January 4, 2017

Diligently Seeking God

Man on a mountain

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The Hebrew writer said that God will reward those who “diligently seek Him” (NKJV). Jesus promised that if we “seek,” we “will find” (Matthew 7:7). Is this a guarantee? Does the Bible teach that if we seek for God we can be assured of finding Him? Yes – provided we are seeking with the right attitude.

Paul told the ones gathered on Mars Hill that we can “seek God” and “find Him” because “He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). But how can He be found by those who are seeking for Him? In this article, we are going to consider how God made it so that He can be found by those who seek for Him.
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December 7, 2016

Jesus Destroyed Satan’s Power Over Death

Jesus Crushing the Serpent Under Foot

The first prophecy in the Bible regarding the coming of Jesus was given after sin was introduced into the world in the Garden of Eden. In His curse to the serpent, God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15).

God was describing an event in which the seed of woman – Jesus – would be injured (His “heel” would be bruised) and Satan would be defeated (his “head” would be bruised or crushed). Remember that Satan came in the form of a serpent. We can imagine what would happen if someone were to kill a snake – one’s foot might be injured in crushing the head of the snake, but the snake would be killed. This prophecy was looking forward to the death of Christ.
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September 14, 2016

The Death of Jesus

Crucifixion of Christ

In the previous article, we considered the life of Jesus. He perfectly fulfilled the Father’s will – even in His death. This article will focus on the death of Jesus and what we should understand about it.
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April 18, 2016

The Importance of Faith (Part 9): Victory

The Importance of Faith (Part 9): Victory

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).

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May 6, 2015

If You Have Been Raised Up with Christ

Sun and clouds

The resurrection of Christ is one of the matters “of first importance” in the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It provides us with hope beyond this life (1 Corinthians 15:17-22). We should always remember and give thanks for this event.

As Christ was raised, we must be “raised up with [Him]” (Colossians 3:1). When Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians, he was writing to those who had been raised with Christ. He explained what this obligated them to do. Let us consider what our responsibility is after being “raised up with Christ.”
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March 11, 2015

Euphemisms for Death

Cemetery

“A good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:1-2).

Why would Solomon say that the day of one’s death is better than one’s birth? It was not because he was a severely depressed man who wanted to end his life. It was simply because he knew that life was vanity here, but we have something better in the hereafter (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:7-8, 13-14).

The Bible uses several expressions (euphemisms) for death. A euphemism is a milder word or phrase used in place of a stronger one. A common euphemism we use for death is to say that someone has passed away. The euphemisms of death used in the Bible teach us some lessons – both of the reality of death and the hope we have after death if we are faithful. We should take these lessons to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:2).
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March 26, 2014

Does Your Church Do Anything Special on Easter Sunday?

The Empty TombWith the approaching Easter holiday, many of the churches of men are making preparations for their Easter services and programs. Such activities are so common that those in the Lord’s church are often asked by their friends and neighbors: Does your church do anything special on Easter Sunday?

Before answering that question, let us remember what Easter is. Easter is a holiday that is celebrated both religiously (to celebrate the resurrection of Christ) and secularly (Easter egg hunts, candy, etc.). Easter is not mentioned in the Bible, aside from a mistranslation of the word Passover in the King James Version (Acts 12:4).*

Does it matter that the religious observance of Easter is absent from the Bible? Absolutely! Notice what Paul wrote to the brethren in Colossae:

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17).

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