November 6, 2009

A Call for Praise to the Lord

Psalm 100 is a call for all men to praise the Lord. It also reminds us of the reasons we are to praise Him and what our attitude should be in our praise.

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

“Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.

“Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

“For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.”

There are four points in this psalm that relate to our praise to God.
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April 1, 2009

What Must One Believe to Be Saved?

Standing by a Mountain Lake

“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

Brethren have debated the meaning of this verse with those in denominations for years. The disagreement is over baptism. Brethren teach that Jesus’ words indicate that one must be baptized (in addition to believing) to be saved. Those in denominations teach that since baptism is not mentioned in the second clause, then one must only believe to be saved.

It is clear that belief is essential for salvation. If one does not believe, he will be condemned. But what exactly is it that one must believe to be saved? I would suggest that once we find the answer to this in the Bible, it will also settle the debate on baptism. So what does the Bible teach that one must believe to be saved?
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March 15, 2009

Start with the Right Foundation

Stone Wall

The Unitarian Universalist church is an interesting denomination. While it does share roots, historically, with Protestant churches, it is not really a “Christian” denomination. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that “Christianity” is only a part of its identity. This group welcomes and accepts various forms of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and even atheism. They simply ignore the things that most obviously divide these groups and focus on personal “spiritual” growth.

There is one of these churches that I pass on my way to and from work everyday. On their sign by the road, they have a message board they change once a week or so. They use this to provide concise messages to the public, reflecting their liberal religious (and even political) views. These messages sometimes say things that other churches/Christians do or believe, but will not admit. The most recent message is an example of this:
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March 7, 2009

“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

Was Jesus actually forsaken on the cross? Did the Father turn His back on the Son? Maybe believe the answer to these questions is “yes” based on their interpretation of Matthew 27:46. When we look at the context, however, we see that Jesus was not separated from the Father while on the cross.

Tim Haile has pointed out several problems with the idea that Jesus was actually forsaken on the cross in a recent article posted on the website of the Parkway church of Christ. I encourage you to click on the link below and read that article.

“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?” (by Tim Haile)

Some time ago, I also wrote an article with the same title. If you are interested you may refer to that article as well – “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

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February 26, 2009

Unity of the Spirit

Ephesians 4:4-6

Paul instructed the church in Ephesus to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). He then went on to explain the reason for unity and the basis of it.

Our unity must be based upon the following:
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February 16, 2009

The Lord of Sabaoth

Bible study

There are several different names and titles used for God in the Bible. One interesting one is “Lord of Sabaoth” and is used twice in the New Testament (Romans 9:29; James 5:4). What exactly does this name mean?
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February 1, 2009

The Proof of God in Man

Man and Northern Lights

[This article was written by Tim Haile.]

If the Bible is what it claims to be, then God does exist. Conversely, if God does exist, then it is reasonable to believe that He would reveal Himself to His creatures, and particularly to a sentient creature like man. It is important to remember that, if the Bible is true, all unbelievers will experience the kind of pain that one would experience if he were to be cast into a lake of burning sulfur (Rev. 21:8). The difference is that the lake of judgment will inflict pain and torment to the soul, not the body (Matthew 10:28), and that the punishment will be experienced for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10; 14:11). Such a prospect behooves us to consider these matters soberly and fully.
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