Articles

The title is taken from the book of Nehemiah chapter four and verse six. Here is described the progress of the Israelites as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem after returning from exile in Babylon. It was a huge undertaking, and they had many detractors, but nothing stopped them simply because they were committed. Each one of them knew why they had come back and each one must certainly have had ...

The recent storms that spawned at least a dozen tornadoes across the state also sparked a spike in some people‟s faith. I don‟t doubt the sincerity of folks who were “thankful to God” for being safe through the killer winds but I sometimes wonder where that faith lies when skies are blue and the weather is calm. I suppose that it‟s human nature to look towards heaven when times get rough and then ...

The Differences Between Holy Spirit Baptism and Great Commission Baptism (part #2)   Below is a continuation of last week’s article highlighting some of the differences between Holy Spirit baptism and the baptism of the great commission.   HSB is not required for all believers, whereas GCB is required               Nowhere...

In an old book (1) I came across a most interesting comment by “Charles Spurgeon (Baptist)”, in an article he wrote entitled, “Prayer Meeting Address to the Newly Converted.” Spurgeon was, in general, emphasizing as to conversion, “Do begin so that you may not have to begin over again.” (p. 242). Later, Spurgeon added this most clearly stated comment about conve...

Last week we noted the news report about President Jimmy Carter  leaving the Southern Baptists because of their views on the role of  women in the home and church. The singular question I believe we should ask is, "What does Jesus teach us about the role of women in the church?" After all, if we   claim to be His followers, we should follow Him in this regard as well as in...

As reported in the news of late, President Jimmy Carter has left the Southern Baptist church because they supposedly teach that women are to be subservient to their husbands and also refuse to ordain women as ministers.  Was he right?   What does the Bible say?   To begin with, God made woman (Eve), because He knew that the man (Adam) He had created, needed help (and that hasn&lsquo...

  As noted in last week’s article, Jesus made it clear that the miracles, wonders, and signs that He did were for the purpose of affirming His identity as the Son of God (Matthew 11:4-5 & John 10:25).   It should not surprise us then, that on Pentecost, Luke tells us that the first thing that the apostle Peter said as he began preaching about Jesus was this:   Men of Israe...

  One of the hardest things for me to do is to let God take care of my life.  When things are going good, I thank Him sincerely.  When things are going bad, I beg Him to fix it…sincerely.  When things are just running along smoothly I sometimes forget to say anything.  Upon reflection, it seems I get sincere in seeking His guidance during “feast” or &ldq...

  Somewhere around 900BC, the prophet Elijah raised a poor widow’s son from the dead.  When she saw what he had done, she said:                “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”             ...

  Not sensationalism! Not gimmicks! Nor more committees, or more programs, or a “fun & games” emphasis! These things may be “right-on” for civic  clubs, social clubs, and country clubs, but not for the Lord’s church!      What does it take to build a strong church? I believe the following things are essential!   1. Strong Bi...

  I recently had an opportunity to do a little fishing.  I began with my fly rod.  Of course every fisherman knows the sensation of being filled with anticipation at the first cast.  But this time, nothing happened.  I changed my aim and dropped my fly in another spot.  Still nothing.   This continued for a while until I was convinced that I needed to switch to s...

  In a recent Christian Chronicle article titled “Why are kids leaving the church? The answer lies in Parents” the statement was made that “Children will look as much like Jesus as their parents and fellow church members do.” With that thought in mind, we decided at a recent family outing to ask our children what it was that influenced them to become Christians and wha...

  We live in a complicated world, where even when you make the best decisions possible politically, financially, socially, physically, emotionally and morally, the bottom can still drop out without notice and you can find your life totally out of control.  The illusion is that we have any control over anything or anyone in the first place.  All we can ever hope to control is ourselv...

It was a different time when I was a kid.  Lots of dads like mine were veterans of either World War II or Korea and had stories they didn‘t tell very often.  I remember hearing about some of the things my dad went through, but I didn’t hear them from him.  Maybe he told Mom and she told us kids so we’d have some appreciation for what was done for us in the war.&nbs...

  In an age when some affirm there are no absolutes, seeking to justify loose moral and spiritual practices under the umbrella of toleration, it seems wise to note some biblical facts about people who miserably faltered and failed because they were almost obedient! After King Agrippa heard Paul’s testimony about Christ, he responded, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian&r...

  Sunday, June 14th 1777, was the day that the Second Continental Congress of the United States of America officially adopted the basic design of our nation’s flag.   The original resolution called for a flag with thirteen alternating red and white stripes with a union of thirteen white stars on a field of blue.  Nearly every aspect of our flag communicates sentiments of our f...

  The above phrase is taken from the second letter the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, where he explained his “thorn in the flesh”, 12:7.   A great deal of study and speculation has centered around the question of just exactly what Paul’s thorn was.  Some believe it was an eye problem, and there appears to be some evidence for that.  The apostle a...

For the Christian, true worship should constitute the highest of privileges and most exalted of experiences. It draws us closer to God and heightens our commitment to His blessed will. While worship may be personal or public, real worship will always be preceded by an intense desire to ascribe praise, honor, glory, and reverence to the God upon whom we are completely dependent. Public worship shou...

  If you were to ask an honest saint how their prayer life is going, most will likely tell you that their prayer life is poor. If prayer is so highly praised and so encouraged in the Bible, how come we don’t pray as often or as fervently as we should? Here are a few thoughts.   Prayer life is adversely affected at various times and to various degrees by:   1. The sneaking...

  If I were an atheist, I would not try to convert anyone to my way of thinking.  What would be the purpose?  Logically, if there is no God, nothing matters.  There is no purpose.  There is no purpose in life or in anything.  There is no such thing as morality; no right or wrong to be done.  To argue against the existence of someone, or something that doesn&lsquo...