I got to see sin up close and personal this week. I saw its intention. I saw its form. I saw its effects. It was ugly. You may wonder what particular sin that it is I saw. And while that would be a discussion that has merit and would be productive on another occasion, it […]
In the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Abraham and Lazarus could see across the gulf into Hades. Is that how its going to be when we get to heaven? Are we going to be able to see the pain those in Hell are going through or was this just part of the parable […]
The verse that immediately came to my mind when thinking about Memorial Day was John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” This verse is often quoted on Memorial Day and frequently applied (in most cases, correctly) to the men and women who have […]
Uzziah was a very powerful king of Judah; he reigned fifty-two years, the longest reign of any king in Israel. He was raised under the tutelage of Zechariah the prophet. He conquered the Philistines and the Arabians; the Ammonites brought him gifts. He built towers and dug wells and constructed vineyards. He commanded an elite […]
Where did Jesus’ soul go while he was in the tomb? Where does the soul and spirit go after death? According to Jesus words to the thief on the cross, Jesus said that he would be with Him in “paradise” (Luke 23:43). So this is where Jesus’ soul went after His death. Jesus described this […]
What does Revelation 20:4, 6 mean? These verses indicate the relationship of salvation that these faithful had with Christ. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15). Jesus reigns upon his throne today (Acts 2:30, 31)! Christians are in his kingdom today (Col. 1:13). Spiritually, Christians reign with Christ today (Revelation […]
Who and what is a high priest? The Bible speaks of many different kinds of priests. In Genesis 14:18 we read of the first high priest that the Bible introduces to us. “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” In the context […]
Several weeks ago there was a storm that went through the upper Midwest. The news reported that a tornado passed through a residential area and a baby was swept away. There’s no doubt that was an emotionally tumultuous evening for the family. However, after the storm was over, thankfully, the baby was found alive. There […]
As Christians, we praise God. We do so in spoken word, in song, and in other worship. Do we understand what it means to praise God? Do we know what we are doing when we offer “the sacrifice of praise”? In the Old Testament, there are different Hebrew words for “praise.” These different words indicate […]
What is the sin of usury? Please discuss this. Several weeks ago in our Wednesday evening Bible class, the subject of the sin of usury came up. I have to confess that I was not adequately prepared to discuss the subject in detail that evening and as a result could not answer everyone’s question on […]
SUBJECT: Worship
TITLE: Before the Throne
PROPOSITION: When we come before the throne we see that 1) Beauty is Defined, 2) God is Exalted, 3) Holiness is Honored, 4) Praise is Lifted, 5) Man is Humbled, 6) Authority is Respected, 7) Worship is Consummated.
OBJECTIVE: The listener should be keenly aware of the throne room of God and what happens when we enter that throne room.
Aim: To fix within our hearts the proper attitude that we ought to have when we come before the Father’s throne to worship.
INTRODUCTION:
1. Read: Revelation 4:1-11
The Bible is the greatest book ever written for man and the words of the Bible prove this fact over and over again. It has been said that it is the “owner’s” manual for life. Certainly it was written by the one who knows man best-his Creator. Just as we would look to the owner’s […]
On the outside of an old fruit crate sitting in my office is a label: “Liberty Brand / Grown and Packed by Escondido Lemon Assn. / Escondido – Calif. / Sunkist.” I understand that these fruit crate labels today are collectors’ items, though this one has been damaged to the degree that it wouldn’t be […]
Introduction Was Job a real person? Scholars have debated whether or not he was, but other parts of the Bible teach that he was indeed real. In Ezekiel 14:14, 20, Ezekiel places him alongside of both Noah and Daniel as a man who really existed. James also makes reference to him in James 5:11 where […]
In 1980 a movie called “Altered States” came out in which a University Professor of Abnormal Psychology sought to explore whether “our other states of consciousness are as real as our waking states.” In this movie, the professor conducted bizarre experiments with drugs and isolation chambers in order to explore his hypothesis. The fictional movie […]
It was not too many years ago after graduating from college that I took a job working at the student health center at the University of Texas at Austin. Not too long after my employment there, I learned that there was a program in place that actually encouraged the students of the University to have […]
In a recent telephone conversation, a young man asked me about the 144,000 in heaven that will be saved. He had a few conversations with a friend who identified himself with the Jehovah’s Witness religion. His friend believed that there would be only 144,000 in heaven and the rest of the righteous people would inherit […]
We’re all familiar with the VBS tune, “This little light of mine.” We sing this song so as to let our children know that they need to be good examples and positive influences in the world around them. This song also reminds us to practice what we preach and let our light shine too. In […]
How old must a child be before he becomes responsible for his own sin? Isaiah 7:15, 16 suggest that it is the age at which a child knows the difference between good and evil. The age may differ from child to child depending upon the quality of education that the child receives and the amount […]
SUBJECT: Salvation
TITLE: The Parable of Laborers in the Vineyard
PROPOSITION: In this passage we find 1) A Hiring, 2) A Payment, 3) A Complaint, 4) A Response 5) An Interpretation.
OBJECTIVE: To understand what the expression, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first” means.