Dale Ridge church of Christ » Doctrine

The Religion of Secular Humanism

Michael — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 11:00:24 +0000

Secular Humanism is the belief that man is his own god. Protagoras summed up this system of belief about four centuries before the time of Christ which he stated that “Man is the measure of all things.” It is a belief system that incorporates many other philosophies of life including Naturalism, Materialism, Hedonism, Atheism, Globalism, Socialism and Feminism just to name a few.

Though it presently and purposefully does not claim to be a religion, it must be recognized that it is a religion (the framers of Humanist Manifesto 1 (1933) in fact referred to it as “religious …

Biblical Facts About the 2nd Coming of Christ

Michael — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:00:16 +0000

Only our Heavenly Father knows when that day will be (Matthew 24:36).
Christ will come as a thief in the night, meaning He will come unexpectedly (Matthew 24:37-39, 42-44; 2 Peter 3:10).
His coming will be noticed by everyone – it will not be a secret coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
The dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
We will meet the Lord and the dead in Christ in the air and will be with Him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Jesus and his mighty angels will take vengeance on those who know not God and obey not

Every Ingredient Matters

Michael — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:00:38 +0000

My wife Ruth has a body scrub that she makes from sea salt, olive or grapeseed oil, and lavender or peppermint essential oil. Each one of these ingredients serves a purpose – the sea salt helps to remove dead skin cells; the olive/grapeseed oil helps to moisturize the skin; and the lavender and peppermint essential oil help soothe the skin as well as give a pleasing scent to the scrub. Without one of these ingredients, the body scrub would not work as well – it would not be complete.

We are reminded how in Acts …

God Is . . .

Michael — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:00:28 +0000

v All powerful (Omnipotent) – Genesis 17:1 – here God is revealed to Abram as El Shaddai or God Almighty; Job 9:4-12; Psalm 33:8-9; Jeremiah 32:27; Revelation 19:6

v All knowing (Omniscient) – 1 Samuel 2:3; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Job 21:22; Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 46:9-10; 1 Corinthians 4:5

v All loving (Omni benevolent) – Proverbs 3:11-12; John 3:16; 1 John 2:5; 1 John 2:15; 1 John 3:1; 1 John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:7-12; 1 John 4:16; 1 John 4:19

v In all places at once (Omnipresent) – 2 Chronicles 2:6; Psalm 33:13-14; Psalm 139:7-12; Amos …

The Bible on the Bible: The Word of God is. . .

Michael — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:00:25 +0000

That which is sweeter than honey – Psalm 19:10; Psalm 119:103
A lamp and a light to guide our way – Psalm 119:105
That which God magnifies above all His name – Psalm 138:2
One’s spiritual food – Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4
That which the devil seeks to take out of the hearts of those who believe – Luke 8:12
That which is not only to be heard but to be acted upon – Luke 8:21
That in which we are to continue – John 8:31
The indestructible word – John 10:35
That by which we shall be judged –

What Baptism Does

Michael — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 10:00:03 +0000

Baptism is into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Matthew 28:19
Baptism saves – Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21
Baptism remits one’s sins – Acts 2:38
Baptism shows a glad reception of the Word of God – Acts 2:41
Baptism adds one to the church – Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:13
Baptism causes one to be joyful – Acts 8:39; Acts 16:33-34
Baptism demonstrates an obedient heart – Acts 10:48; Hebrews 5:8-9
Baptism shows a heart of readiness and wisdom – Acts 16:33; Acts 8:36; Matt. 25:1-13
Baptism washes away one’s sins – Acts

Is the Church Essential?

Michael — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:00:50 +0000

Must be a member of the church that Jesus established in order to be saved? The popular response to such a question is “No.” Any type of organized religion is deemed as old-fashioned, irrelevant, and too stifling today for any real expression of spirituality. In spite of this common perception, the New Testament speaks of the eternal significance and importance of the Lord’s church.

The theme of the epistle to the Ephesians centers on the church and its eternal value [the picture below is of the city of Ephesus from the theater]. The word “church” …

What is the Gift of the Holy Spirit? – Acts 2:38

Michael — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:00:57 +0000

What does the apostle Peter mean when he tells those on the day of Pentecost that had gladly received his word that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? Were they being told that they were going to have a non-miraculous, literal indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Is it a reference to the temporary, miraculous spiritual gifts which were received in the 1^st century church? Or was it to be understood as a statement of salvation much like Paul speaking of the gift of God being “eternal life” – Romans 6:23?

When …

How Can Satan Approach the Throne of God?

Michael — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:00:41 +0000

(See end of article for puzzles on Job 19-21).

After the Book of Job opens by introducing to us this man who is the greatest man of the east, we are given the opportunity to peer into the throne room of heaven where an assembly of angels has gathered on an appointed day. Into this gathering entered the adversary of mankind. This is indeed a strange picture which is presented on two occasions in Job (Job 1:6; Job 2:1). It is strange, because we have here the one who is all evil approaching the One …

The Lord’s Supper: When are we to Partake?

Michael — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:00:41 +0000

When Jesus instituted the Lord Supper, He simply gave the command that we are to partake of it, but He did not specify the time. As a result, questions often arise as to the “When” of the Lord’s Supper? We might ask, “Since Jesus instituted it on a Thursday night, should we then partake of it on Thursday nights?” Or should it be observed on Sunday? Is there a specific day to partake of the communion? We should also ask, “How frequently should we partake?” The Bible provides the answers to these important questions, but not in a direct …