July 13, 2023

Pre-Registering for State-Approved Religious Services (07.13.23)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re talking about the Chinese Communist Party testing a new app that requires citizens to pre-register in order to attend a religious service. This would enable them to limit the number of people who can assemble at a given time. Of course, this also fits in with their current practice of limiting the number of state-approved churches that citizens may legally attend. There are a few points I want us to consider about this today.Continue Reading

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July 5, 2023

Act As Free Men

Birds freed from cage

The United States was built upon the foundation of freedom. Every fourth of July, the nation celebrates Independence Day. Freedom was the theme of the Declaration of Independence, the founding document that declared that all men are equal and possess the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those of us who live in the United States have enjoyed the blessing of freedom that many people throughout history could not even imagine.

However, this concept – that freedom is the preferred environment in which mankind should live – was not just the opinion of the nation’s founding fathers. This is rooted in God’s plan for the human race. Notice what Peter wrote:

“Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God” (1 Peter 2:16).

Man in his natural state is free – in speech, thought, action, association, and religion. God has given us free will to choose what we will do in life. This is why Joshua challenged the people of Israel: “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Yet this free will does not mean we are unaccountable. God will judge us for what we have done in this life (cf. Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5:10). In the passage above, Peter explained that our “freedom” was not to be used to do “evil,” but that we were to act “as bondslaves of God.”

From the beginning, Satan has worked diligently to bring man into bondage by taking away the freedom offered by the Lord. Why would he do this? A lack of freedom (being in a state of bondage or tyranny) hinders one from serving God and fully enjoying a relationship with Him.Continue Reading

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May 18, 2023

Freedom and Abortion (05.18.23)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re talking about a group of “pastors” who were protesting lawmakers in North Carolina over legislation that would protect unborn babies from abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. They claimed that Christians should support a woman’s “freedom” to have an abortion. We’re going to discuss this today.Continue Reading

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November 10, 2022

Freedom, Justice, Assistance, Equality (11.10.22)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re talking about voting and why Christians choose how they will vote. I am not going to try to persuade you to vote a certain way – after all, this episode is being released after the election. However, I do believe it is important to consider this question – What should Christians want from their leaders? As with everything else we discuss on this podcast, we are going to try to see what the Bible says and how it applies to the topic under consideration.Continue Reading

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April 15, 2020

Take Courage in the Face of Tribulation

Jesus with His Disciples

“Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:32-33).

On this occasion, Jesus was talking with His apostles shortly before His death. He warned them that they would be scattered, which would happen when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56). However, despite the fact that these men would leave Him, Jesus knew that the Father would not leave Him so that He was “not alone.”

Jesus encouraged them with the fact that He had “overcome the world.” It is important to note that this was said prior to the crucifixion and resurrection. Yet these events were so certain, Jesus could speak of them as though they had already happened. They were still in the future, yet they were facts. He told them this to give them the courage to endure the trials they would face (cf. John 16:2).

The Lord’s disciples continue to face tribulation even today. Paul encouraged the brethren on his first preaching tour “to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:22). We suffer in this life on account of persecution, sin, hardship, sickness, and more. Yet we can “take courage” just as the apostles were told to do.

So how can we “take courage” in the face of tribulation? Jesus made three points in our text – reasons why His disciples can take courage.Continue Reading

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March 20, 2020

Pray for Leaders During the Spread of the Coronavirus

Prayer, Coronavirus

The topic that has everyone’s attention this week is the spread of the Coronavirus that has turned into a global pandemic. I discussed this topic previously on the podcast, focusing on some things that we as Christians need to do during this situation. One of those things is prayer.

In this article, I want to expand on the need for prayer – particularly the need to pray for our leaders (civil authorities) as this crisis moves along.Continue Reading

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July 3, 2019

Obedient to That Form of Teaching

Romans 6:17

Romans 6 is a critical chapter in the New Testament. It discusses the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. It concisely explains why this difference exists and what happened in the life of a Christian to bring about this difference. This chapter can be summarized in the following two verses:

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18).

Paul was writing to Christians in Rome. Previously, they were “slaves of sin.” But at this time, they were “slaves of righteousness.” How did this change occur? They “became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which [they] were committed.”

To better understand what Paul was discussing, let us do a brief overview of this chapter.Continue Reading

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