There are some questions we shouldn’t ask or try to answer, even if they are about religion. The Bible tells us to “avoid foolish and unlearned questions” or disputes because they only cause strife (II Tim. 2:23). A question may be popular but it may not be productive. The Bible does not answer every question. “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this la

Paul said we are to give “not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (II Cor. 9:7). Some look at this verse and reason that if they have to push themselves or be challenged to give generously, then they might as well not give at all. That is wrong thinking. Doing the right thing is not always easy because we are selfish and prideful. On one hand, we know what is right. On the other hand, our feelings pull us in a different direction. We all have that int

The first chapter of Genesis sets the stage for believing the rest of the Bible. It shows that: God exists. The creation reveals the Creator. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psa. 19:1). Paul wrote, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Paul used this simple reas

One of the best known stars is the North Star. Most of us hear about it before we look up into the sky and find it. Travelers have used it for thousands of years because it’s always perfectly due north. Other stars appear to change, but not the North Star. Those other stars get our attention because they are brighter—some of them much brighter. When you find the North Star, you’re not all that impressed. It’s not as spectacular as other lights in the sky. It doesn’t stand out

A curious skeptic asked a believer, “What was God doing before He made heaven and earth?” His friend replied, “He was preparing hell for those who pry into mysteries” (Augustine, Confessions , 11.12). Yet the Bible does tell us about God “before” He made the world. Jesus the Lamb of God “was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (I Pet. 1:20). God didn’t have to figure out whether He would make the world and send His Son. The plan to send Jesus into the world was a

There is a lot of information there. You’ll learn about people who lived before you. You’ll understand what happened, why it happened and how it affects you now. You’ll see human nature clearer and gain valuable life-changing lessons. All that and much, much more is waiting for you, but you have to make the time and effort to get it. Most of us are in too big of a hurry. If you slow down and spend just a little time in this library, you’ll avoid a lot of mistakes and stress.

Is it good or is it harmful for little children to hear sermons about hell fire and damnation? Too many Christians immediately give an answer from their own wisdom. “I don’t think that’s good. That will only scare those children and they’ll think they have to serve God out of fear and not love.” Others might say, “There’s nothing wrong with that. They need to face the truth early, and if you bring them up learning about it, they won’t resent it when they grow up.” Why not ask

Sometimes, the Christian sees worldly people prevail. These are people who never submit to the commandments of God, but fare well materially. They have nice houses and nice cars. They seem to have it all, but they are not always honest with others. They do not consider all they have been blessed with, and they certainly don’t give God credit.  It seems that, at times, these people advance in life unscathed. How does this happen? Jesus said of the Father in heaven, “He makes H

One preacher had enough of all the entertainment in churches and spoke out. He said they turn worship into “a place of hilarious amusement.” These gimmicks, he said, “despiritualize the people; merge the high sense of obligation into pleasure seeking; blot out that line of demarcation between the church and the world, which cannot be destroyed without debasing the one and affording rare comfort to the other and its sins…They are full of weaklings with itching ears and sensua

If you spotted the error, kudos. It’s a common error. I was proofreading an article and saw that I put the word “not” twice: “It is not not…” I had made that mistake many times, but this time I laughed it off and told myself that if I really wanted to make the point emphatic I could leave the extra not  in there. But then something struck me. That’s exactly what the Greeks did. Some verses in the New Testament use a double negative for emphasis. They had more than one word fo

Is drinking a sin? There is a simple word in the Bible that answers that question. “For the time past of our  life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries” (I Pet. 4:3). There are three words in this verse that involve drinking alcohol. The first is “excess of wine” in the King James. Other translations have “drunkenness.” The Greek word is oinophlugia,

Job said, “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25). Have you ever said, “I had a feeling something like this was going to happen”? Sometimes there's a reason why we have that nervousness. We've seen it happen before. We know the people involved. We're not surprised when it happens. But many things we are afraid will happen never do. David was sure in his mind that his father-in-law Saul would kill him. He said, "There

“The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.” The people who said this weren't atheists. You can understand why someone who doesn't believe in God would think this way. If he says it, he's just being sarcastic. They weren't Greek philosophers like the Epicureans Paul met in Athens. Epicurus believed in Greek gods, but he said they don’t intervene in the world. They have nothing to do with human beings. That’s why he said there is nothing to fear and you can just have

Marriage problems. Troubles with children. Disagreements over the Bible. Homes are falling apart. How can we endure? Remember you're not...

One preacher was writing about the sad condition of the United States. He said "the very frame of our government, our constitution, laws,...

Idolatry was common in Bible times. This puzzles us. Why would anyone bow down to a piece of carved wood or rock and pray to it? Idolatry...

I was in my twenties the first time I heard him. I thought, “Wow! This guy is saying what a lot of us have been thinking!” He was...

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water. He turns it wherever he wishes” (Prov. 21:1). How many...

It is a fact of history that schools, like societies, tend to go from conservative to liberal and not the other way around. They begin...

The story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4 is remarkable in many ways. One of these is what was said and what was not said. The Bible only...