Posts from 2024 (Page 2)

Right Kind of Friend Have you ever wondered if you are the right type of friend? A friend supports more thoroughly than a blood relative (Proverbs 17:17, NKJV). Godly friendship imbrues a heart suited for the will of God (James 2:23). People of like minds often find one another during times of duress and habitually find themselves forsaking what others would or could not (1 Samuel 18:1). We are commanded to love and be friends above reproach (Proverbs 18:24). Most…

Battle Fatigue Have you ever been weary? Have you ever been exhausted to the point where you had difficulty choosing to move forward, staying where you were, or just simply falling backward? Many people have answered the call of Christ, and I do believe many have chosen this purposeful path. I also believe struggles naturally occur in this decision. Thayer defines weary as “to reduce or exhaust the physical strength of the body; to tire; to fatigue; as, to weary…

Please Pray for Me Prayer has always been a tantamount facet in the lives of those who believe in and serve God. Scripture elucidates this avenue of communication of human beings with their Creator. For example, almost everyone identifies with the mournful utterances of Hannah (1 Samuel 1:10, NKJV). Her womb was “shut up”. She endures the ridicule of her peers. Because of her misery, Hannah is described as one who “wept and did not eat” (1 Samuel 1:7b). Her…

There is often a rare question of curiosity that arises to “kill the cat”. One such query is, “Did the chicken come before the egg or vice versa?” To say the least this simplistic novelty makes for engaging coffee table talk, but no one has ever taken it too seriously to my knowledge. A more difficult question comes in the structure of “Why choose Barrabas over Jesus?” Now this issue demands more intellect and honesty. The Bible states Jesus would…

After Pentecost The Day of Pentecost must have been an amazing experience! God’s prophetic will to save mankind from himself had come full circle and fruition (Genesis 3:15, 28:14, 2 Samuel 7:12-13, Isaiah 2:2-4, Daniel 2:44-45, Zechariah 6:12-13, Matthew 16:16-19, Mark 9:1, Luke 1:32, John 20:29-31, Acts 2:14-39, NKJV). Those who believed and were obedient to this Gospel message were saved. God then added them to the Church (Acts 2:47). This was the culmination of his saving plan from the…

Our Brother James once stated, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell” (James 3:6, NKJV). This is profoundly true, especially considering today’s easily accessible “information highway”. On the one hand, one would be amazed by the countless measures in manners of information that can be distributed and…

A child’s learning should begin while young. At this juncture in life, our reception of new material is astounding. Additionally, what is learned first is often learned best. It is often referred to as the “law of primacy”. Assuming these things are correct, what should we strive to place in our children’s mental and spiritual repositories? A few things to consider. Firstly, it must be Biblical. Far too many Christians desire to follow the Far Eastern influence of mysticism and…

Bro N. B. Hardeman once quoted, “God located the life of a fish and put that location in water; and if a fish ever enjoys that kind of life, it must get into that realm where God saw fit to designate and locate it” (1921). His famous Tabernacle Sermons reference the divine plan of salvation that the Great God of Heaven oriented from the beginning of time (Ephesians 3:11, NKJV). Thus, he advances the idea that God holds all authority…

Numerous conversations center around the Body of Christ losing their children to the world. Some researchers have cited the Church of Christ as one of the most significant and fastest-growing religious groups during the 1950s – 1970s. Additionally, historians mark a sharp decline in this same group immediately following this period. One recent study by Dr. Flavil Yeakley (2008) stated that over 61% of the children reared in religious congregations would willingly step away from their faith upon leaving childhood…

Reading through the New Testament, one will notice two distinctive reactions to the “good news” of Jesus Christ. For example, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter proclaimed, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36, NKJV). The text puts forth about three thousand souls obeyed the Gospel unto the saving of their souls (Acts 2:41). But what about the rest? Although implied, many others…

Ralph Waldo Emerson is given credit for stating, “If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon or make a better mouse trap than his neighbors, though he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door” (common lecture, 1871). Many have taken this statement and have built a vast semblance in pursuit of truth. For example, some state truth cannot be known. This implies several contested facts. One, is…

It is a challenging conversation on the right course of action regarding Church Safety. It is not complicated, as in, “we need to do something,” but rather, “what do we do?” and “who is going to do it?” One camp will state the irrationality of having to have this discourse, and I agree, but we are not far removed from times when people did what was right in their own eyes. (Judges 21:25) Obviously, violence among the innocent is not…