In 536 B.C., Cyrus, king of Persia, issued a proclamation that profoundly affected the Jewish people. This proclamation allowed the Jews, who had been taken captive to Babylon earlier by Nebuchadnezzar, to return to Jerusalem. Over 40,000 people responded. When they reached their destination, one of the first things they determined to do was rebuild the Temple. When the foundation for the Temple was laid, many wept with a loud voice. They perceived this temple to be insignificant, compared to the one Solomon built earlier (Ezra 3:12). All the things they would do in the coming years would be viewed as small and unimportant. To this attitude God responded, “For who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10). When the work is for God, nothing is inconsequential; everything has a place in His plan. Our lives are spent mainly in tending to small duties. We have a normal routine we follow most days. Few of us will be called by the governor or the president, or do that which society would consider great. Even so, such a life is nothing to despise! A great life consists in doing small things well every day. The importance of prayer, phone calls, cards, visits, meals, etc. is significant when we do them for the Lord. How many lives have you touched, sick strengthened and weak cheered through prayer? How many people have you encouraged through a visit, a card or a call? How many have been blessed by a meal you …

Our young Christians need to be taught the arguments for such issues as instrumental music in worship so they can “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 3). The new arguments are simply the old arguments. This discussion will be about some of the Greek words in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, especially the word, psallo, and the arguments related to it. Each of these words represent a different type of music. First, the word translated “song” is the Greek word ode, which simply means a song in its general sense. The word may be recognized in its transliterated form from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” This word can mean any type of song. Many odes were sung for the welcoming home of heroes. However, if the adjective “spiritual” is added to modify the word, then the song becomes a specific type of song, namely, one that would be sung as worship. Second, the word “hymn” is translated from the Greek word humnos. In the Bible, this word only occurs in the two verses being discussed here, and while the word ode simply means a song, humnos is more specifically, a religious song. Third, note the word that is transliterated, “Psalms.” It is the Greek word psalmos. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, this word is even more specific. While ode means “a song,” and humnos means a “religious song,” psalmos means “a religious song that is sung in Hebrew.” It refers to the Psalms of the Old Testament. These “psalms,” according to Strong, could be accompanied with the voice, harp or other instruments. Those arguing for instrumental …

For man in this life, God has provided his revealed will. He has also provided the perfect sacrifice for sin. This sacrifice was the Lamb of God. God has presented His grace to all men (Titus 2:11). God’s provisions for man included a way of salvation. It is God’s scheme of redemption, and it cannot be changed or improved. Mankind seems to look for ways to disregard God’s will, to reject the sacrifice and to shortcut the way of salvation taught in sacred Scripture while claiming faith in Christ. This is likely not intentional with most, but when men seek ways to add to or take from God’s plan of salvation, they run the risk of displeasing God. The Word of God makes no promise that an altered, manmade plan will save. Complete obedience to God’s plan is essential to pleasing God. It has always been this way (cf. 1 Samuel 15). The simple and clear teaching of Jesus and the inspired writers of the New Testament on the subject of salvation and forgiveness of sins seems to cause a problem for many. For some reason, the necessity of immersion for the remission of sins is a “hang up.” Religious people professing belief in Jesus will often admit baptism is a biblical doctrine and will even admit baptism is a command, but still claim it is not essential to salvation. With a “tug at your heart strings,” a form of the following question will often be put forth: “If a …

The Book of Psalms is one of the greatest books of the entire inspired Scripture. It is the book of human emotions. Every experience of man is reflected in this book regardless of the occasion, emotion or mood. If one will identify his or her mood accurately and sincerely, there is a Psalm that will reflect that mood. For example: If you are afraid, read Psalms 56, 91 and 23. If you are discouraged, read Psalm 42. If you are lonely, read Psalms 71 and 62. If you are burdened or oppressed with the problem of sin, read Psalms 51 and 32. If you are worried or anxious, read Psalms 37 and 73. If you are angry, read Psalms 58 and 13. If you are resentful, read Psalms 97 and 77. If you are happy and want words to express it, read Psalms 92 and 66. If you are feeling forsaken or abandoned, read Psalm 88. If you are grateful and need expressions of appreciation, read Psalm 40. If you are doubtful and your faith is weak, read Psalm 119. There is a Psalm that will reflect your mood and mine. Therefore, the Psalms address the human heart.

A recent article crossed my desk that I found interesting. It contained a list of things that babies born in 2011 will never know. Because of the rapid advancement of technology, there are many things that have been an integral part of everyday life for decades that are swiftly becoming obsolete. For example, babies born in 2011 will likely never know of things like video tape, movie rental stores, encyclopedias, CD’s, film cameras or fax machines. This prompts us to wonder just what other things might babies born today not know. Will there be fundamental truths about the Lord’s church that will become obsolete among the next generation? Will the next generation know about the establishment of the church? Will they know that Christ is the Builder of the church (Matthew 16:18)? Will they know that the church is built upon Christ as the one Foundation of the church? “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Will it be understood that Christ is the Authority of the church (Matthew 28:18) and is governed by His Word (Colossians 3:17)? If the distinctiveness of the New Testament church is not boldly preached today, then we should not be surprised that it would fade into obscurity in the generation to come. Will the next generation know about the exclusiveness of the church? There are hundreds of different denominations of churches in existence today, and a popular attitude that one is as good as …

Recently, I came across this little piece of wisdom, and I quote: “Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself but because it contradicts them.” I do not even know who made this statement or when and why it was made, but I do know that it is a “jewel” of wisdom. The word “contradict” means to “say the opposite of what has been said”; “to be contrary to or disagree with”; “to declare untrue” or “to speak against.” We often hear someone quote two different Scriptures from the Bible and affirm that they are contradictory to each other. How foolish! God is perfect, and He did not put into His Holy Word something that would “speak against” or “say the opposite” of something He said somewhere else. Only men are capable of doing that. Men are just not willing to accept the Word as perfect, and they themselves want to change the context or meaning of Scriptures so that they can salve their own consciences about the falsehood they are peddling. There are those who sometimes just set out to create confusion and cause others to question the validity of what is said. When Paul preached at Antioch to a Jewish audience, he made quite a stir and the Gentiles asked him to preach the Gospel to them on the next Sabbath. Following their request, we read in Acts 13:44, “The next Sabbath day, almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But, …

 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 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: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. (Mark 12:28-34) The Pharisees had been silenced by Jesus as they tried to trick Him. The Sadducees had been put to silence by the wise answers of Jesus. Now a scribe, who is also described as a lawyer, decided to take a shot at finding out if Jesus is truly wise. …

While in Ardmore, Oklahoma, a sister in Christ related an interesting episode about the late brother J.W. Chism. Many years before, Henry Stetson (related to the Texas hat maker of that name), came into Oklahoma preaching for the Baptists, enjoying great crowds wherever he preached. Some brethren in Ardmore approached Mr. Stetson about having a public discussion. They proposed that he meet with brother J.W. Chism. Mr. Stetson agreed to discuss the Bible plan of salvation in public debate. The first debate lasted almost a week, and centered on passages like Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Peter 3:21; etc. As the debate drew to a close, Mr. Stetson challenged brother Chism to meet for another debate in another community. Brother Chism picked up the gauntlet. On the third or fourth day of that second debate, brother Chism had just finished his second affirmative argument. Mr. Stetson walked slowly to the podium. Everybody assumed he would enter his negative speech. However, Mr. Stetson turned and spoke directly to brother Chism. He said that if brother Chism would take his good confession that he was ready to be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Obviously, the debate closed with that act of obedience to the Gospel (Romans 6:1-4, 16-18). Brother Stetson then held a meeting in that very community with almost fifty people being baptized into Christ and added to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:41-47). Brother Stetson continued as a faithful Gospel preacher for years to follow. Let us never …

There are many in the world around us that do not believe there is anything called “absolute truth,” but the Bible emphatically states that such does exist. Jesus stated, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). He also stated that God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). Additionally, the Bible teaches that we must know the truth and we can all see it the same way. Paul teaches that we should be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). The only way we can know the truth of God’s Word is through study of it (2 Timothy 2:15). It cannot be obtained by creeds or traditions of men. Do you know the truth?

In a lecture program, we heard two speakers on opposite sides of a question about divorce make antithetical comments about the meaning of 2 Corinthians 6:14. The first took the position that it had no reference whatever to the marriage relationship. The second said (and I quote his exact words), “It was speaking utmost and primarily to and certainly without exception to the thing of the marriage union. If it does not apply to the marriage union, I don’t really know what being yoked with unbelievers could mean.” Furthermore, he said: “1 Corinthians 7:12-17 countermands an express directive found in 2 Corinthians 6:14. The statement in 2 Corinthians 6:14 is this: ‘Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers.’ There is no doubt that this direct command forbids a Christian being yoked with an unbeliever. There is no conflict between the two verses once it is understood that in 2 Corinthians 6 Paul is forbidding a Christian to go and join himself to an unbeliever in marriage, while in 1 Corinthians 7 he is directing His remarks to a converted heathen or Jews whose marriage was already in existence prior to him becoming a Christian.” Our brother, therefore, takes a position that a prior statement countermands a subsequent directive! Aside from the somewhat imprecise use of the term “countermand” (which refers to one order or command revoking one previously given, and not the one previously given revoking the latter one), there are some other difficulties with that position. Once we accept the …

As it has been through the history of God’s dealing with man, so it remains in our day. Some believe God’s testimony while many others reject it, making God out to be a liar. However, God doesn’t lie. Abraham told the agonizing rich man upon his decease that if his brothers would not hear Moses and the prophets, neither would they be persuaded if one should rise from the dead to testify of God’s demand for them to turn to him and produce fruits of repentance (cf. Luke 16:19ff). Of course, the parallel for our day is we have been given the message of Christ and His chosen apostles whose message has been delivered from heaven through the Spirit. Jesus is the prophet sent from the Heavenly Father who knows no equal (much less a superior prophet) in heaven or on earth. To Him is given all power, authority and dominion in the entire universe. God still says, “Hear ye him” (Matthew 17:1-5). Unlike any other personality who ever lived, Jesus was called of the Father to fill the roles established for Him as Prophet, Priest and King, and He has filled them in a magnificent way. John, the apostle of love, dealt in his general epistle of 1 John with a doctrine of the late first century A.D. that denied that Jesus, the Anointed Son of God, had actually come in the flesh. He went on to describe them as a group of antichrists who, in so doing, not …

One often hears the statement made, “Evolution is a fact, not a theory!” Nothing could be further from the truth! To be perfectly blunt, evolution is not even a theory, but a hypothesis – an educated (?) guess on the part of some people as to how things came to be as they are. Evolution is always spoken of in positive terms, that is, that men “came up” from lower animal forms that came from lower, etc., in a sort of infinite regression. In other words, according to the various hypotheses, and there are many of them, men are getting better and better all the time. We are evolving, not devolving! If that is true, would one not expect to observe it in some area of human life? Observation of empirical phenomenon is true science; guesses about how the phenomenon came to be are guesses. National Geographic Magazine is an interesting publication that touts organic evolution with all its might. However, their own reporting of phenomenon in history disproves their theory. For example, some months back we read of the discovery of some Egyptian mummies that were some 4,000 or 5,000 years old. They X-rayed the mummies and learned that many of them had advanced arthritis, a crippling disease that afflicts thousands of Americans 5,000 years later. Now, would you not think that in 5,000 years something in the human evolution process would have triggered a decrease in such a disease rather than an increase? If we are evolving, why …

About thirty years ago, my wife and I were very close to Ben and his family. Ben was a very moral and religious person at that time. He had a hard time settling down as to what he believed about the Bible and his religious preference. I asked him and his wife if I could come to his home and have an open Bible study with them. They agreed, and a time and date was set. I looked forward to my appointment with Ben and his wife. I knew, or thought, that they both believed in the God of the Bible, and that they also believed that the Bible was the inspired Word of God. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) With great enthusiasm, I arrived for my appointment to study the Bible with Ben and his wife. We started our study in a simple manner because of my understanding that they sincerely believed in God and His Word. We opened our Bibles to the Acts of the Apostles. Chapter One went very smoothly as we read and discussed the Scriptures. Chapter Two also went rather well until we got to verse 37 as it reads, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Upon reading verse 38, I noticed Ben getting red in the face, “Then Peter said …

He is not a member of the Lord’s church. He has expressed on more than one occasion his admiration for his wife who is a faithful and dedicated Christian lady. He admires her for her example and helps her find a congregation of God’s people with whom she can worship when they are out of town. He used to go with her. He used to listen to the Bible being taught in a class environment. He used to hear Gospel lessons being preached. He used to have repeated opportunities to hear a preacher extend the invitation. He used to have to think about his spiritual condition when the “invitation song” was being sung. None of those things is true any longer. He no longer joins his wife as she faithfully makes her way to be with her brothers and sisters in the Lord and offer worship to Him. When I talked with him, he did not indicate that he really had anything against the church. In fact, he was very complimentary of many of the Christians he knew. He called some by name and expressed to me how much he thought of them. As we talked about his spiritual condition and needs, I became aware of the fact that, like so many others, there is not just one reason why he no longer makes the effort to be with his wife when she worships. There hardly ever is just one reason in situations like this. However, in most situations, there …

Several years ago as I was leaving a place of business, a friend engaged me in a conversation regarding the difficulties that were facing our nation at that time. He mentioned that during the depression years people were closer together as friends and neighbors. He emphasized the need existing in the hearts of people for one another. There seemed to have been a closeness prevailing among the citizens of our nation during those trying years. This brought to my mind a lesson relative to those things that tend to bring people nearer together. First of all, it might be good to mention those things that do not necessarily contribute to a closer relationship with others. Whenever money, material and physical blessings exist in abundance, people are apt to feel self-sufficient and self-reliant, and they become very selfish. A person who has everything feels no need of leaning on others for assistance. The tendency is not to be close to neighbors, friends and even family at times. In a marriage relationship, husbands and wives who both have professions may feel so independent that there is not the need of interdependence. Many are often prone to stay ahead of neighbors regarding the obtaining of the material and the physical. Such blessings can become a curse if an individual feels no need of God and others. Much to the surprise of many, it is during periods of trials, tribulations, sorrows and adversities that we are drawn nearer to one another. Consider the early …

Many are ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. They are ashamed to let others know that they believe in God and that they are followers of Christ. They are ashamed of the church and are ashamed to proclaim that it is the only church that was bought and cleansed by the blood of our Lord. They are reluctant to speak out against things that are wrong and to stand up for the truth. Why do people remain quiet? Because they love the world and want to be with the majority in the secular world as well as in the religious world. They want to be popular and accepted. They do not want to be considered narrow minded and associated with the minority. Rather than speak out for Christ, they quietly try to blend with their friends and neighbors, with their family members who are not Christians, so that no one will have hard feelings toward them. Their attitude is opposite that of early Christians who were willing to die rather than deny their Lord. They rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). The apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17). …

A young man was strolling through the woods and enjoying the beauty of God’s handiwork when he heard a stream nearby, and he walked down to view its course. He crossed over the stream and went toward a partially cleared section nearby. He soon realized that he was standing in the area where a large farmhouse had been ravaged with fire some time ago. He turned toward the rubble where the barn had stood, and then realized that this must have been a wild fire that caught the owners away from home. In a deep rut where steel-tired wagons had run, the man caught a glimpse of something bright. He stooped down, took his pocket knife out and unearthed the object. It was heavy, and mangled to such a degree that the man could only guess that it had been a massive man’s ring. He had a friend in town who was a jeweler and a gold assayer, and he took the object to him for a professional evaluation. He left it for a week, and when he returned, he was amazed at what he saw. The dirt, soot, and scratches had all been removed, and the misshapen object was now a beautiful man’s ring. The young man realized that it was a ring all along, but its distorted shape and its physical appearance did little to make it appear worthwhile to anyone. This was especially true since the ring was not on someone’s finger, nor on a table or …

The old adage “As goes the home, so goes the nation” is often more true than we wish to admit, especially given the nature of the home in 21st century America. It is no secret that far too many homes in our country are in serious trouble! The home and marriage are constantly being redefined by man’s terms to suit his current trends. What used to be unheard of is now being commonly accepted by society as “normal” functioning homes. Dear friends, the home is in crisis! The home is in crisis due to definition. Man’s current definition for the home is far from God’s definition! In fact, in a recent television news broadcast, it was reported that “plural marriages” are on the rise. A “plural marriage” is defined as one man being married to numerous women at the same time. Sadly, the world is quickly accepting this sinful behavior and even going so far as to label it marriage. The grossly misinformed news anchor actually said that she could now see the benefit from this type of arrangement and “understood” why folks are changing their mindset toward such. Is one man married to multiple women God’s definition of marriage? Certainly not! God’s definition has always been and still remains one man married to one woman for life (Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 19:1-9; et al). The home is in crisis due to definition! The home is in crisis due to divorce. Our good brother Jim Duty recently referenced a couple for whom he had performed a wedding ceremony for some 50 years …

“For the love of Christ compels us,” said Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:14 (NKJV). The word “compel” is translated “constraineth” in the King James and “controls” in the RSV. It comes from the Greek sunecho, indicating the idea of holding something together lest it fall apart or be broken into pieces (Vine). It is used with a curious variety of connotations, including the crowds pressing Jesus (Luke 8:45), Jerusalem being surrounded by armies (Luke 19:43) and the affliction of the sick with various diseases (Matthew 4:24). Is Paul saying, “The love of Christ holds us together”? A familiar verse bears even another nuance. In Philippians 1:23 Paul expresses his plight of being “hard-pressed” between two options – staying and working with brethren on earth or going on to be with the Lord. Perhaps the best reflection of the 2 Corinthians contextual meaning is found in Acts 18:5, where “Paul was compelled by the Spirit,” and so “testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.” The Spirit pressed Paul to do the necessary work of evangelism. The Spirit held him together as he engaged in a most difficult task that often invoked the disdain of the listeners. That seems to be the meaning in 2 Corinthians 5:14. Earlier in the chapter, the apostle had cited the coming judgment and “terror of the Lord” as a motivation for persuading men of their need to turn to the Savior (vs. 9-11). Fear of an afterlife of torment is still and shall always be …