Elias Smith: A Pen in One Hand and a Battle Axe in the Other

Elias Smith: A Pen in One Hand and a Battle Axe in the Other

Elias Smith (1769-1846) was one of the early Restoration Movement figures in New England. His independent-thinking led him to question the commonly-held religious doctrines of his day. However, more than merely questioning such things, J. F. Burnett described Smith as having “an intense hatred for everything ecclesiastical” (Biographical Sketches, p. 68) as he observed the […]

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Love Perfected

Love

“No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12). John spent much of his first epistle writing on the topic of love. One of the ideas he discussed was about love being perfected. To be perfected means […]

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Joy in the Assembly

Psalm 122:1

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’” (Psalm 122:1). This is a familiar verse to many of us (and for good reason). In this psalm, David described the attitude that God’s people should have toward worship – particularly the opportunities to assemble for worship. The psalmist […]

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A New and Living Way

Garden path

Throughout the book of Hebrews, a comparison is made between the new covenant and the old covenant. In every way, the new covenant in Christ is far superior to the old covenant. Because the new way is better, we should respond to it in a certain way. Notice what the author of Hebrews wrote: “Therefore, […]

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Growing in Wisdom, Stature, and Favor

Jesus as a Boy in the Temple

The four gospels focus primarily on the public ministry of Jesus leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection – a period of approximately three years. In addition to this, Matthew and Luke include some information about His birth and infancy. Luke also briefly records one event in Jesus’ childhood – the time when He was “lost” in […]

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When We Disagree

Two Men Having an Argument

In our polarized world, disagreements are more pronounced, arguments are more public, and differences seem to be irreconcilable. Though we may immediately think of this in the context of social and political issues, it can also be true in matters of religion. In reality though, there have always been disagreements on matters pertaining to faith. […]

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Book Review: Terms of Service

Terms of Service (cover)

The internet is arguably (and I would say almost definitely) the most significant technological advancement in the history of mankind. Yet as it is still relatively new, we are still learning how to use it. There are many ways we can use the internet for good, but there are also a lot of negatives that […]

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