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Was the Death of Stephen Unnecessary? Windell Wiser The title that heads this article may sound strange, but the actions and philosophies of some merit our consideration of such a question. It is true that we live in a country where we enjoy religious freedom. It is not against the law to preach Christ in […]
Is It Right to Criticize Another Person’s Religion? Kevin Kay It’s not only right to criticize false religion, no matter whose religion it is; it’s the faithful Christian’s responsibility. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9). Paul criticized those who tried to bind the shadows of the Mosaic […]
There’s Nothing Wrong with Emphasizing Fear of Eternal Punishment Dylan Stewart For some reason, many believers take issue with Bible teachers emphasizing fear of eternal punishment as motivation for serving God. However, teaching others to obey God due to fear of punishment is the exact reason listed in 2 Corinthians 5:10-11a as to why […]
The Conversion of Cornelius Derek Long In the book of Acts chapter 10, we read of the conversion of Cornelius and his household. Many important truths can be learned by examining the account of his conversion. Let’s examine some of these lessons: 1. Being a good man is not enough to save someone. As we […]
Pilate, the Roman Governor Clarence R. Johnson As Jesus stood before Pilate, the Roman governor, He clearly acknowledged that He was born to be King of the Jews, Matt. 27:11; John 18:36-37. While in the context of Matt. 27:11, we might take note of the insight this passage gives us into the character of Pontus […]
A Recreational Church? Carey Scott Many different denominations seeking to attract numbers and new converts offer recreation as a benefit of joining their church. Entertainment and recreation seem to be a drawing card that is hard to beat. It certainly appeals to the lust of the flesh and mind. And what some of them wear […]
What’s Wrong With ‘Situation Ethics’? Greg Gwin Joseph Fletcher (1905-1991), an Episcopal priest, was the most famous proponent of “situation ethics.” In a book entitled “Situation Ethics: The New Morality,” he formalized a view that is commonly accepted by many individuals. Here are some quotes from Fletcher’s book: “For the situationist there are no rules […]
Some Benefits of Suffering Bob Waldron There is no problem in life more universal, more common, and more unique than that of suffering. It is the common malady of mankind; if we live long enough, we will experience some type or degree of suffering. It is not my purpose in this article to discuss the […]
What’s Wrong With Today’s Youth? Bill Hall All along we hear questions raised as to what has gone wrong with today’s youth. Recently, a brother expressed his concern along this line and then asked, “What advice would you give young parents to help them avoid mistakes that we have made in our generation?” The first […]
What One Tolerates, the Next Accepts Mark White John Wesley once wrote, “What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.” Both sacred and secular history have proven the truth of this assessment time and time again. Everything from dancing to drinking, from abortion to mercy-killing, has gone from toleration to acceptance. In the home […]
How the Church May Use Its Money Andy Sochor “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when […]
Analyzing Arguments in Favor of Instrumental Music Mark Mayberry Christianity is a religion of faith. To walk by faith means that we live in harmony with God’s Word. This has special application to our expression of worship: It must be according to God’s will! Our faith, practice and worship must be grounded in the […]
Do You Feel Saved? Wayne Greeson Are you saved? How do you know you are saved? “I know I am saved because I feel it in my heart,” many often say. But are the feelings of your heart the proper standard to determine your salvation? We do not use this standard in other matters. No […]
A Hairy Problem Roger Shouse A person between the ages of 20—30 has about 615 hair follicles per square centimeter. A person 50 years of age has around 485 hair follicles per square centimeter. Typically, most people have somewhere between 100,000 —150,000 hairs on their head. By the way, the average hair loss for an […]
Can We Just Be Christians? Craig Thomas In a world filled with religious traditions and denominational churches, the concept of being simply Just a Christian is difficult to communicate. Yet a careful reader of the New Testament will realize Jesus did not die so His followers could be divided into sects and parties (John 17:20-23). Jesus died […]
The Black Type in the Red-Letter Edition of the New Testament Gary Smalley Of course it is extremely disturbing to read or hear destructive criticisms toward the Holy Bible as unbelievers state disparaging comments regarding the reliability of the Godbreathed writings (2 Timothy 3:16; cf. 2 Peter 1:16-21; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13). But even among Christians […]
Why No Instruments of Music? Bobby Graham This question often comes from honest people, wondering why some of us do not use such mechanical instruments in the worship of the Lord. It is a fair question that demands a fair answer. All worship of God is limited by whatever divine instructions have been given for […]
The Salvation Army David Weaks I wonder how many people know that the Salvation Army is a church. The only time you see them is at Christmas time when the red kettles and bell ringers show up at entrances to shopping malls. How many times have people tossed money into the kettle, accepted the cheery […]
The Importance of Doctrine Steve Klein This past week, I noticed that the sign in front of the Presbyterian Church in Rogersville said, “Love God. Love others. The rest is doctrine.” The message was plain. Loving God and loving others are essential things, but doctrine is not essential. In other words, it doesn’t matter what […]
The Doctrine Police Dylan Stewart Name calling is often a go-to response for people who are unwilling to listen to opposing viewpoints when discussing the Bible. How long has it been since someone has called you a “legalist” for recognizing the strictness of the New Testament Law (Matthew 5:19; James 2:10)? When is the last […]
“Come Before Winter” Joshua Welch The first day of winter, for the northern hemisphere, occurs on the “winter solstice.” This year, winter solstice occurs on December 21st. Winter is a slower, more restful time for some households. There are no flowers to plant, grass to cut, and leaves to rake. Outdoor sports slow down in […]
So, What’s a Good Sermon? Jefferson David Tant Out of all the thousands of sermons preachers have delivered and to which people have listened, how would we determine which sermons are good, which are bad, or which are so-so? I would suppose that even preachers evaluate themselves from time to time, and on occasion might […]
What Is Happiness? R.J. Evans How many times have you reasoned, “I’d be happy, if only…”? And then the dream usually continues with “if only I had more money,” or “if only I had married someone else,” or “if only I had more friends, a better education, a better job, a bigger house, better health,” […]
Infant Baptism Refused for Incorrect Reasons Dylan Stewart Yesterday morning I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed and noticed a headline written by a local news station that caught my attention. The headline read, Reverend Refuses to Baptize Baby, Says Unwed Parents Are ‘Living in Sin’. To summarize the article, a Methodist preacher in […]
THE VALUE OF GOD’S WORD Richie Thetford Have you ever had something you valued very highly and were afraid that you might lose it? Most of us take great care in protecting what we highly treasure, and try to learn the best way to protect it. Sometimes our efforts to preserve and keep our treasures […]
Troubled Over Growing Old Connie W. Adams The Bible addresses the needs of people in every stage of life. In Titus 2:1-6, Paul gave instruction for “aged men,” “aged women,” “young women,” and “young men. “Each age has its own special challenges and growing older has its share. One wag said, “It is not so […]
TURNING FORGIVENESS AROUND Greg Gwin We hear it frequently in the news these days. It has been a common defense in some high-profile criminal cases. The basic argument is that people can be excused for committing even hideous crimes if they can demonstrate that something awful happened in their past. Unfortunately, this approach has proven […]
God’s Barriers 0n the Road to Hell Jarrod Jacobs Picture a bridge that has just been washed away. When those working on this problem come to the scene, they put up barriers, or barricades to keep people from endangering their lives and the lives of others. Yes, accidents can occur, and yes, people can […]
Where Was God? Frank Richey The news is filled with tragedy and devastation, both natural and man-made. When someone’s life is lost in an accident or illness, often a loving family member will ask, where was God? The implication of this question is that a loving God would not allow this to happen. The question […]
“. . . Except You Repent” Bobby Graham “. . . but unless you repent you will all like-wise perish” (Luke 13:3). The same requirement here stated regarding certain ones is elsewhere applied to all people, for “God commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Because it requires a change of mind and subsequent […]
Do We Honor Our Rulers? Dylan Stewart Social media is rampant with people – even Christians – making daily, sometimes hourly posts criticizing our governmental leaders. It does not matter what side of the political spectrum you may fall on, it is so easy to constantly dwell on the negative that the rulers of our […]
What If It Became a Crime to Assemble? Terry W. Benton In China, it is reported that if you do not renounce your faith in Jesus you will be tortured till you do. If that is so, I wonder how many of us would renounce Christ? In parts of Nigeria, you will be killed for […]
We Are Simply Christians Without Being Members of Any Denomination. You Can Be Too! Dale Smelser We read with interest the reports on every hand of the growing disenchantment with present religious forms, which originated in the middle ages and have become meaningless. We hear of displeasure with denominational structures and their pronouncements which reflect […]
How Do We Conduct Our Worship? Dylan Stewart Congregations often sound and look different one from another. However, one thing that should not vary between congregations is worship. Now, this is not to say that congregations cannot construct, or order, their worship services differently than another group. As long as our actions are approved by […]
Sister Peter Sewell Hall Fifty years ago, it was easier to remember the names of Christians than it is now. Every man’s first name was “Brother” and every woman’s name was “Sister.” Now, most people are known by their given names almost exclusively. We must return, however, to the old custom in designating the wife […]
A Woman’s Contribution to the Local Congregation Carey Scott More often than not, women are the lifeblood of the congregation. Attention is often given to the limitations placed on women in the assemblies of the church because of what is written in I Corinthians 14:34-37 and because of what is written in I Timothy 2:11-12. Such limitations notwithstanding, […]
Needed, Hearers Who Listen Glen Young Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with […]
Dorcas, a Fond Remembrance by Friends Bill Feist She was married to a non-Christian. I met her years after the “battles” were fought over the importance and role of the Lord in her life. She sketched for me one time what some of those battles were, only because she had come to volunteer to talk […]
Self Control Bill Hall What is the value of self-control? Self-control is that which enables us to hold our tongues when we are tempted to viciously put someone in his place once and for all; or when we know a juicy bit of gossip that would be entertaining to the group and would turn us […]
Evacuation Order Jared Hagan Do you ever wonder about the people who won’t leave? It always seems to happen. A natural disaster is occurring and mandatory evacuations are sent out, but some people just won’t leave. They hold out hope that the hurricane won’t be as bad as the experts warn. They think that maybe […]
That’s Just Your Interpretation Mark Larson That’s just your interpretation! How many times has someone said that to you when you attempted to teach him the truth from the Scriptures? Rather than take the message of truth to heart, it is quickly dismissed as merely your opinion and not taken seriously at all. If you […]
Discouragement Fred A. Shewmaker This is written for those who are truly concerned about the growth of the church. Your interest in the welfare of the body of Christ makes it unthinkable that you intentionally would discourage any other member of the church. Possibly every one of you would deny ever having done anything to […]
Choose Your Words Wisely Greg Kiel “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11 Are you aware that there are over 100 such proverbs in this inspired book just related to the need for wisdom in our speech? Why is there such an emphasis? The general consensus is […]
What Kind of Worshipper Are YOU? Don McClain There are several different kinds of worshippers within the body of Christ, or maybe better stated – among those who claim to be members of the church of Christ. – Please seriously consider some of the following examples – The Spasmodic Worshipper – attends worship services whenever […]
The Benefits of Hell Mike Cornwell Have you ever thought of the benefits of going to Hell? Some people have said, “If you look close enough, you will find good in everything.” Will Rogers said, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” If there is some good in everything, then there must be some […]
What Will Your Children Remember? Lowell Blasingame Parental love motivates us to be concerned about our children’s welfare and seek what is best for them. We try to train them to eat properly so they will develop strong healthy bodies. We warn and advise against dangers of which they are not aware of. We make […]
Dangerous Preaching Sewell Hall A man who accepts the task of preaching the gospel accepts a dreadful responsibility. “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Application of these words may not be limited to what we commonly term local preachers, but they apply […]
“This Is My Body” John Hendrix “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” (Matthew 26:26) What of the body of Jesus? What do we think as we take the bread? There is no monument […]
Love the Brethren Carl Witty “Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” (I Pet. 1:22) One of the early Pagan writers observed of Christians: “how these Christians love one another!” The apostle John wrote of […]
Silence of the Preachers Joe R. Price Jeremiah was set in place by God to be His prophet to Jerusalem, Judah, and the nations. With God’s word, Jeremiah was set “to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:4-5, 9-10). When he was severely […]
In Defense of Kindness Greg Chandler It is hard to believe how dirty a presidential campaign can become. One opponent states that the other has “a hideous hermaphroditic character with neither the force and fitness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.” n In response, the contender replies that the other […]
What Happens When We Are Canceled? Greg Chandler If you do not stay up to date on pop-culture slang, you may be unfamiliar with the terms woke and cancel culture. Though definitions vary, the primary meaning of woke involves maintaining social awareness and the primary idea behind cancel culture is to silence anyone whose opinions are not considered woke; thus, they are deemed […]
Buy the Truth and Sell It Not Bob Waldron One of the most important attitudes one can have in striving to go to heaven is that of intense zeal for the truth of God. Too often, people settle on something far less than the truth. Remember, a counterfeit, though it may look relatively genuine, is […]
The Pulpit Roger Shouse “Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hikiah, and Masseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishel, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand.” (Nehemiah 8:4) Ezra stood at a wooden podium. […]
That Preacher Offended Me! Harry Osborne What would you think of a preacher whose sermons offended people and were taken as insulting by the hearers? What if a preacher caused the audience to be filled with anger because of the hard things he said? What if he went so far as to mock false beliefs? […]
WHY I PRAY Warren Berkley I pray because I believe God listens. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). I pray because God has told me that He cares and is able to help. “Casting all your care upon Him, […]
Jesus: Intolerant, Confrontational, and Exclusionary Dan Gatlin The typical denominational view of both Father and Son is that “God is love,” and only love. What is so easily forgotten is His severity (Romans 11:22) and wrath (II Thessalonians 1:3-10). Jesus is depicted as quiet, soft-spoken, harmless, almost a wimp (nothing could be further from the […]
HOW JOSEPH RESISTED TEMPTATION Dan Richardson Temptation is something we all have in common. Scripture admonishes young people to “flee youthful lusts…” (2 Timothy 2:22), but young and old alike need to consider the temptations they face. How we respond to it is extremely important to our welfare and happiness in life, but also eternally […]
Beware of Satan’s Counterfeits! E.R. Hall, Jr. The Devil uses every means available to bewitch and deceive people. He has imitated everything pertaining to God and has been quite effective at passing around the counterfeit as being the real thing. The degree of his effectiveness can be seen in that there are many people who […]
Friendship Carl Witty Jesus was a master at friendship. He did not condescend to His disciples; He called them friends. In John 15:11-15 Jesus spoke to His friends, the twelve disciples, and revealed the basis of their (and our) friendship with Him: “… Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life […]
How the Holy Spirit Converts Mark White Conversion to Christ involves the work of the Holy Spirit. Of this we have much scriptural testimony. In fact, the Holy Spirit is essential to conversion. Hardly anyone would deny this. However, there is much dispute over the way in which the Holy Spirit assists in the conversion […]
Was Jesus a Vegetarian? Did Jesus Eat Meat? Jeffrey W. Hamilton On March 17, 1999, the Omaha World Herald reprinted a hilarious article by Bill Broadway of the Washington Post. It seems the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have launched a campaign to claim that Jesus was a vegetarian. Billboards stating “Jesus […]
You May be Surprised to Learn . . . Doy Moyer Have you ever taken for granted certain things and believed them, just because that is what you have been told? Perhaps you find yourself in that situation now, believing and doing things because that is what you were told. Religious people sometimes believe and […]
The Need for Distinctive Preaching Jim Deason The role of the teacher is to hold back nothing profitable, but to teach the whole purpose of God (Acts 20:20, 27). That is the key to faithfully fulfilling the work of an elder or evangelist, i.e., that we hold back nothing that is profitable to the people. Preaching on the love of […]
Simon the Sorcerer W. Curtis Porter A number of “Simons” are mentioned in the New Testament. There was Simon, whose surname was Peter, also called Cephas, who was one of the twelve apostles of the Lord. In the list of apostles, there is also Simon the Canaanite, or Simon the Zealot, as he is also […]
Differences in Bible Miracles & Modern Miracles Hiram Hutto While Jesus was on earth he made some very startling claims. He claimed to be divine, and the Jews so understood him (Jn. 5:18; 10:33). He claimed to be the Son of God (Jn. 10:35-37). He claimed to be the Messiah (Jn. 4:25-26) and the […]
Seek and Ye Shall Find Barney L. Keith “Many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:1, 2). One should not be blinded to the existence of error but should seek TRUTH. Jesus promised, “The truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:32). Truth is the only antidote for error. This truth is […]
The Burial of Jesus Walton Weaver The Hebrew custom of providing a burial place for the dead is first introduced in Scripture with Abraham’s purchase of a cave in the land of Canaan for the burial of Sarah (Gen. 23:1ff.). Although Joseph was first embalmed and put in a “coffin” in Egypt (Gen. 50:26), because […]
Respecting Our Elders Joe R. Price The Bible says, “Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers…” (1 Tim. 5:1-2). How we treat our elders says something about our values. And, it says something about our regard for God. Our nation is obsessed […]
What Is Our Standard of Authority? Carrol R. Sutton In every phase of human activity, we constantly see the need for recognizing a standard of authority. In time, weights, and measures, we accept certain standards. Otherwise, there would be confusion. Our honesty and sincerity is not sufficient when it comes to determining the time of […]
What a Privilege to Pray Donnie V. Rader When we realize what a privilege prayer is, we like the disciples of old will plead, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). I am afraid that many of us take prayer for granted. We are not as prayerful as we ought to be simply because we […]