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If the Lord Wills
by Ron Drumm Our world is much like the New Testament world concerning buying and selling merchandise and being involved in marketing a product. Business involves planning how to market and sell your goods. God cares about our business endeavors. But He wants us to see the importance of not boasting about our work. James…
Read MoreThe Ideal Bible Teacher
by Johnny Ramsey via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 55, No. 39, Sept. 29, 2006 Jesus was born to die, but He lived to teach. I know that we have all heard that, but there are some statements that we hear over and over again that never get old. We have also heard that Christianity is “caught” as…
Read MoreHow to Defeat Temptation
by Kent Heaton Whenever we think of something as a temptation we consider it evil. The original Latin could suggest something good or bad but the evil sense has taken a predominant role in its definition. The idea of temptation is rooted in the challenge of character. Trials rightly faced are harmless, but wrongly met…
Read MoreHow Can I Keep from Singing?
by Robert Lowry, 1860 My life flows on in endless song; Above earth’s lamentation I hear the sweet though off hymn That hails a new creation: Through all the tumult and the strife I hear the music ringing; It finds an echo in my soul — How can I keep from singing? What though my…
Read MoreHe Says He Didn’t Do It
by Greg Gwin A few years ago there was a national controversy concerning allegations of immorality made against the man who was then President. He had been accused of serious and repeated sexual misconduct. The President and his aides vehemently denied any wrongdoing. What could be done? How could we know if he was guilty,…
Read MoreHas the Bible Been Changed?
by Greg Gwin We are frequently asked about the reliability of our Bibles. Specifically, how can we be sure that the Bibles we are reading today are true to the original messages delivered so long ago? In particular, can we be sure that the New Testament has not been altered and changed in the almost…
Read MoreA Great Scientific Find Turns Out to be an Old Stomach Ache for Scientists
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 10, Nov. 1995. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of foolishness that can be wrapped up in a single bit of wisdom from the wise of this world. That large segment of the scientific community, wed to the theory of evolution, often…
Read MoreThe Grace of God that Brings Salvation
by Irvin Himmel via Truth Magazine, December 1973 Nothing is more clearly revealed in the Scriptures than our dependence on God’s grace for redemption. Paul said to the saints in Ephesus, “by grace are ye saved” (Ephesians 2:5). Everyone who is permitted to enter heaven will be there by grace. Today there are teachers, even in…
Read MoreGod Needs More Foot Soldiers
by Thomas Thornhill At this time our nation is in a conflict taking place mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our uniformed personnel are daily placed in harm’s way, facing an enemy which in many cases is often unseen until they strike. This is of course a physical confrontation in which people use material weaponry to…
Read More“God Has Spoken,” But …
by Dan S. Shipley via Plain Talk, Vol. 20, No. 8, Oct 1983 “God hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in His Son…” (Hebrews 1:2). But men have also spoken unto us. With excellency of speech and persuasive words of wisdom, they have troubled us with many variations of a perverted…
Read MoreGod Forbid!
by Benjamin M. Shropshire via Lifeline, 7/15/00 My use of the New King James Version in my preaching and teaching was criticized a few years ago on the basis that the phrase “Certainly not!” is used in place of “God Forbid!” in the old King James Version (see Romans 3:4,6, etc.). It was alleged that…
Read MoreGod and the Nations Today
by Homer Hailey The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 4, February 1952. As a thinking Christian reads his newspaper and magazines he cannot but reflect upon the question, “What part does God have in the nations of today; or, does He have any part?” I believe this question is definitely answered in the Prophets of the…
Read MoreSpirits in Prison
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton In a discussion on suffering for righteousness sake, Peter turns to Jesus as an example. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He…
Read MoreGiving: Some Things God Says
by Harry Pickup, Sr. via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 11, Sept. 1952. Many Christians are still squirmish about sermons on giving, even though the New Testament has more to say about this subject — with warnings against violations of the divine instructions concerning it — than the subject of baptism. The first sin scandal within…
Read MoreAll These Things Will I Give Thee
by Gary McDade Surely, the Devil thought the temptation a valid one he offered the Lord on that exceeding high mountain when “he showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,” promising them to him if he would “fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:8-9). Many in Bible times fell…
Read MoreFreedom Can Only Be Found in God
by Kent Heaton Thomas Jefferson wrote, “And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure, when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but by his wrath? Indeed, I tremble for…
Read MoreFor the Love of Money
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Paul warned that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Timothy 6:10). Because of the desire for wealth, Satan has pulled many Christians away from their service to God. Yet, the desire for easy money has led to the church being the target of many…
Read MoreFoot Washing
by Dudley Ross Spears Question: “What is your understanding of feet washing as it was practiced in the Bible? Some people still practice it in church. What do you think?” Answer: This question deals with foot washing, not merely for sanitary purposes, but as a religious act allegedly done in worship of God. Please read…
Read MoreFive Synonyms: One Office
by Jeff Smith In the New Testament, we find at least five words that describe both the office an elder holds and the work that he does. Elder is from the Greek word, presbuterous. Paul told Titus to “appoint elders in every city” in Titus 1:5. The lexicographer, Thayer, comments that this particular term denotes the dignity…
Read MoreFigurative Speech: “The Kingdom Is Like …”
by Robert Turner Plain Talk, vol. 13, no. 10, pp. 4-5–December 1976 Is the church (God’s people) the “body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:23); or is it like (in some respects) a “body,” and since He is “head over” these people, therefore like the body of Christ? Are we literally His hands, feet, etc? Or are we figuratively…
Read MoreFamily Time Together Is Essential
by W. Frank Walton in Biblical Insights, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2005 Time together is the bonding mortar that binds family members together before God in love Giving Thanks Psalm 107 “Hear, my son, and accept My sayings and the years of your life will be many. I have directed you in the way of…
Read MoreThe Fall of Calvinism
by Gene Taylor The five tenets of Calvinism are so tightly and logically knit together that if you accept one, you must accept them all. Conversely, if you deny one, you must deny them all. The child of God can fall from grace (Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 6:4-6; Acts 8:9-24). The Perseverance of the Saints is…
Read MoreFaith Healers or ‘Fake’ Healers?
by Greg Gwin So-called “faith healers” continue to claim great abilities for healing various ailments of the physical body. While we steadfastly believe in all the miracles of the Bible, including the many instances of miraculous divine healing, we are equally as strong in our denial that these modern “healers” have any God-given power in…
Read MoreThe Evolutionist’s Creation Story, Inspired by Naturalism
by Abraham Smith Naturalism: A theory denying that an event or object has a supernatural significance. Once upon a time billions of years ago, everything that has ever been came from a little ball called the cosmic egg. At that time it was heated to trillions of degrees. It was so hot that not even elements…
Read MoreThe Character of the Bible’s Witnesses
by Jerry Blount “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no…
Read MoreDon’t Blame the Monkeys!
by Jerry Blount Don’t blame the apes when men act like animals! For several generations now, our society has gone to great lengths to teach our children that they were born in the image of an ape, i.e. descended from an ape. After indoctrinating folks carefully that they are animals, why are we surprised when those…
Read MoreThey Promised to Put Away Their Wives
by Kent Heaton The book of Ezra is a remarkable book of “those whose spirits God had moved” (Ezra 1:5). The city of Jerusalem lay in ruins for seven decades and the house of the Lord was burned. Zerubbabel led the faithful back to Jerusalem and the Temple was rebuilt. The faith of the people…
Read MoreDiscouragement
by Steven Harper Some disciples have an erroneous idea that it is somehow sinful for a follower of God to be discouraged, even for a moment. This idea is probably a result of so much teaching and preaching on the idea that Christians should not be discouraged, or that we have so many blessings, we don’t…
Read MoreDid You Think to Pray?
by Allen Webster Scenario: The church I attend is losing members instead of gaining them. We are not meeting the budget. We have too few children in Bible class and far too few members to return Sunday night. Instead of adding new programs and activities for next year, we are cutting back on what we…
Read MoreDealing with the Unrepentant
by Greg Gwin via The Beacon 9/29/2009 Are you discouraged because you can’t get someone to change? Maybe you’ve worked long and hard to teach someone what they should do to be saved, but they simply won’t accept it. It’s clear to you and to them that there are things amiss in their life, but…
Read MoreThe Danger of Alcohol
by Steve Wallace via Truth Magazine Vol. XLIV: 3 p5 February 3, 2000 Alcohol is such an accepted part of American society and society in general that our title may strike some as odd. After all, so many popular, fashionable, and successful people are known to drink. Also, commercials, movies, advertisements, etc., picture drinking as something to…
Read MoreComfort for the Depressed
by Johnny Felker In II Corinthians 1, Paul discusses what must have been one of the lowest points in his life, a time filled with deep feelings of anxiety and despair. He reports that in Asia he was “burdened excessively, beyond… strength” so that he “despaired even of life”, having the “sentence of death” within…
Read MoreComfort
by Gilbert Alexander Comfort, or consolation, is a promise from God for certain distressed ones. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Paul urged faithful obedience upon the condition, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit,…
Read MoreCircumcision Proves the Necessity of Baptism
by Kent Heaton The apostle Paul appeals to the “saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse” to discharge the philosophies of men and embrace Him who has the preeminence in all things (Colossians 1). The church at Colosse had been troubled by the teachings of men that distracted from the glory of…
Read MoreChristians and the Passover
by Gilbert Alexander The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is honored with deep love and respect by all Christians everywhere, and they assemble in localities throughout the world on the first day of every week to remember His death in His memorial supper as He commanded and as Christians have done since the…
Read MoreChristian Morality Versus Atheist Morality
by Donald R. Fox One of the most interesting formal discussions between an atheist and a Christian was the Oliphant-Smith Debate, conducted in Shawnee, Oklahoma, August 15-16, 1929. W. L. Oliphant was a preacher from the Oak Cliff Church of Christ, Dallas, Texas. Charles Smith was the President of the American Association of the Advancement…
Read MoreThe Certified Gospel (Adams)
by Connie Adams via Searching the Scriptures “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man” (Galatians 1:11). In this statement, Paul placed the gospel he preached in contrast to the perverted gospel which some had brought to the churches of Galatia (Galatians 1:7). He further showed that…
Read MoreThe Roman Catholic Church and the Bible
by Jefferson David Tant A 44-page booklet is in my possession bearing the title “The Bible Is NOT Our Sole Guide.” It was published by the “Supreme Council, KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Religious Information Bureau.” It has the official approval of the church, as it carries the “Imprimatur: Joseph E. Ritter, Archbishop of St. Louis.” That “Imprimatur”…
Read MoreCatholicism Against Itself: Cardinals’ Advice on Bible Reading
The following is an excerpt from an address by the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church in 1503 to Pope Pius III. “Of all the advice that we can offer, Your Holiness, we must open your eyes well and use all possible force in the matter, namely, to permit the reading of the gospel as…
Read MoreBut It Is the Biggest Event of the School Year!
by Greg Litmer in That Ye May Grow Thereby It comes every year. You walk through the mall and see that J.C. Penney’s, Sears, and Macy’s have rack after rack of formals for sale, and the tuxedo rental shops are advertising special deals. Before too long a lot of young Christians across the land are going…
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