In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9; Matthew 13:19-23), our Lord likened the word of God to seed that fell in four kinds of soil representing different kinds of human hearts, and the productivity of the word or the lack thereof (depending on the kind of soil in which it was sown). Jesus taught […]
A querist asks, “Does God forgive people who do not ask? I have never seen where that happened. Should I forgive anyone who doesn’t ask?” The Bible teaches that repentance has always been a prerequisite for forgiveness being granted by God (Psalm 51; Jonah 3:10; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 8:22; Acts 17:30; 2 Timothy […]
In Acts 5:1-4, we read the following narrative: “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why […]
A querist asks, “According to the New Testament, how much should a follower of Christ give to the work of the Lord? Relative to our giving, the following are some New Testament principles and guidelines that we should seriously consider: 1) As followers of Christ, we must first have a desire to give — Note […]
The advocates of eternal security often cite John 3:16 as evidence that all that is required for salvation is faith. This passage, however, is seen as more than a single event when we look at it in the King James Version: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that […]
In Luke 14:12-14, our Lord said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kindsmen, nor thy
Most (if not all) professed Christians of whatever creed or belief agree that there is a time when an alien sinner is separated from God. They are not agreed, however, on where reunion takes place or when the alien sinner returns to God. Some of them teach that it is when the sinner, in answer […]
The construction of the Great Wall of China began in the third century BC. Often called one of the “Seven Wonders of the Medieval World,” it is approximately 1,500 miles long. The Great Wall was built to protect the people against raids by nomadic peoples and invasions by rival states.
A querist asks, “Regarding Genesis 49:10, is Shiloh a prophecy of Jesus coming, and is the phrase about “the sceptre departing” a reference to the Jews no longer being God’s chosen people after they rejected Jesus as Messiah?
In the great parable of the compassionate Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), we see illustrated three basic rules of human conduct. The first two of these rules are based on “selfish” attitudes toward our fellow man. The remaining rule is based on a “selfless” attitude toward our fellow man. Let us illustrate the three rules: Iron Rule […]
The great American baseball player Satchel Paige once said in jest, “Don’t look back “” something may be gaining on you.” In contrast, George Santayana, a Spanish-born
The term “godliness” is found some fifteen times in the New Testament and is the word of true religion. Synonyms
The United States Marine Corps has been using the slogan, “We’re looking for a few good men,” for well over two hundred years now. It began on March 20, 1779, when Captain William Jones advertised for a “few good men” to enlist in the Corps, thinking that would be all that was needed (source – […]
Award winning, Western author and novelist, Stephen Bly (see interview), writes that in the days of America’s Old West, there were two types of friends — “runners” and “standers.” At the first sign of trouble, the runners would bolt, abandoning their so-called “friends” to whatever peril they were facing.
A querist asks, “In Galations, Paul states that those who “have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27 KJV).
1) Compliment at least three people every day. 2) Watch a sunrise at least once a week. 3) Be the first to say, “Hello.” 4) Live beneath your means. 5) Treat everyone like you want to be treated. 6) Never give up on anyone – they can change! 7) Forget the Joneses! 8) Never deprive […]
Even though we’re Christians, we sometimes forget about the greatness of God’s majesty. And like Job, we need to hear anew the details of the wonders of God’s creative power.
During certain breaks in every hour on television programming, we are bombarded by drug advertisements, promoting various drugs for various uses. Before the end of these ads, we usually hear these words: “Ask Your Doctor.”
The word “hermeneutic” refers to the process by which certain logical principles are applied to a document in order to ascertain the author’s original meaning. When applied to the Bible, the process of interpretation is called “biblical” or “sacred” hermeneutics. New Hermeneutic Frequently, one hears of a “New Hermeneutic”. This method of viewing the Bible […]
Almost every religious journal carries an article about church growth. Seminars are conducted about it. Experts on church growth have become as numerous as fleas on a dog. There are many misconceptions about church growth as well as mistakes as to what real growth is. Many err in regard to what it takes for a […]