God and I raised a flower bed. He really did the most.
We used His soil, His air, His rain, His life, and His sun.
My part seemed so trivial that I said, "Lord, you take those bulbs and make them grow right there in the box out in the garage. You don't need me, Lord. You can do it by yourself."
"Oh, no," He said. "I will do my part, but you must do your part also. You'll have to dig the bed, bury the bulbs, and pull the weeds."
Should we use Bible evidence when reasoning with people who do not believe the Bible?
I read a book that said, when Christians discuss moral issues with people who do not believe in the Bible, we should not use the Bible to convince them. Many people, including some in the Lord’s church, agree there is no value in using the Bible to try to persuade unbelievers regarding specific issues. But consider:
Before deciding whether or not to serve God, each person should consider the sacrifices required to serve faithfully ... and the cost of not serving faithfully.I have a book by Paul Johnson about the history of the American people. It describes the development of the United States and discusses at length the role of religion in our history. One point he emphasizes is the tension throughout our history between the importance of religion and spirituality on the one hand and the urge for possessions and materialism on the other hand.
At one point he describes the occupations, material success, and living arrangements of Americans in the 1700's, including a description of their homes. Page 100 includes the following about what was to be the most magnificent home built during the 1700's:
The greatest early 18th-century house in America was Rosewell, erected by Mann Page ... in 1726 on the York river. Page had this superb house built using designs ... published in London ... Page overspent, his grand house was unfinished when he died in 1730, and his debts exceeded the value of all his property ... Rosewell ... was burned down in 1916.
Some people are ashamed to repent but not ashamed to sin.In Daniel Defoe's well-known classic, Robinson Crusoe left home to go to sea as a sailor against the wishes of his parents. He soon came to regret his decision, but was unwilling to return home because he did not want to admit that he made a mistake. He was ashamed to have his friends and family know that he was wrong and his parents were right.
So he observes: "Some people are not ashamed to sin but they are ashamed to repent."
Consider some things we can learn:
What does the Bible say about honoring our word? Must we keep our promises and commitments? What are the consequences of rash or false promises? Must we keep our commitments in marriage, business, and service to God?
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How serious is the problem of false teaching? Does the Bible contain many warnings about religious error and false teachers? Click here to view this material as a Video Bible Study.
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Some people deny resurrection from the dead because they do not see it today. What evidence is there that people in the past were raised? Especially, is there proof for Jesus' resurrection? Will the dead be raised when Jesus returns? Is resurrection a fact?
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What should we learn from the story of the prodigal son about sin, forgiveness, repentance, confession, and obedience? What do we learn from the father and the older son about love for the lost, free will, love for brethren, and self-righteousness?
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What are the consequences of premillennialism regarding Jesus' reign as king? Is Jesus Christ now reigning as King over His kingdom, or will the Messiah rule 1000 years on the throne of David over an earthly, civil kingdom beginning at His second coming? What are the implications for His priesthood? Does Jesus reign now as King and High Priest, or will He establish an earthly kingdom and reign for a thousand years on earth (the millennium)?This is part of a series of articles about premillennial teaching. To see a list of all the articles, please click here.
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This material is also available for sale as part of our professionally printed book The Kingdom of Christ: Future Earthly Millennium or Present Spiritual Reality? For more information go to gospelway.com/sales.
What value do the teachings of the Old Law have today? Are they binding as law? Do they benefit us as evidence for our faith, history, and understanding of the nature of God and of man?Click here to view this material as a Video Bible study.
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What is hospitality according to the Bible? Is it just enjoying good times with friends or is it caring for people with needs? How important is it? Who is responsible to do it: individual Christians or the local church? What principles should guide our hospitality?
May elders make decisions the church must follow? Should members follow if elders lead into unauthorized activities? Should elders emphasize spiritual or physical work? May they oversee individual activities?
The gospel teaches that each local church should develop and appoint qualified men to serve as elders or bishops to oversee the local congregation (Acts 14:23). The purpose of this study is to consider the work these men should do and what work they should not do.
Are agnosticism and atheism just honest mistakes? What are the consequences of unbelief? How serious does God view people's failure to believe and obey Him?
Many people do not seem to seriously consider the consequences of believing in God versus disbelieving. Consider some quotations from agnostics: *
People often make future plans without considering their relationship with God. Consider a serious lesson about a man who failed to account for the uncertainty of the future, the brevity of life, and the need to plan according to God's will.
The following true story occurred June 8, 1971. Jerome Rodale was a health advocate who coined the term “organic.” On a late-night TV show, he said, “I’ve decided to live to be a hundred.” “I never felt better in my life!” And “I’m going to live to be 100…” Following his interview, he was seated on a couch when he suddenly slumped over. Doctors in the audience attempted unsuccessfully to revive him. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital at age 72.
What does it take to grow up and become spiritually mature? Why do some Christians not grow as they should?View a related Video Bible Study at
https://biblestudylessons.substack.com/p/bible-principles-about-spiritual
Some people believe the Bible is not relevant today because it was written 2000 years ago. Others think we need to trace a history of religious organizations through the centuries to find the right church. What can seeds teach us about the power of Scripture?
Some people say Christians can believe in Darwinian evolution. What do the Freedom from Religion Foundation and other unbelievers say about the relationship between evolution and unbelief? Should schools and the government promote evolution but not creation?
Instead of heeding warnings, people often become angry and attack or reject the source of the warning. This is especially true in religion. People even ridicule or persecute those who show them their errors.
In 1938 a huge hurricane hit New England with winds of 200 MPH. 700 people died and 63,000 were left homeless. (The U.S. Weather Bureau was in its infancy then; no warning had been issued.) The following story is told about a man who lived on Long Island, New York:
On the morning of the disaster he had received [by mail] a barometer he had [ordered] … While unpacking it, he was irritated to see that the needle pointed to the place on the dial which read “Hurricanes and Tornadoes.” First he shook it and then he banged it against the wall, but the needle wouldn’t budge. Annoyed, he repacked it and drove to the post office to mail it back. While he was gone his house blew away. (via Words of Life, 12/20/1987)
The moral of the story is that you cannot eliminate the reality of danger by getting angry and even attacking the source that warns you.
Many people do not know the true God. Some do not want to know Him. Others think they know Him but only know facts about Him, or their conduct shows they do not really know Him. What does it mean to personally know God according to the Bible?
The Old Law had only animal offerings that could not completely remove guilt of sin. The gospel has the perfect sacrifice of Jesus' death on the cross.
Matthew 26:28 – For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
In instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said we remember His blood shed for our forgiveness. I read an interesting comparison between this and the Old Law.