In June of last year something odd happened in Loxley, Alabama. Pastor Orlando Bethel was preaching a funeral for a man who had died of prostate cancer. Pastor Bethel had a tough task, for the man who died had not been walking closely with the Lord. Midway through his sermon, Pastor Bethel announced that the

by Roscoe Barnes III A young man who had just trusted Christ as Savior was eager to tell others about his experience. He read a gospel tract and noticed a “sinner’s prayer” on the back of it. “If I get people to pray this prayer, will they be saved?” he asked. I was tempted to

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). Some believe the author of Hebrews is saying that we must achieve a certain level of holiness in order to make it into the kingdom. But that’s impossible for two reasons. First, the Lord Jesus promises eternal life

One of the most famous chapters in the New Testament is Acts 10, which presents the conversion of Cornelius and his household. They were the first Gentile believers other than the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. A search of the Libronix Digital Library System uncovered 275 articles on this popular chapter. In spite of the

by Dick Peik I became a Christian in 1959 while in college, attended theological seminary, and then pastored for nearly 30 years. In 1980 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (the slowly regressing type). My teaching ended in 1987 as my speech became increasingly slurred. Presently (2002) my whole body has been affected, but not

A few weeks ago a reader asked whether it is enough to tell people that if they believe in Jesus they will go to heaven, without talking with them first about eternal security and all of its implications. The questioner indicated that more people might respond positively to trusting Christ for eternal salvation if we

by Scott Paige Marshall, Texas I can remember back to my teen years when I wanted to borrow the family car and stay the night at a friend’s house. I knew I needed to ask my parents for permission. Always concerned that I might not get my request, I would think about how to phrase

by Jeff Ropp (Norwalk, IA) I don’t like to wait, do you? We live in such a “hurry-up” society. At the airport where I work as a security officer, people don’t like to wait for us to inspect their car trunks before entering the parking garage. They express impatience by honking their horn, shouting obscenities,

by Keith Krell What if you discovered that how you live your life has significance for all eternity? I am convinced that this is true, and this understanding has radically altered the way I live each day. At a young age, I believed the truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins.

Recently a GIF reader asked whether Luke 16:30 teaches that repentance is a condition of receiving eternal life. In Luke 16:30 there was a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. They both died. The rich man went to the portion of Hades apportioned for those who are eternally condemned. At some point he looked