LET THE BIBLE SPEAK.

THE RESURRECTION Steven F. Deaton The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is at the very heart of Christianity. Without the bodily resurrection of the Savior, there is no hope. “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (1 Cor. 15:14). However, we have reliable testimony that Jesus was raised from the dead to sit at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). First, the resurrection was prophesied not only by the prophets of old, but also by Jesus. Isaiah said, “He was cut off from the land of the living...He shall prolong His days” (Isa. 53:8, 10). Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). Second, the resurrection was unexpected by the disciples of our Lord. They had visions, as many do today, of a Messiah who would rule and reign as an earthly king. Their ...

Three Days and Three Nights Joe R. Price How long was Jesus in the grave?  The skeptic is quick to say there is a contradiction in the Scriptures over the time Jesus said He would be in the tomb and the actual length he was there. When one considers the evidence, this allegation cannot be scripturally or logically sustained. Jesus said He would be in the grave three days and three nights: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). But, Mark records Jesus saying He would rise again “after three days” (Mk. 8:31).  This is where the skeptic thinks he proves his case. Jesus died and was buried on Friday before the Sabbath (Lk. 23:53-56). Jesus rose from the death on the first day of the week, on which day two disciples said “today is the third day since these things happened” (Lk. 24:1, 7, 21).  Parts of thr...

Reasoning About the Resurrection of Christ by Eric Lyons, M.Min. The resurrection of Christ is central to the faith of every Christian. Without a firm belief that “God has raised Him from the dead” (Romans 10:9), salvation from sin is impossible. Paul wrote: “If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Without the good news of Jesus’ defeat of death, the Gospel is void of its power to save mankind (cf. Romans 1:16). If Christ was not “raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,” there would be no “newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Rather, every accountable person would lie “dead in trespasses” (Ephesians 2:1,5) without hope of becoming “a new creation” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Truly, the resurrection of Christ provides the substance for the Christian’s hope and the solid foundation on which to build his faith. Is it any surprise, then, that...

Concerning Easter!!!

http://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/holidays/easter-problems.php

The (Real) Great Tribulation . Ruel D. Catlett . Jesus said, " These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world, " John 16:33. Contrary to popular belief, the "great tribulation" of the Revelation letter isn't merely some distinct period of persecution. Revelation was written with a view toward the physical suffering of Christians, and many have suffered in that manner; yet persecution doesn't exhaust the meaning of "tribulation." "Tribulation" describes the struggle that living as a child of God may be, whenever, wherever, or however it may occur. It's the conflict that comes into the life of every Christian because Satan wants our soul. It's every temptation to give up and turn away from God because of weariness, weakness, or the rebellion that is in us against what is best for us. "Tribulation" is whatever ...

THE USE OF MECHANICAL INSTRUMENTS  OF MUSIC IS SINFUL  Garland M. Robinson Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6),  “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin”  (Rom. 14:23). The injunction of II Cor. 5:7 is that we  “walk by faith, not by sight.”  Since faith comes by hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17), we therefore live according to his word and not what may appear right in our own eyes (Jer. 10:23). Many ways may seem right to men, but they are the ways of death (Prov. 14:12). We are to walk  “in the light”  of God’s word (I John 1:7). When we step out of God’s searchlight of truth, we place ourselves outside of God’s approval. Unless we live according to his word (walking by faith), we are not pleasing to him and are guilty of sin. Sin separates us from God (Isa. 59:1-2) and separation from God leads to eternal torment (Matt. 25:46). Therefore,  “whatsoever ye...

“THAT YOU MAY GROW THEREBY” by Bill Jackson (deceased) We probably have no clearer statement in Scripture on just how Christian growth comes than 1 Peter 2:2: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” There is set before us (1) The Word of God, (2) The purity of it, (3) The nutrition therein, (4) The appetite that we must have for it, and (5) The growth that thus comes. It could not be plainer, and yet many have expressed our day as being the “time for church growth emphasis.” By that is meant, MEET AND TALK ABOUT GROWTH, but DOING very little of it! Why is so little accomplished in a time of workshops, seminars and “encounters” supposedly related to growth? One thing is certain: In such meetings, very little Bible is presented. A second thing is evident: Fun, games “Gymnastics for Christ,” “Jogging for Jesus,” “Kung-Fu For the King,” (and for the aged, “...

Hell Ought To Scare You by Donnie V. Rader The young man I was talking to had been a Christian for several years. He had sinned a year or so before our discussion and had repented. Then about four months prior to our talk he had again yielded to the temptation that Joseph would not (Gen. 39). This time there was no repentance and seemingly no concern. Perhaps, no cessation of the sin either. One question kept coming to my mind before we had any discussion, "Does he ever think about hell?" I wondered if he understood that if he died in this condition that he would spend eternity in hell. So, I ask if he was afraid of hell. His answer: "I guess not as much as I ought to be." I suggested that he wasn't afraid at all! Why? I'm not certain. But one thing is sure: when one can lay his head down at night knowing that he is in sin and will go to hell if he dies and not be afraid, there is little hope. The above story could be duplicated time and again. Perhaps b...

The Necessity for Distinctive Preaching & Teaching by Lynn D. Headrick Book, chapter and verse preaching of the the gospel of Christ is the only means God has chosen to save your soul and mine. There is a lot of preaching that is being done but much of it is just telling interesting stories that entertain the audience and make popular the preacher. This type thing is a spiritual trap. We must hear Jesus Christ and Him crucified for our sins and then we must courageously obey Jesus from the depth of our hearts. DISTINCTIVE PREACHING REQUIRES STUDY.  As a teacher of your class or as a preacher of sermons, there is just no substitute for careful "handling aright of the word of truth." What a thrill it is to go to a real "bible class" and study the wondrous things out of God's law! On the other hand, what a spiritual disaster to waste valuable class and sermon time on current trivia. May God bless those young preachers who are willing to dig deeply into God...

Symptoms & Treatments For Spiritual Illness Sometimes those who should be healthy, happy, productive Christians find themselves suffering from symptoms that indicate something is wrong in their spiritual lives. The following symptoms tell us that we need help to correct problems and misunderstandings in our Christian life. ·        Depression. ·        A compulsion to prove we are faithful servants. ·        An ongoing feeling of guilt and shame. ·        A feeling that we are never doing enough for God. ·        Low self-esteem or sense of worth. ·        Hating oneself. ·        A critical spirit towards self and others. ·      ...

The Critic God’s eternal plan for the church would be Jesus Christ as The Head, the members or saints would make up the body and man’s wisdom could never improve His plan – Ephesians 3:9-11. We are called by the gospel –2nd Thessalonians 2:14 and redeemed by his blood – Ephesians 1:7. But man is weak and subject to commit sin and make mistakes. So as God’s plan is perfect we are not and many times fail to measure up to what He expects. We fall short of accomplishing the goals that are set before us. Sometimes when others call attention to our failures and encourage us to do better, we don’t object, but appreciate their concern and help from God’s Word. But then you have those who present themselves with the all the answers, best judgment and the best teaching ability and everyone else is out-of-step with many faults. This is the one who is all knowing and all others know so little -- the one who knows what to be done and w...

The Leadership of ELDERS Scripture teaches that in each local church, when fully organized, there are "bishops and deacons" (Phil. 1:1). The qualifications of these men are set forth by inspiration in I Timothy 3 and in Titus 1. Of course, Christ is the only head of the church; he has "all authority" (Matthew28:18), and each congregation is a local independent unit of Christians, directly related to Christ (Ephesians1 :21­22; Romans 16:16). There are three different terms used in the New Testament for the leaders of the church; each suggests some characteristic of the men and their work. Elder.  This word primarily means an older man, one of age, wisdom and spiritual maturity. The group of elders of a congregation is called the "presbytery" (1 Timothy 4:14). Bishop.  This word means an overseer. Paul called for the "elders" of the church at Ephesus to meet him at Miletus (Acts 20:17), then later he referred to them as "overseers" (v...

How Important Is The Church Written by Ron Bartanen | It is troubling that there are many who claim respect for the Bible, and claim faith in Christ, but have chosen to regard the church as an option. Statements are often heard such as, “My religion is a personal religion. I don’t need a church to feel close to God.” These see little importance in the church—at least for themselves. How should we respond to this concept? In the first place, one’s feelings on the matter may be irrelevant. God’s prophet, Jeremiah, declared, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” ( Jer. 17:9  ). In other words, to trust one’s feelings would be to listen to a liar. In the second place, religion is greatly over-valued. Jesus didn’t come to make us religious. Universally, man has always been religious. Even worshipers of Satan are religious. They were religious people who cried out against Christ, saying, “Cr...

20 Reasons to Attend Bible Class Dan Jenkins  1. To obey the command of God to study the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Pet. 1:5). 2. To grow in knowledge (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18). 3. To grow closer to God and increase faith (Rom. 10:17). 4. To become a more effective teacher (Heb. 5:13-6:1). 5. To be with Jesus and let Jesus be your teacher (John 6:45; Eph. 4:20-21). 6. To be with and associate with the best people on earth (1 John 4:7-8; Heb. 10:24-25). 7. To become stronger (Psa. 119:165; 2 Pet. 1:5-11). 8. To feed my soul (Jer. 15:16; Psa. 119:103). 9. To find answers (Psa. 119:99; John 7:17). 10. To overcome sin (1 John 5:4; Matt. 4:4). 11. To gain wisdom (2 Tim. 3:15; Psa. 119:130). 12. To follow the example of the godly (Heb. 13:7). 13. To set a good example for others (Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Tim. 4:12). 14. To satisfy my love and desire to learn the Word of God (Psa. 1:2; 19:7-10; 119:72, 97). 15. ...

ALL IN THE FAMILY The church is the family of God. In the King James Verison it is rendered "house of God which is the church of the living God" (I Timothy 3:15) This family is unique in that it is made up of many families who are molded together into a congregation of the church. The ties that bind us are many which we will notice in this article. 1. We all have the same father. We speak of the Heavenly Father. We have given ourselves to God. There is "One God and Father of all who is above all, through all and in you all." (Ephesians 4:6) "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son in your hearts, crying, Abba Father." (Galatians 4:6) "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God and doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be...

A CHRISTIAN'S DUTY TO SOCIETY By Owen B. Moseley   Previous articles have dealt with a Christian’s duties to the church and to the family.  This article deals with a Christian’s duty to various segments of society.    Each Christian has the personal duty to live a life that provides the proper example to the world.  This duty can be achieved by following a five-step process as next described.   (1)    The first step in this process is to have the mind of Christ.   In Philippians 2:5-9 Paul said:  “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, {7} but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. {8} And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. {9} Therefore God also has highly exal...