Growing up the son of a deacon in the 13th and Main congregation in Blytheville, Arkansas, I heard many a sermon about “the great apostasy” prophesied by the Holy Spirit. The gist of the lessons was this: The church was built the way God, through Jesus, desired it. The Holy Spirit gave perfect instruction. The
For many people with little to no knowledge of God, they tend to have two favorite verses: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”-John 3:16 “Judge not, tat you be not judged.”-Matthew 7:1 It seems as if people
Preachers and elders are frequently asked, “Which Bible translation should I buy?” To keep it simple, I usually recommend what I call, “The Big Four.” They are the King James, New King James, New American Standard, and English Standard Version of the Bible. This quartet is: available in most stores, reliable, and trustworthy. They are
Here is a series of bulletin articles and sermons on the book of Revelation. My prayer is that it is coherent and puts across a common-sense, consistent approach to the book. It is not as though I have a special capacity for understanding the book. However, once I became a minister, it became glaringly obvious
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’”-John 1:47 It can be a temptation to over-interpret a verse. We can focus so singularly on a word that we exclude the context of a subject and simply, miss the point. My prayer is that
“before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.”-Isaiah 7:12 The importance of this question is matched only by my inability to give it a satisfactory answer. At age seven, I would confidently say, “No.” At eight or nine, most young