Posts from 2025

We have seen and heard an extended discussion about the topic of discipleship. So much of it has been foreign to what the Lord had in mind. In some cases, men have required more than the Lord required, and in other cases, less has been required. If one will take a look at what Jesus had to say about the matter in Luke 14:25-33, he will see what the Lord had in mind when He talked about discipleship. IT WILL…

There was a time when America led the world in scholarship. But, now we do not rank in the top ten and, in some lists, struggle to be in the top twenty. What is the cause of this? What has changed? Years ago, we emphasized the three R’s of learning—readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmetic, but these fundamental skills no longer seem to be the focus of education. As far as our relationship with God, we have lost sight of three other…

The return from Babylonian captivity is truly one of the least known parts of the history of Israel but marks one of the most remarkable periods in the lives of God’s chosen people. When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, left the city of Jerusalem, he left nothing but ruins behind. The walls were gone and no longer was there a temple, a priesthood, an altar, an ark of the covenant, two tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments inscribed on them—there…

You have heard this statement at some time in your life. It could mean that such a person would bear a stigma of reproach for the rest of his life. It could mean he had done something or said something that he would never be able to escape. There was a man in the New Testament who was also a marked man. You know him as Paul and he will tell you that he bore in his body “the marks…

One should hasten to emphasize the necessity of sincerity. Surely one must be sincere in religious matters (Matt. 22:37; Eph. 6:24; 1 Peter 2:2; II Cor. 8:8; Phil. 1:17; 1 Peter 1:22). Proper motivation is of utmost importance. There are numerous examples where people have shown deep sincerity in religious matters. The woman who feeds her child to crocodiles pays a tremendous price. Would you for a moment doubt her fervent sincerity? I surely would not. You would try to…

When Jesus prayed that all who believed in Him would have the same unity that He had with the Father (John 17:20-21), He revealed that having many denominations would create unbelievers! A simple computer search will show that in America there are between at least 20,000 different denominations. It shows just how little unity exists in “Christendom” today. There is no way this situation is like the unity of Jesus and His Father. One of the reasons such division is…

What a great study it is of those “golden ingredients” that will make a great church. This study will be based on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. This book has a great deal to say about the church; in fact, the church is at the very heart and core of the epistle. There is no doubt that Paul wanted the church at Ephesus to be a great one. He would encourage them to be such a church. He would not…

REDEMPTION is both a series of God’s saving acts on man’s behalf and a profound Biblical doctrine. Christ’s death signaled divine redemption’s greatest moment of agonizing deliverance (Titus 2:14). Christ’s return promises redemption’s most powerful consummation (Ephesians 1:13-14). For Old Testament Israel God’s redemption spelled freedom from the human bondage of Egypt; from a false identity as slaves; and from a warped purpose and destiny (Exodus 6:6- 7; 15:13; 2 Samuel 7:23-24). To be redeemed meant that the Israelites would…

As wonderful as it is to be able to celebrate our freedom as a nation, it is a far, far greater thing to be able to celebrate our freedom in Christ. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Perhaps many of us as Americans are sometimes guilty of taking our freedom for granted. But each year on the Fourth of July we remember how precious freedom is, and that our freedom came with…

Americans are confusing faith with convenience. Many have already turned their backs on religion because it makes them uncomfortable, and those that remain are doing everything they can to make believing as effortless as possible. We hear about plush pews, innovative worship services, and drive-thru communion services. Church is no longer looking like, well, church. The growing sentiment is illustrated by a line that appeared in the Washington Post regarding its search for a new religion editor: “The ideal candidate…

People shape the image of Jesus into what they think is acceptable. If people would read the Bible, they might think Jesus was a very intolerant person—not the all-accepting pacifist they make Him out to be. Jesus was intolerant of any extra-biblical description of Himself. He is the Messiah (John 4:25-26). He is the Son of God (John 5:17-18). He is the bread of life (John 6:35). He is the light of the world (John 8:12). He is the door…

There are many wonderful things to know about Jesus, and oh, how we ought to wish that the whole world would know them! He was born of a virgin in the city of Bethlehem. He had Divine power on this earth and taught many magnificent things. He lived a sinless life but was still murdered by crucifixion. He was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven to reign on high. It is easy to “know” facts about Jesus, but…