Article
Outreach
by Jimmy Mickells The word “outreach” is an expression that has been coined in recent years. If I understand what is meant by its use, it means an effort by a local church to reach out to those that are lost to save them from sin. That certainly is the work of the church. Paul,…
Read MoreThe Beer Can
by Kent Heaton It was lying on the side of the road on the corner to my house. A single beer can was discarded as a piece of trash by a person who had used its contents to fill a pleasure and then thrown out the window. I have seen hundreds of discarded cans and…
Read MoreBe a Better Person
by Carey Scott Don’t we all wish that everyone would be a better person? Do we not hope that some bad people would turn their lives around and start doing good? Do we wish our neighbors would treat us better than before? Do we hope that the people we meet each day would show us…
Read MoreAge of Accountability
by Morris D. Norman via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 42, Oct. 19, 2008. It has long been a question as to what age our young people ought to become Christians. Should it be as they enter their teens and begin at that early age in their service to Christ, or should they wait until…
Read MoreAn Astonishing and Horrible Thing
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. “An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?” (Jeremiah 5:30-31) God’s people were on the brink of a “great…
Read MoreAscetic Vows vs. Scriptural Liberties
by Bryan Matthew Dockens Members of religious orders of the Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox churches, most prominently priests and nuns, commit themselves to particular ascetic vows. Asceticism, by definition, is extreme self-denial. Self-denial, of course, is enjoined upon all those who would follow Christ (Luke 9:23-24). However, the Lord never placed such restrictions as…
Read MoreAnother ‘Missing Link’ Debunked
by Greg Gwin Many will remember the big ‘splash’ that was made in the news just a few months ago. The media seemed thrilled to announce that the ‘missing link’ had been discovered which proved humans evolved from the apes. A nearly intact fossil dubbed ‘Ida’ had surfaced which, it was confidently affirmed, definitely confirmed…
Read MoreWhat About Demon Possession Today?
by Dillard Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 30, No. 26, June 26, 1981. Question: Do you believe that the devil and his followers continue to walk about the earth today? If so, in what type of forms do they take? Answer: Yes, I believe that the truth stated by Peter still is prevalent in our…
Read MoreDaniel’s Seventy Weeks (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at…
Read MoreSinging to the Lord (Echols)
by Bill Echols via The Persuader, February 17, 2008; Vol. 10, No. 45 Recently I read some excerpts from a book entitled Old Light on New Worship by John Price, “pastor” of Grace Baptist Church in Rochester, NY. Note carefully what he says. “Our worship should be governed, not by our own personal desires or preferences, not…
Read MoreScriptural Marriage, Traditional Customs, and Civil Laws
by Sunday Ayandare via Words of Life, Vol. 15, Nos. 2 and 3. April – Sept. 2007. [This has been adapted. It does not include the many customs and traditions practiced by the Nigerian people that Sunday had included in his writings. James W. Sasser] The subject of what constitutes Scriptural marriage has occasioned a…
Read MoreFollowing Bible Examples
by Earle H. West via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 9, July 1952. Much of what we know today of the New Testament order comes by way of examples pictured for us in the Bible. Whenever people have earnestly sought to duplicate New Testament Christianity in the current age, they have strongly and rightly emphasized the…
Read MoreWater
by Wayne Greeson via Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 14, pp. 426-427, July 20, 1989 Water is truly an amazing substance, yet it is so common, so abundant that we take it for granted. Its chemical composition is the bonding of two gases, hydrogen and oxygen and it is identified in a chemist’s notation as H2O. We are…
Read MoreDreaded Words: “Mom, Dad, I’m Pregnant”
by David Tant via Biblical Insights, Volume 9, Number 7, July 2009 There are certain words in the English language that we don’t like to hear, in fact, we dread to hear them. Probably, the most dreaded words would come from the doctor’s mouth to the family in the waiting room: “I’m so sorry. We tried…
Read MorePremillennialism and the Bible
By Jefferson David Tant Our nation was shocked, saddened, and angered on September 11, 2001, by the events that transpired in our nation — the cold-blooded murder of thousands. And people wonder, why this hatred, why this insane rage? A few days after the atrocities, I spent some time talking with a peaceful Islamic young…
Read MoreThe Land Promise
by Franklin T. Puckett in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 10, August 1952. Premillennialists tell us that God’s promise to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his seed has never been fulfilled. Since His promises do not fail, there must be a future fulfillment. Consequently, when Jesus comes the Jews will be miraculously converted…
Read MoreWhat Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
by Frank Richey via The Elgin Hills Examiner, Vol. 4, Nos. 4-6, April — June 2009. Notice we do not ask the question, “What does a particular church teach about salvation?” The reason for this is that no church has the divine right to teach anything about salvation other than what is revealed in the…
Read MoreDid Jesus Use Carnal Methods to Attract Crowds?
by Greg Gwin via Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 23, June 7, 2009. Many religious groups use a variety of carnal appeals to draw people to their assemblies. For instance, there are suppers and ice cream socials, ball games and entertainment events, etc. When asked to justify these activities they will commonly refer to the…
Read MoreYou May NOW Kiss the Bride
by Cindy Dunagan via Focus Magazine, No. 98, April 2008. Sexual purity. What virtue is more difficult to instill in our teenagers than purity of heart? No one needs to tell you we are living in an ultra-sexualized culture where your teenagers will be continually surrounded by sexual temptation. This roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9) is…
Read MoreYou Are Beloved
by Kent Heaton To be a child of God is to enjoy the immeasurable blessings of a heavenly Father who grants gifts of mercy and grace to His children daily. Because of the sacrifice of the “only begotten Son,” (John 3:16) Christians embrace the warm relationship of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. The…
Read MoreWorship: The Emotional Component
by Warren E. Berkley “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth,” (John 4:24). Every element of true worship involves some emotional component. The emotional component is not driven by a direct operation of the Holy Spirit (as in Calvinism) or “getting the Holy Spirit” (as in Charismatic practice). The…
Read MoreWith God
by Kelsey Harris I like to be by myself, but I can’t stand being alone. I love the dark, but I hate not being able to see. I enjoy meeting new people, but I hate being with strangers. I want my voice to be heard, but I despise talking loud. I want to be in…
Read MoreWisdom and Youth
by Marshall Reid via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 29, July 20, 2008. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a teenager at Florida College, full of energy and life, feeling like I could take on the world. I was going to be successful. I was going to be somebody. I had so…
Read MoreWill Men Become Gods?
by Brian A. Yeager The Mormons (Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints) are known for holding many views which are contrary to God’s word. One of those views is that man can become God. In fact, they teach that God was once a man. Notice the following Mormon teachings and we will then examine the…
Read MoreFour Facts Fatal to Original Sin
by Larry Ray Hafley via Guardian of Truth; December 6, 1984; Vol. XXVIII, No. 23; pp. 713, 716 The doctrine of original or Adamic sin states that every person is born in sin. Because of Adam’s sin, all men are corrupt and guilty of sin at birth. Note the testimony of the Philadelphia Confession of Faith:…
Read MoreWas David a Sinner at Birth?
by Jimmy Mickells “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). Those who teach and try to prove that one inherits the sin of Adam use this verse as a proof text. Does it really say that David was born a sinner because of what Adam did…
Read MoreIf the Holy Spirit Operated Directly on Mankind …
by Douglas Hoff Many people’s concept of Christianity includes some mysterious work of the Holy Spirit to change one’s life. The Bible does teach the Spirit operates upon man to create faith, convict of sin, and covert the soul. Does he operate directly on man or does he work through the Word of God? The…
Read MoreThe Work of the Holy Spirit in Teaching
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The teaching in the Bible about the work of the Holy Spirit is plain, but many in today’s religious society confuse the issue. Part of the confusion is the mysticism that made to surround the Holy Spirit and his work. We are not satisfied with simple answers, we want something more.…
Read MoreJohn 6:26-59
by Dale Smelser There are several keys to understanding this passage. One is John 6:48 where Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Then John 6:50, “This is the bread of life which comes down out of heaven that a man might eat and live.” As we will note, the consideration of actual baked…
Read MoreThe Restoration of Giving
by Harold V. Comer via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 48, Dec. 2, 2007. This is a day of religious fundraising and money promotions. With all of the emphasis on pressure and gimmicks, there is a great need to restore the New Testament pattern of giving. The first-century practice would correct many of the abuses…
Read MoreWhy Marriages Fail
by Jefferson David Tant via Vanguard, December 1982 The failure of marriage has become the American way of life — a significant change from former generations. In 1870, one of 34 marriages ended in divorce. By 1900, the rate had risen to one in twelve, increasing to one in five by 1940. According to an article…
Read MoreWhy Is It? (Taylor)
by Gene Taylor Some things are difficult for me to understand. I am not referring to the sciences or mathematics, even though I could for they gave me a lot of trouble when I was in school—I am talking about some things that, on the surface, seem simple enough but yet often have me asking…
Read MoreWhy Have Penitentiaries Anyway?
by Samuel G. Dawson Most people realize that the court and penal systems in North America are seriously broken and must be fixed, yet contemplating doing away with penitentiaries sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Barely 200 years ago, an experiment began which has cost us untold billions of dollars. Just last year, this experiment resulted in…
Read MoreWhen Your Child Leaves God
by Jim Lee Many of you parents who will read this, know by experience the horrific impact this circumstance can have on you. In the past, I have often sympathized and grieved with other brothers and sisters who have gone through the heart-wrenching experience of seeing a child of theirs turn their back on God,…
Read MoreWhen Was the Church Built?
by Richie Thetford In the denominational world, one would get all kinds of different dates as to when “their” church was established. But we need only to be concerned with one church – the church that Jesus built! Therefore, let us take a look at when the church of Christ was established. To find out…
Read MoreWhen Nobody Notices
by Shane Williams via The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 9, No. 9, Jan. 2009. Perhaps you’ve seen the sign that reads, “Housework is something you do that nobody notices unless you don’t do it.” The truth behind that statement applies to more than just housework. People seem to have no trouble noticing our failures — anger,…
Read MoreWhen a Man Has Taken a New Wife
by Bryan Matthew Dockens To ensure the longevity of marriage, newlyweds should take serious measures to protect their relationship. Enjoy Your Honeymoon Did you know the concept of a honeymoon originated with God? Of course, He never called it that, but notice: “When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out…
Read MoreWhat Is the Difference?
by Irven Lee via The Graphic Evangelist, Vol. 21, No. 8, April 19, 1981. An instrument of music was introduced into the worship at Midway, Kentucky, in about 1858. This innovation moved slowly among churches in the North and finally came to the South in about 1900. Of course, the church support of the missionary society…
Read MoreIs Acts 2:38 Heresy?
by Tommy Thornhill “Jesse L. Sewell was born in Overton County, TN in 1818. He grew up in a Baptist community and became a Baptist preacher of some note in his native county. In the course of time, he learned the truth about Acts 2:38 (i.e. that baptism was in order to obtain remission of…
Read MoreNo “Gay” Gene According to the American Psychological Association
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Science in its ever-fickle way has come to the conclusion that Christians have known all along: There is no gene that causes homosexuality. The attempt to prove that homosexuality is determined biologically has been dealt a knockout punch. An American Psychological Association publication includes an admission that there’s no homosexual “gene”…
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