Articles
The word “repentance” is not commonly used in our everyday vocabulary. You don’t hear anyone telling their neighbor that they’ve repented from playing loud music into the night. You don’t hear politicians say they’ve repented from making a particular statement, or taking an unpopular position. Repentance is a “church word”Repentance is a “church word”, and [...]
Continue reading about All Should Come to Repentance (Parts One and Two)
By Clint De France In our last article we observed some of the names that men have given to the church and saw many of the most popular fall into condemnation when examined with the scripture. Continuing from our final point we want to look at a few more in search of the one that [...]
Continue reading about There Is Something in A Name (Part 3)
By Clint De France In our last article we noticed the importance the Divine has placed on names throughout the history of His interaction with humanity. Continuing we want to look at some of the names that are commonly applied to the church in search of the one that is given from heaven. (Eph. 3:14-15) [...]
Continue reading about There is Something in a Name (Part 2)
By Clint De France In most areas of life, the world certainly understands the power of a name. There are some names you could give to a business that would ensure it to be doomed to failure from the start. It wouldn’t matter the quality of the product or the service, because in business there [...]
The Weightier Matters of the Law By Brandon Stephens Matthew 23 shows a side of Jesus that many people refuse to recognize. When it came to exposing error, our Lord did not beat around the bush, nor did he take the politically correct route. If a preacher today were to fight false doctrine the [...]
A Familiar Battle There is a battle raging in the Reformed Churches of America today. It is a battle over interpreting the Bible and understanding the authority of God in our lives. This will of course sound familiar to those of us in the churches of Christ; it is a matter which we have been [...]
Continue reading about Eating and Drinking to the Glory of God
A&E airs Intervention. It’s an Emmy Award winning series. The show’s website describes it like this… Intervention™ is a powerful and gripping television series in which people confront their darkest demons and seek a route to redemption. The Intervention Television series profiles people whose dependencies on drugs and alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought [...]
There is much talk today about the grace of God that is altogether different from any language found in the New Testament. We hear about grace “coming down and overwhelming” and people who are “covered with grace.” This language is really not new at all and finds its roots in the Augustinian concept of grace [...]
The first time we see the command for a collection is found in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up [...]
(by Rick Martin) [display_podcast]
Continue reading about Teaching the next Generation–Rick Martin
In our modern society gambling has many forms: the lottery, horse racing, bingo, casinos, and even raffles—we’ve got it all! When it comes to determining the morality of gambling, we have more defenses that confuse the issue, rather than convictions which clarify it. The dictionary defines gambling as 1) to play a game for money [...]
This question has resonated through centuries of Christian history. No one can deny the great significance and importance of the holiday to many people. Every year a seasonal barrage of movies, shows, and commercials heightens the holiday excitement. Cultural traditions such as ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, and ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ are [...]
From the earliest days of the Christian faith there has been trouble, consternation and division over the distinction between the covenants. What parts of the Law of Moses are applicable to Christians today? When did the Law of Moses end and the New Covenant begin? What about that period of time recorded in the Gospels [...]
Continue reading about A time of change: the kingdom Was at hand
There was a time in the history of the church when pornography was not too much of a problem to have to deal with. Sure, it existed, but the access was very limited. At one time, you would have to go to a convenience store or an adult bookstore in order to find a pornographic [...]
The clarity of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 14:34-36 has convinced many people that women must not speak in the church (assembly), but some of these same people are not convinced that women are forbidden to speak publicly. What about it? May women teach in a public capacity, so long as it is not a [...]
Calvinism says: Because of being born in sin, all of us are spiritually dead, so dead we are unable to even have faith (Total Depravity). Therefore, in order for us to be saved, God alone had to save us. We know that everyone doesn’t “get saved,” so, God had to choose those to whom He [...]
Continue reading about The Five Points of Calvinism: Conclusion
P – Perseverance of the Saints: Defined: The Westminster Confession of Faith (1648): Chapter XVII, I. They, whom God has accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved [...]
Continue reading about The Five Points of Calvinism: P – Perseverance of the Saints
I – Irresistible Grace: Defined: Although the general outward call of the gospel can be, and often is, rejected, the special inward call of the Spirit never fails to result in the conversion of those to whom it is made. This special call is not made to all sinners but is issued to the elect [...]
Continue reading about The Five Points of Calvinism: I – Irresistible Grace
L – Limited Atonement: Defined: Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ’s redemption secured everything necessary for [...]
Continue reading about The Five Points of Calvinism: L – Limited Atonement
U – Unconditional election: Defined: The Westminster Confession of Faith (1648): Chapter III, I. God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass…III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated [...]
Continue reading about The Five Points of Calvinism: U- Unconditional Election
T – Total depravity: Defined: Westminster Confession of Faith (creed of the Presbyterian Church U.S.) states in regard to the sin of Adam and Eve: Chapter VI…II. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and so became dead in sin and wholly defiled in all the parts and faculties [...]
Continue reading about The Five Points of Calvinism: T – Total Depravity
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the [...]
If a Brother Sins against You As is clear from this statement, a person can sin against another individual. Sin need not only be that which one commits against God. Here the term “brother” refers to any believer, male or female, who has committed some trespass against a fellow believer. Whether this sin is intentional, [...]
A common trend in modern evangelical thought is that a Christian must forgive unequivocally and regardless of the circumstances. If someone offends or hurts you it becomes your obligation to forgive the perpetrator even though he or she demonstrates no remorse and refuses to correct the transgression. In other words the “stronger” brother must forgive [...]
Continue reading about When Forgivness Is Not An Option – Part 1
In regard to the use of the term I have no hesitation in saying that, as a people, we have fallen into error. This I well know has not been intentionally done. Still it has been done; and the circumstance should make us feel how extremely necessary it is that, while detecting small motes in [...]
From the outset of the great work in which we as a people are engaged, purity of speech has been an object never lost sight of. We looked at first and still look upon the mixed and unsanctified dialect current in religious circles, not only as a reflection upon the word of God, but as [...]
The fox spoils the hen house and the wolf threatens the sheepfold, but what happens when the unbeliever marries into the Christian home? Does it imperil the home? Does it weaken the church? Does God approve? Satan attacks the bride of Christ from the outside (Acts 20:27), but who doubts that the devil revels most [...]
I admire many things about our Baptist friends and neighbors. I appreciate their zeal, their respect for the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and their defense of religious freedom, among other things. Some of their acknowledgements have given me hope that they may one day seek to be true to New Testament teachingthey [...]
Continue reading about Honest Admissions From Our Baptist Friends
There are a lot of folks today talking about Pharisaic behavior. It is interesting to see what is most commonly labeled with this title. Typically it is used to refer to a perceived over ambition to follow the “letter of the law.” Legalism, if you will. There is no doubt that the Pharisee’s view of [...]
Consider the winsome figure of Abigail who fleetingly flashes on the pages of the Bible as a peacemaker and mediator to the beloved David. The scripture affords her glowing words of praise as a “woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance” (1 Samuel 25:3) who was pleasant and humble despite being married to a nasty [...]
The Apostle Paul gives the Philippians some practical and amazing admonition: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7, NKJV) Back in [...]
Continue reading about Sound Theology has a Way (what about global warming?)
Concerning the resurrection, the Bible states, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”—1 Corinthians 15:20. The term ‘firstfruits’ is first mentioned in Exodus 23:16 when God demands the first ripened fruits as an offering. This offering was to represent the bounty that God [...]