Welcome!

Zion National Park It has been said that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. How true! Jesus did not come to give the world a new religion, but to give Himself. But while knowing this, we believers repeat these statements until they become cliches, and we still fall back into mere religion: lifeless rituals, thoughtless Bible reading, outward actions without the inward mindset and heart. How do we get back to that living, active relationship to our Savior?

And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Abba, Father!"

- Galatians 4:6 (WEB)

This website is a collection of things I've written over the years on various topics ranging from the theological (apologetics) to knowing God better (discipleship, and short devotional-style thoughts). My walk with Christ has benefited greatly from spending time in God's Word, and I want to share what I've found. Just take a look at the topics listed under WRITINGS on the menu. If you find anything beneficial or interesting here, God gets the credit, not me. If you find anything that's outright wrong, I'll take the blame. (Just kindly let me know, will you? Thanks!)

Note: I am in the process of modifying this site to make it more SEO friendly. You will probably encounter a few glitches here and there, when submitting a form, and especially in the photos area which is temporarily non-functional. Also, some of the drop-down menus have become too long. I hope to have that fixed soon as well.

New & Updated Content

I've retained all of the content from the old site, although I'm in the process of updating it and adding a lot of new material. Here's the newest stuff, some of which I had previously posted on the Michael Card forum:

2010-01-23 09:37:42Internet SearchNEW

Search the Internet from this page, or go to the search service of your choice by selecting the service name. AltaVista Google Other search services: Excite | GO.com | Lyc... (read more)

2010-01-04 09:03:21Democratic Christianity?NEW

I'm thankful I live in a democracy where I have the right to vote for my leaders, and I have the constitutional right and freedom to express my opinions about the direction our government is taking us. I'd rather live in a democracy than un... (read more)

2009-10-23 07:40:38Recommended Reading

Some of these are out of print, but you may be able to find a used copy through a book finding service or Amazon.com. Some are also readable online by clicking on the link. Biographies and Personal Stories 30 Years A Watchtower Slave William Schne... (read more)

2009-10-10 07:37:43Discerning The Body

For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. - 1 Corinthians 11:29 (ESV) In my reading, I just saw this verse in a way I hadn't seen it before. The context of Paul's account of the Lord... (read more)

2009-10-02 11:40:52Look Pray Go (Matthew 9 & 10)

(Sermon from 2009-09-20) A while back in Adult Class, when we began the topic of how to study our Bibles, I showed a video to illustrate the importance of paying attention. I want to show it again for those who missed it. If you've already seen ... (read more)

2009-10-02 08:38:00Audio Recordings

I've made some recordings of some of my sermons available for your listening pleasure (or more likely listening suffering! I'm not a good speaker). Click on the MP3 link to listen or download. MP3 2009-09-20 Look, Pray, Go (M... (read more)

2009-09-14 07:38:58All Eyes For The Groom

Let us rejoice and be extremely glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. - Revelation 19:7 The engagement has happened, the marriage is soon, and life is busy. The bride is wo... (read more)

2009-09-01 01:06:40Practical Evidence Of God's Existance

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! - Psalm 34:8 (ESV) Biblical faith is never blind. God does not ask us to trust Him with no evidence. He has revealed enough about Himself through what He has created... (read more)

2009-06-23 07:08:08The First Adam And The Last Adam

Knowing Jesus Christ is becoming more and more of a passion for me. One of the many ways I see Jesus in the scriptures is through types of Christ, such as Melchizedek, Joseph and David. None of them are perfect, but they help to point out different c... (read more)

2009-05-27 05:59:52Isaiah 6

I've been thinking about Isaiah lately and his encounter with God in chapter 6. More specifically I've been trying to see this chapter as he saw it... as if I were him. In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne,... (read more)

2009-05-27 05:23:33Like Versus Like

But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3:4-5 (ESV) It seems that man has always wondered what ... (read more)

2009-05-26 01:58:40Photo Albums

I've placed virtually all of the photos I've taken since late 2001 online for your viewing pleasure. I'm still working the kinks out of the photo album viewer (wrote it myself). A list of all of the albums are shown below. If you just ... (read more)

2009-05-03 09:29:33Thankful For The Ram

And He said, Now take your son, Isaac, your only one whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. And there offer him for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will say to you. - Genesis 22:2 God told Abraham to offer up his son Isaac fo... (read more)

2009-04-19 08:59:06What Jesus Sees

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on th... (read more)

2009-04-11 07:26:40Fully Appreciating Who God Is

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. Romans 1:22-23 (WEB) It's something t... (read more)

2009-02-14 09:35:38God's Anger and His Character

Here's something that occurred to me not too long ago... I'd like to bounce this off of you to see what you think... see if you can knock any holes in it... The attributes of God can be divided into roughly two areas: His nature and His ch... (read more)

2009-02-06 06:16:19Joseph - A Type Of Christ

The Old Testament contains various "types" of Christ - people who reflected what the Messiah would be like, but I think the one person who foreshadowed Jesus the most was Joseph, the son of Jacob. Here is a list of similarities I've fo... (read more)

2009-02-01 10:27:34The Depth Of My Sin

Lately I've been thinking about how sinful we are (read "I am"), and in my time in God's word, a couple thoughts came to mind... I lead a bible study at our church on Sundays. We finished the book of Job not too long ago (a great ... (read more)

2009-01-27 10:40:03Other Maze Sites

Adrian Fisher Maze Design Maker of walk-through mazes. amazingart.com Free printable mazes by Christopher Berg. ClickMazes by Andrea Gilbert Daniel Schmidt's mazes More mazes. Just4Mazes Hand-drawn mazes. ... (read more)

2009-01-23 12:00:00Following Jesus

(From sermon of December 4, 2005) A teenage girl got lost in her car in a snow storm. She remembered what her dad had once told her: "If you ever get stuck in a snow storm, wait for a snow plow and follow it." Pretty soon a snow plow came... (read more)

2009-01-16 12:00:00Unaware of Intercession?

The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you." But Mose... (read more)

2009-01-06 05:27:39Who's The Greatest?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" ... - Matthew 18:1 (ESV) Jesus' disciples seemed to have an obsession with whoever was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. They want... (read more)

2009-01-04 02:52:35Site Information

Besides the change in look, here some of the new features I've been working on: You can click on any scripture reference on this site to view it in a different translation. The old site had this, but now the underlying code does it automati... (read more)

2009-01-04 08:22:19Favoritism

... [Jacob] loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, "Beca... (read more)

2008-12-29 05:33:01The Character Of Job

"Have you considered my servant Job?" - Job 1:8 (WEB) I have found that the best way to read and study the Bible is to do so with the purpose of knowing God better. I'm not talking about just collecting a bunch of facts like I'm a... (read more)

2008-12-06 06:05:44Foster Fathers

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. - Luke 1:26-27 (AKJV) Why was it necessary f... (read more)

2008-12-05 11:15:09Looking For Good

The economy, terrorism, crime, immorality... it seems all the news lately is bad. The general trend seems that things are careening from bad to worse. It's uncertain times like these that are a great help in revealing what I think is most import... (read more)

2003-05-25 12:00:00Discipleship Class Notes

Salvation costs me nothing. Discipleship costs me everything. These are the results of a study on discipleship I put together for the Beatty Community Church, originally as a night class, then as part of the adult Sunday school. These notes are not ... (read more)

2003-05-16 12:00:00The Work Of The Holy Spirit

How can we identify the work of the Holy Spirit? What sets the Holy Spirit's work apart from the work of man or the work of a deceiving spirit - what makes the Holy Spirit's work unique? These are important questions for today's believ... (read more)

1997-05-10 12:00:00Jesus' Witnesses

There have been many opinions through the centuries as to who Jesus was. Today some think of him as a teacher, a prophet, a martyr, or a fool. Everybody has their opinion, but who did Jesus himself claim to be and what evidence did he give to support... (read more)

1995-12-31 12:00:00Giving Glory To God

"Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all things to God's glory." - 1 Corinthians 10:31 Giving Glory To God Author's Note: This is a study on what it means to glorify God and how we believers can becom... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Mammoth Maze 5

This is my largest and most complicated maze. It took me 5 months to draw in 1981: from April 27 to September 25. The original is 33" wide by 89.625" long, drawn in ink and colored pencil on a roll of plain white paper. The paper and ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Mammoth Maze Closeup 1

1999-11-30 12:00:00Mammoth Maze Closeup 2

1999-11-30 12:00:00Mammoth Maze Closeup 3

1999-11-30 12:00:00Mammoth Maze Closeup 4

1999-11-30 12:00:00Mammoth Maze Closeup 5

1999-11-30 12:00:00Mammoth Maze Rules

Beginning at the Start arrow, find your way to the Finish arrow without crossing over any lines (except for bridges, which are described below). Arrows indicate one-way paths. When you come to an arrow, you may go with it, but you may not go aga... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Bible Study

The first topic in this discipleship class is Bible study because the Bible serves as the foundation of our understanding on which to build a strong relationship with God. Everything we know about God, who He is and His will for us, is found in the B... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Andrew Bernhardt's Mazes Home Page

Yet another side of my life... For those who like to get lost, nothing beats working your way through a maze. I started drawing mazes in the mid-70's and quickly developed my own style which hasn't changed since. I used to draw alot of th... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Summary

The secret to spiritual growth is in your focus. C. S. Lewis, in his book Surprised By Joy, told of his search for joy. Every once in a while joy came to him. Sometimes it would come when he listened to a particular piece of music. But joy never came... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00DTJ-BBS Homepage

(Photo of the flagship system, Second Home Electronic Cottage, circa 1988) Disclaimer: While the BBS files are available for downloading from this site, I am not actively supporting the software anymore. If you have problems running the BBS, I ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00DTJ-BBS Testimonials

"DTJ-BBS: The only BBS program endorsed by the author's mother."(Usenet tagline) These are all unsolicited testimonials (originals on file). Emphasis is in the originals. "You obviously have talent for programming since the BB... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Baptism

We believe that water baptism soon after accepting Christ as personal Savior is a testimony of death to sin and resurrection to a new life. - Beatty Community ChurchStatement of Faith What is baptism? Basically, to baptize means to immerse in w... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Lord's Supper

We believe that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper is a memorial service setting forth in sacred and symbolic manner the death of the Lord Jesus Christ; that all true believers should share in it. - Beatty Community ChurchStatement of Faith ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Faith

Faith is more than just believing something is true. It is placing your trust in that something to the point where it affects your actions. It affects your world-view and therefore how you live. Everybody has faith in something. Faith is not wishful... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Our Priorities

When ordering our lives, we need to know what God considers most important. Our number one purpose is to bring glory to God (Psalms 33:1, 96:1-4, Matthew 5:14-16, John 15:8, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 10:31, Ephesians 5:20, 2 Thessalonians 1:10-12, 1 Peter... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Return of Israel

The majority of prophecies in the Old Testament refer to what will happen to Israel when Israel does not follow the commands of God. Only a few are listed here. God's warnings and reasons (Deuteronomy 28:15-16,36-68). The Lord will scatter Isr... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Glossary

Amen Signifying something is true. Also: "So be it" Apostle A physical witness of Jesus Christ who was given a direct commission from Jesus to help build up the church. Atone / -ment To reconcile with God. Baptize / -ism ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Eternal Security Summary

(Summary adapted from J. Hampton Keathley III's " ABCs for Christian Growth", Biblical Studies Press, 1996, with additions by Andrew Bernhardt) Assurance of Salvation Summary "How I can know I am saved when I put my trust in Jes... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Shorter Writings (Devotionals)

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1999-11-30 12:00:00A Lesson From Trees

Trees amaze me. You can take two different kinds of trees, plant them in the same soil, give them the same water, fertilizer, and sunshine, and they'll grow differently. Each has it's own style of growth, bark, and leaves. And each produce ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Removing Barriers

For this reason he {Jesus} had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered wh... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Thoughts On Our Future

How far back can you remember? Try to remember the time you were 3 months old. Hard, eh? I can't remember when I was 3 years old, but that doesn't mean I never was 3 years old. The fact that I am alive now proves that I was 3 at one time. I... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Small Towns

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, th... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Hearing His Voice

it's amazing how God designed the human brain to be able to pick out individual voices in a crowd. There could be any number of people talking all at once in a crowded room and you could mentally focus on one conversation and then another withou... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Uncertain Situations

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. .. - Acts 16:16-40 (NIV) Paul and Silas were in Philippi, and a girl with a demonic spirit (a spirit of 'Python... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00The Body Of Christ

When Jesus walked the earth, He had a physical body, just like we do. He spent alot of time doing His Father's work. He met physical and spiritual needs in the people who came to him, and sometimes people met His physical needs. Although Jesus i... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Preparing For Worship

Ah, Sunday - The day of rest! The day that we can recuperate from the spiritual drain of the week so that we can get ready for the next six days. We get run down and stressed out Monday through Saturday, and Sunday is the day we get "recharged... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00What Determines Worth?

I had often wondered what made one painting worth more than another. Is it the name of the artist who painted it? Is it the quality or complexity of the work? Perhaps how old it is? Recently a painting sold for $55 million dollars at Christie's... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Modern Christian Folklore

Many well-meaning believers, in an attempt to "prove" the truth of Christianity, will make use of what I call "Christian folklore". This is second-hand evidence that usually either disproves evolution, or proves creation. The prob... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Rewards

Rewards come in many forms for many different things. There are trophies, ribbons, certificates, rings, plaques, belts, and medals, and they're given for achievements in sports, music, science, business, and other areas. For those who served i... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Are You Hungry?

We've all experienced what we call hunger to some degree or the other. Sometimes I'll have only a banana for breakfast, or maybe just a hot cup of tea, and later on, as lunch gets closer, my stomach lets me know it wants some food. I'l... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Unity Of The Body Of Christ

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one..." - John 17:20-23 (NKJV) Jesus prayed for you and I that we would be one - in unity with God and in unity with each o... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Conditional Forgiveness

You just found out someone has been spreading untrue and damaging rumors about you to all your friends, and now you know why most of them have been avoiding you. What conditions need to be met in order for you to forgive that person who has done ser... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00How Powerful Is Your God?

All believers have a limited idea of what God is capable of doing. We may say God can do anything, but we still have unspoken reservations in some areas. Yes, God can heal the sick and raise the dead. He can part the seas and move mountains. He not o... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Jesus Christ's Personal Intercession

If you've had a relationship with Jesus for any length of time, you can probably recall Him speaking to you personally. He may have told you to talk to a friend about their need for Him. He may have encouraged you from a Bible verse you had read... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Evangelism

Just before Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection, He told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. They would be witnesses to Him beginning there and going out into the whole world. "But you shall receive power when th... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Body Building

Mention the word "church" today and the first thing that pops into most people's minds is a building with a steeple and stained-glass windows. Church is a place to sit in uncomfortable pews for a couple of hours once a week, sing traditiona... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Finding God's Will

I'm sure there have been times when you have come across a situation where you must make a decision, and you've wondered which way God would have you choose. Sometimes these are major decisions: Should I take this job? Should I marry this person... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Worship

What do you think of when you hear the word worship? Meeting together at church? Singing hymns or praise songs? While the church meeting is called a worship service, true worship is not primarily a corporate act, but an individual lifestyle and minds... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Living For God's Glory

The Bible says you were created for God, for the purpose of glorifying Him: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Fasting

Fasting tends to be a neglected area of discipleship today, yet fasting was common in the early church. When the Bible speaks of fasting, it assumes that it is something believers will do. Jesus began His instructions on fasting in Matthew 6:16 with ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Faith

The topic of faith isn't usually covered in a course on discipleship. It is assumed that once you believe in Jesus, you've already learned enough about faith... you just need to put it more and more into practice. However, many believers ha... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Introduction

Think of a disciple. Any disciple. Ok, who did you think of? Peter? James? John? or one of Jesus' other close followers? How about Paul or Barnabas? Or maybe you thought of your pastor, a missionary, or a really dedicated Christian friend? How... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00The Five Love Languages In Our Relationship With Christ

During the three months of our engagement, my wife, Wanda, and I went through pre-marital counselling with Jeff, our pastor. (I recommend pre-marital counselling for any couple who intends to tie the knot). During this time, we studied and discussed ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Sin & Temptation

You can rest secure in your salvation. Jesus' death paid the penalty for all of your sin, therefore you will not be condemned if you sin: "He who believes in Him is not condemned; ... - John 3:18 (ACV) However, sin will affect your relat... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Quiet Time

While Bible study's purpose is to learn more about God, quiet time is more focused on spending time alone with God, developing your relationship with Him, letting Him speak to you, and strengthening you for the day. Quiet time is also sometimes... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Prayer

Prayer is essential for the growth of your relationship with God. As in any healthy relationship, communication must go both ways. Not only must you listen to God speak to you through His word, you must also talk to Him, knowing that He hears you. T... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Know Your Enemy

There was a lot of anxiety in the 1950's, at the height of the cold war. The USSR had the bomb, and it seemed only a matter of time before they would launch their nuclear missiles at us, and we would launch ours at them, and the world as we know... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00About Andrew Bernhardt

Andrew lives in Beatty, Nevada with his wife, Wanda. You can reach him by clicking here. Interests: Computing (programming, communications, DTP, graphics, repair, you name it!) Hiking (Sierra Nevadas, Death Valley, etc.) Click here for some phot... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Ghana Trip (2005)

(Andrew and Wanda Bernhardt) * UPDATED with more pictures * This trip was to paint the Mephibosheth Training Center school, located on the outskirts of Ankamu (Apam junction). The school is expected to open in October, which is very fast compared t... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Photo Gallery

(Palm Spring, Death Valley, CA) Click on the images below for a larger 512 x 364 JPG picture. Beatty and vicinity: View of Beatty Mountain, Beatty, Nevada, with the traditional tumbleweed in the foreground. (Yup, 95% of Beatty is... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Site Map

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1999-11-30 12:00:00Writings

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1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics

This document serves to collect various scripture references useful in explaining the reasons for the historic Christian faith to non-believers and new believers. What is included in this document? The first part contains scripture references perta... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Bible

We believe the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, inerrant and infallible as originally given, were inspired by God and are the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith a... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Character and Nature of God

God has many attributes (qualities) that define who He is and what He is like. Some attributes describe his deity ("god-ness"), and some His character. You will find that all of God's attributes are infinite, they are without limit. T... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Trinity

We believe in one God, the creator of all things, infinitely perfect and existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. - Beatty Community ChurchStatement of Faith God: One And Only How do we know there is a God? While the believer a... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Omnipotent & Sovereign

Omnipotent means all-powerful, almighty. Nothing is too difficult for God. God is not only most powerful, but is infinitely powerful. (Meaning, no matter how much power God uses, He still has just as much afterwards as he had before. God never tires.... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Omnipresent

This means "everywhere-present". God is everywhere. However, God is not "in" everything in the pagan sense (i.e. God is not all and all is not God). How do we know God is omnipresent? The Bible says there is nowhere in the unive... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Omniscient & All-Wise

Omniscient means "all-knowing". God knows everything. God knows how everything works because He created it. God knows everything that happens because He is omnipresent. He knows everything that happened in the past and what will happen in t... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Eternal & Self-Existing

"Eternal" means timeless (existing outside of time), without end. God is immortal. He is not subject to death. God is preexistent. He existed before creation. How do we know God is eternal? In Psalms 90:2, the writer says God exists ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Holy, Perfect, Righteous & Just

"Holy" means "set apart". In referring to God, it means He is unique (there is no other god like God) and absolutely pure or good; there is no sin found in Him. How do we know God is holy? In Leviticus 11:44, God commands the Is... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Loving, Good, Gracious & Merciful

God's love (agape) is unconditional benevolence (favor) toward us. It is because of this love that God shows grace and mercy to us. How do we know God is love? 1 John 4:8-9 tells us that God is love. It is part of His character. This means tha... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Trustworthy, Truthful & Immutable

Trustworthy means God keeps His promises. Another word for this is faithful. How do we know God is trustworthy? Deuteronomy 7:9 says that God keeps His covenants. Psalms 89:1 says God is faithful. Sometimes we see the fulfilling of God's promi... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Creator & Sustainer

The Bible says that everything that exists was created by God ( Genesis 1:1). The earth and the universe were created by God (Isaiah 48:13, Colossians 1:16). God transcends creation - He is not a part of creation but above it. How do we know God sus... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Jesus Christ

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1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Son of God

We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, he arose bodily from the dead, ascended t... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: General References to Jesus' Deity

Some scriptural basis for the deity of Jesus are not so obvious without a study of both the Old and New Testaments. While most of these use cross-referencing of passages between the Old and New Testaments, some use only the Old Testament to show that... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Jesus' Death & Resurrection

God's "Holy One" not to decay in the grave (Psalms 16:10, Acts 2:23-32). The Messiah to have a grave with the wicked, but will prolong his days afterwards (Isaiah 53:9-12). The Anointed One (Messiah) to be "cut off". If the... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Messianic Prophecies

Messiah (Hebrew) = Christ (Greek) = Anointed One (English) The first messianic prophecy occurs in the garden of Eden just after the fall. God refers to the seed (singular) of the woman that will crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15, Matthew 1... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: the Holy Spirit

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1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Deity of The Holy Spirit

We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age to convict men of sin, regenerate i.e., the rebirth of: the believing sinner, to indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly liv... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Holy Spirit's Relationship to Us

All believers have the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of believers (Galatians 4:6). We know that we live in Jesus and He in us by the testimony of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13, 3:24, Romans 8:16). The Holy Spirit ins... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Man & Salvation

We believe that man was created in the image of God, but fell into sin and is therefore spiritually lost, and only by rebirth through the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained. - Beatty Community ChurchStatement of Faith Man: ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Man's Fallen Nature

Sin is "missing the mark", not meeting God's standard of righteousness. It is choosing not to follow God's will (Isaiah 53:6). It is declaring (by words or deeds) independence from God. Why do we sin? We sin because Adam sinned ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: God's Solution to Man's Fallen Nature

We believe that the perfect, sinless life of Jesus Christ, His shed blood, and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and that only such as receive Jesus Christ by faith are born of the Holy Spir... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: Sin & Temptation

Sin is willfully disobeying God. It is doing what displeases Him. Temptation is what urges us to sin. Temptation does not separate us from God. Sin does. God created man perfect, without a sin nature, but with freedom to choose to obey or disobey Go... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: General References on Salvation

The Bible tells us that the God who created the whole universe loves each and every one of us (John 3:16). God did not create us on a whim; He created us for a purpose. That was to be with Him and to have a relationship with Him. This is spiritual l... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The End Times

We believe in the personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ for his church and that this "blessed hope" has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer. - Beatty Community ChurchStatement of Faith Jesus... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Resurrection

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, and of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment. - Beatty Community ChurchStatement of Faith What is ... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Discipleship: Walking In The Spirit

Many, if not most, believers struggle to live the Christian life. Salvation was easy - just believe in Jesus and you're saved. But living the life for some reason is hard. In Romans, Paul wrote about our freedom from the penalty of sin, and ins... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Church

We believe that the true church is composed of all such persons, who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been reborn through the Holy Spirit and are united together in the body of Christ, of which He is the head. - Beatty Community ChurchSta... (read more)

1999-11-30 12:00:00Apologetics: The Judgments

Jesus will judge the nations, separating "the sheep from the goats" (Matthew 25:32, Acts 17:31). He will judge all people, both saved (living) and unsaved (dead) (Romans 14:10, 2 Timothy 4:1). Unbelievers will be judged according to their w... (read more)

Romans 12:22009-06-09 14:08:49: Hey Uncle Andrew. I got your comment on my blog. I always wondered how the Wittnesses could explain John 10:30. Those verses in Revelation are very good, and I've got an article prepared dealing with those. I do remember Walter Martin saying "You can't have two first and two lasts."

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Last updated by System on 2010-02-02 08:51:54.