Bible classes scheduled at church came about under the idea of expediency, a license used by church leaders. Scheduled Bible study classes are a good key function of the church to increase knowledge of God’s Word, for growth of the members into more mature Christians, to train teachers, preachers and to train for evangelistic work for Christ, all of which is good for individual Christians and for the church as a group. God wants, godly, alert and dedicated elders who function as shepherds for the church. Bible classes are a good function to achieve that responsibility. It is a good place to bring members into knowing who it is that they believe, what they believe, namely God and his Word, and to come to love God and serve him. Thus Bible classes are a good place to more thoroughly teach God’s Word. Bible classes are also a good place to reveal false teachings, where teachers who do not fully support what they are teaching from the Bible, or who distort God’s Word, can be stopped. It is also a good place to show that such things as instant change, effortless change, tapping the subconscious, eliminating all fear and others like things are false. Of a salesman such idea would be called snake oil. Paul stated, “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do” (1 Timothy 1:4). Surely The DaVinci Code and the Left Behind series, and other …

I heard a song the other day about a daddy and his daughter who is about to get married. It said something like, “Remember that I loved her first.” I have to admit that song made me cry. Someone sent me a patriotic email of a reading by Johnny Cash that he had written about the American Flag. It made tears well up in my eyes as I listened. I have been known to have a tear drip down my cheek when I am watching the sad part of a movie. I know that it does not sound very “macho” and “manly” to admit that, but I am not ashamed of it. I am glad that I have not forgotten how to cry. We need to be able to cry because we have hearts that are touched by a care and concern of others. Our hearts should grieve with those who are suffering and in pain. We should feel compassion when others face disaster, disease and death. Too often it seems that when calamity and struggles come to those around us, we tend to rejoice in seeing the problems of others. It is easy to become smug in our own lack of troubles, and to assume that others’ problems are their own fault. Jesus said that we should mourn with those that mourn (Luke 6:25). I would hope that we will never loose the ability to cry for those around us who are suffering. We need to be able to …

What does it mean to call on the Lord’s name? If we are to come to a scriptural answer, then we must search the Scriptures for it (Acts 17:11). Let us lay aside human tradition and go in search of the Lord’s way. Jesus taught his disciples, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Again, Jesus said, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Therefore, calling on the Lord’s name is not merely acknowledging his authority, but submitting to his authority. Rather than pick and choose what we will, let us do “the will of God” (1 John 2:17). On the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted the prophet Joel in his sermon (Acts 2:16-21; Joel 2:28-32). The last part of the quotation reads, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). In the book of Joel, “shall be saved” is rendered “shall be delivered” (Joel 2:32, KJV). Someone might ask, “From what shall we be saved or delivered?” As revealed by the angel of the Lord, “he [Jesus] shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Peter said, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). However, …

I just finished reading a great old book entitled Gospel Lessons and Life History by the late renowned E.G. Sewell. He was probably not known to many in the Ohio Valley since he spent the most of his life in the middle and east Tennessee areas. For forty years or more, he was a close friend and confidant to brother David Lipscomb, as well as co-editor of the Gospel Advocate. Though brother Sewell did attend Burritt College in Spencer, TN for two and a half years and one ten month term at brother Tolbert Fanning’s Franklin College, he was for the most part a self-taught man. His courses in these two colleges were in mathematics, Greek and Hebrew, as well as a course in Latin  as I recall. He learned to read the Bible in what he called, “their native languages.” In that respect he was, even by today’s standards (he died in 1924), quite a scholar! Brother Sewell was preeminently a man of the Book. He pored over his Bible closely every day of his adult life, from age nineteen onward, and did his best to apply everything he learned to his own life first. Reading his own sketch of his life sent me to my meager library to learn more about him and I found other material in several books. Unfortunately, I did not find all that I would like to know about this great soldier of the cross, but I did find a comment made about his leadership as an …

Most of my preaching life, especially as I have been involved in personal evangelism, I have asked the question, “What is the most important thing in the world?” in order to elicit the answer, “My salvation,” or its equivalent. Or I would ask, “What is the most important question in the world?” in order to get a discussion started around the topic, “What must I do to be saved?” In my later years, I have become convinced that as important as those things are, they are actually secondary. It is my opinion that a great deal of damage may be done, when and if we substitute the good for the better and the better for the best. This is an easy thing to do when we are trying so hard to push what we think is the most important job of the church, or of the individual Christian. As a result, we have an unbalanced religion, perhaps becoming denominational or cultish in our tendencies, depending on how far we take the matter. The Crossroads and Boston movements resulted, not only from the indifference of the average congregations to the value of personal evangelism, but from the unbalanced emphasis that was given to that as THE standard by which our Christianity could be measured. The most important thing in the world is to glorify God, and one of the reasons we have done no more damage than we have by teaching that the most important thing in the world is the …

Question: “I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’ve stopped growing spiritually… What can I do to start maturing again?” Answer: Spiritual development is important (2 Peter 3:18). Let me commend you for your desire to reinitiate this process. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Eat a steady diet of healthy food. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4; cf. Hebrews 5:14; Jeremiah 15:16). Set aside a regular time each day to study your Bible. When would be a good time for you to study? In the morning? At your lunch break? In the evening before bed? Devote 15-30 minutes to reading, study and meditation. 2. Develop a regular program of exercise. “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). Involve yourself in the work of the church (1 Corinthians 15:58; Titus 2:14). Look for opportunities to minister to those who are in need (Galatians 6:10; James 1:27). Attend worship services on a regular basis (Hebrews 10:25). Pray regularly (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Colossians 4:2). 3. Rid your system of disease. “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking” (1 Peter 2:1). Repent of the sin in your life (Acts 8:22). Ask for God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Reconcile …

The term “church” is used to refer to those who are “called out” for a special purpose. It is used as a term of distinction and separation. Jesus of Nazareth promised to build his church when he was among his disciples at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:18-19). His purpose was clear and resolute: “I will build my church and the gates of hell [hades] shall not prevail against it.” Nearly in the same breath he said he would give the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter. On the first Pentecost day after the crucifixion, resurrection and Ascension of Jesus (events recorded in Acts 2), Peter and the other apostles gave access into the kingdom as they preached the Gospel of the kingdom. The text says, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). God wanted to reveal to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon things that would transpire in the future. God gave him a dream wherein he saw a terrible image. Ultimately, God provided to the king the details of his dream and the interpretation through one of his servants by the name of Daniel. Daniel identified King Nebuchadnezzar as being the head of gold and three successive kingdoms that would be inferior to his. Of the fourth kingdom, that is, the Roman Empire, the text reads, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not …

Recently, the main discussion in most conversations has centered on the theme of politics. It seems that everyone is talking about his or her favorite candidates for the various local and state offices. One cannot help but to wonder how much good could be achieved in the cause of the Lord if the same amount of time, money and influence were exerted in the spreading of the Gospel. Nevertheless, the freedom to vote as one pleases is certainly a great liberty offered by this nation of ours. The Lord God made man to be a creature of choice. From Adam on down, man has had to make choices, morally and otherwise. But, the greatest decisions are to be made in the spiritual realm and not in the political circle. We mention now some of the momentous occasions wherein decisions had to be made, either for the Lord or Satan. First of all, we read in 1 Kings 18 where Elijah the prophet met the prophets of Baal in a direct confrontation on Mount Carmel. Elijah was set to prove who was truly the God that all people should serve and worship. The party of indecision, of all nations, was Israel. The great prophet inquired of the double-minded congregation, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. But the people answered him not a word” (V. 21). Israel as a whole had held Baal to be Lord and God, …

I. Self-Encouragement Every right-thinking person knows how feeble he is, and he prays with David: “O Yahweh, make me to know my end, and the measure of my days, what it is. Let me know how frail I am” (Psalm 39:4). “Truly every man is but a breath” (Psalm 39:11), and “we are dust” (Psalm 103:14), “a vapor which briefly appears, and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Consequently, he needs encouragement in his soul, his spirit, the only part of him that will never die (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Matthew 10:28; 22:32). Powerful in self-encouragement is daily prayer in the “evening and morning and at noon…and he will hear my voice,” said David (Psalm 55:17). Likewise, daily Bible study gives one fresh courage: “this is my comfort in my affliction,” said David, “for thy word has quickened me” (Psalm 119:50, KJV), “renews my life” (NIV), “has revived me” (NASV), “invigorates me” (FHV). You cannot imagine a person more in need of self- encouragement than Job “with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7), and having a wife who turned against him: “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). However, he refused to give up, and his Bible reading was strengthening, saying, “I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). II. Encouraging Others As important as is self-encouragement, unless a person determines also to encourage others, he is selfish and a …

Andrew might have been a man one would consider average. He came from a city of little reputation. In fact, if one heard of it in the first century, he would know the industry of the place by the meaning of its name, “house of fish,” which may have been all for which it was known. We know it today as Bethsaida, a city that would probably be lost if it were not for its preservation in the Scriptures (John 1:44). This city was probably located around the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, where average Andrew practiced an average trade, fishing. The only reason we probably know of Andrew is because he is mentioned about a dozen times in the Bible. Even so, at a glance, Andrew’s life seems rather unexciting as compared to others of whom we read. He was a disciple of John the Immerser (John 1:35-40). He even followed Christ and became an apostle (Matthew 10:2). However, in light of the accomplishments of the other apostles, Andrew’s seem to fall into the shadows. We do not have any of his preaching recorded like his brother Peter’s. He never wrote Scripture. Actually, none of his actions, which are recorded in the Bible, would be considered significant by the world’s standards. Nonetheless, because of the One he followed, we would contend that his life has an eternal effect on many souls. Today, Andrew provides a great example of action. Often, when we feel there is nothing we …

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As I’m writing this article (March 2004), I can hear birds singing. Looking to my left out of the windowed doors of my study I can see that it is a beautiful sunny day; the thermometer on the wall gives an outdoor temperature of 69 degrees. The sky is so blue and the grass green, the first hint that Spring is right around the corner. What a nice day it is! But for the last two weeks I’ve been under the weather; the doctor said it was some kind of infection in my nose or maybe he said I was sick in the head; at any rate I’ve had cold-like symptoms that have kept me away from work and church. I’ve been lying around the house trying to get well. Today, I feel better; I got a good night’s rest and the symptoms are beginning to subside. Looking out of the window, I think to myself, “What a great day to be out working in the yard or tinkering around out in the shop. Maybe a trip down to the lake.” But then I realize that I’m not quite well yet and that I probably need to stay in for at least another day. Its almost torture to sit here, look outside and see the wonderful day the Lord has blessed us with and not be able to get out there and enjoy it. It’s the pits. I can’t help but to think about another man who looked and saw …

The false doctrine of premillennialism has been around for almost two thousand years, and yet it has absolutely no basis in the Bible. Papias (c. 60-130) of Hierapolis in Asia Minor advanced millennial views, believing that there would be a period of a thousand years after the resurrection of Christ during which the kingdom of Christ would be set up in a material way. When the millennium did not occur with Jesus’ resurrection, some began to rethink the event that would initiate its beginning. It was decided that perhaps the return of Christ would be that event. The beliefs of Papias were pervasive enough that the churches of the first half of the second century were generally aware of the premillennial theory that he advanced. Many later writers such as Origen, Dionysius of Alexandria, Eusebius and Augustine came out against millenarian views to the extent that the theory went into sharp decline. Premillennialism was almost a dead issue for the next thousand years. In the Reformation period some began to espouse millennial views again. The popular views included both premillennialism and postmillennialism. Biblical exegetes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries paid tribute to millennial ideas in their popular commentaries. Fiery preachers let their voices ring from the pulpits, groves and brush arbors in the cities and the country with eschatological excitement. Men such as William Miller predicted the return of Christ in 1843 and 1844. By 1875 a new brand of premillennialism called Dispensationalism spread like wildfire in the United States. J.N. …

Remember the television show Art Linkletter used to have, where he would ask children various questions, and get some of the funniest responses? Children can still surprise you by what they say. With Karen being an elementary school teacher, I can testify to this personally. However, not everything they say is amusing. I’m amazed at the profanity some of these children use. Not mild terminology, mind you, but sometimes blunt, graphic obscenities. A shame isn’t it, for these children to so speak, as we know this is the type of filth they’ve been exposed to at home, on television and elsewhere. The innocence of childhood is lost for some to the influence of the world. Similarly, sometimes I’m amazed at the language and conduct of Christians. We are to reflect the purity of life that comes from being a child of God. “Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). This means our speech is to be pure, wholesome, reflecting our relationship with God. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). A shame, isn’t it, for Christians to use language that reflects more of …