After Jesus was laid in the grave following His crucifixion, He appeared at least seven times on earth before His final ascension into heaven. The assumption that Jesus ascended but one time into heaven after His death is only a theory. He ascended at least twice after His death and may have traversed heaven and earth between all seven recorded appearances prior to his final ascension into heaven. The proof is not readily evident by ...
Read MoreStudents of the bible correctly believe that faithful followers of Christ will be found in Paradise upon death. However, not all believe that some in Paradise will not make it to the final reward. This seems counterintuitive. Paradise is a place of rest in the presence of God. How could a person make it to Paradise but not to Heaven? The mention of paradise produces visions of aesthetic gardens. The word paradise is derived from ...
Read MoreThere must be a will to do the Lord’s will (Jn. 7:17). This takes place primarily after a person learns of God, Christ, and the instructions contained in the Bible. Hear and take God’s message to heart (Rom. 10:17). Faith is an essential part of obedience to God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of ...
Read MoreViruses are a fact of life. The coronavirus is just a new strain of what has always existed (Eccl. 1:9). However, the reaction to this virus is unfortunate. Churches closed their doors barring members from attendance. Elders are being lords over their congregations preventing those who desired to worship from using the church building (1 Pet. 5:3). Such action is void of love for the members. “And let us consider one another in order to ...
Read MoreSome members of the Lord’s Church struggle to understand a Christian’s relationship with the government. The government “is God’s minister for good.” Christians are “subject to the governing authorities.” Government’s authority was appointed by God. Christians are directed not to resist their authority. To resist government is to resist God (Rom. 13:1-5). Yet, Peter and the Apostles said, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). The Apostles said that to the local ...
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By David Watts Jr. Some Background For generations, brethren have correctly demanded authority for all that we do. We have correctly followed the pattern of Acts 15 when the brethren and apostles came together to consider the question of circumcision for Gentiles. We demand direct statements from Scripture, approved examples, and necessary conclusions. We have also argued correctly that we do not act out of the silence of the Scriptures. Rather, we are to “prove ...
Read MoreDuring the Roman Empire Christians had to decide if God was first in their lives (Mk. 12:30). Should they attend worship services knowing if they did, they could ultimately die? Knowing the risk if they got caught, would God permit a reprieve to His command for assembling (Heb. 10:25). After all, once a new emperor took office the madness would end. They only needed to hide for a few months or in the worst case, ...
Read MoreIn the madness that has developed over concerns for the coronavirus, many churches have closed their doors opting for services conducted over the internet. For the purposes of this article, we will call the streaming of services over the internet “virtual worship services.” At issue is whether virtual worship services are authorized in scripture. Hebrews 10:25 commands the assembling of ourselves together. Can that assembling be done virtually over the internet? Is my physical presence ...
Read MoreBy Steve A. Hamilton “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is six hundred and sixty-six” (Rev. 13:18). Much ado has been made about the number 666 from the above passage out of Revelation 13:18. It is not our intent to disprove all the various theories as to the meaning of the number and hence the name ...
Read MoreBy Steve A. Hamilton “So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.” (Rev. 16:2) The date was 541 A.D. Roman Emperor Justinian was reigning in his 14th year from Constantinople when the plague struck the empire. By the year 542 A.D., the entire empire was fully engulfed by ...
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