Articles for tag: Hell

January 2, 2011

Christian Standard

What Should We Believe About Hell?

By Glen Elliott People of the Restoration Movement know the declaration well. These days I hear it quoted by many in the church worldwide. I use it when I introduce our doctrinal position to the new members at our welcome event. Most attribute the statement to St. Augustine. This 1,500-year-old declaration remains powerful in its simplicity: “In essentials, unity. In opinions, liberty. In all things, love.” Nothing has the potential to divide us so much as differences over doctrine and theology. We take different stands regarding the end times and the “rapture.” We still have debates over speaking in tongues.

October 18, 2009

Christian Standard

Words of Life and Death

  by Larry W. Timm When death occurs, a minister encounters a unique and sacred duty. The deceased is someone”s loved one and God”s valuable creation; there is sanctity in both. Death erases neither. When asked to speak at a funeral service, our attitude will influence our preparation and proclamation. If we see a funeral as an interruption in our ministry instead of an expression of it, we will be poor stewards of this important opportunity. However, if we approach each funeral as a unique and sacred part of our calling, we can offer leadership and service as caring shepherds.

September 6, 2009

Christian Standard

Waiting to Go to Heaven

  by Ethan Magness I”ve recently developed an eagerness to go to Heaven. To my great surprise, I have begun to live actively hoping for my future in God”s kingdom. To clarify, it isn”t that I ever wanted to avoid Heaven. I wanted to go to Heaven someday, but I just wasn”t excited about it. I certainly didn”t want to go to Hell, and since the alternative was Heaven, I was glad to know where I going. I had some vague religious notion I ought to look forward to Heaven, but I wasn”t worried about my disinterest””in fact, I wasn”t

September 5, 2007

Christian Standard

Earthly Hurts and an Eternal Perspective

By Mark A. Taylor Thirty or 40 years ago, many in Christian churches decried what we called the “social gospel.” We criticized those who called themselves Christians but concentrated only on the commands of Scripture to seek justice, remember widows, and help the poor. We were especially critical of those who did not believe in the inspiration of Scripture or the reality of Hell and said nothing about sin or salvation to those they served. Some of us decided benevolent ministries should not become ends in themselves, but only means to the greater goal of winning the lost. With such

August 26, 2007

Christian Standard

The Power to Go the Distance

By Jeff Walling I have a confession: I don”t get the running thing at all. Sure, when I pass a tank-topped runner there is a moment of jealousy, I wish I was him. Or at least, I wish I looked like him. But when I see them puffing and wheezing after they”ve finally had enough, looking like they”ve been dragged through a field and dipped in a swamp, that feeling evaporates. But the runners who really puzzle me are the marathoners. Who would run 26.2 miles of their own freewill? Who in their right mind would push their muscles until

August 27, 2006

Christian Standard

How Could a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell?

This article is the final in the three-part series “A Conversation With Skeptics” that is available for purchase as a downloadable resource/pdf. (Information about how to order/download this resource is available at the bottom of this post.) Parts one and two of this series are no longer available on the Web. __________ By Jeff Vines After the stimulating conversation with both Dan and Sherri, a young lady named Jucinda loaded her gun and was ready to fire. Having made the connection between freewill, pain, and suffering, Jucinda anticipated my next move when she interrupted to say, “Come on, Jeff. Stop

August 20, 2006

Christian Standard

How Can You Claim That God Is Good and Loving . . . ? (Part 2)

By Jeff Vines This article is no longer available online, but the entire three-part series is available for purchase as a downloadable resource/pdf. A Conversation With Skeptics Item 02970 “¢Â $2.99 Jeff Vines recalls his conversation with a circle of skeptics who challenged him in an Australian hotel restaurant. During the meeting, Vines responds to three major questions all Christians and non-Christians grapple with: 1. How can we believe in God with so much evil in the world? 2. How can you claim that God is good and loving with all the pain and suffering in the world? 3. How could a

August 13, 2006

Christian Standard

How Can We Believe in God with So Much Evil in the World? (Part 1)

By Jeff Vines This article is no longer available online, but the entire three-part series is available for purchase as a downloadable resource/pdf. A Conversation With Skeptics Item 02970 “¢ $2.99 Jeff Vines recalls his conversation with a circle of skeptics who challenged him in an Australian hotel restaurant. During the meeting, Vines responds to three major questions all Christians and non-Christians grapple with: 1. How can we believe in God with so much evil in the world? 2. How can you claim that God is good and loving with all the pain and suffering in the world? 3. How

June 4, 2006

Christian Standard

Magic Pill

By Arron Chambers My wife and I recently had our fourth child. When we took our new daughter, Payton, to the doctor for the first time, he told us about an amazing medical discovery that could change our lives. He told us about a new pill that has just been approved for use by the FDA. He called it the Magic Pill. It”s a pill that, if given to our daughter, will stop her growth. My wife and I thought about the possibilities for a while. . . . First, Payton would never change. No need for child safety latches.

August 28, 2005

Christian Standard

In Praise of Wrath

By Tom Lawson The first hymn in Alexander Campbell”s 1834 hymnal lifts up these words of praise: Before Jehovah”s awful1 throne, Ye nations, bow with sacred joy; Know that the Lord is God alone; He can create, and He destroy. . This image of an all-powerful God, who can both create and destroy, calling the nations before him, is given scant attention in worship these days. For the theologically liberal, talk of God standing in judgment of the world is a source of frank embarrassment. For theological conservatives, however, the concept is also quietly avoided as a focus of worship.

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