Learning from the Young

A few years ago I was speaking out of town as a guest preacher. While I was there for that week, I met a young boy who made a great impression on me. He was probably eight years old, and was very enthusiastic about worship—especially song leading. As I was sitting alone on the front pew before worship began, he came up and sat next to me. He was talking to me about preaching and singing, and then he pointed to the list of song numbers on the wall that were going to be sung in worship.… Read more

Your Temptations Do Not Define You

You are not defined by what tempts you. Just because a person may be tempted to be intimate with someone of the same gender, that does not mean that he must give in to that temptation, or that he is destined to be a homosexual. If a married man is tempted to cheat on his wife, that does not mean he must give in to that temptation or that he is destined to be an adulterer.… Read more

Trying to Be Nicer Than God

Many today try to justify actions by calling them “loving,” even when those actions contradict what God said. True love does not try to improve God’s standard—it follows it. God has valid reasons for His commands, and they are for our eternal welfare. When we ignore His commands in the name of love, we endanger the very souls we claim to love. Every one of the following actions works against the salvation of souls, in the name of love and tolerance:

  1. Refusing to address or rebuke sin because some claim that would be unloving (1 Tim.
… Read more

Claude A.I. and Salvation

Following is the very first conversation I ever had with Claude AI. It knew nothing about me or my beliefs before I asked this question. I wrote:

Based on the Bible alone, not scholars or various groups’ beliefs, what must a lost person do to become saved?

Claude wrote:

This is a question the Bible itself addresses directly in multiple places. Here is what the biblical text says, drawing from both the Old and New Testaments:

The Core Requirements According to Scripture

1.… Read more

Interesting Facts About the Bible

· The Bible contains 66 books written by about 40 different writers over a period spanning about 1,500–2,000 years.

· If the patriarch Job wrote the book of Job, and he lived near the time of Abraham, the writing of the Bible could span close to 2,000 years.

· The inspired writers came from many different backgrounds, including kings (David, Solomon), fishermen (Peter, John), a physician (Luke), a tax collector (Matthew), and a tentmaker (Paul).… Read more

Catholicism’s Corruptions

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide men of the first century A.D. into “all truth” (John 16:13). In that century, the faith “was once for all delivered to the saints,” not progressively developed over centuries (Jude 3). God said the Scriptures give us everything we need for life and godliness, to be complete (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3), so we do not need additional spiritual instruction beyond God’s Word, and we must not add to His Word (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19).… Read more

Seven Keys to Happiness

Most people want to be happy. From ancient philosophers to modern man, many have spent their entire lives seeking happiness and contentment without ever finding it, because the formula is found only in God’s Word. Happiness comes from our Creator, who wants us to be happy both now and forever. He wants us to realize that He is the ultimate source of joy and peace. With that in mind, here are seven critical keys to happiness:

  1. Being right with God – Being happy both now and eternally requires a good relationship with the One who made us.
… Read more

How We Know the Bible is from God

1. Fulfilled Prophecy

· The Bible contains hundreds of specific prophecies written before the events they describe.

· These prophecies are detailed, verifiable, and historically fulfilled, not vague predictions.

·  Examples include:

· The rise and fall of empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome).

· The rise and fall of world leaders such as Alexander the Great, Nero, and Domitian.

· The destruction of cities like Nineveh, Tyre, and Jerusalem.

· Detailed Messianic prophecies fulfilled in Jesus (His lineage, place of birth, place of death, burial, and resurrection, etc.).… Read more

What About the Ethiopian Bible?

Overview of the Ethiopian Bible

  • The Ethiopian Orthodox Church uses a very large canon of Scripture—one of the largest of any so-called “Christian” tradition.
  • It includes 81 books (some versions count even more, depending on the source).
  • Their Old Testament contains traditional books, plus several apocryphal and pseudepigraphal texts not found in Jewish, Catholic, or Protestant canons.
  • Their New Testament includes all 27 books recognized in most Christian traditions, plus additional books.

Old Testament Contents

In addition to the standard Old Testament books, the Ethiopian Bible includes:

  • 1 Enoch
  • Jubilees
  • 1, 2, 3 Meqabyan (not to be confused with the Catholic 1–2 Maccabees)
  • Book of Josippon
  • Book of the Covenant
  • Book of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth
  • Ascension of Isaiah

These books often contain:

  • Erroneous, mythical cosmology (e.g.,
… Read more

Rethinking New Year’s Resolutions

Every year, there are lists of the “Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions.” They rarely change: lose weight, exercise more, save money, reduce stress, etc. There is nothing inherently wrong with these goals, but have you noticed they are usually self-centered and focused on temporary physical things rather than eternal ones?

Many people obsess over improving their aging and decaying physical bodies, while completely neglecting their souls that will exist forever. God says that bodily exercise has limited benefits, but godliness is profitable in every way (1 Tim.… Read more

God Gave Jesus the Holy Spirit “Without Measure”

John 3:34 teaches that the Father gave the Spirit directly to Christ “without measure,” meaning without limitation or partial distribution, which is different from the way others received and exercised the power of the Holy Spirit in limited, task-specific ways during certain parts of the Old Testament period (Num. 11:17; Jdg. 3:10) or the miraculous period of the first century A.D. The terms “Messiah” (Hebrew) and “Christ” (Greek) both mean “The Anointed One,” indicating that Jesus was anointed in a unique way, fully empowered by the Father.… Read more

Are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit All the Same Spirit?

Some claim that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not distinct Persons at all, but are the same divine Person or Spirit revealed or manifested in different ways. Others claim that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are truly distinct divine Persons, yet share one undivided divine essence and are therefore regarded together as “the one God.” However, the New Testament most often uses “God” to refer to the Father and explicitly calls Him the “one God” in several key passages (Jn.… Read more

When the Truth About God the Father Sounds Strange

How is it that one of the plain truths of Ephesians 4:4-6 (often called “the seven ones of unity”) now sounds strange to many Christians? “One body… one Spirit… one hope… one Lord… one faith… one baptism… one God and Father of all, who is above all…” (Eph. 4:4-6).

These seven simple, Spirit-given truths are meant to produce unity, yet one of them — the truth about God the Father — has been largely overlooked, softened, or even denied by many children of God.… Read more