Bibliology

Joseph’s Prophetic Dreams and Their Fulfillment

Genesis 37-50 records the incredible account of Joseph, his dysfunctional family, and God’s faithfulness through it all. Joseph’s prophetic dreams during his youth sustained him in his making wise choices...
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Joseph’s Prophetic Dreams and Their Fulfillment
Eschatology

The Fulfillment of Daniel’s “70 Weeks” Prophecy

One unique and interesting facet of biblical literature is the existence of predictive prophecy. I am always encouraged by the cohesiveness of God's word when I read in Scripture of...
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The Fulfillment of Daniel’s “70 Weeks” Prophecy
Eschatology

Fulfilled Prophecy in Daniel 2 & 7

The hiker who ascends the lofty mountain and pauses to view the landscape below him can see in one panoramic view the entire forest and its relationship to the landscape...
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Fulfilled Prophecy in Daniel 2 & 7
Eschatology

Isaiah’s Amazing Prophecy of King Cyrus

Isa 44:28: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation...
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Isaiah’s Amazing Prophecy of King Cyrus
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Functional Churches

The local church is the only visible expression of the universal church, the body of Christ. As such, a living body must function consistently and well. In practical ways, though, how can the leaders of the local assembly bring Biblical body function into being? One fact remains startlingly clear. Christians do not grow in isolation. There needs to be a commonality with each other. Further, New Testament Christians were not given the choice as to whether or not they wished to function.

Effective Instruments for the Master

Tragic current events, degradation of moral standards, and today’s warped philosophy may lead some to believe that we live in a hopeless situation. However, God is very much at work changing people’s hearts as He carries out His program for the ages. He has placed many of us in leadership positions in the local church, the primary vehicle for accomplishing His program in this present dispensation. To be effective instruments for the Master and His work in the church, we must be Godly leaders.

The Preservation of Scripture

The Message of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Another way of saying this would be, “all Scripture is God-breathed,” or “all Scripture comes from the mouth of God.” This means God is directly responsible for causing the Bible writers to put down everything that He wanted written without error and without omission. But what of the Bible I hold in my hand? Is it God’s Word? Can it be trusted? The answer is yes!

Resources For Preaching

Those who have listened to preaching for at least a generation are likely to observe that it is not what it was. On the basis of both anecdote and memory, it is on balance neither as interesting nor as compelling as it was within living memory. Furthermore, the results are not the same. First-time adult decisions for salvation used to be relatively common in many churches every Sunday. Now such decisions have to be programmed, usually after inducing people to make decisions in their own homes and then persuading them to come to church to go forward.

The Destiny of Those Who Die in Infancy

Introduction In this paper an attempt will be made to show what the Bible teaches about the destiny of those who die in infancy. In order to accomplish this purpose, the major views on this subject will be presented followed by an examination of the biblical material. The Major Views Infants who die in infancy unbaptized do not go to heaven: In Roman Catholic theology there is no official dogma on the destiny of dead unbaptized infants. Nevertheless, the weight of tradition teaches that they go to a place called limbo, which is neither heaven nor hell, a place of natural happiness but without full communion with God.

Waving the Flag, Part II

What is happening today is not new, and it is not isolated to only a few rare incidents. Let us note and learn from some examples from the past. Andover Seminary. Andover was started in 1807–1808 because a Unitarian had been appointed as professor of theology at Harvard. Every attempt was made to safeguard the new school’s orthodoxy. Yet within 75 years, the school’s faculty was promoting views way out of line with traditional orthodoxy, and during its 100th anniversary year—1908—it became identified with and moved back to the Harvard campus!

Waving the Flag, Part I

It is instructive to study the history of institutions to see how they have broadened and moved away from the original vision of their founders. Such a study is important because this process is taking place in many organizations whose heritage is one thing but present reality is another. Many view this broadening as progress, but others who cherish the founding ideals with their parameters, are saddened. The founding statements of institutions such as Harvard (which speak of Christ as the foundation for learning and one reason for the institution’s founding being a “dreading an illiterate ministry”—that is, a fear that they would not have educationally qualified pastors to guide them—) when compared with the institutions today, demonstrate only too well just how far the broadening can go.

Don’t Worry

We are living in an age of anxiety. Not only do older adults have a sense of uneasiness about life, but also young people are afflicted with this feeling. According to one national poll, when asked the question, “What is the basic feeling you have toward life?” sixty percent of the young people polled replied, “Fear.” Jesus commands believers not to be anxious about the future. We do not need to be anxious about what lies ahead because of who we are and because of Who God is.

Motivation for Service in the Local Church

One of the key questions facing the leadership of a local church is: How does one motivate the believers for service in the church? At the outset, church leaders face problems. They recognize that only fifteen to twenty percent of the believers in a local church are actually serving the Lord in productive ways. It is futile to place the blame on the believers without first analyzing why these believers do not serve, and second, providing creative ways for them to do so.

Ministry in the Local Church

The scriptural teaching concerning the mission of the body of Christ is most clearly given in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in chapter 4. Mention has been made of this text often. Ephesians 4:11–12 reads: “And he [i.e., Christ] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” A direct rendering of the Greek of 4:12 reads: “For the equipping of the saints for the work of service-ministry for the building up of the body of Christ.”