Posts Tagged ‘protection’
Two Essentials for Assurance
by Mark Nitz via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 One of our greatest needs in serving God is a feeling of confidence regarding our present acceptance by God and future home in heaven. Unfortunately, this assurance is sadly lacking among many of God’s people. Extremes are taken in both directions (“once…
Read MoreThe Voice of Experience
by David Gibson Bible Thought: “O fear the LORD, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no want” (Psalm 34:9 NASB). Among the Bible passages I recall my dad mentioning is David’s statement, “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or…
Read MoreWhy Didn’t He Save?
by Chadwick Brewer Often, we hear people lament the loss of a loved one. They are hurting and mourning the loss of those they hold dear, and they struggle with the question of why Christ would not take away the pain, suffering, and loss – especially when He had done so for others while He…
Read MoreNo One Stands Alone
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/No-One-Stands-Alone.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio
Read MoreThe Non-burning Burning Bush
by Terry Wane Benton Moses’s first question was, “Why doesn’t this bush burn up?” (Exodus 3). He soon heard a voice from the bush and learned that God was in the bush. God told him to take off his shoes because the place he was standing on was holy ground. God revealed at the bush…
Read MoreWhere Was God?
by Chadwick Brewer The Book of Esther stands out as unique among the Old Testament books because it is the only book that does not mention God at all. Compared to other Old Testament stories, God’s absence in the story of Esther can seem rather profound. To this end, we want to ask, “Where was…
Read MoreHis Eye Is on the Sparrow
by Wayne S. Walker Photo by River Fx on Unsplash The Bible teaches us that God is omniscient. His eyes behold everything that occurs in this world. Jesus once said, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head…
Read MoreHow do we protect our children from unsafe relatives?
Question: Hello, My husband and I recently found out we are expecting our first child, and with that comes great responsibility, as we want to raise our children to love the Lord. We have been talking about a couple of individuals on my husband’s side who cause us a great deal of stress (because of…
Read MoreJoseph’s Four Dreams
by Jarrod Jacobs When reading about the birth of Christ, I saw something I had not seen before. Namely, the Bible records Joseph’s four dreams before and after Christ’s birth. Below, we will list the occasions of Joseph’s dreams and then comment on them. (Please read the context of these Bible references on your own.)…
Read MoreAmazing Grace
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Amazing-Grace.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 2:1-10 I. John Newton was born in England in 1725 A. Before he reached the age of seven, his mother died. B. His father remarried and John was sent off to a boarding school C. At the age of 11, John left school to become a sailor on his…
Read MoreThe Church: God’s Protection
The Church: God’s Protection (Part 1)The Church: God’s Protection (Part 2) by Garry Floyd
Read MoreThe Shield
by Terry W. Benton In all the armor of God, there is a piece of protection called “the shield of faith” with which “you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:15). That is a powerful thing to have and use. Another way of saying that is, “nothing Satan tries to…
Read MoreThey Weigh Too Much for Me
by Jefferson David Tant Have you ever heard of Samuel Plimsoll? He was a member of the British Parliament back in the 1860s and 1870s. During this time there were some serious problems in the shipping industry. Numerous ships carrying loads of cargo were sinking in the ocean when they encountered severe storms. Plimsoll took…
Read MoreThe Way
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/The-Way-1.mp3 Text: Isaiah 35 I. At times I will be studying and a verse sticks in my mind. A. In Isaiah 35 is a prophecy. It is obviously talking about the time when Jesus walked on this earth – Isaiah 35:4-6 B. What struck me was the description of a highway – Isaiah 35:8-9 1. Such an interesting…
Read MoreChrist, Our Shepherd
Text: John 10 We live in a fearful time. Most other people in most other times would think it strange that Americans today are as afraid as they are. After all, we live in the heart of the territory controlled by the greatest military power of all time. There has not been a war here…
Read MoreMetaphors for God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Metaphors-for-God.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 18:1-19 I. Figures of speech have long been used in communicating ideas. A. Prior to the modern usage of font styles, the content of the text itself called the reader’s attention to what was important. B. Figures of speech grabs your attention because they depart from the usual rules of…
Read MoreIn the Midst of Evil
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/In-The-Midst-Of-Evil.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:3-9 I. Abraham was told that his descendants would be strangers and slaves in a land before being brought back out 400 years later – Genesis 15:13 A. That nation, Egypt, was one of the more wicked places on earth, totally given over to idolatry 1. It became one…
Read MoreNever Alone
by Barbara Foster In 1993 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Over the course of a year, I became increasingly disabled. Through it all, I was never alone. When I was temporarily blind, Christ led me through the darkness. When I was unable to walk, God took away the fear. When my world was turned…
Read MoreI Have Put My Trust in God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/I-Have-Put-My-Trust-in-God.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 56 I. It is far too easy to read the stories in the Bible and not think about the feelings of the people involved. A. Joshua was chosen to follow Moses as leader of Israel, but he must have been very nervous – Joshua 1:2,9 B. We think of the boldness…
Read MoreDoes Isaiah 54:17 apply to us today?
Question: Does Isaiah 54:17 apply to us today? I hear people use it a lot. Thanks. Answer: “‘In righteousness you will be established; you will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; and from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.…
Read MoreHold to God’s Unchanging Hand
by Jefferson David Tant In many of our songbooks, there is a song by the title of this article, and the words were written by Jennie Wilson. The song’s first stanza says, Time is filled with swift transition Naught of earth unmoved can stand Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.…
Read MoreDoes wearing a mask mean you don’t trust God?
Question: I am in a battle with some of my family members regarding following the CDC guidelines concerning COVID 19 (they are reckless). With the numbers going up where I live, I have chosen to follow the guidelines regarding wearing a mask in public and social distancing, and not socializing between households. My family members…
Read MoreIn the Almighty’s Shadow
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/In-the-Almightys-Shadow.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 91 I. Where do you go when things get difficult? A. It isn’t that a Christian’s life is free from troubles 1. Jesus warned of persecution – Matthew 5:10-12 2. There will be division in families – Matthew 10:34-36 3. There will be trials to bear up under – James 1:2-4 II. Safety…
Read MoreGod, Our Stronghold
by Matthew W. Bassford Never in my lifetime have I seen an event have as significant effect on daily life as the coronavirus epidemic. I remember the fall of the Berlin Wall and 9-11, but in both cases, it was business as usual almost everywhere. Not so with the coronavirus! Indeed, it even has affected…
Read MoreChildren of Light in the Armor of God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2019Fall6Children-of-Light-in-the-Armor-of-God.mp3 by Andy Cantrell Finding Our Purpose from the Past
Read MoreDo we experience God in a present way or only in the past tense?
Question: Good day, Is the church not to experience God in a “present way,” or does it only need to be in a past tense manner through the Bible? Thanks. Answer: I had difficulty with your question because it was worded vaguely. The meaning changes depending on how you define the terms. God is ever…
Read MoreDoesn’t Psalms 91 promise protection from harm?
Question: Hi, Thank you for this opportunity to send in questions. I read through another question on your site, one about why God allows suffering, innocent children to die, etc. Your response was enlightening. Thank you. I would like to find out if you know why God actually allows the suffering (let’s say a child being…
Read MoreGod’s Care
by Dennis Stackhouse How often have we wondered if God really cares for us, even those of us who are Christians? We may be in situations where we think that God has forgotten us, or even worse, that He has abandoned us. Countless Christians, through the years, have wondered this very thing. That being the…
Read MoreState Court Recognizes Unborn Children as People
Source: John-Henry Westen, “Alabama Supreme Court: ‘unborn children are persons with rights that should be protected by law’,” Life Site News, 11 January 2013. “The ruling states, “The decision of this Court today is in keeping with the widespread legal recognition that unborn children are persons with rights that should be protected by law.” “Today,” the…
Read MoreYour sermon was a blessing to me and my church
Question: Thank you so much for the sermon “The Lord is My Help and My Deliverer” on your church’s website. I am so blessed spiritually when I read this teaching. When I shared this teaching in our church many people were blessed and touched by this teaching. I really feel the presence of God when…
Read MoreThe Lord is My Help and My Deliverer
Text: Psalm 40 I. Evil exists in this world, and God is concerned about our welfare – Psalm 121 A. With God on our side we have no fear of man – Hebrews 13:5-6 B. Yet many wonder why troubles beset us when the Almighty has promised us protection. II. We often don’t recognize God’s protection A. Perhaps a…
Read MoreWhy doesn’t God prevent innocent children from being harmed?
Question: A man was baby sitting the seventeen month old son of his girlfriend when he struck and killed the infant for acting like a girl. The man is charged with first-degree manslaughter after he allegedly hit the boy “several times throughout his body with closed fists.” Apparently, he then grabbed the infant by the…
Read MoreThe Armor of God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ArmorOfGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 6:10-18 Rome was the mighty governing power in the days the New Testament was written. Its strength was in its military, which constantly was on guard Josephus, a Jewish historian, observed that Roman soldiers always carried their weapons with them, even in times of peace. “Every soldier is…
Read MoreNotes on Protection
God’s Protection for His People Exodus 22:22-24 – Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. Deuteronomy…
Read MoreHow did David and Jonathan show their love for each other?
Question: How did David and Jonathan show their concern (love) for one another? Can we act like them too? Answer: “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (I Samuel 18:1). They made a covenant with each other “Then Jonathan and David made a…
Read MoreWhere was God’s protection for those caught in the September 11th tragedy?
Question: I recently read a piece lauding the blessings of the people who were supposed to be at the World Trade Center the morning of September 11, 2002, but in small ways, they were detained by the mishaps of life, faulty alarms, children dallying, traffic, etc. These people were saying how good and protective God…
Read MoreHezekiah’s Comforting Words
by Lewis Willis via Truth Magazine Vol. XLIV: 6 p. 14, March 16, 2000 Bible students are aware of that time when the nation of Israel divided into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Samaria was the capital of Israel, and Jerusalem was the capital of Judah. Israel was very wicked, living defiantly against God. The Assyrian…
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