Is Tithing Commanded in Scripture?
Yes, tithing is commanded in Scripture, but that is not the whole story. Tithing actually began before it was commanded. When Melchizedek blessed Abram, he… Read More »Is Tithing Commanded in Scripture?
Series
Hymn 387 “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”
Most of those reading this magazine have, in all probability, known the blessed comfort of the Gospel from their earliest childhood. Brought up in Christian homes by godly parents, they have from their youth known the holy Scriptures, which have made them wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (II Timothy 3:15).
But what if that were not so?
What if your exposure to the Scriptures had been limited only to the Law (in the narrow sense), and you had not known the Gospel? In the second evening lecture of The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, Dr. C.F.W. Walther notes that “[T]he Law uncovers to man his sins, but offers him no help to get out of them and thus hurls man into despair . . . . It conjures up the terrors of hell, of death, of the wrath of God. But it has not a drop of comfort to offer the sinner. If no additional teaching, besides the Law, is applied to man, he must despair, die, and perish in his sins.”Read More »Hymn 387 “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”
Incomparable!
With His sacrifice, Jesus didn’t bring the blood of an animal, but His own blood. “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things… Read More »Incomparable!
Following in His Footsteps
When selecting a career path, many young people are drawn to the same vocations practiced by their fathers or mothers. This is notable also in… Read More »Following in His Footsteps
Is It Permissible for a Christian to Use Birth Control?
This is something you should discuss with your pastor, because there are different types of birth control, different circumstances, different motives, and different preconceived ideas… Read More »Is It Permissible for a Christian to Use Birth Control?
“Lord, Who at Cana’s Wedding-Feast”
Hymn 620 is actually a prayer to Christ, offered in the context of a wedding ceremony. When at that wedding we sing “Thou dearer far than earthly guest,/ Vouchsafe Thy presence here” (verse 1), we are actually praying that Christ will be present at this wedding, even as He was present at the wedding in Cana, where He performed the first miracle in His public ministry.Read More »“Lord, Who at Cana’s Wedding-Feast”
“What a Contrast!”
“Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:6-10).Read More »“What a Contrast!”
A Glory-Winning Performance
Many people follow the Academy Awards show to see which nominees did the best at playing their respective roles. The winners are much applauded for… Read More »A Glory-Winning Performance
Does the Bible Contain Mistakes?
No, the Bible doesn’t contain any mistakes. Everything it says is reliable and true, since it is given by inspiration of God. This is what… Read More »Does the Bible Contain Mistakes?
Hymn 464 “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”
It was just a small Baptist church, located in a poor rural area of the country and made up of parishioners who themselves possessed very little in terms of material wealth. The salary they were able to pay their pastor was barely adequate, often consisting partly of produce grown by the parishioners—which they gave him in lieu of cash.
The pastor had been newly married when he accepted the call to serve them seven years earlier. Then came children. Now that the pastor and his wife were the parents of a growing family, their financial difficulty was becoming more serious, and it may have seemed providential to him that he had recently received a call to be the pastor of a large and prosperous Baptist church in the city. Read More »Hymn 464 “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”