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Showing posts from September, 2022

What is God's view of Cremation?

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  Since we've been talking about the afterlife for most of this year, I found this article that talks about the subject of cremation .

You Faced a Temptation

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  Things You will Never do in Heaven, Conclusion   Introduction There are times when we face the same temptation time and time again; always seeming to fail and we ask ourselves, “Why is God allowing me such a difficult temptation to get the better of me?” The apostle Paul contradicts this statement in 1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Notice what he says towards the end of the verse, “make the way of escape…” Sometimes we don’t see the escape or, rather, we don’t look for it. In Heaven, there won’t be any temptations to concern ourselves. Since it is considered the Christian’s sabbath, we will enjoy an eternity of rest.   Definition of Temptation The 1828 Webster’s Dictionary gives this definition— Solicitation of the passions; entic...

Are Gospel Meetings Out-dated?

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Written by Joe R. Price Are gospel meetings advantageous in today’s world?  Some brethren say gospel meetings are not useful in today’s world.  The basic reason for a gospel meeting is to arrange meetings where the gospel can be heard.  Is it no longer beneficial to make such arrangements?  Is it no longer helpful to attend such meetings and invite others to come?  The lost can hear the saving gospel and Christians can be edified in the truth (2 Tim. 4:1-5; Eph. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 2:15).  Still, some Christians complain against having gospel meetings.  As you consider these typical criticisms of gospel meetings see if you detect the common thread running through each one. 1. Gospel meetings are outdated and ineffective in the modern world.   This attitude leaves the impression that the gospel must be dressed up in some new way if it is to have any impact upon the lives of sinners today.  This simply is not true.  God's word is powerful and ...

You Shed a Tear

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  Things You will Never do in Heaven, Part 7   Introduction Boys often grew up in a home in which the father stated that, “Men Don’t Cry; it isn’t a manly thing to do.” Since then, boys (and men) have evolved to where they are able to share their feelings and show their emotions without judgment from their peers. Tears are shed for many reasons: Death, Sorrow, Sickness, Loss of job, loss of friends (moving away), etc. It’s an emotional release of the body to show the sadness that an individual is feeling. However, in Heaven, there will be no sadness, no sorrow, and no one will shed a tear anymore   It’s Okay to Cry Crying, or weeping (as listed in scriptures) is acceptable. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Here are a few examples from the New Testament. Jesus Wept —John 11:35; considered the shortest verse in scripture. Jesus shed tears when He learned that His friend, Lazarus, had died. Although He knew that was about to raise him from the dead, He s...

In-house Gospel Meeting

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    Introduction Since I became a Christian in September 2001, I’ve learned so much about the bible and the church. One of the more interesting ideas is that of a gospel meeting. A preacher, visiting from another congregation, in another state, comes in (usually for a week) and preaches a lesson every night. To some, this seems too much. To others, it seems not enough. Overall, it’s the opportunity to hear solid gospel preaching as much as possible. However, when finances become tight, an in-house gospel meeting will solve both problems quickly.   The Purpose of a Gospel Meeting Back in the early days of the church, a gospel meeting gave members of a local congregation the opportunity to bring non-Christian friends, family members, and co-workers to hear a lesson preached. Oftentimes, they’ll refuse to attend on Sunday due to work or other commitments. With a meeting being nightly, through the week, it is hoped that they would have at least one free night to...

You drove past a Cemetery

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  Things You will Never do in Heaven, Part 6   Introduction Some people might not know the difference between the words, cemetery and graveyard.   But it is simple. A graveyard is one that is connected to church grounds and a cemetery isn’t. The Greek word for cemetery is, nekrotafeio and it means, “sleeping place”. Which is why you will read the phrase, rested with his fathers in the OT. Oftentimes, you will drive past a cemetery, or graveyard, in your travels. In Heaven, though, there won’t be a need for cemeteries at all!   Bible Examples In the OT, it tells of Abraham buying a field from the sons of Heth (read Genesis 23). Here he, and many others of the family, were buried (Gen. 49:31; 50:13). In the NT, we learn of Lazarus; his burial and resurrection (John 11:17-45). We also learn that Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb, Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple ...

Dead in this Life

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  Written by Chris Bates  Introduction In Romans 6, the apostle Paul discusses that when you became a Christian, sin shouldn’t be a part of your life anymore. As he states in verse 1 and 2, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? (ASV) But there are those who want to continue a life of sin even after becoming a Christian. They can’t fully let go of the old man of sin (Eph. 4:22) and are thus “dead” while yet alive. When writing to Timothy, Paul described certain among the widows as being “dead” (spiritually dead in sin) while yet quite alive physically (1 Tim. 5:6) because they were living in “wanton pleasure.” Not just widows among Christians but even all Christians, should they live in wanton pleasure, are “dead” while they live, or we might say, “dead in this life.” Living a life of sin is most certainly not the “high calling” of God by which He calls us through t...

You Saw an Elderly Person

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  Things You will Never do in Heaven, Part 5   Introduction Everybody, at one time or another, has heard someone say to them, “Age is just a number.” Maybe you’ve even said this yourself. But do you really believe it? They’ll believe it until it does matter; like when you reach the age of retirement then, it matters! In Heaven, age doesn’t matter because it is irrelevant. We are clothed with immortality (1 Cor. 15:53).   Outward and Inward Growing old is just a natural part of life. But not everyone gets the opportunity to grow old. As we’ve discussed before, long-term illnesses and diseases will shorten our lifespan to where they don’t get to enjoy their twilight years. For those who do reach those “golden years,” remember this encouragement by the apostle Paul, Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a f...

The Churches of Christ Salute You

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Today's article is from Joe Price, a gospel preacher from the Mt. Baker church of Christ in Washington. He discusses the subject of the Name of the church   To contact Joe, check out his website: Bible Answers