Is Separation Required?
One item that must first be understood in reference to this question is that God’s law of pardon is equally strong for both the alien sinner and the erring child of God. The blood of Jesus washes away all the sins of the obedient alien (Acts 22:16) and those of the penitent child of God […]
“… That Which Is Perfect …”
A while back I had the opportunity to speak to someone about spiritual gifts. In the course of the conversation, when we discussed the ending of spiritual gifts, he brought up that the reference to “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10 refers to Christ. He made the case that the only one who was “perfect” that […]
“What Do I Call You?”
When you are around people as a preacher, you can tell that they really are not sure how to refer to us. In the New Testament, people who proclaim the gospel was known as a “preacher,” “minister” or “evangelist” (Romans 10:14; Ephesians 3:7; 2 Timothy 4:5) Personally, it does not really matter to me which […]
Are You Weighed Down?
Phyllis Bottome said, “There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties or you alter yourself meeting them.” In the burden of the Corinthians and their forgiveness of the one who had sinned (1 Corinthians 5:1-2), Paul expressed comfort for their doing right in the midst of that burden (2 Corinthians 1:3-10). We […]
Quit Using “Church of Christ”?
The title “church of Christ” is a scriptural name. In 1 Thessalonians 2:14, the Spirit cited “the churches of God.” However, when he wanted to speak of one specific church, he spoke of “the church of God” (1 Corinthians 1:2). Thus, the singular of “churches of God” is “church of God.” In Romans 16:16, the […]
Fields White Unto Harvest
“Say not ye there are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields that they are white already unto harvest” (Jn. 4:35). Jesus spoke these words to His disciples as He watched the crowd of Samaritans coming to Him from the […]
Fulfilled Prophecy: Judah’s Blessing
The time of death was near and Jacob was conscious of its eminence. He called all his sons to his bed that he might bless each of them. Of Judah, his fourth son, he said: “Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise. Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s sons shall […]
“If Thy Brother Shall Trespass …”
John Patrick said, “Pain makes a man think. The thought makes man wise. Wisdom makes life endurable.” God’s wisdom makes life not only endurable but also enjoyable. His wisdom extends even to the unpleasant areas of life. An example of this is found in Matthew 18:15-17: “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go […]
Speaking in Tongues
It will not be long until our Pentecostal friends come to Lufkin for their annual Bible camp. One of the key doctrines that Pentecostals believe is the ability to speak in tongues, which they refer to as “glossolalia” (from Greek glossa meaning “tongue or language” and lalia meaning “to talk”). They claim that these unintelligible […]
Women’s Roles In The Church
Ever since the 1970s, the feminist movement has slowly made inroads into America’s religious groups. One of the “watershed” moments was the appointment of Mary McLeod as the head of Vermont’s Episcopal diocese in 1993. Since that time, many more women have become involved in leadership roles in various denominations. In fact, it is not […]
