What Is the Grace of God? – Florante Siopan, John Foster lifehopeandtruth.com
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Grace is not just something given by God but is a part of His very character. God is a gracious God, referenced throughout scripture. This is fortunate because all mankind has sinned, and the wages of sin is death. Death is the byproduct of sin which brings us to Christ’s sacrifice. In order to be gracious or show favor to us, Jesus, living a sinless…
Paganism: Who Cares? – Brian Orchard thefatherscall.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
The pagan origins of popular holidays is common knowledge, but who cares? Perhaps the important question is, instead, does God care? God gave the nation He formed, Israel, very specific instructions to avoid paganism. Yet they repeatedly adopted pagan practices including worship of multiple gods, nature, and goddesses. Paganism interrupts the singularity of focus on the true God. It breaks the core of the covenant…
Who Is the Antichrist? tomorrowsworld.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
One of the most ominous figures the Bible reveals to us is the end time Antichrist. The spirit of this individual has been in the world and deceiving since the first century in the form of all false prophets. We know them as teachers that profess to represent Christ, using Christ’s name, yet teaching a different Jesus or gospel or teaching lawlessness. All of these…
Called & Chosen – John Foster lifehopeandtruth.com
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Christ welcomed all those who thirst or are heavy laden to come to Him. However, He knew that not just anyone could do so. The natural human mind, unaided, does not comprehend God’s mind. It isn’t convicted by the Word. Christ said in John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” One’s calling is then an act…
Faith to Face Our Trials – Pat Higgins cgg.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Life sometimes seems to be one trial after another. However, God has revealed an astounding facet of our relationship with Him that should give us the faith to soldier on despite our many trials. On the night of His crucifixion, Jesus declared that the Father loves us just as much as He loves Christ. As the perfect Parent, He does not love any one child…
Christmas? thebiblesaysthat.com
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
I really liked the short, to the point approach this article took regarding the biblical stance on Christmas. It begins with the pagan origins of Christmas that are documented and well-established. Most mainstream Christians don’t even argue that fact. With the origins well established we move to the second point. Within Jeremiah it’s stated that we are not to worship God the way gentiles worship…
Does Paul Condemn the Holy Days? – Earl Henn cgg.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Galatians 4:9-10 is a favorite crutch of those who claim Christians no longer need to observe God’s holy days. Many believe that Paul reprimands the Galatians for returning to Old Testament observances that were a form of ‘bondage.’ However, Paul would never refer to instructions coming from the holy God as ‘weak and beggarly.’ In addition, the Galatians were Gentiles; they did not come from…
Sex ucg.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Modern social values no longer tie sex to marriage. The idea that extra-marital sex is wrong is strange to many. Although there are many scriptures on the subject this question and answer piece singles out Hebrews 13:4. Hebrews 13:4 states that sex was designed to strengthen the committed bond of marriage, yet it has the opposite affect outside of it. The results of sex outside…
Lazarus & Rich Man – Scriptural Proof of Hell? hwalibrary.com
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
First, the Bible is clear that there is no consciousness after death and no immortal soul. There are, however, resurrections in sequence for both the righteous and the unrighteous. Both Lazarus and the rich man died. One was to be resurrected to life, the other to permanent destruction. Christ is using an allegory with terms familiar to His audience. It is in the context of…
The God Who Is – Jeremy Lallier sabbaththoughts.com
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Is there a god and if so, who is God? A question for the ages of which few find the answer. The Bible writes of one man that struggled with this question but had the unique opportunity to ask God in person. Moses, being raised in Egypt, grew up well aware of “gods”, so when he asked God directly “who do I say, to the…
Has God’s Law Been Done Away? – Ken Murray ucg.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
A fundamental question looms over much of Christianity today: Has the law been done away? What does Christ have to say about this – as He should be the foremost authority on the matter. There is a scripture in Luke that is often cited to say the law is no longer needed to be kept. The Bible explains itself, never contradicts, and states with full…
The Purpose of the Church thefatherscall.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Like the buildup in a great movie this article lays out the course of human existence. Man was created not just for a great purpose but to be an integral part of the process. That great and simple purpose, as typified by the nuclear family, was the creation of an eternal spiritual family. However Satan, the influential force within this world, has positioned himself as…
Why is the Gospel ‘Good News’? truegospel.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
People like the gospel “about” Christ, which is principally concerned with the forgiveness available through Christ’s sacrifice. While true, this version is incomplete and impotent. The gospel Christ preached was about God’s Kingdom – including obedience to His standard of conduct. This is disturbing to many because it contradicts their traditions and ideas, and requires not just belief but also change. Christ announced that He…
“You Will Not Surely Die!” – Jim Franks lifehopeandtruth.com
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
At some point we all face and wonder what happens after death. Most accept without question that what they are taught comes from scripture. That is “we are an immortal soul that at death lives on eternally in heaven or in hell.” What most don’t realize is this belief predates the first coming of Jesus, having its origins in paganism. It can arguably be traced…
THIS Happens After Death? tomorrowsworld.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
What really happens after death? When a person dies, they are no longer alive – in any sense. The dead know nothing. The Bible does not say that we have an immortal soul that goes to heaven or hell at death. Indeed, Christ Himself said that no one has ascended to heaven. So how do we have hope? Because the Bible promises that everyone who…
Source of Morality vision.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Morality seems to be as unattainable as truth these days. This article sets out to explain why that is and the ultimate reason for it. The example set forth in this article was specific to the time in which it was written but the conclusions are the same for whatever time you find yourself. I think the author stated it best when he concluded: “Until…
What is the "rapture"? thebiblesaysthat.com
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Many Christian sects promote the idea of a “secret rapture.” However, the idea that Christ will quietly snatch away believers before He returns cannot be found in the scriptures. The Bible says that Jesus Christ’s return will be announced with shouts, trumpet blasts and flashes of light. The whole world will know of His arrival. Only after this unmistakable event will Christians be taken up….
God of Anger or God of Love? – Brian Orchard vision.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
Much is often said about the harsh God of the Old Testament and the gentle Christ in the New Testament. Are there indeed examples of a God endorsing sexism and racism threaded throughout the Bible?
Is the Holy Spirit a Person? ucg.org
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
The teaching of the Trinity (i.e. that the Holy Spirit is a divine person) is not in the Bible. That idea arrived after the Bible was complete and stems from pagan origins. Rather than describing the Holy Spirit as a distinct person or entity, the Bible refers to it as God’s divine power. Jewish and Catholic scholars agree that the Bible speaks of the Holy…
Whiter Than Snow – Jeremy Lallier sabbaththoughts.com
Ryan Welsh
5 days ago in The Church
King David’s story is a case study in the peaks and valleys of dedicated obedience to God and the brutal realities of sin. Being willing to face his sins was one of his strengths. He acknowledged his disobedience and repented, but he also understood grace, the path to complete forgiveness which leads to a right relationship with God.