Many sincerely religious folks have a very narrow view about baptism and this includes, sad to say, many that claim to be members of the Lord’s church. To many people, baptism is seen only as an initiation into the church. Some think baptism is a sacrament. Others say it is not necessary for salvation. Still […]
Have you ever thought how amazing it is that the Earth seems to be perfectly situated as a habitat for man? Man needs water to survive, and the Earth has a hydrology system that cleans and purifies water on a regular and consistent basis. Man also needs food, and in every part of the Earth […]
We live in a society that seeks to “interpret” everything. When the President or some other important official makes a statement, news commentators are quick to point out what was said and what wasn’t said. Did he mean this or did he mean that? The analysis is endless. Many take words that were said, rip […]
Sometimes trials seem to come one right after another. You wake up in the morning and your car won’t start. This unfortunate event makes you late for work, your boss chews you out, and your whole day is ruined. You later find out that your car won’t be repaired for another week and the bill […]
Recently in a ladies Bible class we were discussing things considered holy today. Our study was centered upon the Valley of Achor where Achan took of the devoted thing and desecrated it (Joshua 7). One of the discussion questions at the end of our study was as follows: “How is it possible for us to […]
In the Bible, God often expresses a truth in its usual sense (literal). He frequently, however, uses a symbol, a story, or other more figurative language. For example, it is literally true that God cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). And yet, how this truth is beautifully expressed with so much more impact in Psalms […]
Last week we discussed the work of the church that deals with reaching out to those who have never been saved. This is the work of evangelism. However, the church has an equal responsibility to minister to the saved. There are those among the saved who may be tempted to leave the church and return […]
Suppose that you were dying in the desert and you came upon a tent. Inside the tent were two people. One of those people appeared friendly, warm, and inviting. The other person appeared ugly, cold and repulsive. In front of both people were large baskets and inside one of those baskets was life giving water, […]
I have maintained for years that all gospel preachers are, necessarily, apologists as well. Since I taught apologetics for several years to aspiring preachers, and since I have been trained in that particular discipline myself, I thought that it might be useful to start a thread on the subject of apologetics itself. Just what is […]
When people first become Christians, they usually are very excited about being saved. They want to go out and teach the whole world. They are burning with zeal. They love the Lord and want to share Him with everyone (cf. Acts 9:17-22). A true disciple has given himself to the Lord, to be taught and […]
I suppose if there were ever an oxymoron to be considered, the title of this article would be within the top ten. It would be there along with apathetic concern, charitable covetousness, and slothful industriousness. We generally use oxymorons when, in our language, we fail to find the appropriate description for something in terms of […]
The plea of churches of Christ today is to restore New Testament Christianity into the lives of as many as will receive the gospel message. It is not sufficient to merely preach the gospel, without expecting those who claim to believe it to restore to their lives the truth that is contained within that gospel. […]
Previously we have seen the power of God as it relates to punishment, but in our passage we begin a theme that will echo throughout the pages of Holy Writ. Israel would have many occasions to be thankful that God restores. God destroyed the corrupt families, religions, governments and men of the pre-flood earth. Now […]
Examples of Commitment in the Bible – Bible study showing the things that the apostle Paul did to show himself to be an example of commitment. The apostle Paul showed himself to be one of the greatest examples of commitment in the scriptures in maintaining the “pattern” of the gospel given to him by inspiration […]
In Genesis 9:15-16, we read of God’s Rainbow Covenant, God’s covenant with Noah and his sons, “And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; […]
In Jonah 3:10, we see that God did not destroy Nineveh because of the obvious repentance of its people, i.e., “they turned from their evil way….” Their repentance is further indicated in Jonah 3:5 where the record states, “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the […]
In the book of Proverbs, the characteristics of a lazy man are thoroughly described. In this short article, let us look at ten of them, make relative comments, and then make a personal spiritual application: 1) He was so lazy that he did not want to get up out of bed (Proverbs 6:9-11) — In fact, […]
Have you ever wondered why there are four gospel accounts instead of just one? In this brief article, let us investigate the makeup of each gospel account, determining why each account is necessary. Matthew’s Account – Being a Galilean Jew (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:13-14; Luke 5:27,29), Matthew wrote primarily to Jews. He quotes many Old […]
The word “doctrine” simply means “teaching”, either of an individual or a group. But from what source? For example, Jesus warned His disciples about the “doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:12). Their “doctrine” or teaching originated from an uninspired source. The people were astonished at the “teaching” or “doctrine” of Christ, because it […]
If there was ever a character that displayed a right attitude or “different spirit” toward God and His Word, it would have to be Caleb. For a few moments of time, let’s look at the story of Caleb and use him as an example of fortitude and courage (Romans 15:4). Caleb, a Bible Example of […]