What is the relationship between railing and physical abuse?

What is the relationship between railing and physical abuse?

Railing is verbal, therefore it is not physical abuse. Railing, which is verbal abuse, can be as harmful as physical abuse. It may incite a violent response or it may precede physical abuse. The Lord’s teaching in Matthew 5:21," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 5:21, 22 shows the relationship of derogatory language to murder. Railing and murder have the same mother: hatred in the heart. In the Lord’s eyes, they are of the same kind. The degree of punishment differs for each, but they both are alike condemned as deserving hell fire.

D. Oliver
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Should young Christian families use TV and videos as a baby sitter?

Should young Christian families use TV and videos as a baby sitter?

With television about as common in the home as electricity and running water, suggesting that children grow up without it sounds hopelessly archaic. Nevertheless, "mine eye affecteth my heart" (Lamentations 3:51)" TARGET="_blank">Lamentations 3:51) expresses a principle. Even if parents were to effectively control the programming, the blatant materialism, violence, and suggestiveness of the advertising is detrimental. Television offers some valuable content. Its liabilities seem to outweigh its value.

While videos can likewise be harmful, they offer valuable content. With appropriate choices, parents can provide historical, scientific, geographic, and spiritual material through videos.

None of this, however, is a substitute for the value of a developing relationship between the child and his parents. Solomon remembers and values his personal relationship with both his mother and father in Proverbs 4:3." TARGET="_blank">Proverbs 4:3. To habitually fill a child’s hours with a replacement for parenting is misguided. The parental relationship is especially important for a young child; it’s the foundation for the teen years.

D. Oliver
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Fast Sunday School Lessons

Don't have much time to prepare your lesson for tomorrow's Sunday school class? Perhaps you like reading the Bible story for the lesson, but you don't have time to create an interesting activity. Then the following fast links will help you create a fast lesson and an activity to go with it.

Lesson plans - A fast-start to help you prepare for next class.
Printable activities - Crafts, foldable paper models, worksheets, PowerPoint and other items to make your lesson more interesting and active.
Sunday School Puzzle Maker - Create a crossword puzzle or wordsearch in a few mouse clicks.
or use one of the 325 worksheets already made to get you started fast.

All you will need is your computer, a printer and typical classroom materials like pencils and scissors. You will be ready quickly, but your students wont forget your lesson very fast.
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How extensively can a woman serve God in an assembly?

How extensively can a woman serve God in an assembly?

Some scriptural boundaries surround the service any of us contribute to the assembly: maintaining order (1 Corinthians 14:40)," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 14:40), showing consideration (14:32), and edifying others (14:31). God ordains three additional protective boundaries for sisters: silence in the assembly’s praying and speaking (1 Corinthians 14:34, 35);" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 14:34, 35); not teaching publicly (1 Timothy 2:12);" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 2:12); and not usurping authority over men (2:12b), meaning not taking leadership. Within those boundaries, sisters have a significant service in the assembly.

Prayer is the most important service.

Older women have the responsibility of teaching younger woman (Titus 2:4)." TARGET="_blank">Titus 2:4). Younger believers

may be able to relate better to godly sisters who have retained a youthful outlook combined with spiritual wisdom. This relationship opens the door for giving spiritual help. Sisters are effective in communicating Bible truth to children (2 Timothy 3:15; 1:5)," TARGET="_blank">2 Timothy 3:15; 1:5), whether at home or in the assembly’s children’s work. Phebe had spiritual service entrusted to her (Romans 16:1)" TARGET="_blank">Romans 16:1) as a "deaconess" of the assembly. That may include something so sacred as delivering the Roman letter to Roman believers.

Hospitality is a means of cultivating social and spiritual relationships that give a couple greater opportunities for spiritual service. Single sisters can serve the Lord in this way, as well. The Lord fed His disciples before dealing with the failure of their hearts (John 21:12-15)." TARGET="_blank">John 21:12-15).

Other areas that do not undermine male leadership are planning and providing meals for assembly functions, helping to decorate the assembly’s meeting place, and doing personal work in evangelizing. An assembly could utilize a woman’s abilities in accounting. Elders could wisely encourage a trusted sister to advise a young sister regarding modest clothing. A sister’s handling such issues avoids the potential appearance of impropriety were a man to deal with this subject.

Confidentiality may required elders to keep some information from their wives, but God gave men wives to complete their ability in serving as God intended. A godly wife won’t tell her husband what to do in guiding the assembly, but her counsel will save him from many mistakes. Adam was accountable for ruling the earth (Psalm 8:6)," TARGET="_blank">Psalm 8:6), but God gave the responsibility to Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:28)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 1:28).

D. Oliver
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What events tell us that the Lord's coming is imminent?

What events tell us that the Lord's coming is imminent?

The proof that the Lord is coming soon is that "Jesus died and rose again" (1 Thes 4:14)." TARGET="_blank">1 Thes 4:14). Although future events cast their shadows before them, we should never look for events or dates, but for the Lord Himself. Paul twice included himself among the living at the rapture (1 Corinthains 15:; 1 Thessalonians 4" TARGET="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:). He taught that it is an any moment event. This truth has had sanctifying and satisfying power in the lives of first century and present century saints. Paul and all these believers were wrong if it was necessary to wait for 2000 AD to begin the millennium. Peter taught that God is beyond time, not that there is a 2000 year period between the advents (2 Pet 3:8)." TARGET="_blank">2 Pet 3:8). The best of chronologies makes 1996 the 2000th year since the birth of Christ.

Hosea 6:2" TARGET="_blank">Hosea 6:2 is a false profession of repentance by Ephraim (v 4), not two days (2000 years) before the millennial age which is the third day (1000 yrs).

In spite of Scripture's strong warnings, men still set dates. The Lord could come at any moment and this has been true ever since He went back into Heaven. "Yet a little while, how short, The Coming One will come"

N. Crawford

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Is it right to teach that Satan fell first of all in Eden

Is it right to teach that Satan fell first of all in Eden’s garden?

Perhaps there is scarcely any subject which lends itself more readily to speculation, and concerning which speculation ought to be more carefully avoided, than the mysterious fall of Satan. No fact is more clear; hardly one mentioned with more reserve. If the above question means whether his fall took place in the actual Garden of Eden of Genesis 2" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 2: , the answer can only be, “No.” Satan comes on the scene in it as a fallen being, already the enemy of God and man. His fall had taken place long before, and, as I believe, in another scene. This fall is referred to by our Lord in Luke 10:18" TARGET="_blank">Luke 10:18: “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” This would indicate that heaven was his original abode. The reason of his fall is given in 1 Timothy 3:6," TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 3:6, to be pride, but nothing is said specially of his pride in the Eden episode. His fall is referred to also in Isaiah 14," TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 14, in words which must go far beyond the Assyrian: “How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning!” Again in Ezekiel 28," TARGET="_blank">Ezekiel 28, his fall is described, no doubt in symbolic language: “By the multitude of thy merchandise, they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned” (Ezekiel 28:16)." TARGET="_blank">Ezekiel 28:16). “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness” (v. 17). Pride, corruption, and violence characterised his fall, as they have also our fallen race. What has probably given colour to the idea referred to above are the words in Ezekiel xxviii. 13 addressed to Satan concerning his fall:
“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God.” If God prepared for Adam, the head of the earthly creation, a delightful abode suitable for his highest enjoyment, is it not likely that He would do the same for the head of the angelic creation? Just as there is now, besides the earthly paradise that was, a heavenly paradise, so there may have been two Edens. It has been suggested that Lucifer’s Eden may have occupied the same site in the original earth of Genesis 1:1," TARGET="_blank">Genesis 1:1, as the Eden of the Adamic earth. Some think there would be a fitness in this. Certainly heaven and earth were not so wide apart once as now, but the idea seems to lack direct scriptural support. W.H.

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Should a Christian participate in politics?

POLITICS
Is it right for a Christian to give a vote to a candidate in a Parliamentary Election?

We certainly have duties to perform to those who occupy positions of rule in our midst, one is to obey the laws they make. If I do not, I shall get a bad conscience and I shall pay the penalty. “For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually on this very thing.” So I must pay taxes, and rates, and custom dues when I enter the country (see Romans 13:5-7)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 13:5-7). Then I am enjoined to pray “for Kings and all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:2)." TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 2:2). I am, moreover, to “honour the King” and indeed all to whom honour is due, but as far as entering into the political contests of the country, I see no directions in God’s Word, and I believe the whole thing is alien to our position as “strangers and pilgrims” in the world. If it be retorted, “What would become of the country, if all believers were of this Opinion?” my reply is, it would become neither better nor worse by such a Contingency, but the believers would become much better. What Wordly associations would they be spared! What unequal yokes with the ungodly! “Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the gospel,” or pray that God may overrule. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” which cannot be said of the political work of a righteous man; the only effect of which is to shear him of his locks, and bereave him of his joy and testimony.

“Our citizenship is in heaven.” “As the Father hath sent me into the world, even so I send you.” All agree that the Lord did not enter into political movements. He was not sent for that,—are we? All the various political combinations will never succeed in really making the world better, for there is a factor, they do not recognise, and certainly cannot neutralise sin. It is a solemn thought that when at last all political differences are sunk, and the whole world cemented in one great alliance, it will be in deadly, open opposition to God and His Christ.

W.H.

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What happened to those who rose from the dead after Jesus died?

Was there a delay between when those individuals were raised and when they "appeared unto many"?

Different translations handle Matthew 27:52" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 27:52 and 53 differently. Some indicate that the graves were opened and the saints arose, then three days later came out of their graves and appeared in Jerusalem. The Greek also allows another possibility: at the death of the Lord Jesus the tombs were opened. At His resurrection, the saints arose, came out of the graves, and appeared in Jerusalem. The King James indicates the latter and there is reason to favor that. These who were raised from death (not resurrected) seem to have greater significance when their return to life is linked with his day of resurrection. In addition, when the Lord brought Jairus’ daughter back to life, He commanded to feed her. How did these sustain life for three days in their tombs?

The likelihood is that the Lord’s power over death was evident in His death, for the tombs were opened. Then on the day of Christ’s resurrection, these who had died arose, came forth, and appeared to many.

D. Oliver

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Do the two loaves of the Day of Pentecost represent the Jews and the Gentiles?

Do the two loaves of Levticus 23:17 represent Jews and Gentiles?

And why were they “baken with leaven,” which speaks of what is evil?

The feast of Leviticus 23:15-21," TARGET="_blank">Leviticus 23:15-21, called in Deuteronomy 16:10," TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 16:10, etc., “The Feast of Weeks”; in Acts 2:1," TARGET="_blank">Acts 2:1, etc., “The Day of Pentecost”: and in Numbers 28:26," TARGET="_blank">Numbers 28:26, “The Day of the First-fruits”; is doubtless, as C. H. M. expresses it, “a type of God’s people, gathered by the Holy Ghost, and presented before Him in connection with all the preciousness of Christ.” This being so, the presence of leaven in the two loaves is, as he further says, “because they were intended to foreshadow those who, though filled with the Holy Ghost, and adorned with His gifts and graces, had nevertheless evil dwelling in them.” But the leaven was not burnt on the altar to God, either in this case or any other (see v. 20). That the number “two” may represent the elements, Jew and Gentile, out of which the Church is formed, seems reasonable enough.

W.R.

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Is the Internet a worse influence than television for a Christian?

We often hear ministry warning against television, but isn’t the Internet worse?

The Internet’s pollution is both worse and constantly available; however, its email service and volumes of information can be spiritually and educationally helpful. This highlights an important difference. We could hardly watch the news coverage, commercials, and programming of television without being bombarded by its unbiblical values, but we can use the Internet without accessing its corruption. One alternative for believers is that some software and some Internet providers limit access to the Internet’s defilement; nevertheless, computers in the work place and in public libraries still provide full Internet access. In an increasingly immoral world, we must, as never before, teach and motivate one another and our children to make right choices, avoiding the serious consequences of choosing otherwise. We can "use," but not "abuse" (1 Corinthians 7:31)" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 7:31) the Internet, a choice that hardly exists with television.

D. Oliver
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Sunday School Puzzle Maker - Create a crossword puzzle or wordsearch in a few mouse clicks.

or use one of the 325 worksheets already made to get you started fast.