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It’s Greek To Me
by Roger Blackwelder Some questions were raised recently about the value of having a knowledge of New Testament Greek. Some have used arguments based on the translations of words to authorize immorality that the Bible clearly condemns. This usage of Greek is disturbing; it casts a shadow on an otherwise beneficial field of study. I…
Read MoreThey Lingered Too Long!
by Jimmy Tuten Truth Magazine Volume 24: Number 27, p. 433, July 10, 1980 Over the holidays I was in the home of a dear friend who is in the publishing business. He showed me a beautiful volume on Pompeii that his firm was responsible for bringing into being. I marveled at its magnificent color…
Read MoreSurviving the Financial Crisis
by Kent Heaton A financial crisis occurs when the crisis of a man’s soul is dependent upon the financial condition of his heart. Samuel Johnson said, “The love of money has been in all ages, one of the passions that have given great disturbances to the tranquility of the world” (Rambler, October 6, 1750). How…
Read MoreThe Story of Jesus
Edited, original author unknown via Forest Hills Faith Builder, February 10, 2008 Let’s face it, Jesus was a troublemaker. He caused such an uproar when He was born, that King Herod slaughtered a lot of innocent children trying to kill Him. King Herod’s rampage caused His parents so much stress that they fled to Egypt…
Read MoreStay on Message
by Sam Stinson “What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient? Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze? Have I any help in me, when resource is driven from me?” (Job 6:11-13, ESV) A certain evangelist once said when he…
Read MoreThe Soul of Obedience
Robert Turner via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 14, April 8, 2007. Remember the old story about the man who was going on a journey, and asked his son to lay out the farm according to his instructions? Corn was to be planted in this field, beans in that, the garden here, a shed built…
Read MoreThe Songs and Hymns of Robert Lowery
by Wayne S. Walker Robert Lowry was born in Philadelphia, PA, on Mar. 12, 1826, and educated at Bucknell University where he graduated with high scholastic honors in 1854. Afterward, he served as a Baptist minister, first at West Chester, PA, near Philadelphia, from 1854 to 1858, then in New York City, NY, from 1859…
Read MoreThe Solution to Episcopalian Church Problems
by Steve Klein via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, October 7, 2007 For those unfamiliar with it, the Episcopalian Church in America is a denomination that has its roots in the Church of England. These churches, along with Episcopalian denominations in other nations, are collectively referred to as Anglican churches.…
Read MoreThe Sin of Jesting
by Kent Heaton “Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children: And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as…
Read MoreScience as Shifting Sand
by Ethan R. Longhenry The modern world stands torn between competing understandings of the origins of the universe and of life on Earth: the spiritual understanding of the creation by God as described in Genesis 1-2, and the naturalistic explanations of modern scientific theory. The conflict between these understandings represents a significant stumbling block to…
Read MoreThe Roman Catholics, 1486 AD, and the “Title Page” Argument
by Terry W. Benton The Argument: “..the Roman Catholic church in 1486 AD arbitrarily placed the four books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John –before the cross — (MMLJBC) in the New rather Old Testament by placing an erroneous New Testament “title page” between the books of Malachi and Matthew. Answer: Everyone already knew that…
Read MoreResponsibility
Greg Litmer via That Ye May Grow Thereby. We live in a day and time when no one seems to want to take responsibility for their own actions and very few want to hold individuals accountable for what they have done. If a person commits a crime, it is society’s fault. If a person engages…
Read MoreReproof
by Ethan R. Longhenry “Whoso loveth correction loveth knowledge; but he that hateth reproof is brutish” (Proverbs 12:1). “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction; but a scoffer heareth not rebuke” (Proverbs 13:1). “A fool despiseth his father’s correction; but he that regardeth reproof getteth prudence” (Proverbs 15:5). One of the things that unite all mankind…
Read MoreWhere Would You Be If _____ Never Happened to You?
by Steve Klein The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, April 1, 2007 Somerset Maugham, the English writer, once wrote a story about a janitor at St. Peter’s Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him. Jobless, the man invested his meager savings…
Read MoreReflections on a Funeral Service
by Wayne S. Walker Several years ago I had the unpleasant task of attending and participating in the funeral service of a relative. It was not difficult from the standpoint that the deceased was an evil person, for such was not the case. Rather, the distressing aspect was due simply to the sorrow of loss…
Read MoreThe Pride of the Drunkard
by Kent Heaton Basil said, “Drunkenness is the ruin of reason. It is premature old age. It is temporary death” (Homilies, c. 375). There are few things engaged in by men that are as self-defeating and destructive as drunkenness. Quite frankly it is stupid beyond reason. A radio commentator recently described a time he had…
Read MorePredictions of the Second Coming by Jehovah’s Witnesses
by Matthew Allen “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9-10). From that time until the present, men have been anxiously awaiting the return of Jesus Christ. Throughout the centuries, some men have even tried to predict His…
Read MorePractical Advice on Prayer
by Andree Seu I picked up a little pamphlet from the rack in the foyer of a church I was visiting titled “Squeezing Prayer into a Busy Life.” I could imagine various possible directions for the six pages that would follow. The writer could tell us that if we really loved God we would find…
Read MoreA Perversion of Biblical Faith
by Wayne Jackson One of the great tragedies of ecclesiastical history is the fact that so many have failed to find a balanced view of human redemption as this concept is set forth in the biblical record. On the one hand, there is Roman Catholicism, arrogantly contending that salvation is conferred upon the basis of…
Read MoreThe Pearl of Great Price
by Richard Thetford In Matthew 13:45-46 Jesus is trying to emphasize to us how precious the kingdom of heaven is. He says “the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”…
Read MorePat Robertson’s Failed Predictions
by Heath Rogers You may remember that in January of last year, we ran an article citing some predictions that Pat Robertson had made for 2007. The following is an excerpt from a news story by Steven G. Vegh, published January 3, 2007: Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson cited communication with God in predicting Tuesday that horrific…
Read MoreParents: Consistency is a Key!
by Greg Gwin All godly parents are concerned about bringing up their children to be good, God-fearing people. In fact, we are commanded to do so (Ephesians 6:4). There are lots of negative influences in the world that make this an increasingly difficult job. We worry about the impact of the schools, peer pressure, wickedness…
Read MoreOne Sinner Destroys Much Good
by Ron Daly Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good. Ecclesiates 9:18 The title of this article comes from a statement of the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes in chapter 9, verse 18. It conveys a thought that each of us must consider. It tells us that a…
Read MoreNo Room for Compromise
by Glen Young There are things happening in the world today that are alarming. Not the least of these is the increase in Moslem jihad. With the ability to obtain powerful weaponry, the proponents of a ‘holy war’ believe their goal is attainable. The attitude behind jihad is a real and present danger to the…
Read MoreNo Christian Was Ever Saved by Faith Alone
by Kent Heaton The doctrine of salvation by faith alone is a popular means by which many in the religious world have been deceived into believing they have obeyed the will of God and live under the presumption they are disciples of Christ. While the doctrine has been around for many years, Billy Graham did…
Read MoreThe “Name” of Jesus
by David Smitherman via Plain Talk, July 1983 Jesus has a “name” that is above every other name (Ephesians 1:21; Philippians 2:9) but that “name” is not just an arrangement of letters to spell that word: J-E-S-U-S is not this name. It is much more than a title or designation. In Scripture, “name” is often equivalent…
Read MoreMy Concerns for Global Warming
by Dan Richardson via Search, December 2007; Vol. 14, No. 9 We are hearing much these days on the subject of global warming. Environmentalists warn that because of man’s reckless disregard for the release of pollutants, the world is becoming increasingly warmer and we are reaching a peak of global emergency threatening our very existence.…
Read MoreMore Than a Haircut
by Jennifer Kegley via Biblical Insights, Vol. 7, No. 5, May 2007 “Seek and you shall find” You never know when you are going to cross paths with someone who is searching for the Lord. There are people in this world who are seeking and it is our duty as Christians to show them the way.…
Read MoreMarks of Maturity
by Steven Harper Every serious disciple of Jesus Christ desires to attain spiritual maturity, of this there should be no argument. Many faithful disciples spend their entire life striving to reach an ever-higher level of maturity, and even babes in Christ have that fervor that drives them to not remain babes but to somehow find…
Read MoreGreek, How Should a Knowledge of It be Viewed?
by Don Martin We do not have the original New Testament today, but manuscripts that have come down to us, copies of the original writings. What we have today is a translation or, to be more precise, about seventy extant English translations of the Greek texts. Some preachers and Christians today possess varying degrees of…
Read MoreThe Lost One
by Edwin Crozier via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 28, July 15, 2007 In Luke 15:1,2, the Pharisees and scribes grumbled against Jesus saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Jesus responded with a parable of a lost sheep. Seeking the Lost Sheep in the Mountains Matthew 18:12 He asked how many of the…
Read MoreThe Lord’s Supper: Two or Three Symbols?
by Jefferson David Tant From time to time, brethren have discussions about the Lord’s Supper with respect to the “one cup” view as opposed to the practice of serving the fruit of the vine in multiple cups. I have had discussions with those of the “one cup” view through the years, and have studied the…
Read MoreThe Lord of the Ring
by Kent Heaton “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). During the wedding ceremony, the giving of rings symbolizes the token of pledges made to one another for purity, fidelity, and honor. The circular nature of…
Read MoreA Little Wine for Your Stomach’s Sake
by Bryan Matthew Dockens Paul advised Timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” (I Timothy 5:23). “No longer drink only water …” By this statement, we learn that Timothy’s habit had been one of total abstinence from wine until instructed otherwise by the…
Read MoreLet’s Restore Father to His Place in the Family
by Tommy Thornhill The words training and admonition (nurture and admonition-KJV) in Ephesians 6:4, deal with two different thoughts. The training is a discipline by demonstration (action and example), while the admonition is a discipline by reason (using the word). A father teaches a child how to serve God, both by example and persuasion. A…
Read MoreLesson from a Funeral
by Harry R. Osborne via Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 21, p. 10, November 3, 1994 Have you been to a funeral lately? None of us enjoys funerals, but the reflection demanded by such occasions is good for us. The Bible speaks of the need to learn the lessons that are taught by facing death’s reality. Notice the…
Read MoreWas Katrina a Judgment from God?
by George Hutto The question of God’s involvement with the recent hurricane which devastated New Orleans may not be popular, but it is fair to ask. After all, the activities on Bourbon Street are not akin to Sunday School classes, and Mardi Gras is notorious for the kind of behavior that would evoke the wrath…
Read MoreI Will Take Sickness Away from the Midst of You
by Bryan Matthew Dockens The Almighty told Israel, “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you” (Exodus 23:25). Although the Old Testament has been done away with, having been replaced by the New Covenant, it…
Read MoreIt Can be Done!
Tony Mauck via Biblical Insights, Vol. 7, No. 3, March 2007 Some people will not change. At times, we feel like we are running against a brick wall as we attempt to encourage folks to reject falsehood, embrace the gospel, and turn from sin. Many continue on their merry way, not realizing or even caring that…
Read MoreIs Love to Blame?
by Steve Klein Have you ever known parents who claimed that they loved their children too much to spank them? Ever known someone who tried to justify having sex outside of marriage because they loved the person? Ever known a Christian who would not rebuke and correct religious errors because they loved others too much…
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