Answers to Common Questions About Angels
Are angels the spirits of departed humans? No. Scripture teaches that Christ Himself created all the angels (Colossians 1:16; see also John 1:3). One moment, they didn’t exist. The next moment they did. Humans and angels are seen to be distinct throughout Scripture. For example, Psalm 8:5 indicates that human beings were made lower than…
Read MoreThe Character Assassination of God
One strategy atheists and skeptics sometimes use is to bring up points that they think make God look very bad, and then proceed to argue that such a God cannot possibly exist. For example, some argue that the God of the Old Testament is cruel and vindictive, and either participated in or condoned many atrocities.…
Read MoreChristian Views of War – Part 2
Note: In Part 1, Dr. Rhodes explained three different views of war. They are: Activism, the view that citizens should participate in all wars in obedience to their government; Pacifism, the view that war and killing is always wrong; and Selectivism, the view that some wars are just, and others are unjust. He continues this…
Read MoreChristian Views of War – Part 1
At the time of this writing, Russia has invaded Ukraine, and there is now talk of World War 3. Current events have caused many Christians to seek a biblical understanding of war. As Christians give thoughtful consideration to this issue, they often come to different conclusions. What are the Christian views of war? Among the…
Read MoreAre the Gnostic Gospels Reliable Documents?
New Agers have long claimed the Gnostic gospels are the true Scriptures. Pop-fiction writers such as Dan Brown claim the same. Some liberal Christian scholars give high credence to these so-called “gospels.” In what follows, I will demonstrate why they are false gospels. Christians have been concerned about false gospels since the early years of…
Read MoreIn a Better Place
Last week two men in my circle died. The first was a 57-year-old husband and father of four. The other was a 71-year-old husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. I have no doubt that over the next few weeks the families of both men will comfort themselves and their loved ones by saying they are “in…
Read MoreReproduction Rights and Roe
Discussions involving human reproductive rights generate intense controversy. Our national populace has always been concerned about human rights. As humans what rights do we have? Our rights are deemed sacred because humans are created in God’s image. As Creator, God bestows rights on his created entities. In 1948 the United Nations produced the important UDHR (Universal Declaration…
Read MoreNational Day of Prayer 2022
Even before America became an independent nation, it set aside special days of prayer. Its people knew that their future depended on the Lord’s gracious intervention. As Scripture says, it is God who “makes nations great, and destroys them; [who] enlarges nations, and disperses them” (Job 12:23). It was the early Americans’ conviction in God’s…
Read MoreThe Holy Spirit is Called God
We will end this series with a very well-known passage from Acts 5. But first, a little background. In Acts 4, Luke describes how the believers in that early church treated one another. Acts 4:32, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own,…
Read MoreGod Manifest in the Mundane
Our recent family move to a different state necessitated many deliberate actions and modifications during the moving process. Of course, there was plentiful discard of what may be termed “junk.” The material for which we had no use was shipped to the “junkyard.” It no longer served any useful purpose. Other materials were classified as…
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