God’s Chosen People

Read Romans 2:28-29 … Has it come up in conversation yet? Someone asking about Israel and their “chosen” status? It’s certainly not uncommon, especially in light of recent events and the teaching of premillennial dispensationalism. One does not have to look very far in the Scriptures to find passages that speak to the “chosen” status …

Everyone Will Be There

Read Matthew 13:36-43 … No one likes to have enemies, yet there will almost always be those that just … well … are against us. This isn’t surprising since people will be people. Not everyone will get along with everyone else all the time; sadly, it seems human nature is against us in this instance. …

Jesus is Coming Soon

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:15 – 5:4 … Sometimes songwriters do not make good theologians. Considerations of tempo, meter, and poetical structures can skew the message being presented in a hymn. On the other hand, some songwriters take great pains to present a well-constructed song which presents a message that falls in line with Scriptural truths. …

Look Forward, Be Ready

Read 2 Peter 3:3-18 … Eschatology … big word to describe the study or delving into the END TIMES (ominous music plays). Well, maybe not all that ominous, more like slightly threatening with undertones of curiosity and expectation. Who wouldn’t like to know exactly what will happen in the end time, the last day, or …

An Apocalyptic Worldview

Read 1 Peter 2:9-12 … John opens the last book of the New Testament by announcing the writing as “the apokalupsis of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:1). That strange word is translated as “revelation” and points to an “uncovering” or “unveiling” of something that is hidden. Therefore, to the English speaker that book has long been …

Jesus is Coming Soon

Read Revelation 3:7-11 … There was a practice at one time that some congregations would use a rubber stamp to ink the words “Do Not Sing” in red on certain songs in a songbook. It may have seemed a bit over-reactive, but this action was taken by congregations to avoid presenting or spreading what was …

The Coming of the Christ

What a day that will be! In the Scriptures there is a consistent witness to the fact that Jesus will return to this earth. There have been many claims made about the when and how of the Second Coming of Christ thru the years, and this has led to various positions that take their name …

Is Your Name Written There?

Of all the various interpretations that accompany the book of Revelation, there is a portion beginning in 20:11 that undoubtedly peers through the mists of time. This portion shows us John’s vision of the future where he witnesses the Judgment scene at the great white throne and it is revealed that “… anyone not found …

What Will We be Judged By?

Read Revelation 20:11-15 … Tests can be very stressful – that’s for sure. The best test that can be taken is the test for which the answers have been provided. Any test would be a breeze if someone were to give out the answers ahead of time. Of course, even to the hardest tests the …

The Remnant Gathered

Read 1 Peter 1:17-21 … In his work The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today, Everett Ferguson seeks to define the Church from a biblical perspective. As such, he makes several statements that might be key to the understanding of the Church. Let’s look at one such statement: “The church is now the …