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Imitating the popular spirit of the day, many brethren have raised the “white flag” and refused to engage in any type of spiritual aggression at all. But, while Christianity is indeed a religion of peace and love, it is also one that includes warfare and combat—spiritually speaking. Paul’s charge to Timothy was to “fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12), and “war a good warfare” (1 Tim. 1:18). The clarion call to join the battle rings clearly throughout…

Another year of Camp Hensel has come and gone, and it was a success! For more than 50 years the Southwest congregation has conducted the Hensel camp session with the help of our sister congregations from near and far. In that time we have seen hundreds of campers and staff members whose lives have been forever changed because of their time at camp. Every year friendships are born, problems are solved, and the bonds of fellowship are strengthened. It is…

Christianity is not for the faint of heart. Yes, it is the greatest life that one could live, but it is also full of challenges from the opposition of the outside world. Paul said, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). How can we successfully overcome the challenges set before us? Consider the strength and courage of Joshua as a model. Four times in Joshua chapter one, Joshua is told…

To many the word “hope” is a synonym for “wish.” As such, hope has little to do with assurance or certainty and mostly deals in the realm of preference. Even Christians sometimes struggle to fully comprehend the biblical usage of the word “hope.” It is as if our hope is a type of appendix to our Christianity. We have the body of New Testament doctrine which instructs us regarding salvation and living a faithful life, and as an added bonus,…

117 billion gallons. That number represents the total storage capacity of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. It is also the total amount of alcohol that is consumed every year, globally. Put another way, the human body contains 5 liters of blood. 117 billion gallons is equal to the total bloodstream of 89 billion people, which is almost 10x the total world population. (Alcohol.org) Our world is drowning in an ocean of alcohol. Christians are to hate what…

We know how important it is for us to be aware of the symptoms of disease. The signs indicating the possibility of cancer or some other malady may save our lives and/or those of our loved ones. To ignore these symptoms can be an extremely dangerous choice. Medical experts continually expend large amounts of funds on research hoping to warn our population of the symptoms that eventuate in life-threatening diseases. There are also symptoms of spiritual disease, that of departing…

If we are honest, we would all admit that we struggle with complaining from time to time. The bible identifies complaining as a worldly exercise and commands Christians to avoid it. Paul wrote, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:14-15). The children of Israel stand as a perfect…

Psalm 103:1 is an emphatic and imperative call to praise the Lord. The command implies affection and a sense of gratitude as well as effort and energy. To bless the Lord with all that is within me involves my entire being. Someone may casually remark that they do not get much out of worship. As this passage reveals, that is the case when one does not put enough into worship. The remainder of the psalm identifies a number of reasons…

Many things in life are unsure. Few are guaranteed. Life can be difficult to manage with so many uncertainties, but Christians possess a precious blessing that those outside of Christ cannot have–assurance. Romans 5:1-5 Paul identifies 5 blessings of justification. Five blessings that belong only to those who have submitted themselves to the will of God and have been washed in the blood of Christ Jesus that they may stand holy in His sight. These blessings are given to point…

In Acts chapter eight, we learn of the evangelist Philip’s interaction with an Ethiopian man whose curiosity was sparked by Isaiah’s writings about the silent sufferer in Isaiah 53. Beginning from this Scripture, Philip “preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). First, Isaiah revealed that the word that best describes the man of Isaiah 53 is “insignificant.” Humanity was unimpressed as they beheld this “tender plant,” “a root out of a dry ground,” one who had “no form or comeliness” and…