I want to address two statements by the Apostle Paul that are commonly known by the phrase, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” The first of these is in 2 Corinthians 5:8 which states, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” The second of these is in Philippians 1:23 which states, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, … Continue reading →
Billy Graham often said “We will all live forever somewhere, either in Heaven or in Hell.” However, is that really true? Is that really what is stated in the Bible? As much as I liked and admired Billy Graham, I have to admit that every time I heard him say that my biblical defense system went up. The ability to live eternally is what is known as immortality. Do a dictionary definition search and you’ll … Continue reading →
Yesterday at CrossHope Chapel we completed our study through the book of Matthew when we opened to its final chapter. In Matthew 28 we dealt with the resurrection of Jesus and the Great Commission. One of the things that caught our attention was Matthew’s account of how the soldiers were bribed by the priests to lie and report that the disciples stole Jesus’ body out of the tomb while they were sleeping. In particular, we … 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 →
Many years ago I officiated a wedding for a couple at a beautiful home within a gated community along the Emerald Coast of Northwest Florida. When I arrived at the house the groom warmly greeted me and we walked inside and he graciously introduced me to some of their family. He then said that his bride wanted to talk with me as soon as I arrived, so one of the family escorted me to go … Continue reading →
Here is something that makes me pause when considering the return of Jesus in a pre-tribulation rapture. It’s the use of the phrase “at the last day” as found in the Gospel of John. The reason it gives me pause, is because the Bible specifically mentions that there is only two resurrections, one for the saved and one for the unsaved. We have three different places in Scripture that teach two resurrections: John 5:28-29; Daniel … Continue reading →