By: Howard Johnson We read in 2 Kings 5:1–14 about a mighty captain of the host of the king of Syria. He had the power to win nations for his king. Yet, this man was stricken with leprosy, a dreaded disease that kills the body. In one of his raids, Naaman, the captain of the hosts, took a young maiden to be his wife’s servant. She was from the land of Israel. This maiden told Naaman’s wife about a prophet in Samaria who could heal her husband of his leprosy. With his king’s permission, Naaman went to see Elisha, the prophet of God. When Naaman arrived at Elisha’s door, he called to him. Elisha, hearing the caller, sent a messenger to the captain. The servant told Naaman to go into the river Jordan. He further told him to wash seven times, and he would be cleansed of his leprosy. Naaman became furious. He was a great warrior. He wanted Elisha to personally come to him. Naaman thought, “How dare Elisha send a servant to instruct him.” He expected Elisha to wave his hand over the area, and it would be cleansed. Furthermore, the river Jordan was a muddy river. Why couldn’t he go to the Abana or Pharpar, one of the cleaner rivers of Damascus? After encouragement from his servants, Naaman agreed and went to the Jordan. He washed seven times and came up with skin as a child. We all can learn a valuable lesson from Naaman’s obedience. We

By: Howard Johnson Do you believe in a God who can save your soul? Are you willing to believe that He gives us a pattern or a path that is complete? Can we trust God’s Word? There are some today who suggest that we can no longer fully trust the Bible as inspired and that it is not suitable for the growth of the church. They further state that its doctrine is archaic and out of touch with the maturing/evolving body of Christ. Listen to this statement from many years ago. “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls”(Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV). Jehovah God spoke to those of a rebellious Jerusalem through His prophet Jeremiah saying they must keep to the old path or pattern in order to have rest for their souls. God never changes. You must believe that. He is the same God today that was the Lord of Adam, Abraham and David. God, through the voice of His prophets, has resounded over and over again that He is the way to eternal life. Jesus came to earth to live the pattern (John 1:1, 14; 14:6–7) and to pass on to His disciples the way to Heaven. There is a pattern of doctrine that is able to free us from sin. Consider further, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves to sin, yet you obeyed from

By: Howard Johnson As we study the parables of Jesus, we often assume that when He explained the meaning, it was to the twelve only. At least, that is generally how I understood them. When comparing the different versions of the Parable of the Sower, I noted an interesting point. In Luke 8:4–15, Jesus told of a sower who planted seed. The seed fell on four different types of soil and produced varying results. Then, in verse 10, His disciples asked Him what the parable meant, and Jesus answered, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that Seeing they may not see, ‘And hearing they may not understand’” (NKJV). Who is to know and to understand, the twelve or all those who follow Jesus? It is indeed all who follow Jesus. Jesus obviously taught in parables for two reasons. One reason was so those with a limited education would be able to relate to his colorful examples. The second reason was so those who didn’t quite understand would ask for further guidance in their understanding, thus showing their sincere desire to follow. This left the religious leaders of that time out of the circle of understanding unless they humbled themselves enough to ask this lowly carpenter’s son to explain the meaning of life. The point of educating all who asked, and not just the twelve closest to Jesus, is further illustrated in Mark

By: Howard Johnson The immediate response to the above question might be, “to fulfill all righteousness,” and that is a good answer. A review of the Scriptures will show that it was much more than that. In Matthew 3:13–17, Jesus came to John to be baptized. In verse 15 Jesus said, “…Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness…” (NKJV). Jesus was not alone in this event; the Bible says that it was important for them to fulfill the act. John, the cousin of Jesus and the one chosen to prepare the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3–4; Matthew 3:1–3; Mark 1:2–4; Luke 3:2–6; John 1:19–34), was a crucial part of the baptism. John was “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17) and “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” (Mark 1:3). He spent his whole adult life preaching and teaching a call to repentance and baptism for remission of sins. John was told that he would see the chosen One from God, and he was an integral part of initiating the earthly ministry of our Lord. Knowing the background of the baptism of Jesus of Nazareth, I would like you to consider two reasons why Jesus was baptized. To Fulfill All Righteousness To be righteous is to be obedient. Jesus had to be in full obedience to the Law of God. God said that man needed to be baptized and sent John to perform it. In order

Let’s examine the Jewish priesthood. I want to show how it needed to be replaced by a more perfect sacrifice. That perfect sacrifice is the High Priest and King, Jesus, Who reigns in Heaven today and offers atonement for all—to both Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14–18). Introduction: A.D. 70 It all began on the fourteenth day of Nisan, A.D. 70, the period the Jews called the Passover. The city was brimming with Jews and proselytes from all over the world. They had traveled to Jerusalem, the Holy City, for their once a year pilgrimage to partake of the Feast. The city of Jerusalem came under attack by the Roman Empire during this time. The Zealots, a radical group of Jews who resisted Roman rule, were considered the primary cause of the invasion. By the seventy-second day of the siege, three of the remaining walls were taken, the Agrippa and the Antona being the chief of these. Twelve days later (84th day) the sacrifices in the Temple ceased. On the ninth day of Ab, the 105th day of the siege, the temple and lower city were burnt. In the destroying of the temple by the Romans, two significant events occurred. First, prophecy was fulfilled. Jesus had said that not one stone would be left upon another (Matthew 24). Second, the lineage of the priesthood was terminated forever. Without the records to show lineage, no descendant of Aaron could prove his right to offer sacrifice or enter the Holy of Holies. God foreknew it would

Will Worship has been defined as actions engaged in because they please the worshiper and not because the Lord commanded them. Who have we chosen to serve this day—ourselves unto damnation or our God unto eternal life? Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion [“will worship” KJV], false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:20-23 NKJV) There are some today in the church who insist that modern innovations can be scripturally introduced into worship. They attempt to reconcile their beliefs by stating their introductions are no different than the use of a community building for worship and the use of songbooks. These wayward children of God say that their introductions are merely expedients to the furthering of God’s Word. Some of their introductions include the use of substitutions on the Lord’s Table, partaking of communion on days other than the first day of the week, the use of vocal groups (i.e, choirs) instead of congregational singing and drama performances instead of Gospel preaching. When compared to the teachings of the Bible, these introductions are nothing more than the product of those serving itching ears

Only a stone’s throw from His disciples, Jesus knelt to the ground to pray. He prayed to the Father that His will would be done. Jesus knew His time had come and that He must die. An angel came to comfort and to strengthen Him. In agony, He prayed more earnestly (Luke 22:39–46). Can you imagine praying so fervently that sweat the size of drops of blood would begin to fall to the ground? Jesus was torn between His human side and His Divine side. He wanted His Father’s will to be done, but our Lord did not desire to die. Jesus endured great emotional stress in the Garden that night. His men slept when they were instructed to pray. They did not understand His plight. Peter even went as far as to cut off an ear of a servant to the high priest in the defense of his Master (John 18:10–11). Many a great sermon has been preached about the Garden and its beauty—both physically and spiritually. We can learn a valuable lesson on how to deal with conflict in our lives. In a time of almost despair, Jesus took His soul to the Father for His will to be done. What did God do for Jesus? Immediately, He sent an angel to comfort Him. This encouraged Jesus to continue, for He knew that God was with Him, even in His worst of times. Often when we pray, we do not take the example of Jesus or the advice

The doctrine of the resurrection is a central message of all the Bible. Without the resurrection, there is no Savior, no hope and no God. If there were no resurrection, then the atheist would be right. If there were no resurrection, then even more people would resort to believing evolution could be more than just a theory. However, prove the resurrection, and you prove the skeptics wrong. In order to prove the resurrection, we must first prove the reliability of the source of our evidence–God. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God…’” (Psalm 14:1 NKJV). However, as we review human history, mankind has always worshipped. We have always believed in a supreme being (a higher power). The teleological argument for the existence of God is probably the best for proving God exists. It states that where there is a design, there is of necessity a designer. Man and the universe are complex elements that show intricate design. Something greater brought us into being. That something is God. Whatever a particular culture chooses to call Him, He is God. The Holy Bible claims to be the Word of God. It is complete, it is accurate and it is the standard by which all mankind will be judged (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Revelation 22:18–19; John 12:48; 8:32). If one views the Bible as anything less than God’s message to us, then he might as well say that God cannot reveal His will to man. It is important to distinguish between

Recently, a faithful Gospel preacher and friend of mine passed from this life after an extensive bout with Lou Gehrig’s disease. This is a condition that affects mobility, speech and a number of other areas of the body. I am sure his family asked the questions, and maybe you have, too, at some time in your life: “Why do God’s people suffer? Why do those that serve God faithfully still suffer the pains of this world? Why do bad things happen to good people?” In Thomas Warren’s book, Have The Atheists Proved There Is No God?, he devotes an entire chapter to human suffering. In that chapter, he notes that human suffering is a necessary component in an environment used for soul-making. God, in His creation of this world, established certain principles that must be there in order to allow for free will. If these principles were not in place, then either: (1) no one would believe or (2) everyone would believe in God as supreme and divine. Allowing human suffering is one of those elements that are necessary for free will to exist. As in the case of Job, we see a man who suffered great personal hardship. We also see his faith challenged. Job is an example of human suffering. He is also an example of human triumph. Some Causes of Suffering Some suffering is a result of carelessness or indifference. The “I don’t really care” attitude can be seen with some in the church today. In a society that

As miracles occurred, the miracle of when the day the earth stood still is one of the most spectacular. One author thought it appropriate to list it with two other major events in Israel’s conquest of the land of Canaan to that point in time (i.e., the parting of the Jordan and the falling walls of Jericho). Joshua saw what appeared to be insurmountable odds—his army versus the armies of five kings. In prayer, he asked God to deliver them from their enemies (Joshua 10:12). In answer to Joshua’s prayer, God caused the sun and the moon to stand still. In more accurate terms, the earth ceased its rotation. Although we cannot be sure why Joshua prayed this prayer, we can know that it was granted. Joshua, by the power of God, was able to defeat his enemies. Skeptics challenge the miracle and say it is impossible for the earth to survive such an event. They claim that the initial stop of the earth would catapult the inhabitants through the air. What the skeptics fail to realize is that the same God that parted the Jordan and caused the Jericho walls to fall is the same God who performed this miracle. Causing the earth to stand still is without a doubt an extraordinary feat. The record even shows that this event caused a severe ice storm to fall on the enemy (hail, Joshua 10:10–11). Scientists have concluded that an event of this nature would cause dramatic temperature changes. This event

Since the days when Jesus walked on the earth, men have been asking the question, “Who is Jesus?” (Matthew 16:13). The fact that He is a historical figure is beyond doubt, but who is He? Was He a man? Was He a prophet? Was (Is) He God? “Yes,” to all three. Jesus was born of a virgin as prophesied (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:27-31), spoke as a prophet (John 7:28ff, 46) and is indeed God (John 1:1ff, 14, 17; Acts 20:28). God through the prophet Isaiah said, “…Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me” (Isaiah 43:10 NKJV). God is eternal with no other God before or after. In the Gospel record according to John, we note that the Word was in the beginning with God and was God (1:1). Who was the Word? Continuing in verse 14, we learn that this Word became flesh and was full of grace and truth. Finally in verse 17, we see that Jesus was this grace and truth. In just one short example, we can clearly see that Jesus is God, according to the Scriptures. However, many today are not satisfied with just one example. This further reveals their distrust in the divine origin of the Bible. Jesus exhibited characteristics that could only be attributed to God. In the book of Hebrews (1:1-6), God addressed the superiority of the Son. He showed Him to be better than the prophets and the angels. He even calls the angels to worship

Did a great flood occur? Archaeologists say, “Yes, it did.” Was this flood global, encompassing the whole earth, or was it local, regional or even isolated to the area of Mesopotamia? Here, though, lies disagreement. The Bible is a proven historically reliable document. In addition, its divine origin is evident from its hundreds of prophesies that were fulfilled hundreds of years later. (Some prophecies remain to be fulfilled, but acknowledging those that have already been fulfilled, we can certainly anticipate fulfillment of prophecies in the future, such as the general resurrection from the dead and final judgment.) The Genesis Flood, as it is commonly called, has been recorded by over 100 cultures from around the world. They all record a cataclysmic event known to many as The Great Flood. In all these records, the core truth is present: (1) a universal destruction by water of human-kind and all living creatures occurred, (2) an ark (boat) was provided as a means of escape for some, (3) a seed of mankind was provided to perpetuate the human race (The Current Digression II 117). To better understand the fact of a global flood, we must first see the need for one. As man began to multiply and fill the earth, it is noted that the sons of God began to marry the daughters of man (Genesis 6:2ff). Some try to contend that this meant angels married those of earth. Instead, it refers to the mingling of righteous and unrighteous people, through which they and

Evolutionary theory developed because of man’s desire to explain his existence through science and discovery—apart from God. Science, though, does not actually substantiate evolution since, even under controlled circumstances in laboratory experiments, assertions by evolutionists can neither be replicated nor validated. Evolutionists claim that fossils found embedded in rock deposits (strata) at varying levels and stages of development are proof that evolution occurred. To the contrary, the pattern left by the fossils was the natural order of things after the great flood and not evidence of the evolution of life. By definition, the study of evolution is not a science or even a scientific theory, but a philosophical theory. This means it is a philosophy, or way of thinking, and not a true science. In order for a theory (a process of thinking) to teach and to convince, evidence must be overwhelming. That is absolutely not the case with the theory of evolution Evolutionist’s Fossil Theory Evolutionists contend that the strata and the fossils found within it prove that evolution occurred in prehistoric times. They further state that if evolution happened in prehistoric times it must be occurring now. It is an evolutionary theory that rocks are old because fossils can be found within them. Furthermore, each layer of rock closer to the surface of the earth’s crust has evidence of advanced forms of fossilized life. The evolutionist’s conclusion is, “Because of the irreversibility of evolution, the more primitive the fossil in development the older the rocks” (Richard Rogers, Philosophy

This is, indeed, a question that must be answered. The evidence is overwhelming. Of course, God exists! If there were no God, then, anything would be permissible. Nevertheless, despite the existence of God, Everything is practice in some parts of the world. It is not that difficult to prove the existence of God. The hard part is getting people to accept that He continues to expect worship from His creation. Each creature has a continued obligation to God. Proving there is a God can be done in a number of ways. Consider just three primary arguments. Cosmological Contemplation: Cause and Effect From where did man come? Some will say he evolved. Others say he simply appeared by non-miraculous means (developed over eons as a result of the conjecture of the Big Bang Theory). Regardless of from where man came, he is the result of cause and effect. Man is the effect of some act. What caused man? Parents? Grandparents? The first man and woman? What about before man? What about the beginning? Teleological Consideration: Design and Designer The designer is naturally greater than the design. Think of the complexity of the world, the universe and even man. Now, decide that all this was generated in a cataclysmic explosion without source or origin and without a designer. Who can believe it? It certainly can neither be proved nor duplicated in any degree through controlled experimentation. If you discovered a working computer in the desert, miles from any source of electricity, would you consider that it:

The discussion of dinosaurs has caused some to doubt their faith. The prior existence and now the extinction of dinosaurs is very much explainable in light of the Scriptures. The word “dinosaur” comes from the Greek word deinos, which means “terrible,” and sauros, which means “lizard.” Therefore, “dinosaur” means terrible lizard. Dinosaurs were not really lizards. However, when they were first discovered in the late 1800’s, they had similar features and were categorized as such. Today, there are no living dinosaurs, except perhaps the blue whale. Dinosaurs must have roamed all over the world in the past. Their footprints have been found in Texas, their eggs in China and their bones in Australia. The remains of dinosaurs have been discovered on every continent, including Antarctica. The question arises, “What happened to the dinosaurs?” Why are they extinct (no longer around)? Some scientists would have you believe that a huge object hit the earth. When this object hit the earth, tons of dust were thrown up into the air. This dust stopped some of the sun’s rays from reaching earth. Without sunshine, the plants died, and the earth became very cold. The dinosaurs became extinct because they could not live without food and warmth. The Bible does not discuss any objects coming from space and crashing into the earth. It does, however, mention the great flood. The flood killed every animal on earth with the exception of the water creatures (which may help explain the blue whale’s existence) and those still on the

There is a noted difference between fact and theory. Facts are proven to be true by evidence. Theories are conclusions based on pure supposition (an educated guess or hypothetical conjectures). The theory of evolution has not existed for an extremely long time. Its origin is generally associated with the release of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species in 1859. However, in almost 140 years, the theory has been able to penetrate virtually every society, every culture and even the church. It has been elevated to such a point of recognition that many have begun to see it as a fact. Some in Christendom (those who profess a belief in the deity of Christ) have been driven to the point where they feel they must harmonize evolution with the Bible. Evolution has absolutely nothing to do with the Bible. Either you believe in evolution, or you believe in the Bible. There is no middle ground. The theory of evolution states that every living thing that exists today evolved from lower forms of life. Evolutionists would have us believe that this process has continued over millions and some even say billions of years. This would mean man has not existed from the beginning. God supplied man with a record of the beginning. In this record, not only does God supply the source of the beginning of all life, but He also provides certain geological and scientific facts about man, the earth and the universe. There is sufficient evidence to prove that creation is true. There

What would it take to convince you to believe in the Bible? In it, one finds that Christianity is the one true religion which God approves today; the Christian religion depends on the recognition that the Holy Bible is His divine revelation to man. Consequently, if the Bible is of divine origin, to be acceptable to God, it must be adhered to by all now living. The question, however, is, “Can we truly depend on the Bible?” In Josh McDowell’s two-volume series of books, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Volumes I & II, McDowell supplies over 700 pages of evidence for God, the Bible and Jesus Christ. In volume two alone, McDowell spends the entire book on the discussion of textual criticism. This is the process where one examines the various attacks posed on the textual credibility of the Bible. A very basic argument for the inspiration of the Bible is: If it is the case that the Bible is reliable, trustworthy, and historical, and if it is a unity, contains prophecy made and fulfilled, presents a view of God, man, and the world beyond mere human invention, contains true accounts of miracles performed, presents an ethical code beyond mere human invention, and it presents a mission, message, authority, and commission of Jesus Christ, which are beyond mere human invention, then the Bible is the authoritative revelation of God to man. Take a few minutes to let that statement really sink in. Reread the statement if necessary. First and foremost, we

When we look at evidences for Christianity, we could not go much beyond our proof of God’s existence before some well-educated atheist brings up the subject of evil. Immediately the atheist wants to ask the question, “Why is there evil?” He would then suggest that the biblical theist (one who believes in the God of the Bible) has a logical contradiction in proving the existence of God. The atheist says our view of God (that He is all powerful and that He is all love, coupled with the fact that evil exists) constitutes a logical contradiction. In other words, all three cannot be true. What is evil? If we can define what is always good, then anything else is evil. Jesus set out guidelines for the followers of God. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36–40 NKJV) These can be summed up quite easily: (1) Loving and serving God, and (2) Being a brother to man; these are always good. These are the greatest in the kingdom. Everything else has the potential to be either good or evil. This brings us to Job. His reaction to the temptation by the devil had