You don’t hear those words much anymore. You sure don’t hear sermons on this subject like people heard in years gone by. We live in an age of luxury and ease, and the thought of eternal damnation doesn’t mix with that mindset. Hell is not a comfortable subject. It is not designed to give comfort. It is in the Bible as a warning—a severe warning written in the strongest language possible. It is a place of punishment for the wicked after this life where “their worm does not die

The answer is yes and no. We can and should change in some ways, but we must not change in others. The story of one man in the Bible teaches us how to know the difference. Daniel was a young man living in the security of his home when the Babylonians attacked Judah and took him and others captive. His life changed almost overnight. His world turned upside down and suddenly he found himself in an strange land. Everything was different—the buildings, the language, the clothes,

From the Gospel Advocate, April 10, 1924 This simple, splendid, fruitful, energetic, prosperous America of ours is not, perhaps, conscious enough of all its needs. It has many of them, but none is greater or more pressing than its need of God. This is not an arraignment of our morals. For all our outcry against political and financial corruption, we are, as the world goes, a moral people. We are a generous people, kindly people, a sympathetic people, ready to respond abundant

The amount of alcohol consumed in this country is staggering. Americans spend over 200 billion dollars a year on alcoholic drinks. We can hardly go to a grocery store without seeing someone load down a shopping cart with beer. Drinking is a national pastime, and the money is only a small part of the price our country pays for it. Solomon said, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Prov. 20:1). After all the misery alcohol h

When the Gulf War began in 1990, many seemed sure the end of the world was near. Iraq was anti-Israel. It was home to the ruins of ancient Babylon. Just over forty years earlier, Israel had regained its independence as a nation in 1948. The prophetic clock appeared to be winding down. Preachers warned about the rapture and Armageddon. But the war ended six months later and none of what they said happened. Now the war in Iran is bringing would-be prophets out of the woodwork.

The question of “who’s to blame” seems to be one of every generation. After Satan had beguiled Eve in the garden, Adam followed suit and sinned as well. Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Gen. 3:12). Adam seems to tie his actions to what God did in providing him with a wife. The children of Adam and Eve faced a similar situation. Cain and Abel made an offering to God. Cain's offering came from the fruit of the ground, and

A remarkable prophecy about a famous leader is found in Daniel chapter 8. Daniel said, “Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last” (v. 3). There is no question about what this ram represents. We have the interpretation straight from the angel Gabriel later in this chapter in verse 20: “The ram which you saw, having the two

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” (Isa. 40:12). The prophet said God did three things with His hand. First, He “measured the waters in the hollow of His hand.” Which waters? All the waters—the rivers and lakes, the ponds and streams, the seas and oceans. Where did all that water come from? God measured out the right

One of the most popular beliefs of our time is the premillennial doctrine of the second coming of Christ. It says there will be two resurrections of the dead—one resurrection of the saved when He comes to rapture Christians from the earth and the grave and another resurrection of the lost a thousand years after the alleged earthly reign of Christ over Israel. In John 5:28-29, Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will he

Can we know that God exists, that Jesus is the Son of God and that the Bible is God’s inspired Word? Can we be sure that we have a soul and that heaven and hell are real? Can we know right from wrong? The world says no. God says yes. Here are some things the Bible says we can know: God Exists . In Romans 1:18-20 Paul wrote, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what

Many young people have left the churches they grew up in. Why? There are several reasons. They are tired of the hypocrisy. They are tired of the politics. Some are even tired of all the entertainment in worship because they can entertain themselves at home. They are confused by the division among traditional denominations and by the generic answers given at “nondenominational” churches. Some of these young souls give up on the idea of religion and become skeptics and atheists

There are few three-hour courses in the university of hard knocks. Many of them last for years. That’s not because we are slow learners—just stubborn. The man God named Israel went through two classes in this school. The first was a twenty-year course taught by his father-in-law Laban. His teacher was a hard schoolmaster. That had to be humbling experience for Jacob. After all, he was the one who caught his brother by the heel the moment he was born. His Hebrew name was ya-ak

“We are not ignorant of his devices.” II Cor. 2:11 Myth No. 1: Sin is an infection you acquire at birth. Myth No. 2: Satan forces his way into your heart and makes you sin. The truth is that sin is a choice. Satan tempts us. He deceives us. But we choose to resist or follow his lead. The devil is shrewd. He is much more cunning than we often think. He operates by stealth and infects our souls with sin that brings spiritual death. Insidious false teaching is part of his arsen

Here is a transcript of a short video I made on the differences between Christianity and Islam. We encourage you to watch “Jesus Schools Muhammad” on YouTube and share it. Jesus Schools Muhammad Imagine a conversation between Jesus and Muhammad. They lived 600 years apart, but it might have sounded something like this. Muhammad : “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day…”— Quran, 9:29. Jesus : “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, M

How could God send horrific wars on people in the Bible? This question has troubled Bible readers for thousands of years. One answer is that God did not send these wars. He only allowed them. But that is not what the Bible says. The Bible says he sent the Assyrians to punish Judah (Isa. 10:5-7). He ordered the Israelites to slay the Canaanites (Deut. 9:1-3). Another response is that God used a hyperbole when he told the Israelites to kill the men, women and children. This app

“They’re just dead. Nobody cares. Nobody wants to do anything.”Have you ever felt this way? Jesus told the church at Sardis that they were dead. "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1). They had a reputation for being on fire and active, but they were dead spiritually. The Lord does not see as man sees (I Sam. 16:7). There are congregations like that today. People talk about how dynamic the church is, but it is dead inside. A

Paul Harvey was one of the most effective radio personalities of his time. Just pull up his classic “If I Were the Devil” and you’ll see why. He had a distinctive voice. He used simple words everyone could understand. And he was famous for something else that has become a lost art—pausing after he made a major point. The pause always got your attention. During a lesson or sermon, the mind needs time to let the information soak in, even if it is only a second or two. It needs

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