Are You Zealous? (Part Four) 
Summary: At the end of the previous essay, we considered the zeal of Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry, showing that His enthusiasm for God and His way of life fueled all of His efforts. ... 

Basic Doctrines: Salvation 
Summary: Are you saved already or are you being saved? What is salvation anyway? What part do we play in our own salvation? These are important questions that we must answer from God's Word. 

Born Again or Begotten? (Part One) 
Summary: Throughout its recent history, the "born again" or "begotten again" doctrine has time and again been a point of controversy in the church of God. Clearly an important principle, it is the subject of Jesus' first discourse in the book of John, a gospel made up of our Savior's expansions on vital, spiritual subjects. John Ritenbaugh explains that "born again" is entirely a spiritual matter, a fact that Nicodemus misunderstood and one that continues to elude many even today. 

Caught Up in the Rapture 
Summary: Is the rapture biblical? If so, when will it occur? Where do the saints go? Richard Ritenbaugh clarifies this sometimes confusing subject from the Bible. 

God Has Not Called the Atheist 
Summary: Atheism is alive and well in post-Christian society. Much of nominal Christianity believes it is their sacred duty to convince atheists to drop their unbelief and commit themselves to Christ. But is it? Scripture says otherwise. Richard Ritenbaugh, mulling a recent encounter with some atheists, asserts that no amount of persuasion will change an atheist's mind unless God Himself enables him to believe. 

God's Promises Are Sure! 
Summary: Using primarily the story of Joseph, John Ritenbaugh expounds the lessons we can learn and the encouragement we can glean from God's dealings with men during the time of the Feast of Trumpets. 

Groping for Jesus 
Summary: The media keeps Jesus in the public eye through new movies and television shows, but are viewers getting the truth about mankind's Savior? No. Usually, they are "interpretations" of Him, slanted by personal biases and aims. Even scholars cannot agree on Him because they, like most others, reject the only true record of His life and teachings, the Bible. In addition, Richard Ritenbaugh argues that they lack God's Spirit to guide them into the truth. 

How Does Christ Fulfill the Law? 
Summary: Matthew 5:17 poses a major headache for Bible translators who believe that Christ's sinless life and sacrificial death did away with the law, so Christians do not need to keep it. Jesus, however, consistently teaches that God's law is still in force. By defining a few critical Greek words, Charles Whitaker explains that our Savior meant exactly what He said: He came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. 

Is God a False Minister? 
Summary: John Ritenbaugh exposes the deplorable contradictions in the arguments of those who advocate doctrinal change. By their reasoning, they portray God as a confused and false minister who lacks the power to instruct his chosen leaders to "get it right." But that is not the way the Bible portrays Him! 

Is Heaven the Reward of the Saved? 
Summary: Most of Christianity believes humans go to heaven or hell after death, but is this so? This belief does not originate in the Bible—and in fact, the Bible reveals a very different Christian destiny. 

Is the Kingdom of God Within You? 
Summary: Luke 17:21 has tripped up Protestants for centuries. Using the context and the meaning of the Greek, Richard Ritenbaugh explains that this verse's meaning is very plain! 

Jesus and 'the Spirits in Prison' 
Summary: Peter's statement that Jesus 'preached to the spirits in prison' (I Peter 3:19) has for years baffled many a Bible student. Richard Ritenbaugh examines this verse in context, showing that the traditional interpretation is woefully off-base to the point of suggesting a totally unbiblical conclusion. 

Jesus Was a Carpenter 
Summary: When people first meet, among the first questions they ask each other is, “So, what do you do?” meaning, “How do you make a living?” This question comes up so quickly because how a person is employed reveals a great deal about him or her. ... 

Sanctified by Truth 
Summary: In His John 17 prayer before His arrest, Jesus asked His Father to sanctify His disciples by His truth, His Word. Indeed, believing and observing the revealed truth of God not only makes the elect holy but also separates them from those of the world around them! John Reiss reviews five fundamental truths that distinguish the church of God from other religious organizations. 

The Awesome Cost of Love 
Summary: We assess costs and values all the time in our daily lives: Is it better to buy used or new? Should we prefer traditional or contemporary? Paper or plastic? John Ritenbaugh employs the same process to God's love for us in giving His Son as the sacrifice for sin. What costs have been paid for our redemption? 

The Flood Is Upon Us! 
Summary: In His Olivet Prophecy, Jesus likens the situation during the time of the end to the days preceding Noah's Flood. Later, in Revelation 12, He reveals another flood spewed from Satan's mouth, one designed to destroy God's people just before Christ's return. John Ritenbaugh gives insight into how this end-time flood is manifesting itself and what we can do to avoid being swept up in it. 

Was God's Law Nailed to the Cross? 
Summary: Many point to Colossians 2:14 to "prove" that it is no longer necessary to keep God's law, but is this really what the apostle Paul means? Was the law nailed to Christ's cross? What is the "handwriting of requirements" he writes of? Using the immediate context and supporting scriptures, Earl Henn untangles the apostle's intent in this verse. 

Was Jesus Married? 
Summary: Over the past century and more, critical scholars have worked to undermine God and the Bible. In concert with sensationalist fiction writers, they have foisted spurious gospels and outlandish theories on an increasingly irreligious public. Mike Ford analyzes a recent find, dubbed "The Gospel of Jesus' Wife," that claims our Savior was married to Mary Magdalene. But was He? 

What Is the Book of Revelation? 
Summary: Everyone knows what the book of Revelation is all about, right? The end of the world, strange and fearsome symbols, and enigmatic clues about the shape of things to come. David Grabbe, however, argues that, though those are included in its pages, the real subject of Revelation is readily apparent. 

Where Is God's True Church Today? 
Summary: This world presents us with a disordered array of religions of all kinds—from atheism to animism, ancestor worship, polytheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and many more besides. Where can we find the true religion, the true church, in all this confusion? John Ritenbaugh reveals that only one religion with its one true church has the answers to salvation and eternal life—the church Christ founded and heads today. 

Why Preach the Gospel to the World? 
Summary: On a street corner of a crowded city, a young man in threadbare clothes stands on a pine box, a worn Bible clutched in one hand. He shouts at the hustling passersby, "God is not mocked! We will reap what we have sown!" ... 




 
Close
E-mail It