The Word of God is the foundation upon which the church operates and is the basis for which the church is governed, and here is a listing of what the Bible is… Breathed out by God – 2 Timothy 3:16 Given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit – Acts 1:16; Hebrews 3:7; 2 Peter 1:21 Christ sanctioned – Matthew 4:4; Mark 12:10; John 7:42 Taught by Christ – Luke 24:27 The Book – Psalm … Continue reading →
You may or may not be aware of it, but there is a belief being promoted among some who claim the name of Christian, that Matthew 6:33 means you can not be a nationalist. Nationalism is simply a description of being proud of your nation or nationality. In political speak it means you believe in a strong nationalistic identity. It is not the same as imperialism, fascism, or totalitarianism. It is simply a patriotism, not … Continue reading →
Here are some things to consider on unclean foods… The Christian life is one of living by faith, and sometimes being obedient by faith is harder than being obedient by works (or law) because we feel accomplished by a behavior but uneasy by faith because it “is the substance of things unseen” (Hebrews 11:1). In Romans 14:2-3 we are counseled to refrain from forcing or demanding adherence to this type of doctrine. Paul exhorts “One person believes he … Continue reading →
Are the Sons of God spoken of in Genesis 6:1-4 really fallen angels who had sexual relations with human beings? The passage in question says, “when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose…when the sons of God came in unto the daughters … Continue reading →
Let’s look at the verse in question, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment” (2 Peter 2:8). The word used here for “hell” is “tartaroo” which is a unique word and the only times it’s used in the Bible. I know that some have tried to work it up to mean some type of special location, but it … Continue reading →
In Romans 11:26, Paul says “And so all Israel shall be saved” but doesn’t he mean spiritual Israel and not literal Israel? This is a key verse for those who believe all Jews will be saved by virtue of their being born into a Jewish family or literal Israel, because they also further believe that the Jews will be saved separate from accepting Jesus as personal Savior. About a year ago we had a popular … Continue reading →
The question is about Luke 23:43 and the thief going to Heaven that day, but we know that Jesus didn’t ascend into Heaven until 40 days later, so how do we understand this contradiction? Well, let’s begin with the actual verse of Luke 23:43 says, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” It does appear to be a contradiction when you do consider that … Continue reading →
Last Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we looked at Genesis 3:1-8 and the account of Satan approaching Eve, but not Adam. We talked about the probability that Satan had studied these new creatures, man and women, and apparently he saw reason to approach Eve first or at least initially. While I don’t exactly remember how it came up in that discussion, but a reference of Peter referring to women as the “weaker vessel” did arise as … Continue reading →
Sunday at CrossHope Chapel we looked at Genesis 2:7 and the composite of man which the King James explains as “dust” plus “breath” equals “soul.” We later went into overtime when I couldn’t refrain from answering a question about the Lake of Fire and the loss of consciousness following the second death. Actually, I was asked what my thought was so I answered, as best as I could without trying to elevating my answer to … Continue reading →
What does Jesus mean by destroying the soul in Matthew 10:28? Let’s start by looking at the text, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28 ESV). The Greek word used for soul is “psuche” and it is more often translated as “life” than as soul. Jesus said in Matthew 16:25 “Whosover will lose his … Continue reading →
