Russell Kline – Posts (Titles and Excerpts)

Posts by Russell Kline

(Titles Only or Titles and Excerpts)

Limited to most recent 50 posts

• It is Hip to Call Evil Good and Good Evil

  It May Be “Hip” To Call Evil Good, But God Says, “Woe Unto Them That Call Evil Good, And Good Evil” In Isaiah 5:20, the prophet of the Lord pronounced “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and […]

• Nurture and Admonition of the Lord

  Parents are responsible to teach about Biblical marriage. Parents, have you considered the fact that it is now entirely up to you to teach your children about Biblical marriage? Once upon a time, in our society, the Biblical definition of marriage was the only one that people knew. It was what was accepted as “normal.” It […]

• Can People Be Baptized in the Holy Spirit?

  Can people be baptized in the Holy Spirit? This question has been asked with great frequency, since I first started answering questions on the radio, twenty years ago. It seems to be of keen interest to those who are not members of the church of Christ, as it relates directly to a popular denominational doctrine. […]

• What Can I Do To Make My Marriage Happy

  The best advice on how to make a happy marriage is in the New Testament. Although most people in troubled relationships look elsewhere, some of the best advice on how to have a happy marriage can be found in the New Testament. The one passage that says the most on marriage is Ephesians 5:22-33. In its […]

• Life and Death

  The Bible Sheds Light on Life and Death Hebrews 9:27 reads, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Sooner or later, every human being experiences death. Death is the inevitable end of life. Whenever someone we love dies, we are vividly reminded of our own mortality, and […]

• What About Music at Weddings?

  Though weddings are civil ceremonies, they are not occasions to go beyond the limits of the Law of Christ. While the Bible has much to say about marriage, it has very little to say about marriage ceremonies and weddings. Yet, there are questions that frequently arise about whether the Bible does or does not authorize […]

• An Abundant Life

  God’s promise of an abundant life in Jesus Jesus provides an abundant linfe. In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The context in which this verse appears is a discussion of the Lord’s role as the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-17). In […]

• A Sense of Urgency

  Feel a sense of urgency when it comes to evangelism. As we approach the start of the 19th Annual Madisonville Church of Christ Bible Lectureship, I find myself thinking more and more about the theme of this year’s program – Evangelism: Our Mission and Passion. Do Christians really understand that the evangelism of lost souls […]

• What is Happening to The Lord’s Church?

  Declining? What is Happening to The Lord’s Church? Lately, I’ve been reading several articles and blogs on the declining state of the churches of Christ. Certainly, there is no denying that the statistical evidence shows that the total number of members of the Lord’s church in the United States of America has been declining steadily […]

• Who is The Holy Spirit?

  What does the Bible say about the Holy Spirit? Who is The Holy Spirit? While no one has ever actually asked me a question which was worded in exactly that fashion, I have been asked about the essence of this question on more than one occasion. Also, it should be noted that, in undertaking a […]

• 50 Shades of Facebook

  You may have missed this in the news cycle, but the social-media giant, Facebook, made an interesting announcement last week. In the midst of so much controversy about granting special rights and privileges to homosexuals in America, Facebook has added a new feature to the “about” section of everyone’s personal profiles. In addition to the […]

• Maybe They Are Born That Way?

  Sin results from life choices, not because people are born that way. Much has been reported lately about an effort that is being put forth to allow “transgender” students at Madisonville North Hopkins High School to use the restroom of the opposite sex, if they choose to do so. Furthermore, these students want their teachers […]

• Lord, Teach Us to Pray

  Many today do not properly understand what prayer is and how they ought to pray. Answers can be found in the words of our Lord. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray on at least two occasions. These are recorded in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. Prayer is an important part of maintaining a good […]

• Does the Bible Contradict Science?

  Does the Bible contradict science, or is the Bible confirmed by science? It depends what you accept as science. Many people today hold to the misapprehension that the Bible contradicts scientific fact. The truth is that the Bible does not contradict true scientific fact. The Bible does contradict many unproven scientific theories (such as, the “Big […]

• Don’t Worry

  Christians don’t worry the way the world does, even though God has not promised to shield us As citizens of the United States of America, we are blessed beyond our capacity to appreciate it. We live in a time and place where life is easier and more convenient than it has ever been before. We […]

• All Lives Matter!

  The message that “All Lives Matter” is a Biblical message. The latter half of 2014 was marred by violence in different parts of our country, as protests erupted over allegations of racism within certain law enforcement organizations. It was alleged that, in the minds of some police officers, the lives of black people do not […]

• An Army of One

  Even when Christians just act on their own, being an army of one, they can accomplish great things. In the New Testament, the Lord’s church is said to be many things. In the book of Ephesians alone, it is called, the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:23), the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), the family of […]

• Giving of our Time

  “See then that ye walk circumspectly , not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5:15-16 How much of your time do you give to God? Sure, you may give a generous amount of your money to the Lord, but money is not the only thing with which God blesses us. Time is a much […]

• An Atheist’s Dream House

  Last week, I was privileged to preach in a Gospel Meeting at the Minksville Church of Christ, in Harrison County, Ohio. You won’t find Minksville on a map of Ohio, because it is not even an unincorporated town. It is a point where two county roads cross. There is a cemetery, a church building and two cow pastures […]

• Is God’s Grace Limited to the Churches of Christ?

  In the March, 2014 issue of The Christian Chronicle (an international newspaper for the churches of Christ; published by Oklahoma Christian University) an article appears on page three, which is titled, “Muscle, a shovel and thousands of baptisms” (sic.). As you may have guessed already, it is about the phenomenal success of Muscle and a Shovel, a self-published […]

• Preaching with Consistency

  Faithful preachers of the gospel are charged with preaching a consistent message to those who will listen to them. With so many preachers preaching so many different things in the “religious world,” consistency is something that is sorely lacking. But, the kind of consistency that Bible challenges us to present in sermons is not so difficult to understand. “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick […]

• Preaching with Honesty

  “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” – Acts 20:26-27 Preachers must be honest with the people to whom they preach. One might think that much is obvious, but most preachers are under constant pressure to tell people what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear. The apostle Paul felt […]

• Preaching with Authority

  “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God…” -1 Peter 4:11 Jesus captivated multitudes of thousands of people at a time because, when He preached, “he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes” (Mark 7:29). People were hungry and thirsty for righteousness, and Christ gave them food for their souls (Matthew 5:6; John 6:35). Biblical preaching is […]

• Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide

  What we call a “conscience” is defined by some as a “sense of ought,” which compels us to do what we believe to be right and to shun what we believe to be wrong. It has been depicted as an angel perched on our shoulders, whispering into our ears (temptation is portrayed as a demon perched on the […]

• The Law of Exclusion

  It has been rightly observed that the Bible reveals to humanity certain concepts, which are not expressly quantified in specific terms, but are manifestly present in the Scriptures, nonetheless. Some call these the “unwritten laws” of God. They are no less important than any of God’s other laws, and an understanding of them is essential to living a […]

• What is the “Sin Unto Death”?

  Many times, in the more than 20 years I have been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have been approached by people who were genuinely distraught, because they believed that they had committed a “sin unto death,” and that they could not possibly be forgiven for it. They have convinced themselves that they have committed a sin […]

• Do the Right Thing

  In the fifteenth Psalm, King David posed an important question: “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1). In essence, he was asking, “Who will be in Heaven?” In response to his own question, the psalmist listed almost a dozen qualities that are consistently found in everyone who will one […]

• Skeptical Christianity

  Many of the oldest denominations have a history of keeping their membership under control by keeping them ignorant of what the Bible actually says. Prior to the Protestant Reformation, Bibles were literally chained to the pulpits of churches and were considered to be objects of mystery by the laity. Even the oldest of the Protestant denominations continued to […]

• Hosea and Gomer: A Living Lesson

  Hosea was a prophet of the Lord who lived and worked in Israel—the northern kingdom, in the period of time when God’s people were divided into two kingdoms. Israel was composed of ten tribes of the Hebrew people, who separated themselves from Judah and Simeon after the death of Kind Solomon (1 Kings 12). Their capital city was […]

• Without Excuse

  Have you ever heard the old saying, “An excuse is just a gift wrapped lie?” Perhaps you have not heard this saying, because excuses are so ubiquitous in modern society. Human beings have been making excuses for bad behavior since the dawn of history. As far back as the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve tried to make […]

• Giving of our Talent

  “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” – Matthew 25:29 Paul, in praise of the Christians of Macedonia, wrote: “How that in great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying […]

• Giving of our Means

  When one thinks about the Bible doctrine of giving, money is usually the first thing that comes to mind. In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, the apostle Paul succinctly stated that giving of our means is supposed to be part of the worship that Christians offer to God. “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so […]

• The Purpose of the Supper

  Why do Christians eat unleavened bread and drink fruit of the vine on the first day of every week? The obvious answer is, “Because the Lord told us to,” and that is a correct answer. After all, Jesus did say, “This do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19b). But, there is more to the Lord’s Supper than just going through the motions of observance. There is a […]

• Emblems of the Supper

  The common practice in the churches of Christ is for the Lord’s Supper to consist of bread, which is unleavened, and grape juice, which is unfermented. As is the case with most everything that is done in the worship of the Lord’s church, we do this, not because it is our tradition, or because it is our preference, but because of what is written in the Word of God. […]

• The First Day of the Week

  A significant difference between the churches of Christ and other churches is the practice of observing the Lord’s Supper every Sunday. Some churches do so only twice every year (at Christmas and Easter), some include other holy days on the calendar, and some have a “Communion Sunday” once every month. The practice of a weekly supper is not what most people today would consider […]

• Divided Assemblies

  A growing phenomenon in the modern religious scene is the notion that, in order to appeal to young people, churches must divide their worship assemblies into smaller groups, which cater the perceived needs of specific ages. Some “small groups ministries” involve the formation of a “children’s church,” which meets somewhere else, while the grownups are meeting in the […]

• Parenting Pitfalls

  Even with almost two decades of experience, raising a son, I hardly feel qualified to offer any advice at all on the subject of parenting. The material in this article is compiled from many sources, both in print and on the Internet. The solutions to the problems mentioned are entirely Biblical. As I have said many times before: […]

• Have You Got the Right Directions?

  Technology of the modern world can be both a blessing and a curse. When everything works as it should, it’s a blessing – when things go wrong, it’s something else. Take, for example the bizarre case of Sabine Moreau, a 67-year old woman from Belgium, who recently went on a two-day, 900-mile odyssey because her GPS receiver gave her the wrong […]

• What I Learned from the 52-Week Challenge

  One year ago, I announced in the church bulletin and on my Facebook page that I was going to try an experiment in evangelism called, “the 52-week challenge.” Everyone who talked to me about this effort was very positive and encouraging. I want to thank everyone for their support. Quite simply, the 52-week challenge was […]

• Christmas MythBusters!

  (originally published in December 2012) Now is the time of year when people all over our land pause to remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is not necessarily anything wrong with taking time out to focus on a particular event recorded in the Bible, but the Christmas holiday is one that […]

• No Divisions

  Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1:10, wrote a passionate plea, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” The situation at the church […]

• What is the Essential Mission of the Church?

  The mission of the church has been the subject of many heated discussions between brethren in the Lord’s church since the early days of the Restoration Movement. Our ancient brethren had a crystal clear understanding of the essential mission of the church, which is why the New Testament is hardly overflowing with debates about the issue. This, however, […]

• Abuse of Our Freedoms

  Last week, one of my brethren gave me an old church bulletin, in which there was printed a short article titled, “The Four Freedoms Abused.” Although the material in it was a bit dated, I thought that the points it made were very much needed at this time. I would like to present that article, along with some […]

• The World Our Children Will Inherit

  When my wife and I adopted our son, I experienced the same epiphany that hits most first-time dads. I thought about all the trials and tribulations that I experienced in growing up. I thought about the fads and trends I had seen come and go in the world. I remembered how my parents had worried about how […]

• Questions Without Answers

  Human beings are naturally inquisitive. Of all the creatures that God created, we are the only ones on Earth who are capable of reason, logic and profundity of thought (Isaiah 1:18). In our long history, humanity has made many important discoveries and advanced his knowledge of the world by leaps and bounds, yet there are […]

• Kepler’s Courage

  Kepler spent many years of his life trying to prove a hypothesis Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer, born in 1571. He lived in a time when astronomy and astrology were merged into a single field of study and he excelled prolifically, in both disciplines. From the time of his boyhood, he was educated to […]

• How the Bible Authorizes – By Necessary Inference

  By Necessary Inference What about those things with which the Bible does not deal directly? How can we know that it is sinful for Christians to smoke cigarettes, or abuse drugs like morphine, when such things did not exist in the first century and are not mentioned in the Bible? In order to know what […]

• How the Bible Authorizes – By Approved Example

  By Approved Example What makes an example an approved example? There are a number of examples of tradition and practice in the New Testament, some of which are imitated by the modern church and some of which are not. How can we know which examples we ought to imitate and which we ought not? For […]

• How the Bible Authorizes – By Direct Statement

  By Direct Statement At first glance, this may seem to be the simplest of all the ways in which the Bible authorizes. After all, if the Bible says that a thing is so, then it is so, right? Well, it must be acknowledged that not every direct, propositional statement in the Bible is binding upon […]

• Home: As God Designed It – Children

  Children: An Heritage of the Lord There is no doubt that children are a special blessing in any family. For the first seven years of our marriage, my wife and I struggled with the painful frustration of childlessness. We knew all too well the feeling expressed by Rachel, when she said to Jacob, in her […]