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Joe Corley, contact info for the Bible Basics series author

2007-11-19T06:20:00.001-08:00

Joe

Job title:
Company:	Joe Corley Books

Address:	116 Armory Drive Lewisburg, TN 37091

Business:	(931) 359-3451
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cached Monday, May 28, 2007

Covetousness: The Tenth Commandment

2007-05-06T19:45:00.001-07:00

Why is covetousness the Tenth Commandment (Exodus 20:17)? Covetousness is not listed last because it is somehow the least of sins (James 2:8-11), but because it is "a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10), covetousness causes people to violate each of the other nine commandments. The sermon outline is available in two formats: Powerpoint (*.PPT) and webpage archive

(*.MHT).

In the slide show below, my list numbering was altered by the process used to convert the Powerpoint presentation to a slide show. So, if you want a presentation that makes numerical sense, download the Powerpoint.

OUTLINE

I. Covetousness: The 10th Commandment
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” 1 Timothy 6:10

II. Exodus 20:3-17, The Ten Commandments, Thou shall…

Not have any other Gods before ME
Not make unto thee any graven image
Not take the name of thy Lord in vain
Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy
Honor thy father and thy mother
Not murder
Not commit adultery
Not steal
Not bear false witness
Not covet

[Is there a reason for the order of the commandments?]

•The first four commandments govern our relationship with God. Similarly, Jesus said that the first and great commandment was, “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” (Matthew 22:37-38)

•The first five govern our relationship to authority. We learn respect for God by first learning to respect our parents.

•The last six commandments govern our relationships with other people. This can be summed up in Jesus’ command to, “’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:-39-40)

[What about the prohibition against covetousness? Why is it last?]

It isn’t last because it is somehow a lesser sin (James 2:8-11).

[Let us examine the relationship that the sin of covetousness has with the other nine sins listed in the Ten Commandments.]

III. Covetousness: The 10th Commandment, a root of all kinds of evil

Covet – Hebrew verb “chamad” (khaw-mad‘), “to desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in”

Exodus 20:17 - “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.”

IV. Covetousness: The 10th Commandment, a root of all kinds of evil

Covet - Greek verb “epithumeo”, “to fix the desire upon” (epi, “upon,” used intensively, thumos, “passion”), whether things good or bad; hence, “to long for, lust after, covet, …”

Romans 7:7-8 – epithumeo is translated “covet” & “desire”

Genesis 3:6 – Eve saw the fruit as desirable (“chamad”)

James 1:14-15; 1 John 2:16 – lust (“epithumeo”)

3.[According to James, we are tempted by our desires. Isn’t this what happened to Eve?]

41 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

•Eve that the tree was good for food. Her flesh lusted for it.

•The fruit was pleasant to Eve’s eyes. Her eyes lusted for it.

•The fruit was desirable to make one wise. Eve’s pride told her she wanted to become wise by eating the fruit.

V. Covetousness: The 10th Commandment, a root of all kinds of evil
Thou shall …
1. Not have any other gods
2. Not make any graven images (idols)
3. Not take the Lord’s name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath
5. Honor Father & Mother

Covetousness leads to …
1. Micah & Dan (Judges 17-18:24)
2. Colossians 3:4-6
3. Job’s Wife (Job 1:10-11; 2:9)
4. Exodus 20:8-11
5. Corban (Mark 7:9-13); Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-13)

A covetous attitude caused . . .

1.Men from Dan to steal Micah’s “Gods.”

2.Men today to place material prosperity ahead of God.

3.Job’s wife to instruct Job to blaspheme God.

4.Men to disregard God’s command to honor father and mother.

[With respect to the Fourth Commandment, If one cannot work on the Sabbath (which is not a prohibition today), then one cannot work for material prosperity on that day, but must focus his attention on his relationship to God, family and others.]

VI. Covetousness: The 10th Commandment, a root of all kinds of evil
Thou shall not …
6. Murder
7. Commit Adultery
8. Steal
9. Bear False Witness (Lie)
10. Covet

Covetousness leads to …
6. Cain (Genesis 4:1-8); Proverbs 1:10-19
7. Exodus 20:17; David (2 Samuel 11:2-4); Ephesians 4:19 (cf. NIV)
8. Jacob (Gen. 27:6-29); Laban (Genesis 31:7,15,41,42); Achan (Joshua 7:21);
9. Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27); Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)
10. 1 Timothy 6:5-10

Covetousness has also led men to . . .

1.Murder;

2.Commit adultery;

3.Steal; and

4.Lie.

Ephesians 4:19

NKJV - who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

NIV - Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

HCSB - They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

ESV - They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

TNIV - Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

As Paul wrote to Timothy, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” 1 Timothy 6:10.

VII. Covetousness: The 10th Commandment
“For the love of money is aroot of all kinds of evil” 1 Timothy 6:10

[Perhaps covetousness is listed as the last commandment because it can cause man to commit the other nine.]

Does the prospect of eternal life sound pleasant and delightful to you?

Do you long for heaven?

Then you should desire a relationship with Jesus Christ, and covet a good relationship with God.

Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

Jesus Would Evangelize

2006-11-28T21:01:00.001-08:00

Jesus Would Evangelize

by Bill Blue

People oftentimes place importance on a person’s final words. What can lessons can we learn from Jesus’ final instructions to the apostles before He ascended into heaven?

JESUS EXPECTS US TO EVANGELIZE. The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts all record that Jesus’ final instructions to the apostles included the commands to preach the gospel (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:44-52, John 21:15-17; Acts 1:8).

Matthew and Mark quote Jesus as requiring the Gospel to be preached in “all nations” (Matt. 28:20; Luke 24:47), and to “the whole human race” (Mark 16:15 - AMPLIFIED BIBLE).

JESUS EXPECTS US TO PREACH THE NECESSITY OF BAPTISM. According to Jesus, baptism is necessary for salvation (Mark 16:16), and to become one of His disciples (Matt. 28:19). Luke records that Jesus commanded, “repentance and remission of sins should be preached” (Luke 24:47). Peter, Luke, and Paul all say that baptism is for the remission or “washing away,” of sins (Acts 2:38. 22:16).

JESUS EXPECTS US TO OBEY HIS COMMANDS AS THEY ARE GIVEN. The apostles and early disciples followed Jesus’ instructions exactly. Luke wrote that Jesus commanded the apostles to remain in Jerusalem after His ascension and wait for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). Then, preach the gospel first in Jerusalem, then the rest of Judea, Samaria and finally the rest of the world.

46 “Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the
Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance
and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the
Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are
endued with power from on high.’” (Luke 24:46-49) “But you shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8,
NKJV).

Following this instruction, the apostles returned to Jerusalem (Luke 24:52; Acts 1:12). They were in Jerusalem when they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:12–2:4). Immediately after receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter preached the first gospel sermon in Jerusalem and 3,000 people were baptized (Acts 2:14, 41). Afterwards, Peter and others continued preaching and working miracles until the doctrine of Christ had “filled Jerusalem” (Acts 5:28).

Later, Philip went to Samaria. Many there “heeded” his teachings, and were baptized through his preaching of Jesus and the kingdom of God (Acts 8:5-6, 8:12-14).

Other Christians, fleeing Jewish persecution, spread the Gospel “as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch” (Acts 11:19-20). Eventually, the apostles and others succeeded in “turn[ing] the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) for the Gospel had not only been successful in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, but also “throughout almost all of Asia” (Acts 19:26).

Thus, as Jesus commanded, the apostles preached the gospel first in Jerusalem and Judea, then Samaria and the rest of the world.

JESUS EXPECTS US TO FOLLOW THE APOSTLES’ EXAMPLES AND TEACHINGS. Jesus instructed the apostles to teach the new disciples they baptized to obey everything He commanded the apostles (Matt. 28:20). Thus, we too, are responsible for “preaching” or “proclaiming” God’s word (2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Pet. 2:9; 1 Pet. 3:15).

Jesus Evangelism Preach What Would Jesus Do? WWJD?
Spring Warrior Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

Cleanse The Temple of Modernism

2006-11-22T18:27:00.001-08:00

Cleanse The Temple of Modernism by Bill Blue

Is Christ pleased with all the works and forms of worship performed in His name today?

One Lino Lakes, Minnesota congregation has movie-theater style seats with cup holders (the cup holders are designed to hold the designer coffee that will be sold at the building).

Another congregation in nearby Eden Prairie, Minnesota has swelled to such large numbers that it has two buildings miles apart. The smaller building features videotaped sermons and a ten-piece band.

In Essex County, New Jersey, a congregation held a football service. Women played cheerleaders and the choir and preacher dressed in jerseys. In Peoria, Illinois, a congregation decorates its building with golf balls and footballs, and the men huddle up at the beginning and the end of each service.

A St. Paul congregation used to be the attendance champion because it operated a non-alcoholic nightclub, and boasted that its slogan was “Definitely not church as usual.”

Many Christians would oppose nightclubs and videotaped sermons, but what about daycare centers, ten-piece bands, softball teams, Wednesday night dinners, or three-dollar coffees?

What would Jesus say about efforts to modernize or liberalize worship?

Jesus is not pleased by every form of worship performed in His name (Matt. 7:21-23).

With respect to common meals, Jesus demonstrated in His own ministry that He was more concerned with fulfilling spiritual needs than one’s appetite. On the day after Jesus fed the 5,000, many of the Jews who had been fed the day before traveled across the Sea of Galilee to be fed again (John 6:24, 26). Jesus did not feed them again, but said, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:27). Over and over again Jesus stressed that it was more important to believe that He was the Christ, than to be preoccupied with their own bellies (John 6:29, 32-33, 35-40). Paul similarly says to churches who assemble to eat common meals, “What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? … But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment” (1 Cor. 11:22, 34). Common meals can cause divisions within the church, and cause brethren to forget why they are assembling in the first place (1 Cor. 11:17-34). Jesus would prefer us to come together to be nourished with words of faith and good doctrine (1 Tim. 4:6) instead of $3 coffees or spaghetti dinners.

With respect to nightclubs, gyms, daycare centers and the like, either all are authorized or none are authorized. What would Jesus say about these social outreach institutions? On two occasions, Jesus cleansed the temple of the moneychangers. On the second occasion Jesus said that the offenders had made the Lord’s house “a den of thieves” (Matt. 21:13). On the first occasion, however, Jesus did not accuse anyone of stealing, but said, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!” (John 2:16). The moneychangers were guilty of doing something God did not authorize. Likewise, where is the authority for a church to spend the Lord’s treasury on daycare centers, gymnasiums, schools, or nightclubs? Where does the Bible say that these activities are the work of the assembly? Biblical silence is not permission (Heb. 7:14).

Which would Jesus find more offensive - selling animals necessary for sacrifice, or selling $3 coffees at worship? The moneychangers could at least argue that they were selling items necessary for worship. After all, everyone under the Law of Moses had to offer an animal for sacrifice as part of his or her worship to God, but God requires no one today to have daycare or coffee in order to worship Him.

The problem with modern worship is that the breadth of permitted activities grows over time because they are not confined by God’s word which never changes (Mal. 3:6). The organ or piano introduced into some denominations in the 19th century has given way to ten-piece bands and choirs that sing while the congregation sits quiet (but see Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). In the 20th Century, women and homosexuals began filling pulpits once reserved to righteous men (1 Cor. 14:34-35; 1 Tim. 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 6:9-10). How far has modernism gone? In one of the congregations referenced above, worship includes comedy sketches and rock music, but no Bibles and no hymnals. How well can one be filled with “words of faith and good doctrine” without Bibles (1 Tim. 4:6)? It is time to cleanse our houses of worship of the moneychangers of daycare and gyms before our Bibles disappear and we starve from a lack of God’s word.

Next week we will print our final article in this series.

Jesus Authority Liberal Modern What Would Jesus Do? WWJD? Worship Spring Warrior
Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

What Would Jesus Do About Sinning Brethren?

2006-11-14T21:01:00.001-08:00

What Would Jesus Do About Sinning Brethren? By Bill Blue

Some churches excommunicate sinning members. Some withdraw from or disfellowship sinners. Others do not discipline members at all believing that it is wrong to judge one another. What would Jesus do?

Where one brother sins against a second brother, Jesus has left us explicit instructions (Matt. 18:15-17).

15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between
you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he
will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be established.' 17 And if he refuses to hear them,
tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to
you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Although Jesus limited His scenario to occasions where one brother sins against another, following Jesus’ pattern here should be the rule rather than the exception. As we consider the Scriptural authority for withdrawal, remember the goals of discipline: saving the lost brother (James 5:19-20), and protecting the church from sin (1 Cor. 5:5-8).

STEP ONE: GO TO THE BROTHER. Jesus commands us to begin the process by going directly to the sinning brother. The wisdom in doing so privately before involving third parties is obvious for at least two reasons: First, the “erring” Christian may repent immediately. Repentance may eliminate the need for others to know about the transgression and lessen the possibility of gossip and division. Secondly, you need to verify the facts. Going directly to the person accused of sin will permit you to hear their side of the story. How embarrassing would it be to confront the “transgressor” in the presence of others and then learn that no sin was committed?

STEP TWO: GO BACK WITH ONE OR TWO MORE. If your brother will not repent, find one or two witnesses (Matt. 18:16). Give your brother a second chance to repent. His spiritual welfare is the overriding concern (James 5:19-20). Others may be able to persuade him to repent and their presence will help assure that the facts are verified (Matt. 18:16). However, the number of people with knowledge of the allegations is still small. The brother may repent without the need of sharing the allegations with the entire church.

STEP THREE: TAKE IT TO THE CHURCH. If the brother will not listen to you or the others, you are then to take the issue to the church. If your church has elders, take the matter to them because they have oversight. The influence of the whole congregation is brought to bear in hopes of getting the brother to repent, but if he refuses, “let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector” (Matt. 18:17).

LET HIM BE TO YOU LIKE A HEATHEN AND A TAX COLLECTOR. What did Jesus mean by saying that we should consider the sinning brother a Gentile and a tax collector? Remember that Jesus was speaking to Jews, and in the First Century, the Jews would not eat with Gentiles or tax collectors. By way of analogy, Jesus is instructing us to not eat with, keep company with, or otherwise socialize with sinning brethren (1 Cor. 5:11).

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. In verse 17, Christ puts the responsibility on the individual to discipline the sinning brother when He says that “you” are to treat the brother as a Gentile and a tax collector (Matt. 18:17). Paul also emphasized the individual’s responsibility for discipline when he wrote, “we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us” (2 Thess. 3:6, ASV).

WHAT IS WITHDRAWN? Paul says that we are to avoid sinning brethren (Rom. 16:17), by withdrawing ourselves (2 Thess. 3:6) and our company from them (2 Thess. 3:14). We should not keep company or even eat with sinning brethren (1 Cor. 5:11).

WE ONLY WITHDRAW FROM SINNING BRETHREN (Matt. 18:15; 1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Thess. 3:6). We do not withdraw from the world (1 Cor. 5:9-13), but only our impenitent brethren who:

1. Commit sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5:11);
2. Covet (1 Cor. 5:11);
3. Are an idolater, reviler, drunkard, extortioner, or divisive (Rom. 16:17);
4. Sin against brethren (Matt. 18:15-17);
5. Walk disorderly contrary to apostolic tradition (2 Thess. 3:6);
6. Wander from the truth (James 5:19); or
7. Commit any trespass or offense contrary to doctrine (Gal. 6:1; Rom. 16:17).

We understand that no sin is any more or less dangerous than any other sin, though we may understand this better intellectually than we do in application. For example, many today may consider trivial what Paul said was disorderly conduct worthy of withdrawal (2 Thess. 3:6-14).

THE PURPOSE OF DISCIPLINE IS YOUR BROTHER’S SALVATION AND THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH (James 5:19-20; 1 Cor. 5:5-8). Discipline is difficult. Some brethren are unwilling to withdraw from a brother because they are concerned about the sinning brother’s feelings. This, however, ignores the fact that withdrawal is designed to shame the brother into repentance, and prevent sin from spreading throughout the church (2 Thess. 3:14; 1 Cor. 5:5-8).

Jesus’ pattern for dealing with sinning brethren protects not only our brother and the church, but ourselves also. Paul reminds us that when we seek to restore others that we should consider ourselves, lest we also be tempted (Gal. 6:1). The failure to try to restore a brother is in itself sin and a lack of concern for our brethren could become a lack of concern for sin in our own lives.

Jesus Church Discipline What Would Jesus Do? WWJD? Withdrawal Works
Spring Warrior Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

Sin No More

2006-11-07T21:01:00.001-08:00

Sin No More
The Woman Caught In Adultery, Part II
By Bill Blue

In last week’s article (WWJD no. 23), we reviewed John 8 where Jesus was confronted with the woman caught in the act of adultery. He convicted the woman’s accusers of sin (John 8:7-9). He did not condemn the adulteress, but told her to “sin no more” (John 8:10-11).

Jesus’ instruction to “sin no more” was a command to end her adulterous activities and adulterous relationship. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines an “adulteress,” as one “who has unlawful intercourse with the spouse of another” (see Rom. 7:3). Apparently, either the woman, or the man with whom she was having intercourse, was married to another person.

Implicit in Jesus’ command to sin no more is repentance. Jesus did not tell the woman that she could continue sinning, or that forgiveness absolves continuing sins. Jesus said to “sin no more.”

Jesus spoke of repentance on many occasions (Matt. 4:17; Matt. 11:20-24; Matt. 12:41-42; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:1-4; Rev. 3:19). Jesus says that death through persecution and tragedy is preferable to the judgment that comes upon those who do not repent (Luke 13:1-5). In Revelation, Christ told members of the church – “Christians” - to repent or else: He would remove the congregation’s lampstand (Rev. 2:5); He would fight against the evil doers with the sword of His mouth (Rev. 2:16); He would cast those who committed sexual immorality into a sickbed and great tribulation (Rev. 2:21-22); and He would come upon them in judgment as a thief in the night (Rev. 3:3). Like the woman caught in adultery, Christians cannot continue sinning. “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

Vine’s says repentance, “In the NT … has reference to ‘repentance’ from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God” (cf. 2 Cor. 7:9-11).

How then would a thief repent of sin? Not simply by stopping his stealing, but also by returning or restoring that which he stole (Luke 19:8-9). As one man once said, “A horse thief has not repented while he is still sitting in my saddle.” Similarly, drunkards should stop drinking (1 Cor. 6:10). The materialistic should stop coveting (1 Cor. 6:10), and those committing sexual immorality of any form – whether pre-martial, extramarital, or homosexual – must end these activities and relationships as well (1 Cor. 6:9; Rev. 2:18-23).

Jesus says that a marriage relationship can be sinful if one party to that relationship is not free to remarry. “Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality [“marital unfaithfulness” NIV], and marries another, commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9 NKJV; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18). The wife and her new spouse are also guilty of adultery if she remarries (Matt. 5:32; Luke 16:18). Jesus said that sin attaches when the husband (or wife) “marries another.” Of course, a widow (or widower) is free to remarry (Rom. 7:3; 1 Cor. 7:10-11).

How then do we repent of an adulterous marriage? Stop sinning (John 8:11) by removing yourself from the unlawful marriage (Ezra 10:18-19, 44). These partners are not rightfully yours anymore than the saddle belonged to the horse thief. As Jesus said, “the one whom you now have is not your husband” (John 4:16-19).

Admittedly, ending a marriage with someone we love isn’t easy. The Apostles acknowledged that Jesus’ commandments on marriage, divorce, and remarriage are difficult (Matt. 19:10). Sin, however, is not defined by the attitudes of men and popular culture, but by God. Sin is defined as a violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4). Man may have passed laws regulating marriage, but God will judge us by His laws (John 12:48) A marriage certificate from the clerk of the court does not absolve a husband and wife of sin any more than a law permitting abortion absolves the doctor or pregnant mother of homicide in God’s sight.

Some who do not believe that a marriage can be sinful have a double standard where homosexuality is concerned. They have no difficulty saying that homosexuals must quit having sex, but they refuse to apply the same standard to unlawful marriages. Some draw a distinction between sexual activities and sexual relationships, saying that activities like homosexuality are sinful, but relationships, like marriage are not. Should we then say that homosexuals have the right to marry so long as they do not have sex? Jesus wouldn’t. Jesus said that relationships can be sinful. “Whoever divorces His wife and marries another commits adultery” (Luke 16:18). “Whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery” (Matt. 5:32).

The Disciples rightly understood that God’s expectations for marriage are demanding when they concluded, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (Matt. 19:10). If marriage relationships cannot be sinful, then all one would have to do to avoid sexual immorality is to marry their partner. If this is true, then why would the Disciples believe that Jesus’ commands were so difficult that, “it is better not to marry” (Matt. 19:10)?

Being a member of the body of Christ does not absolve us of continuing sins, including the sins of sexual immorality, unless we repent (Rev. 2:21-22) and resolve to “sin no more” (John 8:11).

Jesus Adultery Homosexuality Marriage Divorce & Remarriage MDR
Reprentance What Would Jesus Do? WWJD? Spring Warrior
Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

Do any vestigial organs exist in humans?

2006-11-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

Answers in Genesis has an archive article posted on its website entitled: Do any vestigial organs exist in humans? One of the useful tidbits of the article is its identification of various organs that scientists once believed were vestigial (or no longer of any use due to the "evolution" of our species). The list below came from Answer In Genesis' article and Wikipedia.

Adenoids
Appendix - The appendix is part of the immune system, strategically located at the entrance of the almost sterile ileum from the colon with its normally high bacterial content.
Body hair
Coccyx
Ear muscles for wiggling
Eye Brow
Eye Lash
Lachrymal glands
Nictitating membrane of eye
Nipples on males
Nodes on ears, "Darwin's points"
Parathyroid
Pineal gland - The pineal gland secretes malatonin which is a hormone that regulates the circadian rhythm and has other functions.
Pituitary gland
Plantaris muscle
Thymus - The thymus is part of the immune system, related to T-cells. HIV attacks T-cells, rendering them ineffective and for this reason is always eventually fatal.
Toes bones III, IV, V
Tonsils - The tonsils have a similar function in the entrance to the pharynx.
Valves in veins
Wisdom teeth

Answers in Genesis Creation Evolution Vestigial Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

Jesus Would Judge Righteously

2006-10-31T21:01:00.001-08:00

Jesus Would Judge Righteously
The Woman Caught In Adultery, Part I
By Bill Blue

In John 8, the scribes and the Pharisees (v. 3), seeking to test Jesus (v. 6), brought to Him a woman caught in the act of adultery (vv. 3-4), and asked the following question: “Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” (v. 5). Jesus responded by saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (v. 7). “Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one. . . . When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’” (vv. 9-11).

What are the lessons we can learn from this story? What does it say about sexual immorality; is adultery no longer a sin? Are we to conclude that it is wrong for Christians to judge behavior and condemn sin? Are there no longer any consequences to sin in the New Testament era? What would Jesus say?

JESUS WOULD NOT EXCUSE ADULTERY. Although Jesus said that He did not condemn the woman, she was unquestionably an adulteress (John 8:3-4). In other Scriptures, Jesus says that adultery is on par with things that are evil (Matt. 12:39) and wicked (Matt. 16:4), and, like murder, adultery defiles a man (Matt. 15:18-19). Jesus says that adultery is a sin that can cast you into hell (Matt. 5:27-30). Whatever the lessons of John 8 are, one cannot conclude that Jesus does not consider adultery a sin. Jesus, rather, unlike the scribes and the Pharisees, was not willing to condemn the woman to death by stoning.

JESUS DOES NOT CONDEMN JUDGING, BUT UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT. The woman in John 8 was an adulteress (John 8:3-4), but her accusers were not motivated by righteous judgment or disdain for sin, but a desire to test Jesus, “that they might have something of which to accuse Him” (John 8:6). The scribes and Pharisees sought to trap Jesus by His answer to their question. Jesus did not immediately answer the question, but gave the appearance of ignoring it (John 8:6). Not wanting Jesus to escape, the scribes and Pharisees repeated their question until Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” No one threw a stone and all of the woman’s accusers left her and Jesus alone (John 8:9-11). In their zeal to trap Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees had allowed their own improper motives to blind their judgment. With one statement (“He who is without sin among you…”), Jesus caused the woman’s accusers to be “convicted by their conscience” (John 8:7, 9).

Jesus’ statement to the accusers did not condemn judging, but caused the accusers to consider their own motives. The men came to realize that they were actually willing to kill a woman if necessary to discredit Jesus. Jesus did not fault the scribes and Pharisees for accusing the woman of adultery because the accusation was true. Rather, Jesus pointed out that the reason why they brought the adulteress to Jesus in the first place was hypocritical.

Jesus’ statement to the woman’s accusers is similar to His other teachings on judging:

And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the
plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me
remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank
that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.
43 "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good
fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs
from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

(Luke 6:41-44; see also Matt. 7:1-5). Jesus does not condemn judging, but emphasizes the need for righteous, genuine, and sincere judgment (John 7:24; Rom. 2:1-3). One cannot know the difference between good and bad fruit without judging (Luke 6:43).

Matthew 7:1-2 is often misquoted by people who believe judging is unscriptural. “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Verse 2, however, emphasizes the importance of sincere, non-hypocritical judgment. Verse 6 goes on to show that judgment is required: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” (Matt. 7:6). One cannot know who is a “dog” or “swine” without judging.

Righteous judgment is a necessary activity for a spiritually healthy Christian. The Christian first looks inward and judges himself (1 Cor. 11:28-29; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 6:4), and removes “the plank from his own eye” (Luke 6:42). Then the Christian uses his judgment to avoid temptation and immoral and evil company (1 Cor. 5:9; 1 Cor. 15:33).

In next week’s article, we will examine Jesus’ statement to the, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:12).

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Jesus Would Put God & Others First Through Selfless Love

2006-10-24T21:01:00.001-07:00

Jesus Would Put God & Others First Through Selfless Love
By Bill Blue

What would Jesus say is the “greatest” commandment? Consider what He said:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:36-40).

Jesus and Paul say that these commands fulfill the whole law (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:27; Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 5:14). Let’s consider why.

Love “does not seek its own” (1 Cor. 13:5). Love is not self-centered, but always puts God and others first (Matt. 22:37, 39). Jesus and the Apostles criticized those who loved the attention of others (Matt. 6:5, 23:5-7; Mark 12:38-39; Luke 11:43, 20:46-47; see also 3 John 1:9), loved material wealth (Matt. 6:24, 19:16-24; Luke 16:13; 1 Tim. 6:10; 2 Tim. 3:2-5), or otherwise put something or someone else ahead of Him (Matt. 10:37).

Christians are expected to put God first (Matt. 6:33). Jesus says our own lives must take a backseat to the love of God for us to inherit eternal life (John 12:25-26). Even the Ten Commandments direct our attention away from ourselves. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God, and the last six prohibit us from mistreating others (Exodus 20:1-17).

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR (Matt. 22:40). Jesus taught the Apostles that, “all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

Paul instructed the Romans to become “living sacrifices,” in part by being “kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Rom. 12:1, 10).

Jesus says that whomever we would want to have mercy on us, literally everyone, is our neighbor (Luke 10:29-37; Matt. 7:12). We should even love our enemies and those whom the world discriminates against (Matt. 5:43-46; Luke 6:27-35).

LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD. Jesus said that those who love Him, and abide in His love, keep His commandments and those who do not keep His commandments do not love Christ (John 14:15, 21, 23-24; John 15:9-10, 14; 1 John 5:1-3; 2 John 1:5-6). The love of God is perfected in Christians when they keep God’s word (1 John 2:5, 4:12). Love is not sin (1 Cor. 13:4-7; Rom. 12:9), but rather covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). We cannot choose the commands we want to follow and ignore the rest (James 2:8-11). Anyone “who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar” (1 John 2:4).

Thus, we cannot love God and hate our brother at the same time (1 John 2:4-11; 1 John 3:14-16; 1 John 4:20-21; Rom. 13:8-10) because He commands us to love one another (1 John 3:10-11, 23; 1 John 4:7-12; John 15:12, 17; 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 Thess. 5:12-13; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 Pet. 2:17; 1 Pet. 3:8). If we love Jesus, we will care for the spiritual needs of our brethren (John 21:15-17) and bear with and forgive one another (Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12-13).

Jesus says that love should compel us to be benevolent and do good to everyone (Luke 6:30-35). James says similarly that selfless benevolence is faith in action (James 2:14-20), and “pure and undefiled religion” (James 1:27). Thus, we cannot obtain love of God by keeping only the letter of the law. We must also fulfill its intent (1 John 3:17-18; Luke 11:42) and spirit (1 Cor. 13:1-3) through our actions (James 2:14-17).

Although we should love our enemies (Matt. 5:43-46) and do good to everyone (Gal. 6:10; Heb. 13:1-3), we are not to conform to the world around us, nor love the sins of this world because this makes us an enemy of God (1 John 2:15; James 4:4; Rom. 12:1-2). The distractions of the world can cause our love to grow cold (Matt. 24:12) and prevent believers from following Christ (John 12:42-43).

GOD LOVES YOU (2 Thess. 2:16; 1 John 3:1). He loves the whole world (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10) and is, “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9) and enjoy eternal life (John 3:16). The love of Christ (again keeping His commandments) makes us God’s children (John 8:42), and belief in Christ causes God to love us (John 16:27). “God works for the good of all who love Him,” and nothing can separate obedient believers from the love of God (Rom. 8:28, 31-29).

WE SHOULD FOLLOW JESUS’ EXAMPLE IN LOVE. John says that those who claim to abide in Christ should walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). In other words, we should follow His example (Eph. 5:2).

Even when His death was imminent, Jesus was preoccupied with the welfare of others. While hanging on the cross, He forgave those crucifying Him (Luke 23:34), He pardoned a thief dying next to Him (Luke 23:43), and He asked John to take care of His mother (John 19:26-27).

God loved Jesus because Jesus died willing for all humankind (John 10:17). Christ demonstrated His own love for God by obeying God’s will to sacrifice Himself (John 14:31; Eph. 5:2). “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:7-8 NIV; see also Eph. 2:4-5). Paul reminds us that because Christ died for us, His love compels us to live for Him (2 Cor. 5:14-15; Gal. 2:20).

LOVE IS THE PERFECT GIFT. Paul says love is the greatest gift (1 Cor. 12:31, 13:13). True selfless love towards God causes us to obey God’s word. Selfless love towards others demonstrates our love towards God. Thus, love fulfills God’s law (Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 5:14). Keeping God’s commandments causes God to love and reward us (James 1:12, 2:5). “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

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Jesus Would Not Divorce A Spouse For Any Reason Other Than Fornication

2006-10-17T21:01:00.001-07:00

Jesus Would Not Divorce A Spouse For Any Reason Other Than Fornication

BY RANDY BAKER

Jesus, through the word of God, states that He has high expectations for us. “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). We are blessed to have Jesus’ words for guidance so we can rightly handle difficult challenges.

When we’re facing a temptation to divorce a spouse, we may ask “what would Jesus do?” When listening to Jesus’ words, what pattern can we observe that would provide us guidance on how to handle this emotion-charged question?

Jesus spoke of divorce and remarriage during His sermon on the mount. “It was said also, ‘Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement,’ but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery” (Matthew 5:31-32). According to Vine’s Dictionary, the word fornication means “illicit sexual intercourse,” any sexual relations with one who is not a proper marriage partner. What are we to learn from this passage? Jesus has a very limited view on what is acceptable divorce. Any reason for divorce, other than fornication, is wrong in Jesus’ sight. On judgment day, we certainly don’t want to be guilty of living in continual adultery with a partner that was not rightfully ours.

In Matthew 19, the Pharisees questioned Jesus about divorce. “And there came unto him Pharisees, trying him, and saying, ‘Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?’ 4And he answered and said, ‘Have ye not read, that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh? 6So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.’ 7They say unto him, ‘Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away?’ 8He saith unto them, ‘Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so. 9And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery.’ 10The disciples say unto him, ‘If the case of the man is so with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.’ 11But he said unto them, ‘Not all men can receive this saying, but they to whom it is given. 12For there are eunuchs, that were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are eunuchs, that were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it’” (Matt. 19:3-12).

Notice the surprise in the disciples’ response in verse 10. They knew this was a demanding teaching! Jesus goes on to say that many will not be willing to receive that truth, but it didn’t change His command. In verse 12, Jesus states that there will be some, who when they’ve understood this teaching, will realize they need to make themselves eunuchs to be acceptable to Him in the kingdom. Vine’s Dictionary states the word eunuch here means “voluntarily abstaining from wedlock.” One example application of verse 12 is a person who is married to a second mate and one (or both) of them was previously divorced for reasons other than the adultery/fornication that Jesus spoke of. The only way to heed Jesus’ strict teaching is to demonstrate repentance of the continuing sin of adultery that occurs when living with the wrong partner that is not theirs in God’s sight. They would need to discontinue this sin (and marriage) and make themselves eunuchs for the Lord’s sake, for obedience sake.

Jesus spoke of John the Baptist when He said “This is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee’” (Matthew 11:10). John’s position on divorce and remarriage was the same as Jesus’, and eventually John was beheaded for it. “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18For John said unto Herod, ‘It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife’” (Mark 6:17). Herod had married a divorcee, but he and his new wife were unwilling to respond to the truth about the matter.

What does Jesus instruct about divorce? “He shows that the pattern from the beginning was to “leave father and mother” and “cleave” to our mate. He provides for only one allowance for divorce, and that is for the sake of fornication. He also shows that the price of repentance in this area is very high. “I hate putting away, saith Jehovah” (Malachi 2:16).

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Jesus Would Weep With Those Who Weep

2006-10-10T21:01:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP
BY JEFF HIMMEL

“Jesus wept” (John 11:35).

It’s the shortest verse in Bible, but those two words say a lot. In their context, they answer a very important question: How does God feel about my personal grief? Is He cold and disinterested toward my pain, or is He genuinely concerned? We don’t have to wonder.

Jesus’ dear friend Lazarus, in the town of Bethany, died of an illness. When Jesus arrived at Bethany four days later, Lazarus’ body was in the tomb and his family was still in mourning. And even though He knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus mourned with them. The death of His beloved friend moved the Lord to tears; the villagers said, “See how He loved him!” (John 11:36). He also wept out of sympathy for the pain of Mary and Martha, who had now lost their brother. Jesus felt the heartache of death as deeply as anyone else.

The writer of Hebrews says that in Jesus, “we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). The Son of God has walked in our shoes. Because he fully partook of the human condition, with all its emotions and weaknesses, He has a unique ability to relate to us. Our Savior is not some distant, unfeeling entity; He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

The gospels speak of how Jesus was “moved with compassion” toward human need (cf. Matthew 9:36). “Moved” suggests not just feeling something, but doing something. His compassion caused Him to heal the sick (Matthew 14:14), feed the hungry (Mark 8:1-10), raise the dead (Luke 7:11-15), and teach those who were searching for spiritual guidance (Mark 6:34). When Divine sympathy saw human need, it took action.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion…” (Colossians 3:12). Being like Jesus means sharing His sympathy for those who are suffering. While these particular passages emphasize sympathy between fellow Christians, God also teaches us to have compassion toward all (Gal. 6:10), including those who might not do the same for us (consider the parable of the “good Samaritan” in Luke 10).

If we would be like Jesus, our compassion and sympathy must take us beyond mere feelings and words; they must move us to meet the needs we see. James wrote, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” (James 2:15-16). Some have suggested that “Go in peace” here actually expresses a blessing or prayer to God, somewhat like saying, “I will pray for you” or “God bless you.” It’s great to express our concern and offer our prayers for those are suffering, but warm sentiments and prayers are not enough. Compassion for others means trying to meet their needs. That’s what Jesus would have done. John wrote, “But whoever has the world’s good, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:17-18).

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Right now you probably know someone who is suffering. Someone who has lost a loved one to death. Someone who is battling a long-term illness. Someone whose family is in crisis. Someone who is struggling with sin. In short, you know someone with a reason to cry. Cry with them. Express your compassion by finding a way to help. You may not be able to remove their load completely, but you can help them carry it. That’s what Jesus would do.

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Jesus Would Honor His Parents

2006-10-04T12:42:00.001-07:00

Jesus Would Honor His Parents
by Jeff Himmel

The fifth of God’s “Ten Commandments” to ancient Israel was, “Honor your father and your mother…” (Exodus 20:12). They were to “reverence” (literally “fear”) their parents, holding them in the highest esteem and value (Leviticus 19:3). We’re mistaken if we think such commandments are just for young children. There’s something here for everyone. Let me suggest three ways to honor our fathers and mothers:

1. Young people, honor them by respecting their authority. “Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord” (Colossians 3:20). I know this isn’t always easy. You don’t always see the reason for their rules and limits. A three-year-old may not see the harm in playing in the middle of the street, and a teenager may not see the harm in going to an unsupervised party. But mom and dad have a good reason for saying no. I know they seem hopelessly out of touch with reality at times. But actually, they’ve seen a lot more of reality than you have. So they know what they’re talking about. Listen to them.

Honoring your parents goes beyond abiding by their rules. Many kids obey their parents but still show contempt for them. They talk disrespectfully to them and talk disrespectfully about them. God in¬structed Israel, “He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 21:17). Just as one who reveres God will not speak His name lightly (see Exodus 20:7), one who reveres his parents will always show respect for them.

2. Adults, honor them by living as they taught you. The good news about your out-of-touch parents is that they don’t stay that way for long. The older you get, the smarter they appear. The more you take responsibility for your own life, the more you see the wisdom of their instruction.

The apostle Paul calls the fifth commandment “the first commandment with a promise: that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2, 3). Our parents’ instruction and discipline equips us to succeed as adults. “A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother” (Proverbs 10:1).

Solomon wrote, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life, and peace they will add to you” (Proverbs 3:1-2). Were these words directed to his son Reho¬boam? If so, we should take note. When Reho¬boam became king, he lost most of his kingdom by rejecting the counsel of his father’s advisors (1 Kings 12:1-16). Worse, he turned away from Solomon’s righteous advice, dragging his nation quickly into spiritual darkness. The price of ignoring our parents’ wisdom is high.

3. Honor them in their later years. “A gray head is a crown of glory; it is found in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31). God teaches respect for the aged, and that should certainly apply to our own parents. In a culture where many people cast aside the elderly as useless, this is a much-needed lesson. Jesus shows that the command to honor our parents has no time limits.

Some rabbis in Jesus’ day had a creative way to avoid helping one’s aged parents. They taught that a person could take the money he would have used to help his parents and instead donate it as a gift to God (i.e., put it in the temple treasury). By giving the money to a higher cause, he was freed from his obligation to his parents. But Jesus denounced this “loophole” as a direct violation of God’s law. Here is His verdict:

God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’…But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition (Matthew 15:4-6).

Jesus practiced what He preached. Even as He was dying, He placed His own mother in the care of a trusted and beloved disciple (John 19:26-27).

We owe our parents a debt of honor for what they have contributed to our lives. Paul emphasizes this in his instructions con¬cerning widows: “But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family, and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God” (1 Timothy 5:4). He adds, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever” (verse 8).

Do your parents know how much you honor them?

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Jesus Would Give to the Poor

2006-09-27T13:35:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD GIVE TO THE POOR

by Bill Blue

Jesus taught believers have a responsibility to give to the hungry, poor and needy (Matt. 25:31-46). David wrote, “Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble” (Psalm 41:1). Consider also what Proverbs has to say:

• “[H]appy is he who is gracious to the poor … he who is gracious to the needy honors Him [God]” (Prov. 14:21, 31).
• “He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker” (Prov. 17:5).
• “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed” (Prov. 19:17).
• “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered” (Prov. 21:13).
• “He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor” (Prov. 22:9).
• “He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses” (Prov. 28:27).

Jesus felt compassion for the hungry (Matt. 15:32; Mark 8:2-3). On multiple occasions, Jesus fed them himself (Matt. 15:32-38; John 6:1-14) even though He had no home on this earth of His own (Matt. 8:20; Luke 9:58). In 1 Corinthians, Paul points out that unless we too are motivated by love for the ones receiving our gifts, then our obedience to God’s command has profited us nothing spiritually. “[T]hough I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Cor. 13:3).

If our guiding principle is to consider “what would Jesus do,” then we too will feed the poor and be less concerned about our material prosperity. In the story of the “Rich Young Ruler” (Matt. 19:16-26; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-27), Jesus provided this additional instruction to a man who had faithfully kept God’s commandments, "If you wish to be complete [or perfect], go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matt. 19:21). The lesson here isn’t that we must give all we have to the poor, but rather to emphasize how Christians should think first of others and less of material possessions (Matt. 6:19-24, 22:36-40).

The opportunities for following Jesus’ teachings to give to the poor are endless. As Jesus said, “For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good” (Mark 14:7).

Jesus’ concern for the poor is a proof that He is the Christ. When John the Baptist was imprisoned, he sent a question to Jesus, asking if He was the Expected One. Part of Jesus’ answer to John was, “the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matt. 11:2-5; Luke 7:22; see also Luke 4:18). Of course, this verse demonstrates that Jesus’ concern for the poor is not limited to their physical well being, but their spiritual well being as well. When evangelizing, do we consider the poor, or do we cherry-pick those whom we believe are “good prospects” for the church? James warned against this form of discrimination when he wrote “have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? … [I]f you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:4, 9).

The benevolent responsibility of individual Christians is broader than the church’s authority to spend congregational funds. Paul said that an individual Christian’s responsibility to “do good,” is not limited to other Christians. “[L]et us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10). However, the New Testament pattern for using congregational funds is limited to examples of churches giving to other Christians. For example, in Acts 11:27-30 Christians in Antioch collected a “contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea.” Consider also how James instruct individuals that, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress,” without reference to whether they were believers (James 1:27), but churches took care of only Christian widows (1 Tim. 5:16; Acts 6:1). The New Testament pattern for using congregational funds is limited to benefiting the poor, needy, or wanting Christians (2 Cor. 8:4, 9:1, 9:12; Rom. 15:26, Phil. 4:16, etc.). Thus, the Scriptures indicate that a congregation’s authority and responsibility for benevolent activity is not as broad as the responsibility given to individual Christians.

Spiritually speaking, we should recognize that we are all poor, and rely upon God’s help for our spiritual sustenance (Matt. 5:3).

Jesus’ teachings on giving are commandments by which we will be judged. “Everlasting punishment” is reserved for the unmerciful and uncompassionate who fail to feed the hungry and clothe the needy, but eternal life is promised to those who follow Jesus’ teachings on, and examples of, compassionate giving (Matt. 25:31-46; see also James 2:13).

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Jesus Would Visit the Sick

2006-09-20T19:30:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD VISIT THE SICK

by Bill Blue

Would you like to please God, follow Jesus’ example, edify your brethren, and grow your church numerically and spiritually at the same time without doing anything difficult? Visit the sick among your friends, family, and brethren.

The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus healing the sick (Matt. 4:23-24, 8:14-17, 9:35; Mark 1:30-34, 6:5; Luke 4:38-40; John 4:46-53, 5:2-9, 11:1-45). Jesus’ ability to heal became well known (Matt. 14:35-36; Mark 6:54-56; Luke 7:2-10). We understand that the purpose behind miraculous healings was to confirm that Jesus spoke and did things by God’s authority (John 3:2, 5:36, 10:25; Heb. 2:2-4; see also Mark 16:20), and also help us “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31, see also John 2:23, 11:1-45), but Jesus also healed the sick because, “He was moved with compassion for them [the sick]” (Matt. 14:14, see also Matt. 9:36).

Jesus gave His Apostles the ability “to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease” (Matt. 10:1, 8; see also Mark 3:14-15, 6:12-13; Luke 9:1-2, 9:6, 10:9). The book of Acts records several instances when the Apostles healed the sick (Acts 5:14-16, 9:36-41, 19:11-12, 28:8).

Jesus expects everyone to visit the sick. He instructed the Apostles to teach Christians “to observe (or “obey” according to the NIV and NRSV) all things that I have commanded you [the Apostles]” (Matt. 28:20), and taught that “everlasting punishment” is reserved for the unmerciful and uncompassionate who, among other things, fail to visit the sick (Matt. 25:31-46). Thus, all Christians, and not just the preachers, should follow Jesus’ example and visit the sick.

The writers of the New Testament likewise instructed the churches to visit the sick (James 5:14-15).

Jesus did not visit only the physically sick, but also the spiritually sick (Matt. 9:11-13; Mark 2:16-17; Luke 5:30-32). The Apostles and inspired authors of the New Testament also referred to the spiritually weak as sick (1 Cor. 11:29-30).

Visiting the sick is a way of expressing our love and concern for one another; thus, fulfilling another command of Jesus (John 13:34-35; see also Heb. 10:24). Visiting the sick also encourages and strengthens the brethren, and the relationships among the brethren, much in the same way that faithful attendance at worship services encourages the members assembled (Heb. 10:25). Visiting the sick will help grow the church (Cf. Eph. 4:11-16). I have known people who have left congregations to worship elsewhere because the brethren were “unfriendly,” or the preacher did not visit (or stay night and day with) the sick. (I have often wondered, did that person or other brethren visit the sick, or did that church believe that visiting was solely the responsibility of its preacher?)

We should not limit our concern to those who love us. David sang about the concern he had for his adversaries when they were ill (Psalm 35:12-13). Of course, showing compassion on someone other than friends, family, or brethren may encourage that person to consider becoming a member of your spiritual family.

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Jesus Would Not Want Us to Glory in Religious Titles

2006-09-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD NOT WANT US TO GLORY IN RELIGIOUS TITLES
by Jeff Himmel

From my earliest days of preaching the gospel, I’ve met people now and then who insist on calling me “Reverend” Himmel. That always makes me uncomfortable — no, queasy would be more accurate — because Jesus tells us not to do that very thing.

My dictionary says “reverend” is an adjective that means “worthy of profound awe and respect.” Now, there may be some folks who respect me, but I’m quite sure I do not deserve anyone’s “profound awe.”

Of course, people who call me “Reverend” do it because they think that’s what you’re supposed to call a preacher. But who decided that? In older translations of the Bible the word “reverend” appears only once — as a description of God Himself: “Holy and reverend is his name” (Psalm 111:9). Newer translations render the word “awesome” or “fearful.” Such a majestic description of the power of God sounds ridiculous when tacked onto the names of men. What else but human pride could create such a mismatch?

Jesus spoke in strong terms against the kind of attitude that delights in religious titles. He denounced those who gloried in being called “Rabbi,” “Father,” and “Teacher” (Matthew 23:6-10). The words themselves were not wrong, but using them as titles of honor most definitely was. (Aren’t the terms “Doctor” and “Professor” used in a very similar fashion by preachers today?) Jesus pointed His disciples instead to humility: “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:11-12).

Sometimes, scriptural terms such as “elder,” “bishop,” or “pastor” are abused in the same way. In the New Testament these words are used to describe the men responsible for leading and overseeing a local church (see Acts 20:17,28; 1 Peter 5:1-3; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). They are spiritual job descriptions, not titles of rank.

Even a common Christian term like “brother” becomes a title of sorts if we apply it only to certain people, such as evangelists or elders. All true Christians are brothers in Christ, servants of God and of each other (Matthew 23:8 ). Why should I be called “Brother Jeff” and some other member of God’s family just be called “Tom?”

We are called to follow the Son of God, “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant” (Philippians 2:6,7). The wearing of high-sounding religious titles is the very opposite of that servant spirit that Jesus demonstrated for us.

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Permit it to Fulfill All Righteousness

2006-08-16T09:08:00.001-07:00

PERMIT IT TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS
by Bill Blue

Today, men have differing views over the necessity of baptism. Some argue that baptism is necessary for salvation. Others argue that all one must do to be saved is believe. The apostles’ teaching on baptism is clear. Peter said baptism saves you (1 Pet. 3:21), and is necessary for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). On one occasion Peter even commanded believers to be baptized (Acts 10:48). Paul said that baptism washes away, and frees us from, our sins (Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:6-8), allows us to put on Christ (Gal. 3:27), join His body (1 Cor. 12:13), and share in His death and resurrection by putting to death our former sinful ways (Rom. 6:3-8). On one occasion Paul even re-baptized disciples who only knew the baptism of John (Acts 19:5) even though John’s baptism was also for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4). The book of Acts describes multiple conversions involving baptism, and none that do not (Acts 2:38-41; 8:5-13; 8:35-38; 9:1-18 & 22:16; 10:34-48; 16:13-15; 16:25-34; 18:8). Yet some men still argue against the necessity of baptism. What would Jesus do?

Jesus consistently preached and commanded the necessity of baptism throughout His ministry.

Three different Gospels tell us Jesus began His ministry by submitting to baptism (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). Jesus did not question the purpose or necessity of baptism. When John protested that his own righteousness was inferior to Christ’s, Jesus said, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness," and then He was baptized (Matt. 3:13-15). If one wants to be more like Christ, why wouldn’t he follow Jesus’ example and submit humbly to baptism as Christ did?

Two of the possible reasons why people fail to follow Jesus’ commands and examples are that they either believe they are smarter than God, or the simplistic nature of the gospel itself poses an obstacle to obedience (1 Cor. 1:18-29). Shortly after beginning His ministry, Jesus told Nicodemus, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:2-5). Is it that difficult to understand the necessity of water baptism? Should we question what the water actually accomplishes? Naaman had difficulties accepting the simplicity of God’s plan. When Elisha told Naaman that washing seven times in the Jordan River would cleanse Naaman of his leprosy, Naaman became indignant and initially refused (2 Kings 5:10-12). “Are not … the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean” (2 Kings 5:12)? In his arrogance, Naaman thought he was too smart to believe that washing in a muddy river would cleanse him of his leprosy. By so thinking, however, Naaman was actually saying that he was smarter than God. Fortunately, Naaman had a servant who could see the foolishness in not accepting the simple command. ““My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’” (2 Kings 5:13)? Sometimes people like Naaman think too much when all they have to do is accept what Jesus said, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. [1 Cor. 1:25] But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Cor. 1:25, 27).

After His death and resurrection, Jesus said “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). These are among the very last statements Jesus said to all of the apostles at once prior to His ascension. Jesus could have used this occasion to speak to His apostles about anything and He chose to emphasize baptism. The Holy Spirit could have inspired Matthew and Mark to emphasize something else at the end of their gospel accounts, but He chose to emphasize baptism.

Despite all of man’s arguments about the necessity of baptism for salvation, one fact remains: no one can give a biblical reason not to do it. Do we truly want to consider what Jesus would do, and then do it, or would we rather, like Naaman, question the simplistic and easy nature of God’s command? If we truly wanted to follow Jesus’ example, we would humbly submit to baptism to fulfill His plan for achieving righteousness.

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Kingdom Come

2006-08-09T07:28:00.001-07:00

KINGDOM COME
by Bill Blue

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus gave his disciples a model prayer that included the following request, “Thy kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10). Was this request fulfilled? What would Jesus say?

THE TIME OF GOD’S KINGDOM WAS FULFILLED IN THE FIRST CENTURY. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” (Matt. 3:1-2). “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

When Jesus said that “the time is fulfilled,” He was saying that the time of the prophecies of God’s kingdom had come. In Daniel 2, Daniel interprets a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He tells the king about an image the king dreamed about (Dan. 2:31-35), and explains that the four parts of the image relate to four kingdoms (Dan. 2:37-40), and that a great stone, which crushes the image relates to a fifth kingdom (Dan. 2:34-35, 44-45).

Daniel explains that the first kingdom is Babylon (Dan. 2:37-38), and that the second kingdom will follow after Babylon. Daniel sees the next kingdom when the Medo-Persian empire defeats Babylon (Dan. 5:30-31). In chapter 8, the second and third kingdoms are identified as the Medo-Persian and Greek empires (Dan. 8:20-21).

The identity of the fourth kingdom is not revealed by prophecy, but through history we know that Rome was the next world empire. Daniel said that, “in the days of these kings [the fourth kingdom] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed . . . and it shall stand forever” (Dan. 2:44). Rome was in power when Christ said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15).

Daniel also tells King Nebuchadnezzar that God “has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days” (Dan. 2:28). Isaiah and Micah say “in the latter days the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established” (Isa. 2:2; Micah 4:1). On the Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection, Peter quoted Joel 2:28 and said that he (Peter) was now in the “last days” (Acts 2:16-17). The church began that day (Acts 2:47).

THE COMING OF GOD’S KINGDOM WAS WITNESSED WITH POWER. During His ministry, Jesus said that “there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mark 9:1). Thus, some living in Jesus’ day would live to see the beginning of God’s kingdom.

After His resurrection, Jesus instructed His apostles, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Luke continues this narrative in Acts 1:4-8:

4And being assembled together with them [the apostles], He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you ….”

The apostles received this power and the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-17) at the place and time as foretold by prophets (Dan. 2; Isa. 2; Micah 4). Thus, not only did the kingdom of God come with power as foretold by Jesus (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8), but the beginning of the kingdom was also the beginning of the Lord’s church. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).

Like Peter, John also said that the kingdom was present in the First Century when he wrote, “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ … (Rev. 1:9). Daniel, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter and John all agree on the beginning kingdom of God.

CHRIST IS KING. Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus told Pilate three things: (1) That He is a king; (2) That He has a kingdom; and (3) That His kingdom is “not of this world” (John 18:33-37). Notice that in His answers to Pilate’s questions, Jesus does not say that He “will be king,” but rather, “You say rightly that I am a king” (John 18:37). Following His resurrection, Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). Only the King can have this authority.

CHRIST’S KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. When speaking to Pilate, Jesus did not deny that He has a kingdom, but said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, and Christ has set forth the requirements for citizenship, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God […] unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, 5). “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3).

God’s kingdom has come. Are you a citizen of His kingdom?

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Which Traditions Would Jesus Observe?

2006-08-02T13:03:00.001-07:00

WHICH TRADITIONS WOULD JESUS OBSERVE?
By Bill Blue

Jesus would condemn the “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). In Matthew 15, Jesus criticized the scribes and Pharisees for binding two traditions found no where in the Scriptures. We can we be guilty of the same conduct today.

In Jesus’ day, Jews were divided into different sects, each with their own unique combination of beliefs. They were known as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. (One example in the difference in beliefs is that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection from the dead, while the Sadducees did not. Matt. 22:23-32; Acts 23:6-8). Today, Christianity has its own sects, or “faiths,” each with its own unique combination of beliefs and practices and each with its own name, such as Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Mormon, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, etc.

Beliefs, practices, and traditions which are not found in the Bible either add to or take from God’s word in violation of Jesus’ own teaching (Rev. 22:18-19). Consider two examples from Matthew 15. The Scriptures contained no requirement that men wash their hands before eating, yet the Pharisees declared the disciples’ failure to wash a “transgression,” essentially creating a new commandment (Matt. 15:1-9). Men bind new beliefs today. Some faiths teach that an infant that dies before baptism does not go to heaven even though there is neither a command to baptize infants, nor an example of infants being baptized found in the Bible. The Bible actually says that belief, something an infant is incapable of, is a prerequisite to baptism (Acts 8:36-37).

In Matthew 15, the Pharisees also created an exception to God’s law by excusing a son’s obligation to care for his parents if he donated a gift to the temple; thus taking from God’s word (Matt. 15:6). Men make the same mistakes today. The Bible has consistently condemned homosexuality (Lev. 18:22; Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:10), yet nearly 2000 years after Christ’s death, some faiths are now beginning to accept homosexuals as preachers. Jesus would not let political correctness determine which acts are sinful.

In Matthew 15, Jesus did not condemn the washing of one’s hand before eating, but rather the presumptuous creation of a new commandment. Similarly, Jesus was not opposed to people donating gifts to the temple, but the arrogant belief that a man could excuse someone from obeying God’s law to care for one’s own family, essentially making God’s law of “no effect” (Matt. 15:6; Mark 7:10), by “laying [it] aside,” and “reject[ing] the commandment of God” (Mark 7:8-9).

Jesus also criticized the Pharisees for going beyond God’s law when they drew distinctions between the types of oaths one could swear to (Matt. 23:16-22). Isn’t this similar to “ranking” sins when God has not, or classifying God’s commands as those essential to salvation and others not?

Jesus refused to obey traditions that were inconsistent with the letter and intent of the Scriptures. In Matthew 12, Jesus refused to honor the traditions of the elders with respect to the Sabbath in two different contexts: the plucking of grain and healing (Matt. 12:1-14). In both instances, the tradition sought to restrict activities where God’s law did not (Matt. 12:7, 12).

Jesus would adhere only to the doctrine, teachings, and traditions found in the New Testament. We have observed in earlier articles that Jesus would answer religious questions with Bible answers (WWJD no. 2; see also Matt. 4:1-10), and because He sent the Holy Spirit to His Apostles to divinely inspire them with all truth and bring to their remembrance the things He said and did in their presence (John 14:26, 16:13), the Apostles could be trusted to declare God’s will accurately (Matt. 16:19; see also WWJD no. 4). Thus, Jesus would have us follow Apostolic traditions (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 3:6), but not the traditions of men which contradict the Bible (Col. 2:8).

Jesus says that the teachers and followers of commandments and traditions not found in the Bible are blind (Matt. 15:14). They “transgress the commandment of God” (Matt. 15:3), and worship Him “in vain” (Matt. 15:9).

In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” The whole idea behind emphasizing WWJD (“What Would Jesus Do?”) is to draw nearer to Christ by becoming more Christ-like. However, Jesus says we cannot draw nearer to Him by moving farther from God’s word.

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Jesus Would Not Believe that the Majority is Right

2006-07-26T17:20:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY IS RIGHT
By Todd L. Baker

We live in a democracy where, as a norm, the majority rules. But is the majority always right? History has shown us many times that the majority isn’t always right. Don’t be mistaken, democracy is arguably the greatest form of government known to exist, and the blessings of living in such a system are numerous and great. We are truly blessed to live in the country that we do, but what happens if we apply “majority rule” to spiritual matters?

Is the majority always right? The only way to know for sure is to consult God’s word and check what the majority wants to do against the standard the Lord has provided for us. The Bereans did exactly this in Acts 17:11, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Jesus warned His disciples that they must be more righteous than the spiritual leaders of the day who had begun binding human traditions on people. In Matthew 5:20 Jesus states, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Being in the minority on any issue is uncomfortable and challenging to say the least, especially when one finds himself in the minority on a spiritual subject. But take comfort; if you are following God’s word and the pattern He has provided, then being in the minority on this earth is not a bad thing. We are told that the way to salvation is narrow and few find it. In Matthew 7:13–14 Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Do these statements sound like Jesus believes the majority is right?

One popular belief is that there are many paths to salvation. This sounds like a nice idea, at least on the surface. If one believes this, then he can find salvation in any way that he chooses. Let’s follow the example of the Bereans mentioned earlier, and examine the Scriptures to see if this belief is correct. Jesus states in Matthew 7:21–23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Jesus does not support the idea of the “many” that there are many paths to salvation, in fact, He calls it lawlessness.

Today, the majority considers the telling of a “little white lie” to be a minor offense, and sometimes a “necessary” offense. But what does Jesus say about such things? Matthew 5:37 states, “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” We can see clearly that Jesus does not label lies and falsehoods as anything other than evil. He doesn’t have a scale that He uses to distinguish a “little white lie” from a “bold-faced lie” as is so common, and often expected, among the majority today.

When it comes to spiritual matters, study the Bible for yourself. Do not rest on what you are simply told by anyone, no matter how much faith, trust, or respect you may place in them. Read God’s word and see what He says He wants from you, and then do it! But don’t stop there; share what you have learned with those around you and remember to keep God as the standard of what is right, not what the majority says is right.

Think about where you stand in a spiritual sense, test your beliefs against the Lord’s word and see if you believe the majority is right, or if God is right.

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Jesus Would Not Covet Money or Material Possessions

2006-07-19T05:53:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD NOT COVET MONEY or MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
By Todd L. Baker

Jesus came to this world to save sinners. “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Paul attests to the same purpose in 1 Timothy 1:15, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” Jesus did not come to seek any material possession and He did not covet the possessions of any of His neighbors.

Jesus spent His effort spreading His Father’s word, not building a physical empire for Himself to enjoy. Jesus could have had all that He wanted on this earth in the physical sense - all He had to do was say the word, and it would have been done. However, Jesus came to this earth to save sinners, and in the process He gave up all physical blessings except the pure necessities. When a scribe declared to Jesus that he would follow Jesus wherever He went, Jesus’ response in Matthew 8:20 was, Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

When Jesus delivered His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, He did not praise those who were famous, powerful, or rich in this life, but rather those who were poor in spirit, those who mourn, the gentle, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and those who are insulted because of Him; this hardly looks like a list of qualities and characteristics that are valued in our world! Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Here Jesus tells us where our reward is, it is in heaven for those who have obeyed Him.

In the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives where we are always on the go, it is very easy to forget why we are here and what the Lord really wants for us, which Peter states in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Notice that nothing is said about building our retirement nest eggs, estates, bank accounts, the number and size of our toys, how nice our clothes are, or any other physical thing. This should speak volumes to us about where our priorities should be.

Coveting money and material possessions is very energy and time consuming. We then have very little left to spend pursuing the Lord and reaching out to others. If we followed Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 6, there would be far less depression, frustration, anger, disillusionment, and lack of direction in our lives. Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, 31 – 34: 25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, or ‘What will we drink?’, or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

If we are to truly follow Jesus, we need to be sure our priorities are in the right order. Have you put your “bank account” above seeking the Lord? What reward are you putting your heart into receiving, eternal life in heaven with the Lord, or some physical thing that you can’t take with you?

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Jesus Would Neither Use Profane Language Nor Say Mean, Hurtful Things

2006-07-12T10:19:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD NEITHER USE PROFANE LANGUAGE NOR SAY MEAN, HURTFUL THINGS
By Todd L. Baker

Jesus said that "the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart, and they defile the man" (Matthew 15:18).

Jesus is considered by nearly everyone as a “good man.” What traits made Him a “good man” in most people’s eye? For one, Jesus would not use profane language, nor say mean, hurtful things. Do not be mistaken, this does not mean that Jesus would not speak out against sin for fear of how He may be perceived by His peers or the elite of His day. Jesus indeed spoke the truth, but in a loving, caring, concerned manner.

“Profane” is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “not sacred, secular, heathen, showing contempt of sacred things, to violate, desecrate, to put to an unworthy use.” Most folks would agree that given this definition, to profane something is not a Christian quality. To say mean, hurtful things is done for only one purpose: to hurt someone by making him look bad or by making oneself look good. This is also something that is not a Christian quality. Let’s look at some examples of how Jesus did speak.

First of all, Jesus often spoke by quoting or referencing Scripture. In order to do this, it is impossible to use profane language. For example, consider how Jesus answered the tempter after fasting for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” ”On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ”Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). Given these types of answers, should we also not seek God’s word as guidance for how to answer when we are tempted?

Throughout the gospels, Jesus showed in His speech that He was often motivated by compassion. Thus, His speech was seasoned with concern for those around Him. Examine how He spoke to the leper (one who would have been shunned and put down in Jesus’ day) in Mark 4:41: “Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’” Should we also not strive to season our speech with compassion and concern for all souls around us?

Jesus avoided idle, unproductive talk. All that Jesus spoke had a purpose - to teach us how to obtain salvation through Him because He does not want any to perish. “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish” (Matthew 18:14). Jesus did not spend His effort using speech to gain any worldly position or popularity; He also did not spend His effort using speech in order to be “political.” Paul followed Jesus’ example when he admonished the young preacher Timothy, “But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17aand their talk will spread like gangrene” (2 Timothy 2:16-17a).

Jesus spoke words of comfort and hope to His disciples. Consider how He spoke in John 15:12-17: “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.” These are all words of love and comfort to all of His disciples because of His concern for their souls. Should we also not seek to encourage those around us with our speech, to always strive to the best of our ability to live for God and to love one another?

The decision is up to you. Will you do what Jesus did and avoid profane, mean and hurtful speech?

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Jesus Would Follow The Golden Rule

2006-07-05T14:06:00.001-07:00

Jesus Would Follow the Golden Rule
By Jeff Himmel

Near the end of His “sermon on the mount,” Jesus said, “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). We often paraphrase this command as, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” We have come to call it “The Golden Rule.”

The point of this “golden rule” is not that we should do good to others in hopes that they’ll do good to us. In fact, Jesus teaches us to treat others well even when they treat us poorly. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?…If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?…” (Matthew 5:43-47).

Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates this teaching. Read it in Luke 10:25-37. A lawyer asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus asked him what the Law said, he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said he had answered correctly. “But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (verse 29).

The lawyer’s question implied that there must be some reasonable limits on love and mercy. Surely God didn’t want him to love everyone, did He?

Jesus responded with a parable. Most of us know the story: a traveling Jew was robbed, beaten, and left for dead; a Jewish priest came upon the man and passed him by; another religious leader came upon him and also passed by; but then a Samaritan came along and compassionately took care of the man.

What modern readers often ignore is that the hero of the story was a Samaritan. Most Jews despised Samaritans, viewing them as half-breeds and heretics. The average Jew probably wouldn’t have stopped to help an injured Samaritan; but in Jesus’ story, a Samaritan goes to great lengths to help an injured Jew. It was the last thing anyone would have expected.

Jesus closed by asking the lawyer which man in the story was “neighbor” to the wounded traveler. The answer was obvious: “The one who showed mercy on him.” By now the lesson was also obvious: “Go and do the same.”

The Samaritan’s act of kindness likely would have been neither returned nor appreciated. But he did it anyway. Jesus’ parable teaches us that the “neighbor” we must love includes people who may not love us.

Most of us have little trouble going out of our way to do some act of kindness if we know we’ll be rewarded for it, or if the receiver is a friend. But what if we think no one will notice (Matt. 6:1-4)? Better still, what if there’s a good chance we’ll be repaid with contempt? Will we still be so ready to act? That is Jesus’ challenge to us. Rather than doing good to others in hopes of receiving good from them, Christ asks me to put myself in their place. My motivation is not to be self-interest, but love.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law… Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfill¬ment of the law” (Romans 13:8-10). The golden rule is not a substitute for God’s specific commands, but rather a motive for obeying them. What command has God given that is not seen more clearly when we view it as an expression of love for others?

The ultimate example of the “golden rule” in action is Jesus Himself. He sacrificed His sinless life to offer forgiveness of sins to all people. And He did so knowing that most of those people would never accept His offer. “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8).

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Jesus Would Obey God in ALL Things

2006-06-28T10:21:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD OBEY GOD IN ALL THINGS
by Bill Blue

The impact of culture upon a Christian cannot be overstated. Modern America is a contradiction, a religious nation with a Humanistic culture. Christian Americans strive to live by the Bible, which contains admonitions to strongly oppose sin, while living in a nation whose culture says nothing is wrong so long as it does not hurt someone else. This tension causes the evolution of faiths which permit “Christians” to pick and choose those portions of the Scriptures that they will live by. What would Jesus do?

Jesus would not pick and choose which Scriptures He would obey. As we have read already, Jesus would study the Bible (Luke 2:41-50; WWJD no. 3), which He knew to contain “all truth,” (John 16:13), and give Bible answers to spiritual questions (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; Matt. 19:4; WWJD no. 2).

Jesus began His ministry by obeying God’s will to be baptized. He did not question the purpose or necessity of baptism. When John protested that his own righteousness was inferior to Christ’s, Jesus said, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness," and then He was baptized (Matt. 3:13-15).

Jesus obeyed God in the face of temptation. Following His baptism and fasting for 40 days, Satan tempted Jesus with food (Matt. 4:3), pride (Matt. 4:6), and power (Matt. 4:8-9). Jesus chose to obey God and resist Satan’s temptations by relying upon God’s word (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; Heb. 2:17-18; Heb. 4:15). We, too, are capable of resisting temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Although Christ’s death ended the Law of Moses, He obeyed the Law during His life. “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:17-19)

Jesus obeyed God even when obedience caused Him great agony. The night before Christ was crucified He became “sorrowful and deeply distressed,” knowing what fate awaited Him (Matt. 26:37; see also Mark 14:33-34; Luke 22:44). He then prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’…. Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.’ So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.” (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44; see also Mark 14:35, 36, 39; Luke 22:42, 44).

Christ was obedient to the point of death (Phil. 2:5-8). Christ did not want to die. He was tempted, sorrowful and deeply distressed (Heb. 4:15; Matt. 26:37; Mark 14:33-34; Luke 22:44). He prayed three times to God for another way (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44; see also Mark 14:35, 26, 29; Luke 22:42). Nonetheless, through it all, He put God’s will ahead of His own, and obeyed God by dying for a world of sinners, though Jesus Himself was sinless (Rom. 5:6-9; Phil. 2:5-8).

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put [it] on hyssop, and put [it] to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:28-30).

In Revelation 2:10, Jesus admonishes Christians to, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Considering His example of complete obedience, how should we act when confronted with Scripture that requires us to do something we may not like? Jesus obeyed God when He was in agony. Will we ignore His command to be baptized (Mark 16:16; Matt. 28:19)? Jesus obeyed God when it meant He must die a tortuous death. Will we now refuse His commandments regarding marriage, divorce and remarriage (Matt. 5:31-32; Matt. 19:3-10), or will we, like Him, obey God in all things?

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Jesus Would Humble Himself

2006-06-21T15:03:00.001-07:00

Jesus Would Humble Himself
By Jonathan Baker

Jesus, during his ministry, taught us many things about humbling ourselves. When the disciples asked Jesus, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” … [Jesus replied], “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4). While Jesus and his disciples were at supper, Jesus “got up, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded” (John 13:4-5). Afterwards, Jesus asked, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:12-14). By washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus taught the disciples to humble themselves. “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, Truly, I say unto you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:15-16).

Jesus humbled Himself on numerous occasions so that others would believe He is Savior. In John 4, while Jesus was traveling through Samaria, He came to a well where there was a Samaritan woman drawing water. During this time period, the “Jews [had] no dealings with Samaritans.” Jesus, however, did not view her as lower than Himself, so He went to her, and said, “Give Me a drink”(John 4:7, 9). Astonished, the woman replied, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman” (John 4:9)? Jesus talked with her a little longer until in verse 19 she said, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman eventually led to an opportunity to speak to other Samaritans who came to believe, “that this One is indeed the Savior of the world”(John 4:40-42). Many believed that Jesus is the Christ as a result of Him being humble enough to resist Jewish prejudice against Samaritans.

Sometimes pride will prevent people from speaking to another that the world looks down on. This will even prevent us from speaking to others about salvation, but as in the case of the Samaritan woman in John 4, Jesus never allowed pride, nor prejudice to prevent Him from speaking to someone about the kingdom of heaven. On another such occasion Jesus refused to succumb to Jewish prejudice against tax collectors. “And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through the way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house’” (Luke 19:2-5). “When [the people of Jericho] saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (Luke 19:7). Despite the criticism of the people, Jesus still went with Zacchaeus and said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9). Jesus humbled himself so that others would come to believe and also have the hope of salvation.

Jesus’ greatest example of humility is His death on the cross for us. On the night before his death, Jesus went off, “And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground” (Luke 22:44). Jesus knew what he had to do and dreaded its coming, but despite all the dread, he prayed to God, “yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus humbled himself greatly before God for our salvation.

Remember Jesus’ examples of humility, and humble yourself. Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). ”If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).

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Jesus Would Pray

2006-06-14T06:28:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD PRAY
By Bill Blue

Most Americans regardless of faith would probably agree that people, even faithful Christians, do not pray enough. It comes as no surprise that unfaithful believers do not pray often enough, but why not faithful Christians? Perhaps the reasons why some Christians have poor prayer habits include material wealth and success, the influence of an ungodly culture, worldly values, and the lack of belief that God answers prayers. Perhaps tragedies and injustices in our daily lives convince some that God doesn’t care for our present needs. In the United States political-correctness has successfully banned God from schools and the workplace; God is out of sight and out of mind until the next worship service and as a result, godly people are out of practice, and have simply forgotten the importance of prayer. What would Jesus do? Jesus would pray.

Jesus had a habit of praying (Luke 5:16). We should have the same habit (1 Thess. 5:17).

Jesus would pray at any time of the day or night (Luke 6:12). Prayer was a priority for Christ. Jesus would even on occasion rise long before daylight to pray (Mark 1:35). In other words, Jesus planned for opportunities to pray.

Jesus would pray anywhere. Jesus prayed in the wilderness (Luke 5:16), on mountains (Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:28), and at Gethsemane (Mark 14:32). In other words, Jesus took advantage of His opportunities to pray.

Jesus prayed long prayers (Luke 6:12) and short prayers (Luke 11:1-3). Our prayers to God have no required length as long as our prayer is humble and sincere (Matthew 6:5-7, Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40, Luke 18:10-14, Luke 20:46-47). Regardless of length, Jesus prayed earnestly, knowing that the Creator of all things was listening (Luke 22:44).

Jesus would pray at many different occasions. Jesus prayed when He was baptized and began His ministry (Luke 3:21), before He selected twelve disciples to be His Apostles (Luke 6:12-13), at His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-32), before instituting the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26) and at His moments of greatest need (John 17:1; Luke 22:44).

Jesus would pray privately, in small groups and publicly. At times, Jesus sought opportunities to pray alone to God (Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 9:18, Luke 22:41). At times, He even asked the disciples to stay behind, or sent them away, so He could pray alone (Matthew 26:36; Mark 6:46). On other occasions, He took disciples with Him to pray (Luke 9:28).

Jesus prayed for many different people:
• Himself (John 17:1);
• The Apostles (John 14:16, John 17:6-15);
• All believers (John 17:20);
• His enemies (Luke 6:28); and
• The entire world (Matthew 5:44).

Jesus prayed for many different things, such as:
• God’s work (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2) and God’s will be done (Matthew 26:39, 42);
• Children be blessed (Matthew 19:13);
• Believers be strengthened and be able to strengthen others (Luke 22:32);

Jesus tells us how to pray. “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name [in other words, honor God and acknowledge His authority] Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven [we accept God’s will] Give us our daily bread [help us with our necessities of life – not material excess] And forgive us our sins [help us with our truly important problems, like avoiding hell] For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [we acknowledge God’s word on mercy and forgiveness (Matt. 6:14-15; Mark 11:25), thus we conform to His will] And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one [again we focus on our true needs, spiritual in nature]” (Luke 11:1-4; Luke 22:40).

Jesus would pray for the right reasons. Jesus would not forget that God is a prayer’s target audience, not others listening to His prayer. Jesus would pray to enlist God’s help, not men’s attention (Matthew 6:5-7, Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40, Luke 20:47).

Jesus tells us the benefits of prayer. Prayer strengthens our faith (Luke 18:1), and helps keep us from sin (Matthew 26:41, Mark 13:33, Mark 14:38, Luke 22:46).

Jesus would pray with faith, not doubting whether God would answer His prayer (Matthew 21:22, Matthew 26:53, Mark 11:24, Luke 18:1).

Jesus understood that some things happen only through prayer. In Mark 9:29, Jesus said to His disciples that, “This kind [of demon] can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” We do not have demon possession today, but the point is still valid. When Jesus Himself had no place else to turn, He “fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him” (Mark 14:35).

Do you pray as you should? Do you plan and find time to pray? Do you take advantage of opportunities to pray? Are your prayers humble and reverent? Do you pray for others? When times are good do you neglect prayer? Talk to your Father. In times of need do you hesitate to ask your Father for help because you failed to pray when times were good? Ask your Father for help. Jesus would.

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Jesus Would Attend Church

2006-06-07T05:40:00.001-07:00

Jesus Would Attend Church
by Scott Mixon

Attending church is a crucial and vital part of a Christian’s life. Yet many people who consider themselves Christians don’t attend Church on a regular basis. What would Jesus do?

First and foremost, it is God's will that Christians assemble together regularly. Hebrews 10:25-27 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.”

When we forsake the assembly without a valid reason, whether it is occasionally or completely, we are disobeying God and denying Him of our worship. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says, "Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." The Church must be a top priority for the Christian.

We have a number of commands associated with the Church that can not be followed unless Christians attend. In I Corinthians 11: 23-26, Christians are told to assemble to commemorate Jesus' death by partaking of the Lord's Supper. How can we follow the command, in Hebrews 10:25, to “exhort one another” if we do not assemble with other Christians? In Ephesians 5:19 and Col. 3: 16, Christians are commanded to sing and admonish "one another.”

Members of the early Church continue to provide an example for us today concerning how often we should attend. In Acts 2:42 we read, "They continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread and prayer." Acts 20:7 states, "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.” The book of 1 Corinthians also provides strong evidence that Christians met weekly (1 Corinthians 11:17-18, 20, 33; 14:23, 26). In I Corinthians 16:1-2, the New International Version and the New American Standard translations make it clear that the First Century Christians met at least weekly ( “first day of every week” – NIV and NASB).

We are commanded to be like Christ and follow his example (Phil. 2:5-8). While most Christians will agree with the command for disciples to be Christ-like, many don’t believe that their failure to assemble is a violation of that command. Let’s consider the following:

In Luke 2:42-49, when Jesus was 12 years old, his parents could not find Him after leaving Jerusalem. After searching for three days, they found him in the temple sitting among teachers, listening, and asking questions. He responded to his parents, “Why is it you are looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” Even at a young age, Jesus displayed His devotion to the Father by assembling with those who were studying and teaching the Word of God.

In Luke 4:16, the Bible says that Jesus had a habit (or “custom”) of attending synagogue for worship.

Jesus maintains an example for Christians today. In fact, Jesus has never forsaken an assembly of Christians. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said "For where two or more are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Do we want to miss being with the greatest guest of all, our Lord?

When people fall away from the Lord, it is usually not a sudden thing. They usually start by forsaking the assembly of Wednesday night Bible study. Then they start missing Sunday evening worship. Next they stop coming to Sunday morning Bible study; and then finally they stop coming to Sunday morning worship.

When we choose not to gather with other Christians, we are denying ourselves of all the benefits of worship that allow us to grow and strengthen spiritually. If we do not look forward to every opportunity we have to worship God "in spirit and in truth," how will we be able to enjoy worshipping God in heaven?

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Jesus Would Have Us Obey the Apostles' Commands & Examples

2006-05-30T05:51:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD HAVE US OBEY THE APOSTLES’ COMMANDS AND EXAMPLES
by Randy Baker

Many people have a desire to be saved, and some of these same religious souls have chosen to rely on only a select few Scriptures for the basis for all their beliefs. I am sure you have heard it said that Jesus’ words are the only important passages - in other words, you only have to be concerned with the red-letter portions of your Bible to serve God. We are indeed blessed to have Jesus’ words for guidance so we can rightly serve God, but it is important that we ask “what would Jesus say” about the importance of the Scriptures written by the apostles. Would Jesus agree that only the red-letter portions of our Bibles are of critical importance?

When discussing the coming of His church, Jesus told his apostles, “and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18). This passage sure makes it sound like Jesus is placing critical importance on the things that the apostles would be saying and doing during the age of the church, the kingdom of Jesus. Here, Jesus says that the apostles’ teachings and examples were already authorized or “bound” in heaven.

Knowing that He would leave the apostles to return to heaven, Jesus did not leave their teachings and examples to chance. “These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding with you. 26But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you” (John 14:25-26). This was Jesus’ plan all along! He told the apostles all He could at that time knowing that much of it would be misunderstood and forgotten. But after His ascension back to heaven, Jesus would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to guide the apostles, teach them, and remind them of the things Jesus wanted done. The words of the apostles are certainly beginning to look very important.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me: 27and ye also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27). Jesus again shows that the apostles would have the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter guiding them. This Spirit was coming to the apostles from the Father Himself.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you” (John 16:13-14). Jesus’ own words here tell that the apostles would declare to us the very things of Jesus! Jesus makes it clear that to heed only the red-letter portions of the Bible is to ignore Jesus Himself! We must heed what the apostles say, and we must follow the examples that they set for us. Their words and examples are Jesus’ message every bit as much as Jesus’ own words.

What would Jesus say about listening to the apostles’ commands and following their examples? What would Jesus say about the importance of those Scriptures written by apostles? Jesus has plainly told us that the apostles’ messages were not their own. They were proclaiming Jesus and God’s truths to the world. To obey the apostles’ instructions, and to follow their examples, is to follow Jesus’ own will. We dare not ignore their words.

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Jesus Would Study the Bible

2006-05-24T11:06:00.001-07:00

Jesus Would Study the Bible
By Jeff Himmel

Do you own a Bible? If so, what do you do with it – not just the book itself, but its message? What would Jesus do?

The Bible of Jesus’ day was what we call the Old Testament. These Hebrew Scriptures include the Law of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy), the history of ancient Israel (Joshua through Esther), inspired books of wisdom and poetry (Job through Song of Solomon), and the writings of God’s prophets (Isaiah through Malachi). How did Jesus treat the message of Scripture? If we approach the Bible the same way He did, we can be confident that we’re on sure footing.

When tempted by Satan, challenged by His enemies, or questioned by truth-seekers, Jesus’ response came from the word of God (see Matthew 4:1-10; 22:23-46). He truly believed the passage that He quoted in response to the Devil: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 8:3).

Many people insist that we can’t understand the Bible, much less understand it alike. What would Jesus say? He often responded to spiritual questions by asking, “Have you not read…?” or “What is written…?” (For examples, see Matthew 12:3,5; 19:4; 22:31; Luke 10:26.) He believed that people could understand the Scriptures, and that they must. Jesus never dismissed religious differences as the harmless result of “differing interpretations.” He did say that some people were “mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures” (Matthew 22:29) and that others were “slow of heart to believe” what was written (Luke 24:25). And He tried to correct people’s misunderstandings about God’s word. In Matthew 5, for example, Jesus dealt with several subjects by contrasting what the people had been taught by their leaders (“You have heard that it was said…”) with what God actually required of them (“But I say to you…”). Jesus expected people to base their beliefs and actions on a correct understanding of what God had revealed in His word.

Jesus emphasized that all of God’s revealed message was important. He acknowledged that some commandments were “weightier” (Matthew 23:23), i.e., more basic and fundamental. But in the same breath He said that even the details should not be neglected (“these you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone”). He warned against breaking even the “least” of God’s commands (Matthew 5:19).

Speaking of details, Jesus did not hesitate to discuss the specifics of God’s law. Some of His arguments with the Jewish leadership hinged on a particular word or phrase in a passage of Scripture (consider John 10:34-36; Mark 12:26-27; Matthew 22:41-46). To Jesus, every word of God was important.

Jesus drew important lessons from Bible history, too. He treated the historical accounts of Scripture as real events, not myths or fables. (A lot of modern believers give those historical accounts far less credit than Jesus did.) And Jesus cited historical events to prove spiritual principles (see Matthew 11:23-24; 12:41). He believed that inspired history has much to teach about God’s dealings with man.

Jesus also taught that there were certain inescapable conclusions that must be drawn from what the Scriptures said. For instance, He showed that God’s statements about marriage at the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:27 and 2:24) necessarily implied that it is a permanent relationship; thus divorce is sinful (Mark 10:2-12). He taught that the command to honor one’s parents (Exodus 20:12) necessarily implied caring for them in old age (Mark 7:10-13). Jesus expected people to examine Scripture, understand it, and draw the right conclusions.

The Bible is God’s revelation to mankind – a priceless gift. Yet it is often neglected even by those who claim to believe it. Many people have sincere religious convictions, but couldn’t begin to show from the Scriptures why they hold those convictions. Many claim to know Jesus, but know next to nothing of the Scriptures that testify of Him. Let’s follow Jesus’ example of respect for God’s written revelation.

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

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Jesus Would Give Bible Answers For Religious Questions

2006-05-16T09:22:00.001-07:00

JESUS WOULD GIVE BIBLE ANSWERS FOR RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS
by Randy Baker
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Jesus, through the Word of God, provided us a high standard to follow. He says “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Peter points out that Christ provided an example for us to follow (1 Peter 2:21). We may ask “what would Jesus do” when we’re facing some challenge in our lives? One of the challenges we have is knowing how to answer religious questions. When watching Jesus’ activities, what pattern can we observe that would provide us guidance on how to appropriately handle spiritual questions?

Jesus had to answer questions from a lot of different types of personalities. For example, we see Jesus answering a question from a sincere scribe in Mark 12:28, “’What commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.’” What do we see? Jesus answered a religious question with scripture (Deut. 6:4-5; Lev. 19:18).

Jesus also had to answer hard questions from those who were not friendly toward Him. In Mark 12:18 we see an occasion when a group of Sadducees attempt to trap Jesus in a difficult question. “And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed; and the second took her, and died, leaving no seed behind him; and the third likewise: and the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died. In the resurrection whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.’ Jesus said unto them, ‘Is it not for this cause that ye err, that ye know not the scriptures, nor the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as angels in heaven. But as touching the dead, that they are raised; have ye not read in the book of Moses, in the place concerning the Bush, how God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: ye do greatly err.’” Jesus scolds the questioners for reaching erroneous conclusions. He quickly refers to scripture that answers their question (Exodus 3:6). The Sadducees had apparently reached a bad conclusion from handed-down tradition, or some writing that was not part of God’s Word, but Jesus showed they needed to rely on scripture.

Jesus even faced direct challenges from Satan himself. “And the tempter came and said unto him, ‘If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ 4But he answered and said, ’It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, ‘If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.’ Jesus said unto him, ’Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God.’ 8Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and he said unto him, ‘All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.’ Then saith Jesus unto him, ’Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve’” (Matthew 4:3-10). Jesus’ approach is clear - He repeatedly says “It is written” to remind Satan of the truth (Deut. 8:3; 6:13,16; 10:20). Notice that Satan also used scripture (Psalm 91:11-12). Using scripture incorrectly is no better than ignoring it altogether. Understanding His word correctly is critical.

What did Jesus do when asked a religious question? He answered with correctly applied scripture!

Jesus What Would Jesus Do? WWJD? Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

What Would Jesus Do? (Series Introduction)

2006-05-10T12:04:00.001-07:00

What Would Jesus Do?
By Jeff Himmel

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

A few years ago I started noticing bracelets, t-shirts, and bumper stickers that simply read, “WWJD.” Today they’re everywhere. The letters stand for a question: “What would Jesus do?”

It’s a noble question. Christians, by definition, are to be like Jesus (see Romans 8:29). If the Son of God has first place in our hearts and actions, we’ll frequently find ourselves asking, “What would Jesus do?” What would Jesus do if He faced this temptation? What would Jesus do with this opportunity? What would Jesus do in response to this challenge? What would Jesus do if He were in my shoes?

God calls on us to imitate Jesus’ perfect example (see 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Corinthians 11:1). So whenever we ask, “What would Jesus do?” we’re also asking, “What would Jesus want me to do?” If we don’t truthfully answer the first question, we won’t have a clue about the second. This, I think, is where we often mess up: we don’t think seriously about what Jesus would do, because deep down we fear that it’s not what we would do. I think about that when I see a WWJD bumper sticker on a car, then notice that the driver is screaming obscenities at someone who cut him off in traffic.

What would Jesus do? How we arrive at the answer to that question is just as important as asking it. It’s pretty easy to let “What would Jesus do?” change into “What would I like to imagine Jesus doing?” or even “What do I wish I could get Jesus to do?” I can form an inaccurate picture of Christ that’s based on my own preferences and prejudices. Again, it does no good to ask the question if I won’t answer it truthfully.

So how can I know what Jesus would do? How can anyone know? The answer is to look at what He actually did. And what He said. And what His chosen apostles did and said by His authority. Those things are recorded for us in the New Testament. If the question is “What would Jesus do?” we must look for the answer in that divinely revealed record. Anything else is just guesswork. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him” (1 Corinthians 2:16)? When we learn what Christ and His apostles did and said, we then must apply their teachings and examples to our own lives.

A word of caution: What Jesus did made Him unpopular. His actions and words sometimes shocked, offended, and angered people. As He said, “the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). It follows that people who imitate Jesus will often seem out of step and out of touch. As in Jesus’ day, those who are comfortable in sin will resent those who, by word and example, beckon them to leave it.

Watch for future essays that will ask, “What would Jesus do?” in various areas of life. If you’re a follower of Christ, we hope you’ll be challenged and encouraged to be more like Him every day. If you’re not a follower of Christ, or if you don’t know where you stand, we hope you’ll be challenged to think seriously about how very different Jesus was and is, about how different He calls us to be, and about the difference He will make in your life.

Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ Jesus What Would Jesus Do? WWJD?

What Would Jesus Do?

2006-05-07T12:31:00.001-07:00

What Would Jesus Do is a series of newspaper articles written by members of the Spring Warrior church of Christ in Perry, Florida and published by the church in the Perry News-Herald beginning on May 10, 2006, and ending on November 29, 2006.

Each article can be read by clicking a link to its title below:

What would Jesus Do?
Jesus Would Give Bible Answers for Religious Questions (Authority)
Jesus Would Study the Bible
Jesus Would Have Us Obey the Apostles' Commands and Examples (Authority)
Jesus Would Attend Church
Jesus Would Pray
Jesus Would Humble Himself
Jesus Would Obey God in All Things
Jesus Would Follow the Golden Rule
Jesus Would Neither Use Profane Language, Nor Say Mean, Hurtful Things
Jesus Would Not Covet Money & Material Possessions
Jesus Would Not Believe That the Majority Was Right
Which Traditions Would Jesus Observe? (Authority)
Kingdom Come
Permit It to Be So to Fulfill All Righteousness (baptism)
Jesus Would Not Call Preachers "Reverend," or "Father"
Jesus Would Visit The Sick
Jesus Would Give to the Poor
Jesus Would Honor His Parents
Jesus Would Weep With Those Who Weep
Jesus Would Not Divorce A Spouse For Any Reason Other Than Fornication
Jesus Would Put God & Others First Through Selfless Love
Jesus Would Judge Righteously
Sin No More (Repentance, Unscriptural Marriages & Homosexuality)
What Would Jesus Do About Sinning Brethren? (Discipline)
Cleanse the Temple (of Modern & Liberal forms of Worship & Outreach)
Jesus Would Evangelize

See also Spring Warrior's previous articles under the series entitled, "Prove All Things."

Jesus WWJD? What Would Jesus Do? Spring Warrior
Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

When "gospel" referred to Caesar as savior

2006-04-19T07:09:00.001-07:00

Before Christ was born, people in the Roman world associated the word gospel with news about Augustus Caesar, the "divine" caesar, who was also known as "savior of the world" because the peace he initiated and maintained through force submission following war and violence. Then, around A.D. 27 or so, disciples and apostles of Christ begin proclaiming the good news of a new Savior (deliverer, liberator) who will also bring peace.

Attached hereto in HTML, Adobe PDF, and PowerPoint PPT formats is a sermon I prepared on what First Century Roman citizens would have heard when someone said "gospel," "savior," "peace," etc.

The outline contains:

Comparisons of Mark 1:1 and Luke 2:8-11 with a Calendar inscription from Priene dating 9 B.C., which says: "the birthday of the god [Augustus] was for the world the beginning of tidings of joy ...;"
Minor exposition of Matt. 22:15-22 with a picture of a denarius (from Bible Picture Gallery) bearing the likeness of Tiberius Caesar and an inscription declaring that Tiberius was the "son of god;"
Comparisons of John 4:42 and 1 John 4:14-15 with titles declaring Julius and Augustus Caesar as "saviors;"
Minor exposition of Acts 16:21 and Acts 17:6-7 showing persecution of Christians for proclaiming the Gospel in a Roman world.

The sermon borrows heavily from the work of David McClister who presented a lecture entitled, "The Gospel In Its Roman Context," at Florida College in February 2005. Bro. McClister's outline and PowerPoint presentation are available for free in PDF format at his web site. You can purchase an audio CD of the lecture from the Florida College Bookstore (813)985-9555.

Some of the material is also borrowed from others hearing bro. McClisterÂ?s sermon, namely: Brent Kercheville (and perhaps others) at the Haverhill Road Church of Christ in West Palm Beach, Florida, who adapted the bro. McClister's lecture into the following two sermon outlines:

Acts 16:21 Acts 17:6-17 Augustus Caesar Bible History denarius Gospel John 4:42 1 John 4:14-15 Julius Caesar Luke 2:8-11 Matt. 22:15-22 Mark 1:1 Peace Persecution Priene Roman Emperors Rome Savior Son of God Tiberius Caesar Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

45 Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ

2006-03-11T12:16:00.001-08:00

The following links are to tables identifying Messianic Prophecies and New Testament scriptures demonstrating how Jesus Christ fulfilled these prophecies. The table is available in HTML and PDF format, and is based upon information found in Bible Maps and Charts (part of Nelson's Pocket Reference Series), and a 1982 edition of Nelson's Open Bible (NKJV).

The Bible Maps and Charts is useful, but I wish it was in a larger and thinner version. The Pocket Reference Series is too compact for my tastes.

I really liked several features of the Open Bible, especially the Biblical Cyclopedic Index (which was in addition to the normal concordance) and the tables, though I did not like the commentary.

Books Handouts for Class Jesus Prophecy
Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

Cyrus, King of Persia [Handout]

2006-02-20T10:48:00.001-08:00

I prepared the following handout to supplement our class' study of Judah's return from the Babylonian captivity. We are using Joe Corley's Bible Basics curriculum.

Cyrus in the Bible [See Cyrus II of Persia at Answers.com]
1. 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 - [The Proclamation of Cyrus] Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!
2. Ezra 1:1-2 - [ End of the Babylonian Captivity ] Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.
3. Ezra 1:7-8 - King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods; and Cyrus king of Persia brought them out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
4. Ezra 3:7 - They also gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the permission which they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
5. Ezra 4:3 - But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathersÂ? houses of Israel said to them, Â?You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.Â?
6. Ezra 4:5 - and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
7. Ezra 5:13-14 - However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to build this house of God. Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem and carried into the temple of BabylonÂ?those King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
8. Ezra 5:17 - Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the kingÂ?s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send us his pleasure concerning this matter.
9. Ezra 6:3 - In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: Â?Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits,
10. Ezra 6:14 - So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

[Isaiah Prophesied About Cyrus by Name 150 Years Before Cyrus Was Born]

11. Isaiah 44:28 - Who says of Cyrus, Â?He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, Â?You shall be built,Â? And to the temple, Â?Your foundation shall be laid.Â?Â?
12. Isaiah 45:1 - [ Cyrus, GodÂ?s Instrument ] Â?Thus says the LORD to His anointed,To Cyrus, whose right hand I have heldÂ? To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
13. Daniel 1:21 - Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.
14. Daniel 6:28 - So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
15. Daniel 10:1 - [ Vision of the Glorious Man ] In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.

Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

How to contact Joe Corley to order Bible Basics

2006-02-01T17:19:00.001-08:00

Over the years, I have fielded a number of requests for Joe Corley's contact information so people may purchase his Bible Basics workbook series. His contact information is as follows:

Joe Corley
Joe Corley Books
116 Armory Drive
Lewisburg,TN 37091
(931) 359-3451

Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

Chronological Table of the Patriarchs, From Adam to Moses, 2500 Years

2006-01-22T05:28:00.001-08:00

I own a copy of Smith's Bible Dictionary, which you can purchase from Amazon.com for $9.95. Besides being a Bible dictionary, it also contains chronologies and charts like the one below.

Book Reviews Handouts for Class

2 Peter 3:13 – New Heavens and New Earth

2006-01-20T17:57:00.001-08:00

Wayne Jackson has an interesting article worth reading at christiancourier.com:

2 Peter 3:13 – New Heavens and New Earth
What is the meaning of the expression “new heavens and a new earth” as found in 2 Peter 3:13?

For a link to a sermon outline by Mark Copeland on the same topic can be found at this earlier post.

2 Peter Eschatology New Heavens and New Earth Prophecy Church of Christ Church of Christ

Early Bible Manuscripts

2006-01-20T14:06:00.001-08:00

A handout prepared from material found in Josh McDowell's New Evidence That Demands A Verdict.

Bible Manuscripts Book Reviews Handouts for Class How We Got The Bible New Evidence That Demands A Verdict Church of Christ

Church of Christ

Early Patristic Quotations of the New Testament

2006-01-20T13:34:00.001-08:00

A handout prepared from material found in Josh McDowell's New Evidence That Demands A Verdict.

Justin Martyr Irenaeus Clement of Alexandria Origen Hippolytus Eusebius
Book Reviews Handouts for Class How We Got the Bible New Evidence That Demands A Verdict
Church History Church of Christ Church of Christ

Number of MSS Available For New Testament & Iliad

2006-01-07T21:08:00.001-08:00

A houndout prepared from material found in Josh McDowell's New Evidence That Demands A Verdict.

New Testament - 24,970 MSS
Homer's Iliad - 643 MSS

Homer Iliad Book Reviews Handouts for Class How We Got The Bible
New Evidene That Demands A Verdict
Church of Christ Church of Christ

New Heaven, New Earth

2006-01-07T10:23:00.001-08:00

Mark Copeland has uploaded some new sermon outlines at ExecutableOutlines.com that are worthy of your review:

"THE PROMISE OF NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH" 2 Peter 3:13. What is meant by a new heaven and a new earth?
"THE HEAVENLY CITY" Revelation 21:2-22:5. What is the heavenly city?

Tags: 2 Peter Revelation Eschatology New Heavens and New Earth Prophecy Church of Christ Church of Christ

Churches Close for Christmas

2005-12-26T15:38:00.001-08:00

The headlines quoted below (with links to the articles attached) reveal a new low in faithfulness among believers in Christ.

Some megachurches closing on Christmas, CNN.com 12-7-05
When Christmas Falls on Sunday, Megachurches Take the Day Off, NY Times 12-9-05
Defense of canceling church on Christmas, Kentucky.com 12-11-05

How can one even try to justify our failure to worship God on the basis of a holiday? If Christmas isn't about Christ, how can we justify canceling services? If Christmas is about Christ then we are still hypocritical for not worshiping Him on that day.

For those Christians who did cancel worship services in observance of Christmas, who did you put first in your life in making that decision: yourself or Christ?

We are explicitly instructed against "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:25).

We cannot justify our failure to worship God on the importance of family gatherings (Matt. 10:34-39).

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

The Peace Christ Brings (Powepoint sermon outline)

2005-12-26T14:09:00.001-08:00

Attached is a powerpoint presentation delivered on Christmas morning, December 25, 2005, on "The Peace Christ Brings." The sermon began with a reading of Luke 2:1-29 where the story of Jesus' birth is found. It then focuses on what is meant by "peace" in Luke 2:14, 29. The file is found here (and below). If you open the file within Internet Explorer (by choosing "Open" as opposed to "Save") you will be able to advance from slide to slide by pressing your left mouse button.

I chose this topic because the sermon was to be given on Christmas Day (Sunday, December 25, 2005). I began the sermon by reading Luke 2:1-32, which tells the story about the birth of Christ.

AN OUTLINE OF THE TEXT OF THE SLIDES IS AS FOLLOWS:

Christ's Birth Announced
Read Luke 2:1-32

The Peace in Luke 2
• Luke 2:14 - “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
• Luke 2:29 - “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace ….”

What is peace?
From the Greek noun “eirene” - It describes
• harmonious relationships between men, Matt. 10:34; Rom. 14:19;
• between nations, Luke 14:32; Acts 12:20; Rev. 6:4;
• friendliness, Acts 15:33; 1 Cor. 16:11; Heb. 11:31;
• freedom from molestation, Luke 11:21; 19:42; Acts 9:31 (RV, 'peace,' AV, 'rest'); 16:36;
• order, in the State, Acts 24:2 (RV, 'peace,' AV, 'quietness'); in the churches, 1 Cor. 14:33;
• the harmonized relationships between God and man, accomplished through the gospel, Acts 10:36; Eph. 2:17;
• the sense of rest and contentment consequent thereon, Matt. 10:13; Mark 5:34; Luke 1:79; 2:29; John 14:27; Rom. 1:7; 3:17; 8:6; in certain passages this idea is not distinguishable from the last, Rom. 5:1
Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, http://www.menfak.no/bibel/vines.html, 12/18/2005 11:44 PM

Peace as contentment
• Abraham, Genesis 15:15
• Simeon, Luke 2:29
• Philippians 4:6-8
• Rom. 1:7, 8:6 (vss. 38-39)
– See also 1 Cor. 1:3, 2 Cor. 1:2, Gal. 1:3, Eph. 1:2, Phi. 1:2, Col. 1:2, 1 Thes. 1:1, 2 Thes. 1:2, 1 Tim. 1:2, 2 Tim. 1:2, Tit. 1:4, Phm. 1:3, etc.

All Men Need Peace
• Sin separated man from God, Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-6, 19, 22-24
• Through Adam’s sin, death came to all men, Rom. 5:12
• The wages of sin is death, Rom. 6:23
• All have sinned, Rom. 3:23
• All men die, 1 Cor. 15:22

Peace to all men?
• Luke 12:51 - “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.” See also Matt. 10:32-39.
• Luke 2:14 (NASB) - “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
• Psalm 37:37-38
• Psalm 119:165

Where Can I Find Peace?
• Through Christ & God’s Word
– Acts 10:36
– Rom. 10:15
• Christ made peace, Eph. 2:14-18 (Isa. 57:19)
– Between Jew & Gentile
– Between Man & God
• Christ’s blood made peace possible, Isa. 53:5; Col. 1:20-23

How Can I Have Peace?
• Through Justification (declared righteous, acquitted of sin)
– By Faith, Rom. 5:1-2
– By Christ’s blood, Rom. 5:9-10
• When and how do I benefit from Christ’s death?
– Through Baptism, Rom. 6:3, Gal. 3:27
– Through righteous living after baptism, Gal. 5:22; Isa. 32:15-18; Isa. 57:21

Can I expect peace in my present condition?
• The angels praised God for the peace Christ brought, Luke 2:13-14. Can you?
• Simeon knew he would die in peace, Luke 2:29. Do you?

Creative Commons Stuff:

The Peace Christ Brings
2005
A sermon-based powerpoint presentation about how Christ brings peace to the world (Luke 2) , who the peace is made available to, and how one may obtain this peace.
William W. ("Bil") Blue
William W. ("Bill") Blue

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2005 William W. Blue

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WWJD - What would Jesus do?

2005-08-07T14:06:00.001-07:00

Sometime around 1996-1997 people in my community started displaying bracelets, t-shirts, and bumper stickers with the logo "WWJD." I learned that this logo is an acronym for the phrase "What would Jesus do," a constant reminder that Jesus is supposed to be first and foremost in all of our thoughts and actions because we are supposed to emulate and imitate Christ. (Col. 3:17, "And [whatever] you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.")

I was not surprised to learn, however, that many of the people proudly displaying WWJD had no real knowledge about the nature of Christ, or what He would actually do. Accordingly, I prepare the following short outline of some of the things Christ would do.

1. Jesus would study the Bible. Once when Jesus was missing at the age of twelve, His parents found Him studying in the temple:

41 His [Jesus'] parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know [it;] 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among [their] relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was [that] after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." 49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" (Luke 2:41-49 )

2. Jesus would faithfully attend & participate in worship services. Jesus' devotion to God's word was habitual and He customarily attended worship services.

"16 So He [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: . . . ."

3. Jesus would give Bible answers for Bible questions. Jesus is quoted as citing numerous Old Testament Scriptures during His life on Earth. Perhaps the most memorable occasion, however, is when Satan tempted Christ three times and Jesus responded three times by saying, "It is written."

3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In [their] hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' " 7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' " 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " (Matthew 4:3-10)

4. Jesus would not follow the wisdom or traditions of men, but rather the wisdom of God.

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." 3 He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 5 "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me [is] a gift [to God" -- ] 6 'then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with [their] lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching [as] doctrines the commandments of men.' " (Matthew 15:1-9)

5. Jesus would humble Himself. Jesus understood that humility, that is, submission to God's will (Matthew 11:39, 42) is an essential part of a Christian's life. This is a lesson He taught the disciples in the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3,5), and demonstrated for the Apostles when He washed their feet:

1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's [son,] to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had coe from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe [them] with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And [Peter] said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." 8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also [my] hands and [my] head!" 10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash [his] feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean." 12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for [so] I am. 14 "If I then, [your] Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 "Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. (John
13:1-16)

6. Jesus would pray. Jesus prayed. He prayed in the morning (Mark 1:35) and evening(Luke 6:12). He prayed alone and in secret (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16, Luke 9:18), and with others (Luke 9:28-29, Luke 11:1). He prayed in a garden (Matthew 26:36), on a mountain (Matthew 14:23; Luke 6:12, Luke 9:28-29, Luke 22:39), and in a wilderness (Mark 1:35).

Jesus prayed on the occasion of His baptism (Luke 3:21), before He selected His Apostles (Luke 6:12), before His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29), and before the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:41).

Jesus would pray to praise God (Matthew 11:25-26), to give thanks to God (John 11:41) for Himself (John 17:1-5), and for God to intercede on behalf of Jesus' disciples (John 17:6-19) and all other believers (John 17:20-26).

Jesus taught his disciples to pray that God's will be done, that the Kingdom be established, for the necessities of life, for the forgiveness of sins, for the avoidance of temptation, and salvation (Luke 11:1-4; Mark 14:38).

7. Jesus would do onto others as He would have done to Himself. After all, Jesus is the author of the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31).

8. Jesus would weep with the mourning. Jesus understood that those who mourn will be comforted (Matthew 5:4) and that that Christians should have compassion for those who mourn.

Now a certain [man] was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was [that] Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 4 When Jesus heard [that,] He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to [the] disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 [The] disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 "But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." 12 Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." 16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." 17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." 28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The
Teacher has come and is calling for you." 29 As soon as she heard [that,] she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" (John 11:1-36)

9. Jesus would visit the sick.

13 When Jesus heard [it,] {the death & burial of His first cousin, John the
Baptist} He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when
the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when
Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for
them, and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:13-14)

10. Jesus would give to the poor.

31 " When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides [his] sheep from the goats. 33 "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 'I [was] naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed [You,] or thirsty and give [You] drink? 38 'When did we see You a stranger and take [You] in, or naked and clothe [You?] 39 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did [it] to one of the least of these My brethren, you did [it] to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 'for I was hungry and
you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 'I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do [it] to one of the least of these, you did not do [it] to Me.' 46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)

11. Jesus would take care of His parents. Another example of how Christ would think of others before Himself is when He was dying on the cross, Jesus thought about the welfare for His mother, Mary:

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own [home.] (John 19:25-27)

12. Jesus would neither use profane language or say mean, hurtful things. Jesus said that "the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart, and they defile the man." (Matthew 15:18)

13. Jesus would not covet money & material possessions. Jesus understood that the most precious commodity that we will ever possess is a soul (Matthew 16:26), and that it is not possible to both serve God and desire money (Matthew 6:24).

14. Jesus would not live in sin and adultery.

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 "Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have [something] of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with [His] finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard [it,] being convicted by [their] conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest [even] to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." (John 8:1-11)

15. Jesus would not divorce a spouse for any reason short of adultery.

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, [that] He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for [just] any reason?" 4 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made [them] at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5 "and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." 7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" 8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." 10 His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with [his] wife, it is better not to marry." 11 But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only [those] to whom it has been given: 12 "For there are eunuchs who were born thus from [their] mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept [it,] let him accept [it."] (Matthew 19:1-12)

16. Jesus would love His own friends so much, He would die for them.

12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 "No longer do I call
you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have
called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known
to you. 16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you
should go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain, that whatever you
ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 "These things I command you, that
you love one another. (John 15:12-17)

17. Jesus would obey God in all things. In the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:42), Jesus prayed that "Your [God's] will be done." Later, Christ knew He had obeyed God in all things when He was dying on the cross and said, "It is finished."

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put [it] on hyssop, and put [it] to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:28-30)

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, points out that Jesus was obedient to the point of death on the cross:

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He [Christ] humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for [His] good pleasure. 14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. (Philippians 2:5-16)

18. Jesus would not believe that the majority was right. Jesus understands that few will be saved and most will be condemned (Matthew 7:13,14).

19. Jesus would not call preachers "Reverend," or "Father." (Matthew 23:8,9)

20. Jesus would not confuse secular functions with spiritual missions. (Mark 11:15-18)

21. Jesus would not assume a new earthly kingdom or throne that will last 1000 years, but teach that His spiritual kingdom exists today in Heaven and in the Church and began on the day of Pentecost. Jesus said that "My kindom is not of this world," (John 18:36) and "That there are some standing here who will not not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God present with power" (Mark 9:1).

22. Jesus today would following the commands and examples of the Apostles. Not that the Apostles have authority over Christ, but Christ expects us to follow their teachings and examples. Before His death and resurrection, Jesus instructed the Apostles that He would send a Comforter or Helper (John14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7), the Holy Spirit (John 14:17), to guide the Apostles into all truth, teach them all things and to bring to their rememberance the things that Jesus said (John 14:26, 16:13). He gave them authority and the Holy Spirit gave them knowledge and inspiration.

23. Jesus would be baptized. When we think of WWJD, we must remember that Jesus was baptized. Of course, unlike you and me, Christ had no reason to be baptized for the remission of sins, but He nonetheless had to be baptized in order to obey the commandments of God.

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John [tried to] prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit [it to be so] now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice [came] from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:13-17)

Remember, Christ Himself said baptism was essential for salvation (Mark 16:16). We must also remember that in order to "[do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus," (Col. 3:17) we must put on Christ, and only "as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27).

WWJD Adultery Apostolic_Authority Assembling Attendance Authority Baptism
Benevolence Commands Covetousnes Christ Divorce Examples Family Father
Golden_Rule Humility Jesus Love Mourning Obedience Poor
POpular Culture/Majority Opinion Prayer Premillennialism Reverend
Sermon Outlines Sick Sin Speech Study Traditions Tongue Vistation
Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

2005-03-14T07:18:00.001-08:00

Below is my humble working outline for a sermon I preached at Spring Warrior on Sunday, March 13, 2005. I emphasize working outline because it was drafted for my own use, and neither drafted nor "prettied" for public viewing. As such, it does not contain all of the thoughts expressed in the sermon, but merely served as a guide to what I would say. If you find it useful, then I am most pleased.

The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit:
What He Accomplishes in Christians and How

Scripture Rom. 8:9-11

Read Passage Rom. 7:15-16; 8:1-16

Additional question, how can we know whether the Holy Spirit resides in us?

What is not involved with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?
• Not the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2, 10)
• Not the giving of miraculous gifts (1 Cor. 13)
• Not through means of direct or miraculous guidance (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Gal. 1:8-9)

The Holy Spirit Converts
• The Gospel was announced and confirmed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)
• Christians are born of the Spirit (John 3:6)
• Saved by the Spirit (Tit. 3:5)
• The Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:6)
o Through New Covenant
o And knowledge (context of chapters 3-5)
o Rom. 8:13

The Holy Spirit Seals Us & Becomes the Guarantee of our Inheritance
• Eph. 1:12-14 (guarantee = down payment, earnest, pledge, deposit)
• 2 Cor. 1:21-22
o Sealed – (1) a mark of ownership, (2) being marked by the words and promises which the Spirit has spoken, (3) an indication that we are children of God
o Earnest – The Spirit becomes our guarantee through the revelation and confirmation of God’s word because our actions and conduct reveal that we have heard, believed and obeyed God’s word has revealed by the Holy Spirit, which was confirmed to us through the same revelation which records the Holy Spirit’s signs and miracles.

The Holy Spirit Strengthens Us
• Eph. 3:16-17
o With Power
o Through His Spirit
o In the Inner Man
• Col. 1:9-11
o Paul here also prays that Christians receive strength with might, but this time indicates that the strength comes through (1) knowledge of God’s will, and (2) spiritual understanding
o Acts 20:32 – God’s word builds us up
o 1 Pet. 2:2 – God’s word causes growth

We are to use knowledge of God’s word to walk in the Spirit
• Eph. 4:17, Eph. 5:15-21
o Walk, unwise vs. wise
o Drunk with earthly spirits vs. filled with the Holy Spirit
• Col. 3:16 equates word of Christ with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18)
• Gal. 5:16-25

Holy Spirit Sanctifies Us and Provides Hope
(Rom. 15:12-16)
• How? Hope through belief (compare vss. 12 & 13)
• Sanctification through goodness & knowledge (v. 14), but Paul writes anyway (1 Cor. 6:11 also by responding to the Gospel)

God’s Help Towards His People is Not Limited by their own Abilities
• Rom. 8:26-28
• 1 Cor. 10:13
• Eph. 3:20
But we still must be converted, sealed, and sanctified, and none of the foregoing verses stand for the proposition that the Holy Spirit acts upon our hearts apart from the word of God, or affects our own free will.

The Ten Great Roman Persecutions Against The Christianity

2003-12-15T14:37:00.001-08:00

From Bartleby.com:

E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Persecutions (The ten great)..
(1) Under Nero, A.D. 64; (2) Domitian, 95; (3) Trajan, 98; (4) Hadrian, 118; (5) Pertinax, 202, chiefly in Egypt; (6) Maximin, 236; (7) Decius, 249; (8) Valerian, 257; (9) Aurelian, 272; (10) Diocletian, 302.
1
“It would be well if these were the only religious persecutions; but, alas! those on the other side prove the truth of the Founder: “I came not to send peace [on earth]. but a sword” (Matt. x. 34). Witness the long and relentless persecutions of the Waldenses and Albigenses, the six or seven crusades, the wars of Charlemagne against the Saxons, and the thirty years’ war of Germany. Witness, again, the persecution of the Guises, the Bartholomew slaughter, the wars of Louis XIV. on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the Dragonnades, and the wars against Holland. Witness the bitter rersecutions stirred up by Luther, which spread to England and Scotland. No wars so lasting, so relentless, so bloody as religious wars. It has been no thin red line.

An Individual’s Responsibility for Disciplining Brethren

2002-01-20T05:47:00.001-08:00

An Individual’s Responsibility for Disciplining Brethren
By William W. Blue
Delivered Sunday, January 20, 2002

GOALS:

1. To emphasize each Christian’s individual responsibility in the realm of discipline; and
2. To focus our attention on who is our brother.

I. Opening Comments

A. Spring Warrior is a strong and sound congregation. In my opinion, it is as strong now as it has ever been since I have been a member.

B. Credit for the strength of Spring Warrior is due to the fact that Spring Warrior has strong elders.

C. Spring Warrior, however, isn’t perfect. No congregation is perfect.

D. One area where Spring Warrior needs improvement is the members’ over reliance on its elders in matters where individuals have personal responsibility, especially in matters of discipline.

E. Brethren are all too willing to leave all responsibility for enforcing discipline up to the elders.

II. Matthew 18:15-17

A. Although the context is dealing with the relationship between two brothers, and more specifically, where one brother has sinned against another, I submit that whenever discipline is to be enforced, adherence to the pattern set forth by Christ should be the rule and not the exception.

B. We owe it to the “sinning brother,” to verify the facts.

[Possible exceptions to following Matt. 18:15-17 may include: Titus 3:10 (when dealing with a divisive man), or 1 Tim. 519-20 (when dealing with sinning elders). Again, these are possible exceptions that are beyond the scope of our lesson today.]

C. Notice in verse 17, after the sinner refuses to hear the church that “you” are to treat the brother as a Gentile and a tax collector. You, not the church. Christ puts the emphasis on the individual.

D. What did Jesus mean by saying that we should consider the sinning brother a Gentile and a tax collector?

1. Jesus was speaking to the Jews. The Jews despised the Gentiles and tax collectors.

2. Illustration: We should consider sinning brethren today the same as the Jews treated Gentiles and tax collectors. We should not eat with them, keep their company, or otherwise socialize with them.

3. Illustration: In today’s terms, we should lawfully treat sinning brethren in the same way as many people unlawfully (from God’s point of view) treat people of color (blacks).

III. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO WITHDRAW – 2 Thess. 3:6

A. NKJV – “you withdraw from every” sinning brother.

B. KJV & ASV – “ye withdraw yourselves.”

C. Paul’s command is to the individual to withdraw. Hence, we have a personal responsibility to withdraw.

IV. WHAT IS WITHDRAWN?

A. Ourselves, 2 Thess. 3:6.

B. Our company, 2 Thess. 3:14.

C. Avoid (“ourselves again”), Rom. 16:17.

D. Do not eat (“our association”), 1 Cor. 5:11.

E. Consider a Gentile and a tax collector, Matt. 18:17.

[Notice that the Bible does not use the phrases “dis-fellowship,” or “withdraw fellowship.” Although these are Biblical concepts (Eph. 5:11), they are not Bible terms. ]

I believe we should not use these terms and phrases because they cause some to think of discipline in an inaccurate way. Our fellowship with our brethren is in Christ. Fellowship means to share; it is sometimes translated fellowship, and sometimes partner, partake, communion, etc. What do we share? Christ. We cannot withdraw Christ. (Notice that the sinner is still our brother after we withdraw ourselves, 2 Thes. 3:14.) If we could withdraw fellowship in the sense that some brethren think of it, we would be taking away from the church. We do not have the authority to take someone from the church anymore than we have the ability to add to the church.

When we discipline, we are withdrawing ourselves, our social associations. We cannot control whether someone is in fellowship with Christ, and hence, in fellowship with us, but we can control who we associate with.]

V. WHO DO WE WITHDRAW FROM?

A. Every brother, 2 Thess. 3:6.

B. Not the world, 1 Cor. 5:11.

VI. WHAT CONDUCT REQUIRES WITHDRAWAL?

A. Sexual and other forms of immorality, 1 Cor. 5:11.

B. Divisiveness, Rom. 16:17.

C. Any trespass, Gal. 6:1.

D. Wandering from the truth, James 5:19.

E. Sins against brethren, Matt. 18:15.

F. Disorderly conduct, 2 Thess. 3:6.

[I believe that we all understand that sin is sin. No sin is any more or less dangerous than any other sin. However, I believe we understand this better intellectually that we do in application. For example, consider what constituted “disorderly conduct” worthy of withdrawal in 2 Thess. 3:6-14. I submit that many brethren would consider the disorderly conduct in this passage trivial.]

VII. WHO IS MY BROTHER?

A. Anyone who is baptized into the body of Christ, 1 Cor. 12:13.

B. This must be the “one baptism” of Eph. 4:5. Thus, the baptism must meet the following requirements:

1. The person being baptized must be a penitent believer, Acts 8:37.

2. The baptism must be one of immersion in water.

3. It must be done for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38.

4. It must be done pursuant to the authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Matt. 28:19.

C. Thus, anyone who has become a member of the body is my brother regardless of whether:

1. They are faithful or not;

2. They have been withdrawn from or not;

3. They meet with my congregation or another congregation, even in another city of country; and

4. Whether I know them personally or not.

[APPLICATION: Obviously, all the brethren at Spring Warrior are my brethren, and I have a responsibility towards each of them. However, assume I move to Tallahassee, place membership with the Centerville Road congregation, continue to socialize with brethren from Spring Warrior, and then begin an immoral lifestyle. Who has a responsibility for disciplining me? Not the Spring Warrior congregation because the elders have no authority beyond their flock, 1 Pet. 5:2. However, those members of Spring Warrior that I continued associations with must discipline me. I cannot be “delivered to Satan” publicly in the Spring Warrior congregation (1 Cor. 5:1, 5 - note “gathered together,” and “among you”), but the brethren can note and withdraw themselves from me, 2 Thess. 3:6.]

VIII. PURPOSE OF DISCIPLINE

A. Shame the sinner, 2 Thess. 3:14.

B. Save the sinner, James 5:19-20.

C. Save the sinner & protect the church, 1 Cor. 5:5-8.

D. Protect yourself, Gal. 6:1.

[My citation to Gal. 6:1 for “protecting yourself” deserves further comment because my use of the Scripture may not be intuitive. When we know a brother is sinning, we are commanded to restore that individual. We should also consider ourselves, lest we are tempted, Gal. 6:1. I submit that part of what Paul is talking about is the possibility that if we will not take up our responsibility to restore our brethren then our lack of concern for our brethren could become a lack of concern for sin in our own lives. Notice that none of the passages cited in this sermon are discretionary; they are all commands. Thus, the failure to restore is a sin. A brother who does not restore someone who has fallen away has himself transgressed God’s law and may be beginning his own journey into apostasy.]

IX. CONCLUDING REMARKS

A. Discipline is hard; it is “advanced Christianity.”

B. Some brethren are unwilling to discipline other brethren because they claim they are concerned about the sinning brother’s feelings.

1. That is lie. They are really concerned about how they will feel if the sinning brother reacts in a negative way.

2. In essence, brethren who refuse to restore sinning brethren are more concerned about self, and their own feelings, than the soul and welfare of their brethren.

C. Discipline only works if it is enforced by all. If the erring brother sees that one of his brethren will not enforce discipline, he will simply gravitate to those brethren and continue his associations there.

D. If we truly love our brethren, church, and family, we will enforce discipline in the manner God prescribed.

Discipline Brother Fellowship Withdraw Sermon_Outlines Matthew 18:15-17
2 Thess. 3:6 Spring Warrior Christian Christianity Church of Christ Church of Christ

Farewell For Now by Bill Blue

2001-12-12T17:11:00.001-08:00

This will be the last article of "Prove All Things." We would like to share with our readers why we decided to publish our articles in the first place, how we chose the topics we decided to write about, the responses we received, and why we have brought the series to an end.

GOAL ONE: PREACH THE GOSPEL (Matt.28:19-20; 2 Tim. 4:2)

For nearly a year (45 weeks), Jeff Himmel and six other men at the Spring Warrior Church of Christ have written on a variety of religious topics beginning with "Why we believe in a God," and ending with a series discussing some common misinterpretations of Scripture concerning the end of time. The articles ranged from the simple and non-controversial to more doctrinal and controversial. We discussed the nature of God and the Bible, the trinity, salvation, authority and worship.

GOAL TWO: EDUCATE OTHER FAITHS ABOUT US

When we began this series of articles, our initial mission was to publish 24 articles to see what kinds of responses, if any, we would receive. Because of the limited number of articles, we decided to write about some of the beliefs that separate us from other faiths. This way, people in the community could learn first hand what we believe, and the Scriptural basis supporting these beliefs (1 Pet. 3:15). Before we wrote the first article, we chose the topics we would write about, and in what order. Along the way, some of the responses we received led us to write additional articles.

GOAL THREE: ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DUST OFF THEIR BIBLES

At Spring Warrior, we stress individual responsibility for studying, teaching and sharing God’s word (2 Tim. 2:15). One of the more subtle messages we tried to convey by having six men who weren’t preachers write articles is to give the readers some idea about Bible literacy at Spring Warrior. We have classes for children starting at 15 months. We have no nurseries. One Catholic said it best when he said, "Give me a kid until he is 5 years old, and he will be Catholic for life." There is a lot of truth in that. We do not stress games and events, but Bible knowledge. Children can tell you where God lives before they are able to speak in complete sentences. Three year olds are encouraged to memorize the books of the Bible. Adult men are encouraged to preach from the pulpit.

Our belief in individual accountability even influenced our series title. Over the years, it has been our experience that when studying with one who is troubled by a particular passage in the Bible that they will commonly say that they will need to "ask their preacher about that." We encounter this so often that before we wrote the first article some in our congregation suggested that the title of the series should be, "Ask your preacher." We ultimately decided against the title because we wanted to encourage people to read the Bible for themselves instead of relying on someone else’s opinion to shape their beliefs.

JUDGING OUR WORK

By focusing on the differences between our beliefs and that of other various Christian faiths, we knew we would provoke thought. We received some many responses, the vast majority of which contained citation to Scripture. Although some of the responses did not agree with our interpretation of the Scriptures, we have nonetheless been heartened by these responses because they proved to us the following: (1) that individuals read our articles; (2) they felt passionate enough about what was written to respond (thus they had faith); (3) their citation to Scripture indicated that they opened their Bibles; and (4) from all appearances the writers prepared their own responses and did not rely on a preacher or someone else.

REASONS FOR ENDING FOR NOW

As anyone who has ever written a weekly series of articles can affirm, it is much easier to publish articles when you know months in advance what will be written, and by whom. We have exhausted our initial list of topics. We may decide to resume our articles again in the future. In the meantime, however, we encourage our readers to continue writing us about our past articles, or any other topic they wish to discuss.

If you know of a topic that you would like us to address, or a question you would like answered, you may send me an email to the above address with the phrase, "Prove All Things" in the subject line. If we resume publication of the articles, we may incorporate your suggestion or question (anonymously) into a series of planned articles.

If you want to read any of the past articles, you may find them reprinted in Adobe Acrobat (*.PDF) format at the following web site: http://www.bibleweb.com. Please note that the web site is my personal site, and nothing other than these articles have been endorsed or approved in any way by the elders at Spring Warrior.

Premillennialism: The Nation of Israel by Scott Mixon

2001-12-05T17:08:00.001-08:00

On May 14, 1948, Israel was officially declared a state. Supporters of Premillennialism look to this moment as a sign of the beginning of the end. This was further encouraged by the Six Day War in June of 1967 when Israel would triple its possession of land. Premillennialism also promises a return of the Jews that is yet unfulfilled, that Jews will once again occupy sacred cites, rebuild the temple and restore their ancient worship. Specific beliefs vary between religious groups but that is the basic theory.

God’s covenant with Abraham included three Promises. First, God promised Abraham and his descendants land. In Genesis 15:18, God told Abraham "to your descendants I have given this land, from the River of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates."

Inspired witnesses say the land promise has been fulfilled. Joshua, in Joshua 21:43-45 said, "the Lord gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give unto their fathers and they possessed it and lived in it. Solomon reigned over the correct boundaries, 1 Kings 4:21. Moses gave instruction concerning cities of refuge in Deuteronomy 19:7-9 that were to be kept only if God fulfilled his promise. Joshua 20:7-9 confirms that those cities were built.

Retention of the land was always conditional, based on Israel’s obedience, Joshua 23:12-13, 15-16. The land was an everlasting possession. However, the word everlasting in Hebrew meant "age lasting", meaning there was no guarantee that possessing the land would be forever and possession could come to an end. The same word is used for other covenants, like circumcision in Galatians 5:1-4 and the priesthood in Hebrews 7:11-25, that were abolished at the Cross.

Second, God promised Abraham "I will make you a great nation" in Genesis 12:2. In Genesis 15:5; 22:17, God promised to "multiply his seed as the stars of heaven and as sand by the seashore."

Genesis 21:3, 12 confirms that Isaac was the son in whom this promise was fulfilled. Though Israel was destroyed and later driven from the promised land because of sin, they were never totally destroyed. According to Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10; 30:11, Israel was promised "a full end" would not be made of them as of other nations. A remnant would return after 70 years. God fulfilled the nation promise to Abraham and kept His promise to restore the remnant in Nehemiah 1:3-11.

Isaiah prophesied the Lord would set His hand "the second time" to recover the remnant of His people in Isaiah 1:10-11. The first time was when they returned from Babylonian captivity in Ezra 1. The second time is in the church age according to Paul’s quote and applications of this verse, Romans 15:12. There is no promise of a third time. In Christ a remnant of Israel is saved as well as any Gentiles who obey by faith. Therefore, the Church is the spiritual remnant of Israel, according to Grace, Romans 11:5.

Third, God promised Abraham that "in you all families of the earth will be blessed", Genesis 12:3. In Genesis 22:18, God said, in your seed all nations will be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice."

According to Galatians 3:8-16, Christ is the seed. God’s blessing upon Israel was not for their sakes alone, but in order that "all nations would be blessed." According to Galatians 3:26-29, all who obey Christ are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise." Christians are now the spiritual Israel of God, Galatians 6:16; Romans 9:7-8. Therefore, Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of this covenant and the hope of Israel, Acts 26:6-7; 28:20.

The theory of Premillennialism is a false teaching based on many misused Bible passages. A thorough study of the Bible leaves no room for a literal "1000 year reign." There is no warning of his coming by predictions of the world events or tribulations that will precede the event of His coming. His coming will be sudden, unexpected and without warning. Therefore we must be ready. Let us remember the warnings of adding to what is already written, Revelation 22:18, 19 and "prove all things" by the scriptures.

Premillennialism: When Is the 1000 Year Reign of Christ? by Scott Mixon

2001-11-28T17:04:00.001-08:00

According to the theory of Premillennialism, the Lord will return to the earth after seven years of tribulation to fight the battle of Armageddon against the devil and his army. Christ and His army will be victorious and He will execute judgment upon the ungodly. The Lord will then usher in His Kingdom on earth that will last for 1,000 years. Specific beliefs vary between religious groups, but that is the basic theory.

The battle of Armageddon, as taught in Premillennialism, is based on a misinterpretation of Revelation 19. In Revelation 19:11-19, the King of kings comes forth to do battle with the beast and the false prophet. The beast and the false prophet are seized and defeated in Revelation 19:20-21.

The context of Revelation 19 should be interpreted figuratively. The book of Revelation was written to assure Christians in the first century of victory over evil and to keep them from giving into emperor worship during the existence of the Roman Empire. Christians who refused to worship the emperor as Lord were being persecuted, some to death. When the Roman Empire fell and false emperor worship ended, the battle of Armageddon was over. The beast and the false prophet were defeated (Revelation 19:20-21). Therefore, Armageddon is a symbol for the battleground where the army of God clashes with Satan and overcomes.

Armageddon means "hill of Megiddo," a real place that existed in the Valley of Jezreel where a number of famous battles were fought. At Megiddo, Barack and Deborah defeated the kings of Canaan in Judges 5:19. In Judges 6:33, Gideon defeated the Midianites. Saul was defeated by the Philistines at the hill of Megiddo in 1 Samuel 31:8.

The term "Armageddon" is only mentioned once in Revelation 16:16, and should be interpreted figuratively. If "Armageddon" is to be interpreted as a literal place, then we would have to be consistent and interpret everything else in the book of Revelation literally. For example, the generals in verse 13 who fight for the devil would all look like frogs. There would need to be a space that would hold 200 million horsemen, Revelation 9:16. There would also be a great river of blood 200 miles long, Revelations 14:20.

The 1000 year reign of Christ, as taught in Premillennialism, is based on a misinterpretation of Revelation 20. Revelation 20 was written after the cross and during the Roman persecution of the church. Like the battle of Armageddon, the context should be interpreted figuratively.

The book of Revelation is unlike any other book in the New Testament because it is written in signs and symbols. The number 10 was used as a symbol for fullness and completeness. The number 1000 is a multiple of 10, meaning a reign with Christ that is unbroken and complete.

Revelation 20:4 states "they" sat on thrones and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The "they," not us, in verse 4 are the souls of martyrs who had been slain for refusing to worship the beast. Again, Revelation was written during a time when it seemed like the cause of Christ would be crushed by Roman persecution. Earlier in Revelation 6:9-11, these Christians were under an altar crying for vengeance. In Revelation 20:4, the martyrs are on now on thrones. Despite the fact these martyrs were murdered for the cause of Christ, Christianity flourished. Christianity did not falter under persecution. Instead, the cause of persecution, emperor worship and the Roman Empire was defeated. The "first resurrection" mentioned in Revelations 20:6 is therefore the cause of Christ emerging out of certain defeat.

The 1000 Year reign of Christ is now being fulfilled. According to Matthew 12:28-29 and Hebrews 2:14-15, Christ bound Satan and limited his power over sin and death when Jesus was crucified and arose from the grave. Through Christ, we can resist and be delivered from the power of Satan (1 Peter 5:8-9; James 4:7). Christ reigns from resurrection to the second coming (1 Corinthians 15:22-28). Therefore, the 1000 year reign of Christ in Revelation 20 is not an "earthly" reign of the Lord, but a spiritual reign with victorious saints (Revelation 20:4).

In the next and final article, we will address the Premillennial teachings concerning the Nation of Israel.

Premillennialism: Is There Going To Be A "Rapture"? by Scott Mixon

2001-11-21T16:58:00.001-08:00

The word rapture comes from the Latin, rapare, which means to "take away" or "snatch out." The Rapture is a vital link in the Premillennial theory. The Rapture doctrine teaches that Christ will come again to silently and secretly remove from the earth all of the saints, both resurrected and living. This is followed by a tribulation on earth that will last for seven years during which time the Lord will pour out His wrath upon all those who have rejected Him. At the end of the tribulation, the Lord will return to the earth again with ten thousand saints and a great battle will be fought. The Lord will then usher in His Kingdom on earth, which shall last for 1,000 years. Afterwards, God will execute final judgment on all who remain, followed by heaven and hell. Specific beliefs vary between religious groups but that is the basic theory.

When compared to the word of God, we find undeniable discrepancies with the theory of Rapture as taught in the doctrine of Premillennialism. If I entitled this article, "What The Bible Says About The Rapture", it would be blank. The word Rapture isn’t found anywhere in the Bible.

Premillennialism uses 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17 to support the Rapture theory. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." However, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and many other scriptures contradict the theory.

When Christ comes, it will not be a secret and it will not be silent. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 states, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." In addition, 1 Corinthians 15:52 states, "for the trumpet shall sound and the dead will be raised."

According to the Bible, there will not be a tribulation on earth. 2 Peter 3:7-10 tells us that, at the end of time, the earth will be destroyed and God’s judgment will occur in the "last days", John 12:48. 1 Corinthians 15:23-26 states that "at His coming, then cometh the end…" 1 Thessalonians 4:17 states that when Christ comes, "So shall we ever be with the Lord."

The theory of a "tribulation" is based upon an erroneous interpretation of Matthew 24. In Matthew 24, Jesus described a perilous time for His disciples, "not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down". In verse three, the disciples asked Jesus when this would occur. Jesus describes the tribulation in more detail with, "wars and rumors of wars", "famines and earthquakes". In verse 34 Jesus says, "this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" and all that is described in Matthew 24 came to pass with the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

Premillennialism teaches that a second resurrection will take place at the end of the "tribulation". All who remain from the time of Adam will be raised at the second resurrection to receive their just desserts. However, John 5:28-29 describes both wicked and righteous being raised at the same time. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 states blessing and punishment both occur at his coming.

Finally, the idea of a "1000 year" reign of Christ on earth is a misinterpretation of Revelation 20:1-7. The context of Revelation 20:1-7 is a highly figurative context within a very symbolic book. The "1000 year" reign viewed in Revelation 20 is not an "earthly" reign of the Lord. It is a spiritual reign with victorious saints (Revelation 20:4). This was a prophetic indication that Christianity would be triumphant over its enemies. The 1,000 years is a symbol of the completeness of that victory. The number 1,000 is used more than 20 times in the book of Revelation, but not in a literal sense.

In the next article, we will address in more detail the "1000 year" reign and other contradictions of Premillennialism with plain and simple Bible passages.

What is Premillennialism? by Scott Mixon

2001-11-14T16:56:00.001-08:00

The basic theory of Premillennialism teaches that we are now living in a period before the 1000-year reign of Christ. Christ originally came to establish his kingdom but the world was too wicked and crucified Him. The church was established as an after thought until He returns. A rapture of the saints will occur at His coming, followed by seven years of tribulation on earth caused by the Anti-Christ. The battle of Armageddon will be the time Christ puts down all evil. He will then establish His Kingdom on earth and reign for 1000 years. Finally, there will be judgment, followed by Heaven and Hell. Specific beliefs will vary between different religious groups and denominations, but that is the basic theory.

When compared to the word of God, we find undeniable discrepancies in the theory of Premillennialism. For example, Premillennialism teaches that the Kingdom has not yet been established because the world was not ready for it when Christ came. The Church was established as a substitute or an after thought until the Kingdom can be established. However, Jesus speaks of the Church and the Kingdom as being one and the same in Matthew 16:16-18.

In Ephesians 3:10-11 Paul declares the Church was in God’s eternal plan. According to Daniel 2:31-45, the Kingdom was established during the Roman Empire. Isaiah 2:2-4 also predicted that the "mountain of the Lords house" (God’s rule) would be established in the "last days." Peter would later state that they were living in the "last days" in Acts 2:16-17. Jesus said the Kingdom would come with power in the lifetime of some then living in Mark 9:1 and it did. When the Holy Ghost came on Pentecost, power came, and with it the Kingdom, the Church, was established in Acts 2:4.

According to Premillennialism, Christ is not yet King. However, Zechariah prophesied Christ would sit and rule as King and Priest in Zechariah 6:12-13. Acts 2:29-36, Ephesians 1:20-23 and Hebrews 1:8 all declare He is now ruling. John 18:36-38 says He reigns in a Kingdom that is not of this world, but spiritual.

If the Kingdom is not already established, then Paul the Apostle did not know it, for brethren at Colosse were described as being in the Kingdom in Colossians 1:13. The Apostle John taught he was in the Kingdom in Revelation 1:9. John also described those purchased by the blood of Christ as being a part of the Kingdom and Priesthood in Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10.

Many people would like to have the ability to predict the future. Many religious leaders have taken advantage of man’s desire to know the future by promoting and teaching "Premillennialism." Premillennialism has become popular because it claims the Bible has foretold both current world events as well as those soon to occur. Whenever a catastrophic or highly visible world event occurs, such as the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, people who believe the theory of Premillennialism begin to anticipate the "beginning of the end."

Premillennialism ignores what God’s word says about date setting. The Bible is very specific about the time of the Lord’s coming, "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape" I Thessalonians 5:2-3 and II Peter 3:10.

This is an overview of a few areas where Premillennialism contradicts the Bible. In a series of future articles, we will explore in more detail the many contradictions of Premillennialism with plain and simple Bible passages.

THE SERVICE OF A CHRISTIAN by Randy Baker

2001-11-07T16:50:00.001-08:00

How is a Christian to live such that he can be confident of God’s pleasure toward him? Are there patterns in Scripture to provide us clear guidelines about our lifestyle, or are we left to do as we please?

Is it good enough just to live in good conscience before our God? Paul indirectly answers this question through a comment he made in Acts 23:1, "And Paul, looking stedfastly on the council, said, Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day." Paul had always believed what he was doing was correct, however, in his defense to the people in the previous chapter he states that he had been doing much damage to the Lord’s cause. "… I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women" (Acts 22:4). Paul was living contrary to God’s will while feeling that he was right before God. Jeremiah admits, "O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. 10:23). We are not able to determine how to live correctly based on our own conscience, or our own feelings. God knows what we need and provides that guidance through His word. Only doing what we feel is right easily leads to error.

Is our outlook toward serving God one of, "I’ll serve God when it’s convenient or when I have spare time?" Those words may not be openly spoken often, but the attitude that God gets our leftover energy seems prevalent. We fool ourselves if we think that we can leisurely and half-heartedly serve our God and still please Him. God says, "A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? … when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, it is no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith Jehovah of hosts" (Malachi 1:6-8). Quite the contrary of the shallow service exhibited here, Paul gives us the proper outlook, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service" (Romans 12:1). Paul also says "present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Romans 6:13). In Hebrews 6:11, the writer says, "And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fulness of hope even to the end: 12that ye be not sluggish.…" Ours is not to be a casual approach, but rather a fulltime ambition that involves effort and energy. It will lead to a job "well done" if we stay the course until death.

Sometimes we hear comments like "there is no direct command that says I have to do that." Are we trying to feel better about doing less? If so, is that the kind of servant God will welcome into heaven on judgment day? Is the Christian’s duty simply to avoid the sins that everyone recognizes? James 4:17 says, "To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." He also says "be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves" (1:22). Our faith is to be a working faith, not that we "earn" our salvation, but rather that there are conditions to be met to receive the gift of everlasting life. "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? …Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead…But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?…You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:14-26). There is more to living godly than just avoiding the "big" sins and living morally acceptable before men.

Too often we serve God on our terms and do what seems right when it is easy to do. Let us be sure we are presenting ourselves a living sacrifice before our Lord. Let us be sure we know Him by humbling ourselves to listen to His word. Let us serve Him as He has shown and not as we would prefer. We are His servants, His creation - let us honor Him!

THE SIN OF GOOD INTENTIONS, part 2 by Bill Blue

2001-10-31T19:55:00.001-08:00

Last week we discussed the fact that there are no "little sins," and observed that God punished sin on occasions where intentions, at least from man’s point of view, appeared good. Before considering applications of these lessons, let’s revisit the story of Uzzah.

There was an occasion when Israel was moving the Ark of God. During the journey, "Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God" (2 Sam. 6:2-7). Uzzah tried to prevent the Ark from falling. Some would argue that Uzzah was trying to do a good thing, even trying to assist in God’s work, but to God Uzzah was irreverent and God killed Uzzah "because he put his hand to the ark" (1 Chron. 13:7).

Uzzah probably wasn’t the first person who sinned while trying to do right, nor is he the last.

Consider the merchants and the moneychangers that Jesus drove out of the Temple. On the first occasion we read that, "He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!’" (John 2:14-16)

Three years later, Jesus cleansed the Temple again, but this time He said that the moneychangers and merchants had turned the Temple into a den of thieves (Matt. 21:12-13).

Have you considered how the moneychangers and merchants were able to set up their tables inside the Temple walls? After the Israelites were taken captive by the Assyrians and Babylonians, many Jews never returned to Israel to live. However, many would visit Jerusalem to take part in different festivals. Because of their long journeys, many Jews did not bring with them the right animal to offer as a sacrifice, and would have to purchase the animal in Jerusalem. Because some Jews came from foreign lands, they needed to exchange their currency for legal tender in Palestine; thus, the need for the moneychangers.

Considering this, which explanation seems more plausible: (1) That the merchants and moneychangers set up shop against the will of the people, priests and Pharisees and had the explicit intent to cheat fellow Jews, or (2) That the merchants and moneychangers saw an opportunity to serve their fellow Jews in their worship to God and had at least the implicit consent of the people, priests, and Pharisees? Perhaps no one knows for certain, but it seems unlikely that the merchants and the moneychangers could set up shop without public approval. Thus, it is possible that no one at the time thought anything was wrong with these practices.

Remember, the first time Christ cleansed the Temple, He did not accuse the moneychangers of being thieves, nor did He cite any Scripture that they had violated. The problem wasn’t that the moneychangers had violated a specific law. Rather, they did not have authority from God to set up their tables inside the Temple in the first place.

Do people like Uzzah or the merchants exist today? What about churches that host common meals like Wednesday night suppers? What about church softball teams or gymnasiums? No one suggests these activities are being done with an evil intent. To the contrary, the churches doing these things are trying to reach the lost or keep the converted. These churches have the best of intentions at heart – just like Uzzah.

The problem with these activities, like that of the moneychangers, is that there is no authority for church sponsored meals, softball teams, gymnasiums, fitness centers, daycare centers, or movie theaters.

In fact, where congregational common meals are concerned, we have an express prohibition. Paul condemns the eating of common meals when people "come together as a church" (1 Cor. 11:18-34). He first asks, "What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?" (1 Cor. 11:22). Then he instructs that, "if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment" (1 Cor. 11:34). Clearly, the Corinthian brethren were confusing the Lord’s Supper with a common meal, and were adding to their problems of factionalism by their conduct during this meal. To remedy this, Paul said that we should not eat common meals when we come together "as a church" (1 Cor. 11:18).

There is no express condemnation of gymnasiums or church-sponsored softball teams. The problem here is not the lack of a specific prohibition, but the absence of Bible authority. One may argue that, "The Bible doesn’t say not to." However, Biblical silence isn’t authority. Just ask the moneychangers.

Others argue that offering these services encourages attendance. However, if someone will only attend church to participate in these activities, then he really isn’t interested in serving God in the first place.

Some seek to justify these practices by arguing that they help spread the Gospel. Of course, Uzzah probably thought he was helping out also, but God didn’t see it that way. Instead of believing the myth that "different times call for different methods," and deviating from the Divine standard of worship found in the New Testament, we should simply obey God’s instructions in the manner He has authorized. Only then can we be certain that our well-intended actions will not one day result in condemnation.

THE SIN OF GOOD INTENTIONS, part 1 by Bill Blue

2001-10-24T19:48:00.001-07:00

Popular culture tells us that we can do no wrong so long as we do not hurt someone else. The Bible, however, does not teach this. Not only can we sin when no one suffers harm, we can sin even when we intend no wrong. Let’s consider some examples.

There was an occasion when Israel was moving the Ark of the God. During the journey, "Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God" (2 Sam. 6:2-7). Uzzah tried to prevent the Ark from falling. Some would argue that Uzzah was trying to do a good thing, but to God Uzzah was irreverent and God killed Uzzah "because he put his hand to the ark" (1 Chron. 13:7).

Other Bible characters have also been punished for doing things that some men would consider good, but which God considered disobedience. Nadab and Abihu burned incense to God and God killed them (Lev. 10:1-2). King Saul offered a burnt sacrifice to God and God took his kingdom away (1 Sam. 13:5-14). King Uzziah burned incense to God and God made him a leper (2 Chr0n. 26:16-21). The lessons here are clear:

Our intentions are meaningless if not joined with obedience.
God will not accept just any sacrifice or form of worship.
Since God’s perception of our actions is different from men’s (compare Isa. 55:8-9) we should strive to learn God’s word for our own safety (Psalm 119:104-105).

Besides good intentions, popular culture also says that we should not worry about "little sins." The Bible, however, does not make a distinction between so-called "big" sins and "little" sins. In the Bible, sin is sin.

Let’s consider the consequences of Biblical examples of sins that men might consider little. Adam and Eve suffered death for eating fruit (Gen. 3). Pharaoh and his house suffered great plagues because he took Abram’s wife Sarai even though Abram and Sarai led Pharaoh to believe that Abram and Sarai were siblings and not a married couple and Pharaoh had "treated Abram well for her sake" (Gen 12:11-10). In the wilderness, God killed some of the Israelites with fiery serpents for complaining (Num. 21:4-6). Moses was prevented from entering the land of Canaan because he struck a rock as opposed to speaking to it (Num. 20:7-12). In New Testament times, Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for lying about what portion of their money they had given to the church (Acts 5:1-10).

In the foregoing examples, some of these sins might be considered little by men, but God’s punishment in each case was severe. Again, the lessons are clear:

There are no "little sins."
God’s ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8-9).
Therefore, we should strive to learn God’s word for our own safety (Psa. 119:104-105).

One commentator had this to say about little sins:

But if you reflect for a moment you will see that there are no little sins,
because every sin is a rejection of God's authority: every sin is a
renunciation, for the time being, of allegiance to the Divine government. Of
course there can be no little sins, for every sin involves a breach of the whole
law, in the spirit of it; every one of them involves a refusal to love God with
all the heart, and our neighbours as ourselves; every one of them involves a
setting up of our own interests above that of Jehovah. There are no little sins
then under the government of God; for everyone one of them involves rebellion
against his authority. When we come to look at human society, and judge of the
actions of men only as they effect it, we get comparative ideas of sin; but when
we come to look at sin as a violation of the law of God, then we can see that
every one who commits sin, in any degree as judged by human society, is an open
enemy of God. [Finney, C. G., "Little Sins." Monday, January 5, 1851.]

Do churches and individuals make these same mistakes today? Consider Wednesday night suppers, gymnasiums and church sponsored softball teams. We will consider some possible example next week

What About the Sabbath? Part 2 by Jeff Himmel

2001-10-17T19:46:00.001-07:00

Does God require Christians to observe a Sabbath day - a day of rest? If so, what day - Saturday or Sunday? Some religious groups say one thing, some another. What does the Bible say?

A New Covenant

When Jesus ate the last supper with His disciples and instituted a memorial of His death, Matthew writes, "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins’" (Matthew 26:27-28). Jesus' death fulfilled and ended God's covenant with Israel through Moses, and it established God's covenant with all men through His Son (see Hebrews 8:13; 9:13-17).

The Old Law has been replaced - "nailed to the cross," as Paul put it. It is no longer in force. Its commandments are no longer binding on men. When a person writes his will, it is final and irrevocable until he writes a new will. The new will then becomes his "last will and testament," and the old one is no longer authoritative. In the same way, the Mosaic Law (the "Old Testament") was binding until it was replaced by the Law of Christ (the "New Testament"). That New Covenant in Christ is now our standard of conduct and worship.

The Question for Us

Is the Sabbath part of the New Testament? The laws for Israel concerning Sabbaths were part of the Old Covenant that was taken away. The New Testament repeats many commandments from the Old (e.g., against murder, adultery, idolatry, etc.). But it gives no Sabbath law. That means we have no mandate from God to keep the Sabbath as the Jews did. We have no more Divine authority for Sabbath observance than we would for animal sacrifices, burning of incense, or any other element of the Old Law, which "has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things" (Hebrews 10:1). "Therefore let no one act as your judge . . . in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day - things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" (Colossians 2:16-17).

The First Day of the Week

The New Testament shows that the first day of the week - what we now call Sunday - is the special day of worship for Christians. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Luke 24:1ff.; Mark 16:9). The beginning of the church (when the Holy Spirit fell on the apostles, they preached, and some 3,000 people were converted) occurred on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff.), which fell on the first day of the week (see Leviticus 23:4-5,15-16). Luke writes of the disciples meeting on the first day of the week to "break bread," or observe the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7). Writing to the Corinthians about the collection for the needy saints, Paul instructed, "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God has prospered him . . ." (1 Corinthians 16:2). All of this points to the first day of the week - what we call Sunday - as the day for worship among Christians. Ancient historians confirm that this was the day on which Christians met to worship their Lord.

However, the New Testament does not equate the first day of the week with the Sabbath day of the Jews. That is, Sunday is not "the Christian's Sabbath." It is a day of great significance for Christians, the day on which we meet to observe Christ's memorial. And God expects us to assemble together thus for worship (see Hebrews 10:24-25). But He has not designated the first day of the week as a mandatory day of rest, as was the Sabbath day of old. As we observed, the Sabbath is not part of the New Covenant. Christ did not merely move the Sabbath to a different day; He removed it altogether. For men to demand of Christians on Sunday everything that God required of the Jews on Saturday is to bind where He has not bound.

Conclusion

The New Testament does look forward to a "Sabbath" yet to come - a time when we will rest from our labors. "There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. . . . Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest" (Hebrews 4:9,11). That rest is the eternal peace of Heaven, and it is for the faithful, obedient people of God. Will you be there?

What About the Sabbath by Jeff Himmel

2001-10-10T19:44:00.001-07:00

Does God require Christians to observe a Sabbath day - a day of rest? If so, what day - Saturday or Sunday? Some religious groups say one thing, some another. What does the Bible say?

Old Testament Sabbaths

The word Sabbath is from a root meaning "to rest, to cease from labor." The Bible tells us that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:2). "And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which He had done" (verse 3).

When God made His covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai, He commanded them: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work . . . For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:8-11). The seventh day of the week was thus ordained as the Sabbath, set aside for worship and reflection on God's word.

God also decreed that the Israelites should observe every seventh year as a Sabbath. In that year they were not to plant or harvest crops, in order to provide a Sabbath (rest) for the land (Leviticus 25:1-7). God further ordained that after every seventh Sabbath year (i.e., every 49th year) be followed by a year of jubilee (Leviticus 25:10-13). In that year, houses and lands were to be returned to their original owners and the debt erased (verses 23-34; cf. 27:24). Also, any Jew who through poverty had become the hired servant of another Jew was to be released (verses 39-41).

It's clear, then, that Sabbath wasn't just a day, but a principle. All of these statutes served both to honor God's rest from creation and to promote the welfare and well-being of all the people of Israel. As Jesus would later comment, "The Sabbath was made for man's sake, and not man for the Sabbath's sake" (Mark 2:27).

A New Covenant

But remember, all these Sabbath commands were part of the Law of Moses, the Old Covenant of God with Israel. When Jesus died on the cross, that covenant was fulfilled, taken away, and replaced with His New Covenant for all men. Note the following passages:

"For He is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity" (Ephesians 2:14-16).

"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, and has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14).

"But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor" (Galatians 3:23-25).

The Sabbath was a fundamental part of the Mosaic Law. But the Mosaic Law was taken away when Jesus died on the cross. The whole book of Hebrews shows how the New Covenant in Christ is superior to the Old Covenant through Moses. After quoting God's ancient promise to establish a new covenant (see Jeremiah 31), the writer of Hebrews adds, "In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first one obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13). Jesus is the mediator of that New Covenant; He died to bring it into force (Hebrews 9:13-17). He Himself called it "the new covenant in My blood" (1 Corinthians 11:25).

We live under God's new covenant through Christ. The Old Testament is very valuable, written for our learning (Romans 15:4). But it is no longer in force as God's law. We must look to the New Testament as our source of Divine law now. What does the New Testament say about the Sabbath? We'll examine that next week.

Lord’s Supper by Todd Baker

2001-10-03T19:41:00.001-07:00

The Lord’s Supper is a feast that Christians around the world participate in. What is it? Why is it observed? By whom is it observed? When is it observed? These are all questions that can be answered simply by turning to the Lord’s word.

WHAT is it? The Lord’s Supper, as it is commonly referred to today, is a time for Christians to remember the great sacrifice Jesus made on the cross in our place for our sins. The Lord’s Supper is a time when each Christian should meditate on why it is we need Christ in the first place, namely "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). During the Lord’s Supper, we partake of unleavened bread which is to remind us of Jesus’ body which was pierced and hung on the cross, and we partake of the fruit of the vine which is to remind us of Jesus’ blood that was shed on the cross, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me" (I Corinthians 11:23- 25).

WHY is it observed? The Lord’s Supper is observed to serve as a memorial to help each Christian remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for us. The Lord recognizes that we are forgetful and easily sidetracked in life. This memorial is a time of both sadness and joy; there is sadness because the only sinless man to ever exist, the Son of God, died an extremely cruel death of crucifixion for people who do not appreciate or understand His sacrifice, and there is sadness from each who partakes because we know that it is because of our own sin that Jesus was crucified. "He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our grief’s He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:3,4). Yet, at the same time, it is a time of great joy in that He was the perfect sacrifice having had no sin. He was crucified in our place for our sins and that through that sacrifice Christians have the hope of eternal life in Heaven with the Lord. "As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:11,12).

By WHO is it observed? It is observed by Christians to remember the great sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. We have a great responsibility to observe it properly, "whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must first examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly" (I Corinthians 11:26-29).

WHEN is it observed? Christians gather on the first day of the week, just as the First Century Christians did, "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread…" (Acts 20:7). It is also observed on the first day of the week to commemorate the day Jesus rose from the grave, "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus…. He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again" (Luke 24:1-7). From Scripture, we cannot find any example of partaking of the Lord’s Supper only once or twice a year, we only have the example of a weekly observance in order to remember Jesus’ great sacrifice on the cross in our place and to celebrate His victory over death, thus giving Christians around the world tremendous hope for eternal life in Heaven with the Lord beyond the grave. What a victory!

Tarzan Underwear is Dangerous

2001-09-26T17:03:00.001-07:00

Only a parent knows the mind of a child, especially a parent who has tried to potty-train a two-year old boy. Lori and I are currently trying to potty-train William. We have tried everything. Currently we are simply putting underwear on William and hoping for the best. Should the worse occur, we hope that discomfort will (eventually?) persuade him that going in the potty is preferable to going in his undies.

If parents are born as opposed to made, I clearly lack the potty-training gene. When Lori and I attempted to entice – persuade – order William to wear a pair of briefs adorned with the Lord of the Jungle, we were rebuffed with the wild and dramatic cry, "I can’t wear them; they’re dangerous!" I am presently searching the Internet to see if Depends makes sizes appropriate for little people.

William does not understand the necessity of potty training. After all, everything has worked well for him so far. He goes. We change him. He goes again. What could possibly be easier and more convenient for him? Clearly, William is thinking as a child. One day, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, William will believe that he should use the potty.

The Bible understands that people mature, and grow in knowledge (Heb. 5:12-6:2). The Bible describes those in need of instruction as "babes" (Heb. 5:13; 1 Cor. 3:1). Paul and the writer of Hebrews (quite possibly Paul again) use our familiarity with children as an illustration to describe new converts because we understand that babies are ignorant of many things they must learn to survive in this world such as walk, avoid hot stoves, and (hopefully) how to use toilets.

Nonetheless, there are those who believe and teach that unless a baby is baptized, it will not go to heaven even if it dies as a baby. Thus, uninspired men have created the unbiblical doctrine of infant baptism.

The Bible describes baptism as an "elementary principle" that must be taught (Heb. 6:1-2). Philip undoubtedly explained baptism to the Ethiopian Eunuch because Philip had to explain the necessity of belief before baptism (Acts 8:36-37).

William is having a difficult time understanding the necessity of toilet training and wearing underwear. As his father, I am confident he cannot appreciate the necessity of baptism, what it accomplishes, or why. William believes wearing Tarzan underwear is dangerous, but he will survive this. However, teaching people that infant baptism saves children, now that is dangerous.

Original Sin, Blaming it all on Adam by Bill Blue

2001-09-19T16:55:00.001-07:00

Some people believe in "original sin." Although this phrase is used nowhere in the Bible, it is defined by one encyclopedia as follows:

"(1) The sin that Adam committed; (2) a consequence of this first sin, the hereditary stain with which we are born on account of our origin or descent from Adam."

Believers of original sin cite Romans 5:12ff as support for their theory. Multiple faiths believe in original sin. According to this doctrine, everyone is born in sin as a result of Adam’s sin and children are born without grace (the thing that saves us, Eph. 2:8):

Encyclopedia: "The absence of sanctifying grace in the new-born child is also an effect of the first sin, for Adam, having received holiness and justice from God, lost it not only for himself but also for us."

The above encyclopedia also says that infant baptism is necessary because of original sin and infants who are not baptized do not go to heaven, but are excluded from the presence of God.

Encyclopedia: "The fate of infants who die without baptism must be briefly considered here. The … teaching is uncompromising on this point, that all who depart this life without baptism, be it of water, or blood, or desire, are perpetually excluded from the vision of God. … Moreover … those who die in original sin, without ever having contracted any actual sin, are deprived of the happiness of heaven…."

One church’s creed book restates these principles as follows:

Creed book: "Following St. Paul, the Church has always taught that the overwhelming misery which oppresses men and their inclination towards evil and death cannot be understood apart from their connection with Adam's sin and the fact that he has transmitted to us a sin with which we are all born afflicted, a sin which is the ‘death of the soul’. Because of this certainty of faith, the Church baptizes for the remission of sins even tiny infants who have not committed personal sin."

The Scriptures say that as a result of Adam’s sin, sin and death entered the world (Rom. 5:12). Romans 5 does not teach that man inherits sin, but because of Adam’s sin we suffer the consequences of both our own sins, and the sins of others.

Consider drunk driving. The sinner may suffer arrest, fines, or jail. He may have an accident and kill himself. Others may suffer as result of the drunk’s sin. He may accidentally injure or kill someone else. The driver’s family may suffer loss of income or shame as result of his sin, or should he die, suffer the loss of a father, husband, or son. Similarly, the family of the person he struck may suffer loss of income, or the loss of a loved one. Thus, many people may suffer immediate consequences as a result of one person’s sin.

Another consequence of Adam’s sin is the death of the spirit, or the second death, if we die in our sins (Rom. 6:23). However, we die spiritually for our own sins, not Adam’s. The Bible says, "The soul who sins shall die" (Eze. 18:4). It does not say, "The soul shall die for the sins of the father."

The doctrine of original sin illustrates how some people support one false belief, however innocent and well-intentioned, with another false doctrine such as infant baptism. Although neither doctrine is supported by Scripture, they each support the other because one cannot exist without the other. If infants are born in sin, then logically these sins must be washed away for the infants to go to heaven. Similarly, if infants must be baptized, it must be because they are sinners. If original sin is true then Mary, the mother of Christ, was born in sin and so was Christ Himself. To get around this dilemma, proponents of original sin had to create still other theories to explain why Adam’s sin was not imputed to Mary and Christ, but everyone else.

Many Protestants believe in aspects of original sin, even if it is called something else such as "inherent depravity." Others may deny original sin or total depravity, but nonetheless believe that man is born a sinner and is incapable of not sinning. This is very appealing because it removes personal responsibility and accountability. After all, it is easy to find an excuse for sin if man is inherently sinful. People could simply say, "God made me this way," or "the Devil made me do it."

"All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 6:23). People sin, but sinners are made, not born. The justness of God is not displayed through the universal and (purportedly) unconditional redemption of man, but through the fact that no one, not even Satan, can make anyone sin. God will not tempt anyone (James 1:13), nor will He allow anyone to be tempted beyond that which he is able to overcome, but with each temptation, provide an avenue of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). We sin because the devil tempts us with our own desires (James 1:14) and we choose sin and pleasure over righteousness and the avenue of escape.

We cannot, like Eve, blame Satan for our sins (Gen. 3:13), or like Adam blame someone else (Gen. 3:12). In the end, we will give an account for our sins (Rom. 14:12), and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Traditions Versus the Word of God by Bill Blue

2001-09-12T19:28:00.001-07:00

I have observed two interpretations of 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and the sufficiency of God’s inspired word versus the authority of manmade traditions:

One view:
16All Scripture and tradition of men is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Scripture alone is incomplete to thoroughly equip man for doctrine, salvation or works.

Bible view:
16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Only traditions approved by the Apostles and recorded in the Scriptures are authority for acts and practices of the Lord’s church.

The Apostles derived their authority from Christ and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 16:19; John 16:13).

The Holy Spirit taught the Apostles all things one needed to know about the will of God (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15). Thus, the Apostles were uniquely able to guide the early church (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 15:3-11). The Apostles and other inspired writers used this knowledge to write the New Testament (2 Pet. 1:20-21).

The Scriptures instruct us to follow the traditions of Christ and the Apostles, but no one else. Paul said "keep the traditions as I delivered them" (1 Cor. 11:2; see also 2 Tim. 2:2). He instructed the Thessalonians to "hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle" (2 Thess. 2:15). Inasmuch as Paul established the church in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-4), and wrote the church two epistles, it is evident that he was referring to the traditions taught by his inspired "word" or "epistle." Paul also instructed the Thessalonians to "withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us" (2 Thess. 3:6). Thus, we are not free to follow any tradition, but only a tradition established by apostolic authority.

Some people advocate following a tradition because it was observed a long time ago, perhaps as early as the second century (101 A.D. – 200 A.D.). Where is the authority for that? If that were the rule, how would we decide which of the uninspired early Christians to follow? After which century will we no longer trust a tradition? Will we follow traditions that can be traced back to the third century, but not traditions of the 4th century? Where is the authority for a cut-off date?

How do you decide which traditions to keep that are not mentioned in the Scriptures? Chicken sacrifices? Snake handling? Torture? War? Baptizing dead people? All of these have been done in the name of Christ; some are still practiced. The Bible doesn’t say one wit about them.

Some people equate tradition with Scripture. A creed book and encyclopedia for one faith have the following to say about tradition:

Creed Book: "Do you have to believe in Tradition? Yes, because it is the Word of God and has equal authority with the Bible."
Encyclopedia: "Holy Scripture is therefore not the only theological source of the Revelation made by God to His Church. Side by side with Scripture there is tradition. …"

Unfortunately, both the creed book and the encyclopedia contradict the Bible.

Even if it was a historical fact that multiple churches during the time of the Apostles practiced a certain tradition, authority for doing the same today would not exist unless it was supported by Scripture. Could you comfortably follow a tradition of the church of Corinth, given all its problems? How about the churches in Sardis or Laodicea (Rev. 3:1-6, 14-22)?

If a tradition is not supported by Scripture, we must assume the Holy Spirit did not deem it "profitable" for us (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Otherwise, we must assume that the Holy Spirit and the Apostles were incapable of carrying out their missions.

Jesus condemned, "Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men," (Mk. 7:7) and said that worship based upon the tradition of men (Mk. 7:8) as opposed to the commandments of God was worthless (Mk. 7:7). Paul warned that we can be cheated through, among other things, the "tradition of men" (Col. 2:8).

Why would we worship the God of the Bible in a way not mentioned in the Bible? One who worships Christ with a tradition not authorized by Scripture is no better off spiritually than Nadab and Abihu, who were destroyed by God for worshipping Him in an unauthorized manner (Lev. 10:1-3). Although people who worship God as they choose, irrespective of God’s will, do not burn today, they risk an eternity of hellfire to come (Rev. 22:18-19). Therefore, we should call Bible things by Bible names, do Bible things in Bible ways, and not practice unscriptural traditions of men.

Biblical Miracles by Steve Browning

2001-09-05T19:25:00.001-07:00

We hear stories about incredible events such as an individual being cured from cancer after their doctors have given up, or an individual surviving an avalanche against incredible odds, and then have these events described to us as "miracles". Although these are wonderful events and can show the providence of God, do they constitute miracles as performed in the Bible? Vine’s Bible Dictionary defines a miracle as: "power, inherent ability, is used of works of a supernatural origin and character, such as could not be produced by natural agents and means."

From this definition we see that a miracle must be from a supernatural origin and must not be producible by natural agents or means. The event of the creation where God (supernatural) spoke the world into existence (unnatural means) is an example of a "true" miracle (Genesis 1:1). Another is when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:11). Jesus (the supernatural) and the act of raising someone from the dead (can not be reproduced by natural means) is a Biblical miracle. The avalanche victim survived by chance. This is not a miracle. The cancer patient as certain defense mechanisms that can fight off cancer thus has a natural means of defeating the cancer. This does not constitute a Biblical miracle either. So now that we know what constitutes a Biblical miracle, why were they performed, who performed them, and are they still occurring today?

Miracles were performed as proof. Proof that people were who they said they were, and proof that what they taught was from God. Jesus performed miracles to prove He was the Son of God (Matthew 11:2-5, John 20:30-31). The apostles performed miracles to prove they were preaching God’s message (Mark 16:19-20, Hebrews 2:3-4). And in the absence of God’s completed revelation, some of the first century Christians performed miracles to edify the early church (1 Corinthians 14:12). Without these miracles as proof we would not have our faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (Romans 1:4), or know God’s will for us today (1 Corinthians 2:9-12).

In the New Testament we have examples of four types of people performing miracles: God, Jesus, the apostles, and people on whom the apostles laid their hands. The latter group could not pass on the gift to others, so when the apostles died there was no one left to pass on the gifts (Acts 8:5-6,14-18). And when these people died, there was no one left on earth to perform miracles. The people who could perform miracles all died out shortly after the first century.

Biblical miracles are not performed today, since there is no one here who can perform them. There is also no need for proof. We have the completed revelation of God in our Bibles. The Bible speaks of a time when miracles would end (Zechariah 13:1-2). Also, 1 Corinthians 13:8 states, "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."

"That which is perfect" is not Christ. The verse states "that which" and not "he who," therefore it does not indicate an individual. Also notice that even when the perfect arrived, faith, hope, and charity were to abide (v. 13). Therefore, the perfect cannot be Jesus, for when He returns, faith and hope will not be needed. The "perfect" is God’s completed revelation, the Bible. It is that which allows us to "know even as we are known." Since we now have that complete word of God, the time of miracles is past (James 1:25; 2 Peter 1:3). No further proof is needed, as they are recorded for our benefit in the Bible.

We believe every recorded miracle in the Bible; we must if we believe in God. Since we believe the Bible, however, we must also believe that miracles have ceased, since that is what is taught in the Bible (Zechariah 13:1-2, 1 Corinthians 13:8). People claiming that they perform miracles today are false teachers and they deceive many who do not understand what is a miracle, who performed them and why they were performed.

Are Those Who Are Once Saved, Always Saved? by Scott Mixon

2001-08-29T19:22:00.001-07:00

Many sincere religious people believe that once a person has been redeemed by Christ, it is impossible to sin, fall from God’s grace and be lost. However, the Bible does not teach that a believer has total security. The Bible prophesied some would sin and fall away in 1 Timothy 4:1. In fact, there are numerous Bible passages that refute the theory of "once saved, always saved."

God is consistent and emphatic about His expectations and the consequences of not remaining faithful. In Ezekiel 18:24 we read, "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds, which he has done, will not be remembered for his treachery, which he has committed, and his sin, which he has committed; for them he will die."

In Hebrews 3:12-14, brethren are exhorted to guard against departing the living God with a heart of unbelief. In verses 15-19, the Hebrew writer continues to emphasize the seriousness of the warning by using the Israelites, who perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief, as an example. As stated in Hebrews 4:1 and 11, we too can have the promise and then fall short of it. Satan is looking to devour the Christian who has become over confident, I Peter 5:8. II John 1: 8-9 tells us, "watch yourselves that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward."

The Bible provides many examples of Christians who fell from grace. In Act 8:5-24, we read of Simon who practiced sorcery in Samaria. In verse 13, Simon believed and was baptized.

Simon wanted to purchase the gift of imparting Holy Spirit in verses 18-20. Paul rebuked Simon for his sin and described him, in verse 23, as being in the "gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity." We can conclude from verse 23 that he was then in a lost condition.

Another example is that of Ananias and Sapphira. In Acts 4:32, we read, "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul." Ananias and Sapphira were members of the congregation. Acts 5:1-11 describes how Ananias and Sapphira lied to God about the sale of their property and God struck both of them dead for their sin.

Other examples of Christians who fell from Grace include Hymenaeous and Alexander. Paul describes Hymenaeous and Alexander, in I Timothy 1:19-20, as shipwrecked in their faith and he delivered them to Satan for their blasphemy.

Supporters of "once saved always saved" have responded to examples like that of Simon the sorcerer and others with the position that, if they fall away, they weren't saved in the first place. However, Jesus illustrated that it is possible for one to believe temporarily in the parable of the sewer, Luke 8:11-15. Hebrews 6:4 and II Peter 2:20-22 also confirm that Christians, by there own choice, can fall back into a sinful life style and be lost. Jesus said in Luke 9:62, "No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

God loves us very much. In Romans 8:35-39, we read that nothing can separate us from that love. However, Romans 8:35-39 does not teach that we can never be separated from salvation in Christ by our own actions. Not providing for your family in I Timothy 5:8, the love of money in I Timothy 6:10 and false teaching in II Peter 2:1; 3:17 are all examples of how our actions can separate us from Christ.

In Romans 7: 14-25, Paul wrote of the struggle between good and evil within himself. "I find then the principle of evil is present within me, the one who wishes to do good." For this reason, Paul wrote, in I Corinthians 9:27, that he "buffeted his body lest he become disqualified." He wrote in I Corinthians 10:12 to "take head lest ye fall". In Galatians 5:4, Paul told brethren "You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." If "once saved always saved" were true, there would have been no need for Paul to write two thirds of the New Testament warning Christians about the consequences of sin.

Our Salvation in Christ is not based on one action but the consistent attitudes and actions of our new life. Saving faith is one faith that follows God’s word and brings forth fruit, Luke 8:15. "If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remained no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries," Hebrews 10:26-27.

Instrumental Music in Worship: Final Notes bu Jeff Himmel

2001-08-22T19:18:00.001-07:00

In three past articles we've studied the issue of instrumental music in worship through the writings of historians and religious leaders from the third century through modern times. To summarize: Early Christians sang in worship because that alone is what Christ authorized them to do. They recognized instrumental music as a relic of the Mosaic system. There was no recorded use of it until the 7th century-and no widespread acceptance of it until the 13th. When the Reformation came, most of those who left Catholicism abandoned the practice as unscriptural. Musical instruments were not used in most Protestant denominations until the early 1800s.

Everything's different now. The majority of modern "Christian" religious groups use musical instruments in worship-anything from a simple piano to a full orchestra. Many people mistakenly think it's a long-established practice in Christianity. It would never occur to them to question it. So when folks like me object to it, they think we're - well, sort of weird.

Frankly, whether or not people have been using musical instruments in worship for very long is not what's important. Nor is it whether or not Luther, Calvin, or any other scholar supported their use. Nor is it how disciples in the second or third century viewed them. These things are enlightening, but they are only the words and deeds of uninspired men and are a sandy foundation on which to build (Matthew 7:24-27). They only reflect the real issue at hand: Has Christ authorized His disciples to use instrumental music in praising Him?

To answer the question, many go to the pages of the Old Testament, where Miriam and the women of Israel praised God "with timbrels and with dances" after the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 15:20), and where the psalmist wrote of praising God with trumpets, lutes, harps, timbrels, dances, stringed instruments, flutes, and cymbals (Psalm 150). But Christ came to fulfill that old covenant (Matthew 5:17-18), and he died to replace it (Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 9:15; 10:9). The Old Testament is no longer binding; it is not our standard of authority. The New Testament is what will judge us (John 12:48). And it says not one word of playing instruments in worship.

". . . be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:18-19).

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:16).

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms" (James 5:13).

"What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding" (1 Corinthians 14:15).

New Testament passages about singing discuss just that: singing. No references to instruments are made. Some think the word "psalm" includes instruments. But if instruments are necessarily implied in the word, then God is telling us that we must use them at least part of the time. I have yet to hear anyone affirm that. "Psalm" does not imply musical instruments, nor does "making melody" (the verb form of "psalm") in Ephesians 5:19. Paul says there that it is the heart with which melody is made. The spirit and the voice are the only instruments implied.

When all is said and done, it is a question of Divine authority. Worship is devotion to God. Its purpose is to honor and please Him. What appeals to our tastes or gives us pleasure is not the issue. Had God merely said, "make music," we would be free to make whatever kind we like (and I'd probably be in the band). But He has told us to sing, and that is the only thing we can do with full assurance of His approval. To add musical instruments, however we might enjoy them, is to "exceed what is written" (1 Corinthians 4:6); it "goes to far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ" (2 John 9). It is a dangerous assumption that puts souls at risk. Let's be content instead to do what God commands and "worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

Instrumental Music in Worship: More Voices by Jeff Himmel

2001-08-15T19:15:00.001-07:00

In two past articles we've reviewed statements of both historians and early religious writers concerning music in worship. Both attest that singing was the only kind of music in Christian worship for centuries. The Roman Catholic church began adopting musical instruments during the Middle Ages, but that hardly closed the debate on their use. The Greek church in the East continued to reject them; and even as late as the sixteenth century there was enough protest within the Roman church that the Council of Trent (1545) came very close to abolishing their use (Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, II, 1702).

The sixteenth century also saw the dawn of the Protestant Reformation, and with it a renewed vigor of opposition to instrumental music as unscriptural. That opposition continued in many denominations for several hundred years. Consider the words of a few major figures from the Reformation era and the denominational religious world. Some of them may surprise you.

Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536), Dutch scholar: "We have brought into our churches a certain operose and theatrical music; such a confused, disorderly chattering of some words, as I hardly think was ever heard in any of the Grecian or Roman theatres. The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them . . . Men run to church as to a theatre, to have their ears tickled" (Comments on 1 Corinthians 14:19).

Martin Luther (1483-1546), reformer and founder of what is now the Lutheran Church: "The organ in the worship is the insignia of Baal" (Mcclintock & Strong's Encyclopedia, VI, 762).

John Calvin (1509-1564), another reformer, founder of modern Prebyterianism: "Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the [Mosaic] law . . . Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us . . . is far more pleasing to Him" (Comments on Psalm 23).

John Wesley (1703-1791), an Episcopal and a founder of Methodism: "I have no objection to the instruments in our chapels, provided they are neither heard nor seen" (Quoted by Adam Clark).

Adam Clark (1762-1832), Methodist commentator: "I am an old man, and an old minister; and I here declare that I never knew them [musical instruments] productive of any good in the worship of God; and have had reason to believe that they were productive of much evil. Music, as a science, I esteem and admire: but instruments of music in the house of God I abominate and abhor. This is the abuse of music; and here I register my protest against all such corruptions in the worship of the Author of Christianity" (Commentary, IV, 686, on Amos 6:5).

Charles Spurgeon, renowned nineteenth century Baptist preacher: "We do not need them [musical instruments]. They would hinder rather than help our praise. Sing unto Him. This is the sweetest and best music. No instrument like the human voice. . . . What a degradation to supplant the intelligent song of the whole congregation by the theatrical prettiness of a quartet, the refined niceties of a choir, or the blowing off of wind from inanimate bellows and pipes! We might as well pray by machinery as praise by it" (Comments on Psalm 42:4).

Andrew Fuller, another Baptist scholar of the 1800s: "The history of the church during the first three centuries affords many instances of primitive Christians engaging in singing, but no mention (that I recollect) is made of instruments. (If my memory does not deceive me) it originated in the dark ages of popery, when almost every other superstition was introduced. At present, it is most used where the least regard is paid to primitive simplicity" (Complete Works, III, 520).

Questions on the Confession of Faith and Form of Government of The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (1842): "Question 6. Is there any authority for instrumental music in the worship of God under the present dispensation? Answer. Not the least, only the singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs was appointed by the apostles; not a syllable is said in the New Testament in favor of instrumental music nor was it ever introduced into the Church until after the eighth century, after the Catholics had corrupted the simplicity of the gospel by their carnal inventions. It was not allowed in the Synagogues, the parish churches of the Jews, but was confined to the Temple service and was abolished with the rites of that dispensation" (55).

Why is all of this important?

All these quotes represent a very definite view on music in worship: in the New Testament age, instrumental music is without God's approval. I wonder what these men would think if they could see what their modern counterparts are up to. Today the vast majority of Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist, and Baptist churches (and any number of others) use instrumental music. Why has their belief and practice changed so much in just the last couple of centuries? Is it due to some new revelation from Heaven? If not, then what has caused it?

Next time: the rest of the story

Instrumental Music in Worship: Voices from the Past by Jeff Himmel

2001-08-08T19:12:00.001-07:00

Last week we took a look at what history books say about instrumental music in Christian worship. Their testimony is summed up by Anglican writer Joseph Bingham: "Music in churches is as ancient as the apostles, but instrumental music not so" (Works, III, 137).

Singing was the only form of music in worship for hundreds of years after the time of Jesus and His apostles. Not only do historians confirm it, but also early Christian writers. Here’s what some ancient disciples had to say.

Justin Martyr (A.D. 139): "The use of [instrumental] music was not received in the Christian churches, as it was among the Jew, in their infant state, but only the use of plain song. . . . Simply singing is not agreeable to children [the aforementioned Jews], but singing with lifeless instruments and with dancing and clapping is. On this account the use of this kind of instruments and of others agreeable to children is removed from the songs of the churches, and there is left remaining simply singing."

Tertullian (c. A.D. 200): "Musical concerts with viol and lute belong to Apollo, to the Muses, to Minerva and Mercury who invented them; ye who are Christians, hate and abhor these things whose very authors themselves must be the object of loathing and aversion."

Eusebius (A.D. 260-340): "Of old at the time those of the circumcision were worshiping with symbols and types it was not inappropriate to send up hymns to God with the psalterion and kithara . . . But we in an inward manner keep the part of the Jew, according to the saying of the apostle . . . [Romans 2:28f]. We render our hymns with a living psalterion and a living kithara, with spiritual songs. The unison voices of Christians would be more acceptable to God than any musical instrument" (Comments on Psalm 92:2-3).

Chrysostom (A.D. 345-407): "Just as the Jews are commanded to praise God with all musical instruments so we are commanded to praise him with all our members — the eye, the tongue, ear, the hand. These instruments were then allowed because of the weakness of the people, to train them to love and harmony" (Comments on Psalm 150).

Some Roman Catholic churches began using instrumental music (usually an organ) during the Middle Ages. But the practice was largely opposed as unscriptural and was slow to gain acceptance. Not until the 1200s could it be found in widespread use. And even then the Catholic scholar Thomas Aquinas wrote, "Our church does not use musical instruments, as harps and psalteries, to praise God withal, that she may not seem to Judaize" (Bingham’s Antiquities, III, 137).

All right, so why is all of this important?

"It is evident . . . that the post-apostolic churches did not worship with musical instruments because they recognized that the practice was part of an out-worn system that ended with the coming of Christ. For them, the use of such instruments was not an advance, but a step back in history" (Paul Earnhart in Christianity Magazine, 9/87, 10).

No, these men of old were not divinely inspired. But if they so clearly believed instrumental music to be unauthorized and inappropriate in New Testament worship, how is it that so many professing Christians today see no problem with it?

Next week we’ll hear the statements of leaders and scholars from the Protestant Reformation and beyond. Some of them may surprise you. Stay tuned!

Instrumental Music in Worship: The Voice of History by Jeff Himmel

2001-08-01T19:09:00.001-07:00

The Spring Warrior Church of Christ doesn’t use musical instruments in worship to God; we just sing. To many folks in the religious world, that’s something new and unusual. But did you know that for centuries after Christ’s time, Christians just sang in their worship assemblies? It is playing instruments that is relatively "new." Don’t take my word for it; listen to the voice of historians.

Donald Grout in History of Western Music, a standard music history textbook: "Hymn singing is the earliest recorded musical activity of the Christian Church" (13).

Emil Nauman in The History of Music: "There can be no doubt that originally the music of the divine service was everywhere entirely of a vocal nature" (I, 177).

Paul Henry Lang in Music in Western Civilization: "The development of Western music was decisively influenced by the exclusion of musical instruments from the early Christian Church" (53-54).

The New Oxford History of Music: "The Christian community held the same view, as we know from the apostolic and post-apostolic literature: instrumental music was thought unfit for religious services; the Christian sources are quite outspoken in their condemnation of instrumental performances" ("The Music of Post-Biblical Judaism", I, 135).

Lars Qualben in A History of the Christian Church: "Singing formed an essential part of the Christian Worship, but it was in unison and without instrumental accompaniment" (112).

The Catholic Encyclopedia: "The first Christians were of too spiritual a fibre to substitute lifeless instruments for or use them to accompany the human voice. Clement of Alexandria severely condemns the use of instruments even at Christian banquets . . ." (X, 651). "For almost a thousand years, Gregorian chant without any instrumental or harmonic addition, was the only music used in connection with the liturgy" (X, 657).

The New Catholic Encyclopedia: "The rejection of all musical instruments for Christian worship is consistent among the Fathers [early Christian writers]. They were associated with pagan, orgiastic rites" ("History of Sacred Music", X, 106).

Voices and Instruments in Christian Worship, published by The Liturgical Press: "From the standpoint of ritual action, liturgical music can only be monodic and vocal. Throughout nearly ten centuries of its history, Christian worship was in principle, and nearly always in fact, celebrated una voce ["one voice"— unanimously] and a capella [without instrumental accompaniment, lit. "as the chapel"]. . . . The abundance and clearness of the texts in which the Fathers of the Church have discussed the questions can leave us in no doubt about the content and firmness of their teaching: musical instruments are to be excluded from the worship of the New Alliance" (142, 150).

The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia: "There is no record in the NT of the use of instruments in the music worship of the church. In this regard, early believers followed the practice of the Hebrew synagogue music" ("Music", 1163).

John Giradeau, professor at Columbia Theological Seminary (Presbyterian USA): "The church, although lapsing more and more into defection from the truth and into a corruption of apostolic practice, had no instrumental music for 1200 years . . . The Calvinistic Reformed Church ejected it from its services as an element of Popery [Roman Catholicism], even the Church of England having come very nigh to its extrusion from her worship. It is heresy in the sphere of worship . . . The historical argument, therefore, combines with the Scriptural and the Confessional to raise a solemn and powerful protest against its employment" (Instrumental Music, 179).

Why is all of this important?

God’s word. History in itself is no authority for religious practice, but these statements do indicate what Christians for centuries understood God’s instructions to be. The New Testament tells us to sing praises to Him (see Colossians 3:16). History shows that early Christians did just that — they sang. Instrumental music of any sort was not used in worship for several hundred years after New Testament times. Why? More importantly, why has it come to be so widely used now? What has changed — God’s will or man’s attitude toward it?

Next week we’ll look at what some early religious writers had to say about musical instruments in worship.

Elders in the First Century by Randy Baker

2001-07-25T19:07:00.001-07:00

It is evident from many New Testament scriptures that elders were an important part of the first century church. Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge. . . . The first century churches were not considered complete without the proper local leadership that God prescribed. Paul understood the eldership to be an important topic and wrote clear guidelines for the church to follow.

In the 21st century, we commonly see the terms "elders," "presbyters," "bishops," "pastors," and "overseers" referring to different roles that man has developed. In the first century church, however, all of these terms referred to only one God-defined role. In Acts 20:17-38 Paul is instructing the elders from the church of Ephesus. They are referred to as elders in v17 (Greek word presbuteros) and he also calls them bishops in v28 (Greek word episkopos). Paul also describes that their work was to feed the flock (to shepherd or to pastor from the Greek word poimen). A similar interchangeability of terms is used in I Peter 5:1-2. All of these words, which describe different aspects of the role, refer to the same individuals – the elders. Men have turned this role into a variety of different offices, but there is no authority for this from scripture. (Elders and deacons are indeed different roles, but we won’t cover that topic in this article.)

As I Timothy 3:1 shows, theirs was to be a working role, not just a position of status or honor. They were to feed the flock, the local church which they were in charge of, as shown in I Peter 5:2. They were to rule over those in their charge (I Timothy 5:17), and to oversee their activities (Acts 20:28), and to watch out for those who would teach error (Acts 20:31).

The authority of the elders came not from themselves. They were not to believe or teach anything that had not been delivered to them (Galatians 1:7-8). Their function was to teach, demonstrate by example, and enforce what the Holy Spirit had showed them to be true. The Lord has not changed this role description.

How many elders were intended to be over each congregation? There is no precise number given. We do see, however, that there was always a plurality of bishops. Paul and Barnabas helped select "elders in every church" in Acts 14:23; the "elders" of Jerusalem are referred to in Acts 15:2; Paul talks with the elders of the church at Ephesus in Acts 20:17-38; Titus was instructed to appoint "elders in every city" (Titus 1:5); the sick were told to call for the "elders of the church" in James 5:14 - here James refers to those sick from a local congregation and they were to call for their elders to pray for them. The Scriptures never refer to one elder (pastor, bishop, overseer, or shepherd) being over a congregation of God’s people.

Neither is there evidence in scripture of elders presiding over more than one congregation. Peter instructed the elders to "tend the flock of God which is among you" (1 Peter 5:2). Paul told the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28 "Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops." In this case, Paul was speaking to those who were elders of the congregation in Ephesus – the saints at Ephesus were the ones the Holy Spirit had entrusted to them. Nothing is ever suggested to show that elders were shepherding anyone but the members of their local flock.

Who is eligible in God’s sight to perform this work of oversight of local congregations of the saints? Paul was clear with two first century preachers about what to teach on this matter. The qualifications are clearly laid out in Titus 1:5-11 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 11 and they indicate that only a certain type of individual living a certain lifestyle met the requirements for pastoring over His flocks.

Can a woman rightfully perform the role of being one of the presbyters of a local congregation of God’s Christians? The inspired qualifications given in Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3 leave us answering "no" to this question. The woman cannot be the "husband of one wife." This scripture in no way gives any suggestion that men are better than women – only that God has differentiated their roles according to His will.

It is up to us to adhere to the authorized description of leadership for the Lord’s church. If we change, or update the qualifications that were given, we do it on our own authority and not God’s. We must follow that pattern that we know God finds acceptable just as the first century church did.