWhat Shall I Do?
by Jefferson David Tant One undeniable certainty of life is that it is full of choices. What time to get up in the morning, what clothes to wear, what food to eat, what car to buy, who to marry, what occupation to pursue, what friends to choose. All of them have consequences. And of course,…
Read MoreLet Justice Roll Down
by Doy Moyer “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24) We typically think of justice as being connected to our legal system, and this is important. However, justice, biblically, must also be practiced personally. It isn’t just about what we do legally; it’s about how we as…
Read MoreContending with the Almighty
by Doy Moyer The book of Job is not as much about Job and his faith as it is about God and how He operates. Job was being tested, to be sure, but God even more so. Does God bless Job for nothing? Is God being unfair and unjust? Is God the true adversary? Does…
Read MoreSin versus Grace
by Doy Moyer Sin is much more than just the commission of a bad act here or there. It is a condition in which we reside. Sin is something in which people walk and live (Colossians 3:7). We were dead in sin and were by nature “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3). Sin holds us captive…
Read MoreThe Preacher’s Work
by Andy Sochor When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, one of the matters he addressed was the support of preachers (I Corinthians 9:3-14). He explained that although he did not take wages from them (I Corinthians 9:15; cf. II Corinthians 11:8), he had a right to receive such support. To show that a…
Read MoreMormonism and Polygamy
by Jefferson David Tant It is well known that in the 1800s the Mormon Church taught and practiced polygamy. Its founder, Joseph Smith, had many wives. Andrew Jensen, who was an assistant Mormon church historian, listed 27 women who were married to Joseph Smith (see the Historical Record, pp. 233, 234). The Mormon author John…
Read MoreSome Things I Want to Teach My Children
by Bill Hall “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). In keeping with the instruction of this passage, there are certain things that I want to teach my children. Reverence I want to teach my children proper reverence and…
Read MoreJames, Peter, and I
by Matthew W. Bassford Acts 12 offers one of the great conundrums of the New Testament. In the first few verses of the chapter, the wicked king Herod Agrippa arrests and executes the apostle James, the brother of John. Shortly thereafter, he arrests Peter with the same intention. However, God sends his angel to rescue…
Read MoreTaking Advantage of Personal Contacts
by Jefferson David Tant The day was hot, and they walked a long distance. They were passing through unfamiliar territory among people of a different culture, and some were possibly nervous. By now it was noon, and the sun was beating down. At last, a resting place ahead – a well. The group left their…
Read MoreA Better Understanding of Baptism
by T. Sean Sullivan As many lessons as having included baptism, one might think everyone has it all figured out. However, lessons don’t always stick and their points are not always being absorbed as they should. There also seems to be a never-ending stream of false ideas from out there. With so much confusion on…
Read MoreCount Your Many Blessings — But Use Them
by Kent Heaton As a nation, we are blessed in measures far exceeding the majority of people in the world. The material wealth possessed by Americans may seem rather routine but in most countries owning a pair of shoes is like owning a rare jewel. Stores often are filled to the brim with an abundance…
Read MoreCoddling Sinners
by Ron Daly To “coddle” is to treat indulgently. Coddling sinners not only can be but is disastrous to an individual or congregation. God does not give us any authority to provide an “escape hatch” for sinners, that is, people who sin and do not repent. Obviously, if a person repents of his sins and…
Read MoreDo Not Become Slaves Of Men
by Sewell Hall “Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave. You were bought with…
Read MoreBad Influence
by Zeke Flores Some 2400 years ago, God’s people were confronted with their sins yet again. When Ezra the priest heard about how Israel had broken God’s law by marrying foreign women, he tore his robes, prayed, and fasted. When faced with the gravity of disobedience to God, the people committed themselves to faithfulness. And…
Read MorePreaching and Performance
by Doy Moyer There is a difference between preaching and performance. This is not to say good preaching does not involve solid delivery or shouldn’t use any aids. It is to say there is a difference in focus, and the preacher does well to understand this. Performance aims at the mechanics. It can come across…
Read MoreAre We Looking for Questions or Answers?
by Doy Moyer There is a difference between the one who is constantly seeking questions and the one who is seeking answers. The following is not intended to be a list of hard rules with no exceptions. Rather, these are observations I have found to be fairly typical in my own experiences: The question-seeker is…
Read MoreSolomon: Failure of the World’s Wisest Man
by Max Dawson In my mind, it is one of the most difficult things to reconcile. How did it happen? How could it possibly happen? I am talking about King Solomon. How did the wisest man in the world mess up so badly? How did a man with such a great beginning have such a…
Read MoreThe Passover Lamb and Baptism
by Matthew W. Bassford The story of the first Passover is familiar to most of us. In Exodus 12, Moses instructs the Israelites to take an unblemished male lamb, slaughter it, eat it as part of a ritual meal, and apply its blood to the doorposts and lintels of their houses. This strange ceremony had…
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