April 6, 2011

The Religion of Peace

The adherents of Islam and their sympathizers spend a lot of effort trying to paint Islam as a “religion of peace.” The well-documented history of terrorist attacks carried out in the name of Allah make it difficult to defend this position. An examination of the Quran does not help either, as it calls for Muslims to “fight and slay the infidel wherever you find them” (Quran 9:5).

The latest black mark against this “religion of peace” comes in the response to Terry Jones burning a copy of the Quran. This man is a relative nobody in a tiny church in Florida. His actions in burning a copy of the Quran are so insignificant that it is an embarrassment that the media actually reported on it. Yet they did and word has spread far and wide about this event. Since then, Muslims on the other side of the globe in Afghanistan have responded by rioting and murdering dozens of people who are connected to Terry Jones only in that they are non-Muslims (infidels).
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March 31, 2011

What Happened After Saul’s Conversion?

Saul escaping Damascus in a basket

We often talk about the conversion of Saul – later known as the apostle Paul – because of the important lessons to be found in it about how one becomes a Christian. But what about what happened after Saul’s conversion? There are important lessons here as well. Let us look at what Saul did following his conversion.
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March 23, 2011

The Faith of Daniel’s Friends

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego

While the Jews were in Babylonian captivity, King Nebuchadnezzar made a huge, golden statue and commanded the people of every nation and language to fall down and worship the image when they would hear the sound of the music. Those who refused would be cast into a furnace of fire (Daniel 3:1-6).

Most of the people complied with the king’s order and worshiped the image at the prescribed times (Daniel 3:7). However, three young men – Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego – did not (Daniel 3:12). These men were among the Jews who had been taken captive and were companions of Daniel (Daniel 1:6-7). They now found themselves before an angry king:
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March 17, 2011

The Plumb Line

Plumb Line

God showed the prophet Amos three visions that warned about the coming judgment against Israel (Amos 7:1-9). After the first two visions, Amos protested, pleading for mercy on behalf of Israel. But after the third vision he did not. What was different about the third vision? Answering this question will provide a valuable lesson for us today.
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March 11, 2011

How Could a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell?

Many people struggle with the above question. We know that God, by His very nature, is love (1 John 4:8), and that hell is a place of eternal torments (Matthew 25:41, 46). How then could God condemn anyone to such a place? This does not fit with the concept many people have of a loving God. Therefore, many start to doubt the existence of hell or even the existence of God.

The Scriptures teach that God will send certain individuals to eternal punishment in hell. Not only that, but His doing so will not be inconsistent with His nature, but instead will be consistent with the way He is described in the Bible.
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March 5, 2011

Your Sin Will Find You Out

Fingers crossed

Shortly before the Israelites were to cross the Jordan to conquer the promised land, the sons of Rueben and Gad came to Moses and requested that they be allowed to take possession of the land east of the Jordan rather than the land across the river where the rest of their brethren were going (Numbers 32:1-5). At first Moses objected, accusing these tribes of abandoning and discouraging their brethren as they were about to go to war with the inhabitants of Canaan (Numbers 32:6-7). But the sons of Rueben and Gad assured Moses that they would first build cities for their families and sheepfolds for their livestock, then they would cross over and fight with their brethren, not returning to their homes until the other tribes took possession of the land (Numbers 32:16-19).

Moses agreed to this proposition. If the men would cross the Jordan with their brethren, fight with them, then after their victory return to their homes, they could have the land east of the Jordan as their inheritance (Numbers 32:20-22). But Moses warned them against failing to carry out what they had promised to do: “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

These men needed to be sure they understood the seriousness of both their words and their actions, and the consequences of their failure. We need to learn these lessons today as well.
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February 28, 2011

Christians In Name Only

Open Bible

If you listen to certain conservative political commentators, you will likely hear the term “RINO” used to describe a particular kind of politician. If you are unfamiliar with the term, it is an acronym that means “Republican In Name Only.” These individuals are often criticized for claiming to be Republicans, while often siding with the Democrats, thus giving the Republican party as a whole a bad name.

I bring up this example because there are too many who are like these RINO Republicans, but in a matter that is far more important than politics. The ones I am referring to are “Christians In Name Only.” These individuals not only jeopardize their own soul, but also have a negative impact upon the cause of Christ.
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