Article
You Don’t Deserve Mercy
by Doy Moyer Have you seen these scenes where someone is taking vengeance on another, and at the point at which the one is about to drop the hammer, the other cries out for some form of mercy? Then, the avenger says something like, “You don’t deserve mercy!” Boom. You don’t deserve mercy. Let that…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Guarantee of the Holy Spirit
by Matthew W. Bassford To my knowledge, this concept appears three times in Scripture, all within the body of Paul’s writings: II Corinthians 1:22, II Corinthians 5:5, and Ephesians 1:13-14. “Guarantee” is the ESV rendering of the Greek arrabōn. Other translations use “earnest” (KJV), “deposit” (NIV), “down payment” (CSB), or “pledge” (NASB). I think it’s helpful to consider the…
Read MoreWhy I am No Longer a Pentecostal (Davis)
by William Davis There were no miracles, no power, no gifts, no healings, nothing but the theatrical antics and delusions of men. What was claimed as the great power of God was nothing more than musical hype and psychologically induced emotionalism. I would like to begin by giving some background information concerning my roots in…
Read MoreComing Out of Pentecostalism (Article)
by Bill Davis One of the greatest challenges for any Pentecostal to overcome is to accept the fact that God no longer works miracles today as he did in times past. Three years ago I wrote a series of three articles in Seek the Old Paths on Why I Left the Pentecostal Church (June, July, August 2013). In those…
Read MoreUltimate Deliverance
by Doy Moyer What if… we actually were put to death because we are Christians? What is our attitude about this? Consider Paul’s attitude: “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that…
Read MoreIs Everything We Do Worship?
by Harold Hancock A Christian should try to please God in everything he does, but everything a Christian does is not worship. For instance, a Christian may travel, work, rest, and sleep with God’s approval, but he is not worshipping God when he does these things In the New Testament, the Greek word Proskuneo is…
Read MoreThe Divine Name
by Keith Sharp If you consider what the Oklahoma bomber Timothy McViegh, the family at Ruby Ridge, the Abilene, Texas dooms-day leader Yisryal Hawkins, and the branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas, have in common, you will arrive at a surprising answer. They all know the creator’s true and original names (Warren). The Scriptures is…
Read MoreWhy Should You Think It Incredible?
by Hugh DeLong The death of Jesus was a stumbling block. The resurrection of Jesus also causes many to stumble. In preaching to the Athenian philosophers, Paul testified that God had raised Jesus from the dead. “Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked” (Acts 17:34). When Paul stood before King…
Read MoreBible Baptism
by Foy E. Wallace Bible Banner – 1948 The basic principle of all obedience is understanding. “He that heareth the word and understandeth it” (Matthew 13:23). “Go preach the gospel — he that believeth (the gospel) and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:15-16). Believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is not…
Read MoreAncient Prophets in a Modern World
by Homer Hailey via The Preceptor Vol. 1, No. 3, January 1952. One of the most, if not the most neglected portions of the Bible in our study today is that of the Prophets. No doubt the reason for this is that there has been so much speculation among modern dispensationalists, in which men of this error…
Read MoreWhat Is the Hardest Command?
by Jefferson David Tant From time to time, we see articles written about love. We remember a lawyer asking Jesus a question, “trying him: Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and…
Read MoreWhat Repentance Is Not
by Joe R. Price via The Spirit’s Sword, 2009 The verb translated “repent” in the New Testament (metanoeo) literally means “to perceive afterward”; so repent means “to change one’s mind or purpose” (Thayer). God commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins (Acts 17:30). That is, God commands a change the mind and purpose concerning…
Read MoreTeenage Suicide: Its Causes and Its Cure
by Harold Fite Guardian of Truth – June 20, 1985 If the trend continues, 50,000 suicides will have occurred in this country by the end of 1985. Ten thousand of this number will be committed by young people between the ages of 15 and 34. Suicide is the second greatest killer among those between the ages…
Read MoreWhy Churches Should Rethink Their Preacher’s Salary
by Wes McAdams via Radically Christian The job a preacher does, and the money he takes home seems pretty cut-and-dry to most church members, “Our preacher ‘ministers’ to this congregation – he visits the sick, he counsels, he evangelizes, he preaches, he teaches, he writes bulletin articles, and does whatever else we ask of him –…
Read MoreContradictions in Mormon Documents
by Dudley Ross Spears There are very obvious contradictions in the documents Mormons must hold to be divinely inspired by their god. These documents include The Book of Mormon, proposing to be “Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” Doctrine and Covenants, proposing to be “a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and…
Read MoreBlasphemy Against the Holy Ghost
by Charles G. Caldwell, Jr. Via Truth Magazine XXI: 49, pp. 781-782, December 15, 1977 In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus said, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son…
Read MoreCan a Christian Lose Salvation?
by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, a brother sent me this link (Can a Christian lose salvation?) and asked if I had ever before addressed the topic in a blog post. I replied that I hadn’t (at least so far as I can remember), but this seemed like a wonderful opportunity to do so!…
Read MoreThe Value of Taking a Drink
by Kent Heaton Alcohol has always been a demon that plagues man with its sparkle and alluring appeal to the desires of the flesh. Noah planted a vineyard and “drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent” (Genesis 9:21). The children of Israel did not take long to fall head-long…
Read MoreI Can’t Compete
by Jefferson David Tant The religious world is a world of fierce competition, just as car dealerships are in competition with one another. Obviously, the dealer that sells the most cars makes the most profit and has bragging rights — “We’re the #1 Chevy dealer in the Southeast.” How does a car dealer become #1?…
Read MoreFaith is the Evidence
by Doy Moyer “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB). Some translations say that faith is the “evidence” of things not seen (KJV, NKJV). What does this mean? We often point out that faith is not blind. Because of the use of the term “evidence”…
Read MoreLaw and Legalism
by H. E. Phillips via Guardian of Truth – January 6, 1994 Law is: “A general rule of action or conduct established or enforced by a sovereign authority; as, a law of Caesar; a law of God” (Webster’s Twentieth Century Dictionary, Unabridged). Webster says of legalism: “Close conformity to law.” Law and legalism are not the same.…
Read MoreWhy Worship?
by Matthew W. Bassford via His Excellent Word There has literally never been a time in my life when I wasn’t regularly attending worship services with the Lord’s people. Even when I was a little kid, even when my parents were members of a little congregation in New Jersey that was lucky if it broke 20…
Read MoreBeware: Diotrephes at Work
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via Guardian of Truth – August 20, 1992 In August of 1956, I heard the late brother Gardner Hall preach on “The Baptism of Diotrephes.” I recall very little of the sermon beyond the announcement of the title and brother Hall’s unique way of introducing it. It went something like…
Read MoreLet Love of the Brethren Continue
by Jefferson Davis Tant Gospel Guardian – June 1, 1967 The most enduring quality in this world is that of love. The great apostle who suffered so much at the hands of false brethren, who was repeatedly imperiled by the elements, who was savagely persecuted by misguided zealots, who was forsaken by fellow workers, who…
Read MoreMaking Bricks of Mud
by Robert F. Turner Paul was set upon by a mob and then dragged from their hands by the police. Falsely charged, he spent two years in Jewish prisons and was then sent to Rome to appear before Caesar. His traveling days ended, and threatened with death by savage beasts (II Timothy 4:17), we could…
Read MorePainless, Pointless, Profitless Preaching
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. Guardian of Truth, October 19, 1995 The doctor, looking at the routine test results, announces to the patient, “Hey, man, give me five. Have I got good news for you? Your blood pleasure is super. Your pulse rate is fantastic. And, man, what a fabulous gall bladder. It is beautiful…
Read MoreShould I marry a man who is not a virgin?
Question: Hi, Blessings to you! I’m having a difficult time accepting someone’s past. First I’ll start with that I’m a Christian, not a perfect one, but I do strive to be the godly woman God encourages me to be. As a Christian and follower of Christ, I should never shame someone over their past nor…
Read MoreTumbleweed Christians
by Jefferson David Tant Tumbleweeds are a familiar sight in the western United States. A tumbleweed is a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants. Once it is mature and dry, it detaches from its root and then is blown across the landscape by the wind. “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” is…
Read MoreJesus: “Public Enemy Number One”
by Larry Hafley How do we explain the Jews’ hatred of Jesus? What motivated them to kill him? If I had been a Jewish lawyer, here is the case I would have presented. (Let the reader understand that what follows is based upon the ignorance and envy of the day (Matthew 22:29; 27:18; John 5:39).…
Read MoreIs the KJV the Only True Bible Version?
by Ethan R. Longhenry via De Vibro Vitae There has been some discussion in the world today, even in the church, that there is one Bible version which is the only true version, the Authorized or King James Version. Is this so? How can we determine which Bible version is better, if any? Let us explore…
Read MoreThe People of God — Their Attitude Toward the Social Order
by Ed Harrell Throughout history, in relating themselves to the world, the two options which Christians have most often pursued were to vigorously strive to control the world or to disdainfully withdraw from it. Some have dreamed that they would make their society “Christian,” necessarily defined in cultural and nationalistic terms, and have passed laws,…
Read MoreFalse Ideas Regarding Death
by Wayne Jackson Each day of our existence we are reminded of the grim reality of death. It haunts us. We know so little about it. In fact, we know almost nothing regarding this ultimate physical experience, except for what is revealed in the Bible. But the biblical information is limited, and so false notions…
Read MoreReaction to Heresy
by Irven Lee via Truth Magazine, December 3, 1970 “Heresy must needs come” (I Corinthians 11: 19). Paul said, “I know this,” when he warned the elders that wolves would enter the flock (Acts 20:29-32). Peter said, “There shall be false teachers among you” (II Peter 2:1-3). John said, “Many false prophets are gone out…
Read MoreThose Who Will Give an Account
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17). Most recognize the quote from Hebrews 13:17 as referring to the…
Read MoreThrowing Away the Key
by Dan Shipley via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 8, Feb. 24, 2008. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Sin is bad, but concealed sin is even worse. If deliberate sin is like…
Read MoreBurying the Living
by Jonathan Perz Do you believe in a doctrine that endorses burying the living? Baptism is likened to a burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). Now, if we are saved (i.e., made alive – Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 2:1, 5) before baptism, then aren’t we actually burying the living when we are baptized because we have already been…
Read MoreWhat Does I Corinthians 11:3 Teach About the Role of Women?
by T. Doy Moyer Guardian of Truth – February 2, 1995 I Corinthians 11 has been surrounded by controversy due to the teaching about the covering. It is not the purpose or scope of this article to try to expound a pro or con position on the covering today. Women do need to carefully study the…
Read MoreYou May be Surprised to Learn …
by Doy Moyer Have you ever taken for granted certain things and believed them, just because that is what you have been told? Perhaps you find yourself in that situation now, believing and doing things because that is what you were told. Religious people sometimes believe and practice something because a preacher said it, or…
Read MoreA Father’s Reply
by Dave Beckley Long ago, my husband wrote the following to one of our sons. To our many sons and daughters today, please read, for he longs the same for each of you. Joanne Beckley Dear son, Your letter was very revealing and open, a reflection of your honesty and confidence in us. We are…
Read MoreJewish Feasts and Festivals
by Kyle Campbell via Truth Magazine In order to fully understand the Jewish religion and people, and to gain a greater perspective of a number of events in the New Testament, one needs to study the Jewish feasts and festivals. The Jewish feasts and festivals were scheduled at specific times in the annual calendar and they…
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