ONE ANOTHER (Part 1: Our Relationship in Christ)
The “One Another” study focuses on the proper relationship between Christians and how they are to treat each other in Christ. The phrase “one another” is used 43 times in the New Testament text. This study will examine God’s command in how Christians are to treat and behavior with “one another.” In a time of…
Read MoreBelieving in the Devil
The idea of belief stands as one of the most universal tenets of Christianity. Every branch of Christendom requires some form of belief in an idea or trust in an idea. The writer of Hebrews explains, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he…
Read MoreHalloween and the Christian
During the month of October, many conscientious Christians grow curious about the moral aspects of participating in Halloween. Christians observe violent, bloody, and immodest costumes on Halloween and wonder if such is appropriate for their children to celebrate the holiday. Some Christians celebrate Halloween simply by dressing up in a costume and having fun, seeing…
Read More“One Nation Under God”
“In God we trust” became the official motto of the United States in 1956. Two years prior, the words “under God” were added to the pledge of alliance. However, long before official coinage and pledges, faith in God permeated people’s thoughts and hearts. First President, George Washington, stated “Let us indulge the supposition that morality…
Read MoreDancing and the Christian
Weddings, concerts, proms, and many other social gathers in which young adults gather often include dancing. When people hear music, they feel the need to move and bounce with the rhythm, a natural expression of joy and merriment. However, dancing can become licentious and explicit. Popular choreography often induces impure thoughts and puts the dancers…
Read MoreDoes Only One Church Possess the TRUTH?
The problem of church division plagues Christianity as a whole. Every religious group in the Christian world struggles to obey the command ascribed to Corinth by the apostle Paul, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions…
Read MoreThe Book of Revelation in Context
The symbolism in the book of Revelation often stands as a shadowy figure in studies of the New Testament. Bible classes ignore the dubious discussions that emanate from the book and just snicker at the conspiracy theories and apocalyptic warnings that people throw out. Many believe that the book of Revelation is a prophecy that…
Read MoreGeneral Rules for Biblical Interpretation: There is a wrong way to read the Bible.
If a person is to obey God and go to heaven, then understanding Scripture becomes preeminent. Can one wait on divine enlightenment from God to understand His will? Can people dwell in caves, fast, self-mutilate, or impoverish themselves to be granted illumination of scripture? Should individuals wait for divine intervention, for the Holy Spirit to…
Read MoreCan God Use Me?
Often those with a less-than-reputable past or the unhappy doubt their usefulness to the Lord and have no confidence as a Christian. With such verses and statements like, “a corrupt tree [cannot] bring forth good fruit” (Matt. 7:18b), “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?” (James 3:11), and “They…
Read MoreDoes God Expect Perfection?
The English poet Alexander Pope famously states in his 1711 poem, An Essay on Criticism, “To err is human” (Alexander Pope, The Poems of Alexander Pope, ed. John Butt (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1963), 160). Many presume that even the Heavenly Father cannot expect Christians to be perfect because they are humans. Humans…
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