Jesus, the Righteous Judge

by Doy Moyer Jesus is the Creator to whom all are accountable. He has all authority, and He has all the right to judge. The Father “has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father” (John 5:22-23). He has “authority to execute judgment, because he…

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The Cry of Distress

by Zeke Flores “For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab, its wail goes as far as Eglaim and its wailing even to Beer-elim” (Isaiah 15:8). Reading through the judgment oracles of Israel’s foreign neighbors sometimes seems like a chore. We might hurry through these chapters believing there’s nothing in them…

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Can We Evaluate Our True Condition?

by Terry Wane Benton To the Laodicean church, the Spirit said: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). To think we “have need of nothing” and that our measurement of wealth and…

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The Parable of the Vineyard Workers

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/The-Parable-of-the-Vineyard-Workers.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 20:1-16   I.         When speaking of the nature of our heavenly reward, the parable of the vineyard workers is often cited to prove that each will receive a similar heavenly reward.             A.        Whether a Christian has lived a long life serving the Lord, or only found the Lord late in…

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Let’s Revisit “Judge Not”

by Terry Wane Benton Each time we speak or write on an issue of sin, we have told what God has said about that sin. When we do that, we are relaying God’s judgment (what He has said and the necessary implications of what He said). We are not making up things and trying to use…

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There Is No Partiality with God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/There-Is-No-Partiality-With-God.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 2:1-11   I.         People tend to be biased.             A.        We have our viewpoints. We have our favorites. We understand that being unbiased is a better position, but biased views always creep into our decisions.                         1.         Listen to a radio commentator. It doesn’t take long to figure out wether he is conservative…

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Measured to Us

by Doy Moyer “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). “Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same…

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God with Us

by Doy Moyer The coming of Jesus into this world, with all it entails, is more important than any or all events in this world combined. The light has come into a world of darkness, and darkness could not comprehend it. God is with us. Consider that Joseph was told not to be afraid to…

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The Judgment of Babylon

by Matthew W. Bassford It seems like the farther we get into the book of Revelation, the more contentious it gets. Our reading concerns chapters 16 through 18, and the main character in this section is the wicked city of Babylon, personified as a prostitute. To say that the identity of Babylon is under dispute…

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My Conscience

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/My-Conscience.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 4:1-5   I.         Defining your conscience             A.        A part of every human is an awareness of what he should do in various situations             B.        Your conscience does not determine what is right or wrong                         1.         That is what judgment is for.                         2.         Righteous judgment is done by God’s wisdom – Proverb 8:12-17…

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The Day of the Lord

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/The-Day-of-the-Lord.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 2:14-24   I.         In Peter’s first sermon, he quotes the prophet Joel who warns of the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.             A.        As we read the warnings of God through the prophets, repeatedly we find references to “the day of the Lord” or “the day…

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You Must Rule Over It

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/You-Must-Rule-Over-It.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 4:1-12   I.         Ask a person why they gave into a particular sin and the most common rely is: “I don’t know. I couldn’t help myself.”             A.        Losing control in the face of temptation has been around since the beginning.                         1.         God even warned Cain that he had to master his…

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The Meaning of Life: Where Are You Going?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Meaning-of-Life-Where-Are-You-Going.mp3 Text: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10   I.         Having a goal in mind gives direction to the choices that you must make.             A.        The meaning of life is more than what you are doing with your life right now. It is also where you are letting life take you.             B.        One thing is certain, you are going to die -…

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Are You Ready for What God May Be Sending?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Are-You-Ready-for-What-God-May-Be-Sending.mp3 by Raymond Warfel There was mention of the President possibly having received treatment that involved fetal cells. This was checked after the sermon was presented and found to be not true, for which we are thankful. See Update: Here’s what is known about Trump’s COVID-19 treatment.

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Will we be judged regarding how much we know about the Bible?

Question: Will we be judged regarding how much we know about the Bible? Answer: Judgment Day is not like taking a final exam in school. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I…

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Will everyone see God’s face?

Question: Hello. Will everyone see the face of God the Father on judgment day? I know that every eye will see Jesus, even those who pierced Him. Is seeing the face of God the Father only a privilege for the saved? I appreciate your time. Answer: I believe you are striving to make a distinction…

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An Overview of the Old Testament Prophets

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/OverviewOfOldTestamentsProphets.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hosea 14   I.         The Old Testament is divided into three major sections: the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets – Luke 24:44             A.        The Law refers to the first five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy             B.        The Prophets or teachings were divided by the Jews into two sets:                         1.         The…

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Are we only judged by the things we know?

Question: Good afternoon, Brother Hamilton: I hope this message finds you well. I am looking at your site for information about accountability for the Christian, and I am having trouble wording what I’m looking for to find resources. Maybe you can help. I was at a small study with one of the wives of our…

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Does Matthew 16:27 refer to Judgment Day?

Question: I have difficulty understanding Matthew 16:27. Does it refer to the Day of Judgment or is it an allusion to Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel 7? I read two articles on your site and there are different views on both of them. How Could a Loving God Send Me to Hell? says Matthew 16:27 refers…

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The Glory and Kingdom of the Son

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 16:21-28; Mark 8:31-9:1; Luke 9:21-27 To the dismay of his disciples, Jesus began to speak of his pending death. Peter and the other disciples did not realize the importance of that death in God’s plans. Peter went so far as to declare that God would never allow such a…

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How Could a Loving God Send Me to Hell?

by Tanner Campbell The very thought of Hell is terrifying. Such a thought is an intense provoker for many to repent of their sins and revere the word of the Lord. However, others think little of Hell. For example, you may have heard someone say something like “how could a loving, kind, and merciful God…

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The Fall of Zedekiah

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Fall-of-Zedekiah.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 52:1-11   I.         The fall of Jerusalem and the end of the kingdom of Judah was a sad time period.             A.        Josiah was the last good king of Israel, but the kings that ruled after him did evil in the sight of God.             B.        King Jehoiachin began his reign at the…

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God’s Compassion

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Gods-Compassion.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 58   I.         God has the absolute right to judge             A.        Some get angry that He would dare to judge             B.        But it is the righteous God who gets angry – Psalms 7:10-11             C.        How can mankind who have shown repeated incidences of injustice sit in judgment on God? – Job 34:16-17…

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The Ignorance of the World Around Me

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IgnoranceOfTheWorldAroundMe.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 14:4-13   I.         I started to drive home the other night and the radio happened to be tuned to the show of a commentator whom I really can’t stand. He has a nasally, whiny voice that gets on my nerves, but the irritation is nothing compared to his views.…

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Be Careful Assigning God’s Judgments

by Doy Moyer A hurricane just demolished a town; it must be the judgment of God. Sickness took the life of this person; God must be judging. Some really bad things happened it seemed all at once; surely God is judging. Not so fast. We are not in a position to make such sweeping pronouncements.…

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What is meant by the dividing asunder of soul and spirit?

Question: Can you explain Hebrews 4:12, especially the phrase: “the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow”? Answer: “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and…

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How to Judge

by Matthew W. Bassford If there is any verse in the Bible that our society knows, it’s Matthew 7:1. Even people who have never cracked open a Bible in their lives are able to quote from the King James Version, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” I’m not sure that they know what a ye is,…

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Righteous Judgment

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/RighteousJudgments.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 7:14-24   I.         It seems you can’t listen or read the news with yet another person being accused of inappropriate behavior.             A.        People readily accept the bad news. The assumption that the person is guilty and so he is pressured to leave his job or be fired.             B.        What happened to…

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Coming with the Clouds

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ComingWithTheClouds.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Revelation 1:4-7   I.         It is easy to make mistakes by assuming that a phrase always applies to the same event             A.        Revelation 1:7 – What is meant by “coming with clouds” or “coming with the clouds”? II.        Clouds             A.        God rides clouds – Psalms 68:4                         1.         Psalms 104:3 – Clouds are His chariot…

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How can Jesus not judge those who believe if we are all judged?

Question: Why is it that, even though we are supposed to do God’s will to be saved supposedly, why does Jesus say that those who believe will not be judged, even though you were saying we are all judged? In that case, then it’s like a paradox because everyone is judged even those who are…

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The God of Judges

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GodOfJudges.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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For or Against

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ForOrAgainst.mp3 by Clint Crosier

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Please Judge Me

by Bryan Gibson That’s right, it’s time we flipped the script on the overused and misused slogan of so many — “don’t judge me.” Me personally, I want to know when I’m wrong — in any area of my spiritual life. I do “examine (my) own work” (Galatians 6:2); I do “judge” myself (I Corinthians 11:31), but…

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The Judge of All the Earth

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/JudgeOfAllTheEarth.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 34   I.         Have you ever told another, “It’s not fair!”             A.        What is meant is that you do not think you are being treated in a just or right way.             B.        Justice means “what is right” and just means “a state of being right or acting in right conduct.”             C.        Justice…

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Is it right to pray for God’s judgment on the world?

Question: With all the sin and mockery and God, is it right to wish or pray for God’s judgment on the world? I’m not talking about killing people, I’m just talking about good old-fashioned judgment. Answer: “Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; For the righteous God…

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Righteous Judgment

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Truth is narrow. There is only one truth. We prefer the truth, but often we are attracted by falsehoods. You watch a movie and see the hero do what you know are impossible deeds. You hear the people on screen witness to the impossible deeds as if they were facts. So…

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What is the bema judgment?

Question: I enjoy your website. I have been reading what you have on there about the rapture. It helped me to answer one of my student’s questions. Now he has asked me about the Bema judgment. I never heard of it. I looked it up on the net, but I need to know the truth…

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Will God condemn a new Christian who still has a lot to learn?

Question: Will God condemn a newborn babe in Christ who is striving with every fiber of his being to grow and mature as the Bible commands? This babe in Christ realizes the urgency of studying to rightly divide God’s word, and every time he learns he is guilty of sin, he repents.  But because he…

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Will God judge the husband by the actions of his wife?

Question: I would like to know if God judges us through our spouse. When the day of judgment comes for me, will I be judged by my wife’s actions?  Will my position as head of household be in question for the decisions she made in her life? Please answer as it has been said we…

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