We are all acquainted with an old adage which says, "An idle mind is
the devil's workshop." It is possible for one to misuse his mind and it is
possible for one to allow his mind to become disused. God condemns
both. We frown exceedingly upon the person who misuses his mind by
allowing it to be filled with lust, avarice, and hate, but we have failed to
understand that disuse or idleness of the mind concerning the things of
the Lord will bring "spiritual decay." I am told the following story
which very graphically shows "disuse will result in…
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Once, when I preached a sermon on morals, a mature man in the congregation asked to speak. For perhaps two or three minutes he exhorted the people, giving complete endorsement to what I had preached. I believe his endorsement may have impressed the people more than my sermon had. It would be a good thing, everywhere, if elders and/or other mature, devout men would publicly concur in teaching of truth on moral matters. The more worldly ones would then come to realize that morality is a matter for all, not just for preachers. We need more morals in the pew…
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- I Go to Every Service of The Church — Because I Am Made Stronger. Power is given in worship to live a nobler life (Acts 20:32). There is the sweetest fellowship on earth. Why should I want to miss ANY service?
- I Go to Every Service of The Church — Because God Wants The Church To Grow (cf. Acts 2:47; 4:4). The church always grows when members put God first by loyal attendance. Here is a way all can help in the finest work on earth.
- I Go to Every Service of The Church — To Set…
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A recent report revealed that "thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married?" For years we've preached against and bemoaned the high rate of divorce in this country. But divorce doesn't just happen. There are any number of attitudes and actions that lead up to it. Wrong attitudes toward God, toward spouses, and toward the institution of marriage itself lead to foolish and harmful actions that destroy homes and condemn souls.
God created the institution of marriage. It is He who joins man and woman together in the bonds of matrimony, and He…
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Some discussions just seem odd to me. One such oddity goes along these lines (and it seems to happen over and over, especially on social media, so this is not a reference to one particular discussion): Person A: "People who engage in this activity are in sin and need to repent." (What the specific sin is differs from case to case, and it is irrelevant for this point.)
Person B responds: "We shouldn't judge others because we are all sinners who need forgiveness."
By this response, person B sweeps away the point made by person A because we…
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There are five passages in the New Testament which mention both baptism and salvation in the same verse (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). In all these passages, water baptism precedes the remission of sins. Do you know of a passage where the order is reversed?
Mark 16:16 contains two conditions for salvation: faith and baptism. It also contains the conditions for damnation: a lack of faith. If you want to know what you must do to be lost, it will tell you — all that is necessary is a lack of faith. If…
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- Because I want more than anything to know the Lord.
"With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! (Ps. 119:10) - Because I need the spiritual resources to do right.
"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Ps. 119:11 - Because I must find my way through this passing world.
"I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! … Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Ps. 119:19,105)
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- Because I want more than anything to know the Lord.
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"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Romans 8:38-39The depth and beauty of God's love described in these verses is truly awe-inspiring. His eternal plan is built on a framework of this incredible love. Each living stone is bonded together by that love and held fast and sure by Jesus's holy sacrifice. We have such…
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No one likes to be 'put on the spot.' We dread the possibility of being asked questions that we can't answer. This is especially true when the questions are about religion.
Without a doubt, one of the biggest hindrances to spreading the gospel is this fear of being asked questions. Many Christians feel uneasy about their level of Bible knowledge. Thus, to avoid potentially embarrassing situations, they do their best to sidestep any discussion that might turn to religious themes. This is sad, because it keeps us from many 'open doors' for personal evangelism.
Since no one has…
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The song leader read the passage that encouraged us to praise the Lord in song and then instructed us to, "pay attention to the words."
Yet… The man sitting two rows in front was staring into space, then looking around the room — never a note sung.
"Pray without ceasing," Paul instructs in I Thessalonians 5:17 and the gentleman at the front says, "Please bow with me while we pray."
Yet… To the right was a woman making faces at a child, seeking a laugh or smile and to the left another was using her thumbs to…
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In Marc Connelly's wonderful 1930 play, The Green Pastures — wherein heaven is viewed through the eyes of African-Americans in the Deep South — there's a telling scene involving Pharaoh and a court official identified as the head magician.
Pharaoh's order to drown the male Hebrew children has been carried out, but his hatred for the Hebrews hasn't abated, and he's still trying to come up with something to make the Israelites' existence more miserable than it already is. But in response, the head magician says, "there ain' anything meaner than killin' babies, King."
One of the most…
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The Bible is a divinely inspired record of the creation of all things, including man, and of God's dealings with the human race. The Bible is not a history book, just as it is not a book written for people with a scientific turn of mind, or for people with interests in other fields of learning. But it is a fact that whenever God's Word touches incidentally on any of these areas, it is always accurate. Someone has made the observation that the Bible is not only amazing in the accuracy with which it deals with whatever subject it may…
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There were eight known New Testament writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, and Jude (the writer of Hebrews is unknown). Let us look carefully at these men.
Peter, John, and Matthew were in the original apostolic company; they were with Jesus during his ministry for three and one-half years. They were by his side virtually day by day, hence they wrote as eyewitnesses of the things they saw and heard.
James (not the brother of John; cf. Acts 12:2) was a leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13; cf. Galatians 2:9), and a half-brother of Jesus…
