Author Archives: Garland Van Dyke

Is the church of Christ legit, meaning is it the church of Christ spoken of in Romans 16:16? People have varied answers. Some say it’s a cult. Others say “No,” while others claim it to be another denomination. Members of … Continue reading →

The early church started in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost with Peter and the apostles’ preaching. Preaching and praying were early elements of worship. The church grew to be significant, with 5,000 men, according to Acts 4. That’s not … Continue reading →

Introduction What is the Occult? It’s a method of control, it’s an attempt to make oneself a notable person, it’s a supposed connection to the dead, it’s an effort to control events or talk with those who’ve passed. It’s about … Continue reading →

There’s a lot of that going on today. People with an interest in spiritual things are quick to say, “We’re all Okay. You’re on your road to heaven and we are on our road. After all, all roads lead to … Continue reading →

MANY DENY THAT A CHRISTIAN CAN LOSE THEIR SALVATION. Their thought is that since one comes to the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior, he or she is saved, forever.  Thereby, one cannot … Continue reading →

We read the following in Ephesians 4:17-19, NASB: “So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, thatyou are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their minds, beingdarkened in their understanding, excluded from … Continue reading →

He’s a Roaring Lion We know 1 Peter 5:8, NASB, the old devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. But what exactly does that mean? Is he walking around these days putting evil intent in … Continue reading →

Good Dads Provide for Their Family, Just As God Says Good dads provide for their family. They work to provide a home, food, shelter, clothing, and all the necessities of living. Our Heavenly Father tells us this, in 1 Timothy … Continue reading →

As Christians, we are called to walk in the light. This means living a life that is characterized by truth, love, and righteousness. It means being honest and transparent with others, and it means loving our enemies and praying for … Continue reading →

If for the prize… it’s a great hymn. The first line contains these words: “If for the prize we have striven, after our labors are o’er, Rest to our souls will be given on the eternal shore.” For our understanding, … Continue reading →

Pentecostal and other religious bodies claim the miraculous ability to “speak in tongues.” Those who practice this supposedly speak in tongues unknown to their assembly. However, our religious friends must correct their knowledge of this activity. Check out Acts 2. … Continue reading →

It’s Supernatural! Many believe that miraculous healings, as shown in the Bible, are available today. They believe their loved ones are supernaturally healed. For example, people come out of comas after a long time of healing, and it’s stated that … Continue reading →

No musical instruments are to be used during worship. But we ask that thought in question form. In our song worship, is it permissible for one to clap? But first, we must understand that what God commands is what we … Continue reading →

We’ve heard that many times and will hear it much more before passing. “Don’t judge me” is spoken often. “Jesus said not to judge anyone,” folks say. Well, He actually said, “Do not judge so that you will not be … Continue reading →

There are churches everywhere doing all sorts of things in the name of Jesus.Unfortunately for them, not all things they do have Bible authority. If it’s not Bible, not Scripture, then don’t do it. The Bible must govern everything a … Continue reading →

God Does Not Change We live in changing times, but that’s always been true. Society changes. Individuals change, sometimes for the better but also for the worse. It isn’t easy to put our trust in man because of this. It’s … Continue reading →

God Time God-time is essential, Psalm 46:10 NASB, “Be still and know that I am God.” Let’s take the example of a married couple. Each has jobs, meaning they are separated for a good bit each day. They don’t see … Continue reading →

Hey friend, did you know your soul is the fundamental, objective you? It’s who you are as a person. God created you, you know, and your soul is like God’s soul – it’s a spirit. That’s right; your soul is … Continue reading →

Ultimate Success! People worldwide are looking for success. Some are successful when they get the boat they want. Others are successful when they achieve the top position, the head of the food chain. Still, others define success as getting enough … Continue reading →

Do I Need to Be Rebaptized? Paul came to Ephesus and found some believers, Acts 19:1-5. You would think their baptism was just fine since they had been baptized in John’s baptism, Mark 1:4. But after questioning them, Paul found … Continue reading →

Things Would Be Better If We Only Did This ! What’s poking us to discomfort? Murders are occurring all over with great frequency. Kidnappings, abductions, robberies, shootings, thefts, and other mean behaviors are things we see daily. Wars, refugees, death, … Continue reading →

Called! It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:14, NASB. Who Does the Calling? God does the calling. It was His plan before the … Continue reading →

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, Titus 2:11-12, NASB. Just What Is Godliness? By definition, godliness … Continue reading →

Biblical hermeneutics.It’s the study of the principles and methods of interpreting the Bible. That’s super important! Second Timothy 2:15 commands believers to be involved in hermeneutics: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who . . … Continue reading →

The Bible uses “wicked” many times. The search feature on my Bible software shows 314 instances found in 300 verses. That’s using e-Sword, New American Standard version, 95. That’s a significant number of times. God speaks against wickedness. That’s important … Continue reading →

What would you do if your world was turned upside down? Many would run amok, screaming in the streets. Then again, many would show their pain in several ways. We’ve all seen this on TV after a devastating storm and … Continue reading →

I want someone to explain to me what I’m supposed to do. As I look at religions from a 20-year-old perspective (I’m looking way back now), I see a lot of different churches. I attended many of them as a … Continue reading →

Does it make any difference what church I attend?Jesus thought so. He wanted the Jews to move away from the law of Moses to the law of Christ. The Jews held to Moses’ teaching for 1,600 years. But when Jesus … Continue reading →

What’s an easy definition for the word “faithful”? Taking the word apart and rearranging it a bit, we can easily seethat the words “full of faith” would make for an easy definition. For example, if we get a car loan, … Continue reading →

Saints? What is a saint? According to the Bible, a saint is anyone who is forgiven of their sins and lives in keeping with the New Testament. The word means holy, or a holy one, or saint. Our Catholic friends … Continue reading →

Just What Is Doctrine? Mr. Thayer, in his Bible Dictionary, says doctrine is “the correct knowledge of the gospel, to be held firmly and faithfully, and to be conscientiously delivered to others.” The first part of the definition serves our … Continue reading →

That’s who God made in the beginning. “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them,” Genesis 1:27, NLT. We must see God created humans. We … Continue reading →

Everyone uses reasoning. We all figure things out, from babies to the oldest, barring some brain issues. We’re so good at reasoning that we often do things without thinking. Putting on clothing can be automatic, brushing teeth, etc. Our routine … Continue reading →

Is God exclusive? In some ways, yes, and in some ways, no. He offers salvation to all men, 2 Peter 3:9, NLT. So, He’s not exclusive in that sense. But all men will not accept His offer, Matthew 7:13-14, NLT. … Continue reading →

The Bible speaks of darkness. John 3:19-20, NLT, says that people love darkness because their actions are evil. That means people love sin! Think of all the crimes, the victims, the sorrows, and the pains of nighttime violence. Then, we … Continue reading →

You’ll Miss Earthly Blessings. Did you know God promises His children numerous blessings? It’s true. He promises His children food – they won’t go hungry; clothing – they won’t go naked; shelter – proper housing, Matthew 6:33, NLT. He also … Continue reading →

Unique to churches of Christ. I wasn’t always a member of the church of Christ. I didn’t investigate the church until I was in my twenties. I was familiar with several other religious groups, and I’d heard the term “Revival” … Continue reading →

Who doesn’t have needs? Everyone needs food, shelter, and clothing. Can we live without food? Obviously, not. Can we live without shelter? Again, no. And I don’t want to see anyone without clothing – a dreadful thought. The Lord promised … Continue reading →

People are interested in Ghosts. Indeed, they spend time researching, locating, seeing, or somehow “feeling” them. But what does the Bible say about ghosts? The Bible is the only natural resource for spiritual questions. And spirits are spiritual. Right? Read on to see the answer. Are there ghosts on earth right now? The Bible teaches that … Continue reading →

Jesus wants everyone to be kind! We all get “rumpled” sometimes. Someone said something that upset us, and when we get home, we take it out on the family. Well, that’s no good. And then again, we get trampled at work and give forth a … Continue reading →

Go to church! Going to church is about Christians coming together on the Lord’s Day for several reasons. From Bible usage, we know the Lord’s Day is Sunday. Christians come together to worship God every Sunday. If one wants to worship … Continue reading →

Don’t Do Anything. If we don’t want to go to heaven, we don’t have to do anything. All we need to do is live without ever giving a thought to God. You see, the gospel, from God, is something to be obeyed to receive salvation, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. This … Continue reading →

How is it that God is good? First of all, His nature is good, Exodus 34:6-7, NASB. The scriptures show loving-kindness is one of His attributes. Flip the words, and we can see He gives kind love. Not only is … Continue reading →

What is it? Church folks and non-church folks often need help, and that requires benevolence. Our Lord instructed how this is to be done. So what is Bible benevolence? In a short Bible definition, a Christian has a need, a … Continue reading →

Sadness – see the diagram. Several feelings go along with sadness. It’s like there’s a spectrum of sadness. It’s peaceful to understand that God knows about sadness, and He knows our sadness. He put emotions within us. Finally, sadness is a … Continue reading →

There’s danger in a social gospel. A social gospel is one wherein the “gospel” is about improving society. It’s the idea that man’s primary issue consists of social evils, poverty, crime, injustice, etc. The error of this approach lies in relegating, … Continue reading →

What is His will? Many verses state God’s will, far too many to contemplate in a short article. But let’s begin with Matthew 6:10. It’s the model prayer given by Jesus, and therein He states, “Your kingdom come, Your will be … Continue reading →

Jesus said He was the truth.He said He was “the way,” “the truth,” and “the life,” John 14:6. You’ll note the word “the” Jesus used before each of the nouns – it means exclusivity, there is no way to heaven … Continue reading →

Causing others to sinI can cause a brother to sin. I wouldn’t mean to. But, here’s what I mean. If my brother sees me do something that’s not sinful but he believes in his mind it is sinful, and he does the … Continue reading →

How Does God See People? 1 Samuel 16:7 has this:  But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by … Continue reading →

Does the Bible say anything about abortion? Well, yes, it does. Jeremiah 1:5 has it that the LORD knew Jeremiah while he was yet in the womb. It sounds rather like a human was in there to me. Then there’s Isaiah, … Continue reading →

Who’s going to be lost? Second Thessalonians 1:8-9 tells us those who do not know God nor obey the gospel pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the Lord. Then, Matthew 7:13, where Jesus states that the way to … Continue reading →

He is Lord! Jesus asks that question to His disciples in Luke 6:46. He states it’s no good claiming Him as Lord if one doesn’t obey Him. Jesus genuinely has to be the Lord of the heart, or He’s no Lord … Continue reading →

1. If the Bible says there is now only one baptism, would you believe it? Ephesians 4:5 states it to be so. There’s no Holy Spirit baptism now; that’s gone. There’s no walking in Moses’ baptism. No one undergoes John’s … Continue reading →

The Holy Spirit is a gift! Acts 2:38, ‘Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”’ Peter spoke … Continue reading →

The Holy Spirit was promised to all flesh! The Holy Spirit was promised to all flesh. Now, that doesn’t mean fish received Holy Spirit baptism. Only the apostles received the Holy Spirit, at first, Acts 2:16-21. Later, Cornelius would receive … Continue reading →

A Person! The Holy Spirit is a person. In the Book of John, the Holy Spirit is doing something only a person could do: teaching (14:26), bearing witness (15:26), convicting, guiding, speaking, etc. (16:8, 13). The apostles knew Him as a person, … Continue reading →

Authors! About 40 people wrote the 66 books of the Bible. But, of course, the ultimate author is God. Here’s 2 Peter 1:20-21 declaring the point, “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the … Continue reading →

Be Compassionate! Ephesians 4:32, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you,” NLT. Compassion goes a long way in relieving the suffering of others. The word means to be tenderhearted. … Continue reading →

Be Kind! Ephesians 4:32, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you,” NLT.  The kind life is God’s best life in this sin-torn world. Kindness is the grease that lubricates every … Continue reading →

Clerical Titles! Jesus rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees, condemning the use of titles in Matthew 23:5-12, “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place … Continue reading →

Want to be a disciple of Jesus? That means you’d have to follow where ever He leads. You will have to drop your ideas about religion to conform to His will for religion. His teachings will challenge you. You’ll see new … Continue reading →

He is the I AM – “But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what … Continue reading →

Prophesied – Daniel, Isaiah and other Old Testament prophets predicted the existence of the church. Jesus predicted it too, Matthew 16:18. It’s important to know that Jesus’ church is the only God-approved church. God says we are to listen to His … Continue reading →

When You Attend – People will say Hi to you and ask about your place in the community. We’re not nosy or gimmicky. We just want to get to know you. You may sit wherever you like. No one owns the … Continue reading →

1. Any “Christian” religious organization having any difference to that of the church of the New Testament is not Jesus’ church. (Matthew 16:18). 2. Men and women have created denominations, not Jesus. Therefore denominationalism is not a valid Bible practice. … Continue reading →

1. Light is good. The Apostle Paul’s job was to turn people from the darkness of sin to the Light of salvation. (Acts 26:18). 2. Jesus is the Light. (John 1:4, 8:12, 9:5). 3. God is light. (1 John 1:5-9). … Continue reading →

1. Dark is bad. The Apostle Paul’s job was to turn people from the darkness of sin to the Light of salvation. (Acts 26:18). 2. People were in darkness and the shadow of death until Jesus. (Matthew 4:16). 3. The … Continue reading →

1. Jesus’ blood is shed for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28). 2. His blood is the sign of the new covenant between God and His people. (Matthew 26:28). 3. Unless you drink His blood (a figurative statement) you cannot … Continue reading →

1. Christians are servants just as Christ served. (Mark 10:45). 2. A great Christian is a servant. (Mark 10:42-45). 3. A Christian must be humble to serve others. (John 13:14). 4. Christians are created for good works. (Ephesians 2:10). 5. … Continue reading →

1. Christians are completely devoted to Christ. (Colossians 3:1-4). 2. Christians live a holy life. (Colossians 3:5-10). 3. The Christian life is not concerned about race, ethnicity, or background. Jesus is all that matters. (Colossians 3:11-12). 4. Christians wear “particular … Continue reading →

1. Love is basic to Christian living. (James 2:8, 1 Peter 2:17, John 3:16). 2. We are to love one another. (John 13:34, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 4:2, 4:16, 1 Thessalonians 4:9). 3. Now abides faith, hope, and love but the … Continue reading →

1. As a Christian, you are to change from the way the world thinks, in its lust for pleasure, status, money, and power, to the way God wants you to think. (Romans 12:2, Romans 8:6, 12:16, 1 Corinthians 14:15, Ephesians … Continue reading →

1. Once you are baptized for the forgiveness of your sins you are a new person. (Romans 6:4, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:10). You have to start living like one. You have to grow as a new born … Continue reading →

1. Your friends are going to Hell if you don’t tell them about the good news. (Matthew 28:19). 2. Your family will be going to Hell if you don’t share the gospel with them. (2 Thessalonians 1:9). 3. Your future … Continue reading →

1. Faith can also be defined as trust. (2 Corinthians 5:7). 2. Faith, or trust, in God or Jesus comes by persuasion through the word. (Romans 10:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7). 3. Walking by faith means reliance upon Jesus for salvation. … Continue reading →

1. You should get as much wisdom as possible. (Proverbs 4:7) I like the way the NKJV reads for this verse. 2. You’re most likely going to work, so find work you truly enjoy doing. (Ecclesiastes 5:18). 3. Work at … Continue reading →

1. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them (Ephesians 4:29). 2. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not … Continue reading →

1. Angels exist (Acts 23:8, 1 Timothy 5:21). 2. Angels are messengers. It’s what the word means. There are many references to angels in the Bible (Genesis 22:11-12, Luke 2:8-12). 3. Angels are innumerable. Too many to count or to … Continue reading →

1. You must get to know God. (2 Thessalonians 1:8). 2. You must obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8). 3. You must fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). 4. There will be a judgment and you and everyone … Continue reading →

1. Just because you believe you’re right with God doesn’t make it so. (Matthew 7:21-27, Jeremiah 17:9). 2. You can lose your soul, even after salvation. God says so. (Hebrews 6:4-6, 2 Peter 2:20-22, James 5:19-20). 3. You’re only responsible … Continue reading →

1. God creates souls. (Genesis 2:7, Psalm 139:13-16). 2. Your soul belongs to God (Ezekiel 18:4). 3. When you pass, die, your soul returns to its maker (Ecclesiastes 12:7). 4. Your soul is the most import thing, or should be … Continue reading →

1. God designed you, made days for you, knew you before your parents knew you; Jesus created you (Psalm 139:13-16, John 1:3-4). 2. God knows everything about you (Psalm 139:1-6, Matthew 10:29-30). 3. God provides for your physical life (Matthew … Continue reading →

1. Jealousy: to boil over in anger because of what another has or is (Galatians 5:20). 2. Outbursts of Anger: fierce passion, indignation, wrath (Galatians 5:20). 3. Disputes: intrigues, faction, strife (Galatians 5:20). 4. Dissension: disunion, division, sedition (Galatians 5:20). … Continue reading →

1. The desires of the flesh are in direct opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit. Our evil desire wants to satisfy the body’s itching. Of course, this gets in the way of what the Spirit wants to do … Continue reading →

1. Hades means “the place of departed souls.” The soul of every person dying before the Lord comes again will enter Hades. (Matthew 11:23, Luke 16:23, Revelation 20:14). 2. Hades has at least two parts, Comfort, and Torment (Luke 16:22, … Continue reading →

1. God created man and woman to be one flesh until death. (Mark 10:8-10). 2. Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14). 3. Some people have eyes full of adultery. (2 Peter 2:14). 4. Under the Law of Moses adultery … Continue reading →

1. Worshipping God must be in spirit and truth. It must be given from the individual’s heart and given in the way the Lord wants it. (John 4:24, Colossians 3:17). 2. Worship is an act of reverence. It means “to … Continue reading →

1. He promises a way out of the darkness of sin and ignorance of God (John 12:45-46). 2. Jesus promises an end to our spiritual hunger and thirst (John 6:35). 3. He shows me how to live life in the … Continue reading →