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Who Can Perform a Baptism?
by Samuel Matthews “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have…
Read MoreDoes God’s Love Mean We Are Automatically Saved?
by Terry Wane Benton The fallacy of the argument about God’s love is that if it means we will be eternally saved because God loves us, then no one would be lost (II Peter 3:9). However, many will be lost (Matthew 7:13-14). Loving us and accepting us are two different things. His love wants us,…
Read MoreEmploying Our Opportunities
by Greg Kline via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 “Eat your food. There are kids around the world who are starving.” This may be one of the most clichéd lines a parent can give a child who is resisting their vegetables. Frankly, it is an attempt to shame their child into eating his…
Read MoreGuardian Angels
by Mike Johnson What is a guardian angel? Many believe that God assigns people a personal guardian angel to guide and protect them from harm, providing both physical and spiritual protection. This viewpoint can be comforting. Moreover, it might be considered a great advantage for people to think of themselves as having “their angel” working…
Read MoreThe Prophetic Word Made More Sure
by Terry Wane Benton Peter said that he and the other apostles (James and John) were “eyewitnesses” to Jesus’ transfiguration (II Peter 1:16-18). But, in addition, “we have the prophetic word made more sure” (II Peter 1:19). The case is very strong, bolstered by eyewitness testimony; however, the fact that their testimony aligns so perfectly…
Read MoreWhat About Good Moral People?
by Joe Slater Comparing the “good moral man” of the world to the flawed child of God can be frustrating! Take Cornelius and Peter for one example. Even before obeying the gospel, Cornelius was a deeply religious man — one who reverenced God, prayed regularly, helped the poor, and taught his family to do the…
Read MoreIs Jesus a Fictional Character? Then So Is History Itself
by Terry Wane Benton People say, “Jesus was a made-up story for control.” Yet the same people believe Napoleon fought wars, Socrates taught philosophy, and Alexander conquered nations – all without demanding proof. So, let’s compare the evidence: Historical Double Standard Socrates never wrote a single word. Everything we know comes from Plato, written decades…
Read MoreThe Brothers of Jesus Did Not Believe
by Hugh DeLong This title is open to some misunderstanding – at the time that this interaction took place, they did not believe. We are not explicitly told why, but from the context, several things are possible. This one is recognized as a ‘first class’ conditional sentence which, from the speaker or writer’s point of…
Read MoreThe Backbone of the Church
by Micky Galloway In referring to the backbone of the church, I have in mind the firmness, the moral courage, the stand for truth, the spine of the church itself. There are certain “straws” that we should be alarmed about because they are breaking the church’s back. What are some of these “straws”? Sin is…
Read MoreGod’s Kingdom and the Nations
by Doy Moyer The United States, for all the good (and bad) that is found therein, is not the Kingdom of God. When we act like it is, we will almost surely misuse Scripture. I saw a post trying to parallel Israel’s covenant law against a foreigner ruling over them with leaders in the US…
Read MoreIs God Immoral for Killing the Canaanites?
by Terry Wane Benton Judge of All the Earth God is the Judge of all the earth. He does not kill anyone arbitrarily, and when He does take a life out of this world (Genesis 15:16), it is always just and right. If God commanded the killing of the Canaanites, any of them, then it…
Read MoreThe Bread of Life
by Hugh DeLong The temptation to turn rocks into bread brought the response of Jesus that man is to live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. God’s word is the bread of life that sustains the soul. Now in John 6, Jesus returns to this…
Read MoreHow to Suffer as a Christian
by David Gibson Since Christ calls us to suffer for Him (John 15:18-20; Acts 14:21-22; II Timothy 3:12), we do well to prepare ourselves spiritually and emotionally for this. One of the best sources for equipping Christians for suffering is First Peter. Peter writes from personal experience, having already been imprisoned and beaten for his…
Read MoreThe Samaritans and Jesus
by Hugh DeLong If you study the history of the Samaritans and the Jews, particularly noting the events leading up to the time of Jesus, you will see the great animosity between them. John simply adds an explanation to help clarify this animosity in John 4:9: “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” This story…
Read MoreLove Your Neighbor (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are first, to love God with all the heart, soul, strength, and might, and second, to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). These commandments are the basis for everything else God commands. It’s not hard to see in the structure of the Ten Commandments…
Read MoreHow Should We Treat Those Who Have Been Withdrawn From?
by Kyle Ellison This is a question that receives much attention, concern, and even debate at times. However, when considering a question like this, we are not left without guidance from Scripture. First, we must treat them with love, care, and compassion. We should never look down on anyone who has fallen, nor should we…
Read MoreIs Baptism a Work?
by Vicky Buckwalter It is not uncommon to hear some insist that baptism is not a work. Yet I fear that, in responding to criticism from denominational voices who accuse the Lord’s church of legalism, we have grown hesitant to admit that baptism is indeed a work—specifically, a work authorized by God. Some have reasoned…
Read MoreThe Risk of Small Amounts of Alcohol
Drinking in Moderation Is Not Harmless by Andy Sochor via Plain Bible Teaching for Today It is not uncommon to hear or see debates on whether it is permissible for Christians to drink alcohol in moderation. That is an important discussion. However, it is also interesting to take note of reports and studies from secular…
Read MoreEven a Caveman Can Do It
by Zeke Flores Remember the old insurance commercials that claimed to be so simple, “even a caveman can do it”? We had become so “politically correct” that no one wants to insult anyone else, so Geico came up with a victim they were sure we could poke fun at with impunity, since there are no…
Read MoreChrist Redeemed Us from Law?
by Terry Wane Benton A brother argued to me that Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from law.” Actually, the verse says that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, and the context tells us that it was the Law of Moses (Galatians 3:19). But He did not redeem us from His righteous…
Read MoreBut God . . .
by David Gibson When troubles mount, as they often do, we need the assurance these passages offer us: “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions . . .” (Acts 7:9-10). “And when they had carried out all that was written…
Read MoreThe Other Ethiopian Eunuch
by David Gibson Most Bible students know the conversion story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-39. But how many know the story of an Ethiopian eunuch named Ebed-melech? His heroic actions are recorded in Jeremiah 38:1-13; 39:15-18. Courageously countering evil Because Jeremiah was proclaiming the truth God told him to preach, his enemies threw…
Read MoreI Need to Find Myself
by Zeke Flores Remember the “I need to find myself” craze of a decade or two ago? People were off on spontaneous and sometimes irresponsible adventures to “find myself.” A cynic might have simply pointed to that person and said, “There you are, I found you!” In his book “In Search of Myself,” D. R.…
Read MoreVengeance Is Mine
by Terry Wane Benton God said that we are not to take vengeance into our own hands. Vengeance is the Lord’s. “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them” (Deuteronomy 32:35 NKJV). God is…
Read MoreThe Fruits of Personal Evangelism
by Joe Collins In Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15-16, Jesus commanded all disciples to go and preach the gospel and teach all nations. For centuries, men have been fulfilling this commandment. Christians often become discouraged when they cannot see all of the results from their labors in personal evangelism. Perhaps the greatest success that anyone…
Read MoreWhen restoring what I took, do I need to mention my name?
Question: Hi! First, thank you so much for the questions and answers you provide. I find the information super helpful. I’ve had a chance to review questions similar to mine, but I would like to ask a few specifics. The overall theme of my question concerns repentance and restitution. For some background, I am a…
Read MoreStaying a Christian
by Don Wright Becoming a Christian is one of the easiest things you can do. It has often been said, and I think it is true, that the only thing easier than becoming a Christian is not becoming a Christian. God has made His plan of salvation simple enough for all to comprehend and obey.…
Read MoreWhat Sort of People (DeLong)
by Hugh DeLong In II Peter 3:10-12, Peter affirms that our destiny lies in new heavens and a new earth. The things of this present heavens and earth will pass away, be burned up, dissolved, melted. This new home will be the home for those who are holy and godly. Their lives are lived in…
Read MoreThat Wise Bird
by Gary Henry via WordPoints.com “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Our possession of two ears and only one mouth is not an accident. Since we learn more by listening than talking, listening is more valuable from a practical standpoint, but…
Read MoreWhen Your Brother Is Overtaken in a Sin
by Heath Rogers The Parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a man who is ambushed, stripped, beaten, and left for dead (Luke 10:30-37). The first people to find him are his own countrymen, but they pass him by. It is the foreigner, a Samaritan, who stops and helps. We are ready to judge the…
Read MoreControl Your Tongue
by Luiz Felipe Lima De Albuquerque “From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some young men came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go away, you baldhead!” they said. “Go away, you baldhead!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them…
Read MoreThe Question of God Repenting or Changing His Mind
by Terry Wane Benton A skeptic thought he found a flaw in the Bible and the God of the Bible. He believes the following is a contradiction in the Bible: Does God change his mind? “For I am the Lord; I change not” (Malachi 3:6). “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither…
Read MoreCheck Your Soundness
by Terry Wane Benton To be sound is to be solid and healthy as opposed to weakened and sickly. There are six areas mentioned in the book of Titus that we need to examine in ourselves. Are you: Sound in the doctrine you believe and practice? (Titus 1:9; 2:1): Is your belief solidly built on…
Read MoreThe Future Resurrection
by Terry Wane Benton Clement of Rome, early in the second century, it is believed, wrote a letter to the Corinthians and spoke of the future resurrection. There was no thought that AD 70 was the resurrection. That idea is of recent origin, and it is wholly false. Clement wrote: “Let us consider, beloved, how…
Read MoreMorning, Midday, and Evening
by Gary Henry via WordPoints.com “Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour” (Acts 10:9). The practice of praying at set times is an old and honorable custom. And despite our modern disdain for anything that isn’t spontaneous, the habit of praying at the beginning, the middle, and the end of…
Read MoreForewarned Is Forearmed
by David Gibson He had so much to tell them and so little time. It was Jesus’ last night with His disciples before the cross. Knowing what lay ahead, He wanted most to prepare them for the hardships they would soon be facing. The value of warnings He warned them that their enemies would oppose…
Read MoreDoes It Cost Too Much?
by David Gibson The parable is only one verse long, but what a lesson is packed in those few words! “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew…
Read MoreThe Paradoxes of God
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 A paradox is that which seems contradictory in fact or experience; hence, unbelievable. There are some profound paradoxes associated with God. For instance, God is sovereign, yet man has free will. Jesus was human, while remaining Deity. Man is saved only by faith,…
Read MoreReactionary Religion
by Allen Malone via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 God’s people of old went astray as they desired to be like the nations around them (I Samuel 8:19-20). They left the way of God because they were more interested in following the customs of others than in following God’s prescribed path. Regrettably,…
Read MoreFaith to Walk on Water
by Clint Gann via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 Over 75 percent of the Earth’s surface is composed of water. One of the first things God did in the creation was to separate land and water (Genesis 1:9). After man was placed on earth, God often used water as a teaching tool.…
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