“Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:9-11 NJKV). I think that maybe one of the saddest lines that comes from the pen under Paul’s inspired authorship is, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.” Paul knew how it felt to have people let him down. After only a short introduction in his letter to the Galatians, he states severe, and I believe painful, words: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7). These brethren, whom he had taught, and whom he loved, were being turned away from the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ and being led into the false conception of Christianity that the Judaizing teachers promulgated. When Paul listed all of the painful things that had happened to him by the time he wrote 2 Corinthians 11, he included these words: “besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28). He had already stated that he had been in “perils among false brethren.” As long as we live …

Do you know who Joseph, called Barsabbas was? No? Doesn’t ring a bell? Well then, let me ask you another question. Do you know who Matthias was? Ah, that you know. He was the man selected to replace Judas as an apostle. The other man who was not selected was Joseph, called Barsabbas. Joseph, called Barsabbas was a man who was a disciple of Jesus. He was a disciple of Jesus from the time of Jesus’ baptism till the day of His Ascension. He therefore was with Jesus through thick and thin. Then, Judas killed himself, and a vacancy for apostleship became open. His name was mentioned as a candidate. Can you imagine his excitement? The honor? The opportunity? The plans that must have run through his head? Then, just like that, he was rejected, and Matthias was selected. His dreams were dashed; his plans were trashed. So now what? Did he pout? Did he become critical of the very ones he wanted to become a part of, especially Matthias? Did he become disillusioned and stop living for Jesus? I wish I could answer that question for you; however, Scripture is silent about Joseph, called Barsabbas after this event. I want to believe that he took this disappointment in stride and continued to serve Jesus as a faithful disciple, who was at one time honored to even be considered as a possible apostle. Someday, maybe we will get to know “the rest of the story” with respect to Joseph, called …

The apostle Paul instructed his son in the faith, the evangelist Timothy, to “Preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). Some of the reasons Timothy was told to preach the Word were (1) God’s Word is truth (John 17:17) and (2) the time would come when men would turn their ears away from the truth (2 Timothy 4:3-4). In this context, Paul said that men would not put up with (endure, tolerate) healthful (sound) teaching/doctrine but would satisfy their own desires. It was as though they had itching ears. They would seek teachers to “scratch” their itching ears. Those who would not endure the sound doctrine and who would turn their ears from the truth would turn to teachings made up by men (fables). Paul knew this by inspiration, of course, and urged Timothy to preach the Word, knowing that God’s Word would counter the fables and false teachings of men. In God’s plan for the church, we have a primary function that is to be the support and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). The central purpose of the church is found in the Great Commission. We are to preach the Truth, the Gospel (Mark 16:15). As Paul told the Ephesians, it is God’s purpose for his manifold wisdom to be made known through the church (Ephesians 3:10-11). So, the church fulfills an important role in supporting the truth. The varied duties of Christians are encompassed in this serious responsibility to support the Truth. Personal godliness is needed in …

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). In order to be made free by truth, there are five fundamentals of that truth that must be adapted to our lives. We have to know it. Not only are we commanded to know the Word of God, but there is a crying need for us to know it. It is necessary if we are to lead others. It is necessary if we are to properly be guided ourselves. Knowledge of God’s Word comforts us. Knowledge is equipment. It is the only offensive equipment we have, but we cannot use it to fight Satan if we have not taken possession of it. Some people confuse zeal with knowledge, but zeal without knowledge is dangerous (Romans 10:1-2). It is like a loaded gun in the hands of a fool. Such can do more harm in a short time than can be repaired in years. A zealous person without knowledge is somewhat like an automobile in the hands of a beginner. There is a great possibility of an accident. Knowledge will eliminate most problems in the church, but knowledge without zeal is also dangerous (2 Peter 2:20-22), but having knowledge and not living in accordance with that knowledge can cost the loss of souls (James 4:17). Another fundamental is to grow. Knowledge and zeal must be combined for spiritual growth. What about a child that does not grow past the baby stage? Some do not grow spiritually because they fail …

I read a story the other day about a man who attempted to rob a bank for $1.00. My first thought (along with the bank tellers) was that this guy was just joking around. Turns out we were wrong. He was seriously trying to steal $1.00 from the bank. My second thought was that if I were going to rob a bank, it better be worth a lot more than $1.00. I am not going to give up the blessings of my freedom for that little. Yet spiritually, we do the same thing. Sin is not worth much – even though it might feel like it for a moment. In the end, it is basically worthless. However, when we succumb to it, we are really just like the guy trying to rob a bank for $1.00. He gave up a lot to try and get a little. When we constantly give in to sin (to the point that it is willful), we are giving up the blessings in Christ for not much at all. Lately, what have you been giving up for sin? Today, how can you make sure that you do not give up something so important for something so worthless?

Sin is the great plague upon the earth, and every mortal is engaged in warfare against it. Failure results in terrible consequences, both temporal and eternal, a fact verified in the Scriptures as well as by personal experience. Victory is achieved through close adherence to the Word of God. In Genesis 4, we read of the second recorded sin in the Bible. There, the sons of Adam and Eve each offered a sacrifice to God. “And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering” (4:4-5). God’s rejection angered Cain, which prompted the Lord to reply, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). In these words we find four things that should be of great help to enable us to win against sin. The Defense for Sin God’s thought-provoking question to Cain was, “If you do well, will you not be accepted.” That seems simple enough. If Cain would have done what God had said, then he would not have been rejected. Let us briefly consider three things. First, there is an adage. Remember the old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Cain could have prevented that whole mess if he would have simply followed God’s commands. The best defense for sin is to do what God has said. Second, there …

Psalms 42, 48, 55 and 73 point out King David’s pondering of this question. He cited many problems created by the wicked for him. Yet, in each of these situations where God was not personally present working a miracle in his life, he cited the Lord’s continued loving kindness, righteousness and trust. Yet, what was God doing during this time of sorrow in David’s life? The answer comes in Psalm 73:17. He noted that he suffered pain at the thought of the profits of the wicked and the Lord’s seeming absence “until I went into the sanctuary of God.” There God’s Word was being read and David said he “understood the wicked are set in slippery places.” They will slip up, be cast down and suffer for their sinful ways. King David had not left the Lord to curse him, leave his righteous ways or deny his trust during the time of sorrow. He understood God’s work on the wicked “when he went into the sanctuary of God.” Do we wish to be on a slippery slope or inside God’s teaching?

“And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our Father: for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9). John the Baptizer was at the Jordan River baptizing people. He noticed that the Pharisees and Sadducees had come out to see what he was doing. In verse seven it says they “come to his baptism.” It does not say that they came to be baptized. Even if they did intend to allow themselves to be baptized, John through inspiration knew that they were simply putting on a show for the other people there. John called them vipers. That was not what someone wanted to be called. John went further to tell them that repentance always brought forth the proper fruit. Then John made the statement in our verse above. What did John mean? We know that the Jews were descendants of Abraham. We know that God had said that all who were faithful were children of Abraham. So, what point was John making? Many of the Jewish leaders in the first century taught that Abraham was unique. They believed that Abraham’s goodness was inherited by all Jews. They believed he had built up favor with God to the point that all Jews received merit with God because of Abraham. They believed that all Jews had a place in heaven because of Abraham. Some even taught that Abraham sat at the gate of hell to keep all …

Imagine for a moment that your life is represented by a circle. Inside that circle, in the very center, is a throne. On that throne sits, by your choosing, the ruling influence in your life. Who is sitting on the throne of your heart? Some put their enemies on the throne of their hearts. These people allow their enemies to consume their lives because hate for their enemies controls their thoughts, their actions and their attitudes. Some put their friends on the throne of their hearts. Many allow their friends to dictate what they wear, what they say, what they do, even what they believe about God. Friends can be a blessing or they can be a curse. In the Bible, we read about Amnon who had the wrong kind of friends (2 Samuel 13). Even in the New Testament, we are warned, “Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Most people, though, put self on the throne of their hearts. They say, “What’s in it for me?” and that becomes the determining factor in the lives of those who are dominated by self. If we will stop and think, however, the most miserable person and the most selfish person are one and the same! Thus, we should put Christ on the throne of our hearts. If we want to experience an abundant life now (John 10:10) and an eternal life in heaven (Romans 6:23), we must allow Christ to rule our lives! Christ is Lord (Acts 2:36). The word “Lord” …

I am sure you have heard some Christians express that thought. Many Christians want to be sure that if anyone uses any of their material that they receive credit for it. If an idea is generated from something they said or did, they want their share of the credit. Many Christians want to be sure they get their share (or maybe more than their share) of whatever credit is coming. Seeking credit and honor is fine and necessary in the business world. We have patent laws to protect those who have worked hard and spent a good deal of money to perfect a new product or invention. We have copyright laws to ensure that those who write literature or music will receive credit and whatever money may come from those things. Such things work well in the business world. The church, however, should not operate like a business. As Christians, we should not be concerned with receiving credit, because our purpose is not to glorify ourselves but to honor God. Many verses could be mentioned emphasizing this. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever” (1 Peter 4:11). “To God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever” (Romans 16:27). These verses point out that our main goal is to honor …

Do you struggle with self-honesty? Have you pondered such? Have you ever doubted your stand on ethical/moral and religious issues? Have you wondered about your individual understanding of what is right and wrong? With self-honesty as my guide, I must confess that I have to consider such things. How about you? Some of the things we think about, yes, even worry over, have we placed then on our intellectual back burner? That is to say, we just have not decided about such things. I do not act on things on my thinker’s back burner, until I know the truth of the matter. Through study and self-honesty, I determine what is right, thus making applications in my life. The Bible is always used to decide a right path to take. It is my guide and standard! There are too many who do not even give self-honesty a second thought, and that is also bad. There are those who have no desire for self-honesty. When people have no true guide in their lives, they become as “children, tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine…” (Ephesians 4:14). To act honestly on revealed and knowable truth is of prime importance. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). “…and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). As we dwell on this subject of self-honesty, I insist that …

A very prominent religious cult in America that is in no sense of the word Christian teaches an infinite regression of God, but no explanation for the existence of the first God. This group teaches that God, our heavenly Father, was once a human like ourselves, and that we, if we join this religious cult, can also “progress” until we become gods. Hence, in the universe there are multiplied thousands of gods according to their view, rather than the one true God about whom we read in the Bible. A man who is considered to be a great prophet in this particular church, said on this very theme: The Lord created you and me for the purpose of becoming Gods like Himself; when we have proved our present capacity, and been faithful with all things He puts into our possession. We are created, we are born for the express purpose of growing up from the low estate of manhood, to become Gods like unto our Father in heaven. That is the truth about it, just as it is. The Lord has organized mankind for the express purpose of increasing in that intelligence and truth, which is with God, until he is capable of creating worlds on worlds, and becoming Gods, even the sons of God. So, here we have, according to this greatly esteemed prophet among these people, a clear and understandable statement that God created us to become gods like himself. For those of us who are clearheaded Christians, …

One of the most outstanding things that strikes us as we read of the Scriptures in Matthew 13:53-58 and John 7:1-5 is the fact that those who should have been closest to Jesus seemed to understand and believe in Him the least. However, there are some other significant lessons evident as we study the family of Jesus. Because Jesus Himself indicated that in the truest, deepest sense, His family included those who do His will (Mark 3:31-35), we shall compare the physical and spiritual family of Jesus. Their Lowly Status The lowly background of Jesus and His family is indicated by at least three things: First, although the proper and usual offerings for purification was a “lamb of the first year” and a “young turtledove or pigeon” (Leviticus 12:1-8), for those who were too poor for that offering, permission was given for bringing two turtledoves or two pigeons. The parents of Jesus brought that offering (Luke 2:24). Thus, we see that His family was among the poorest and most humble from the viewpoint of the world. Second, when He is mentioned in Matthew 13:35 and Mark 6:3 as “the carpenter,” and “the carpenter’s son,” it is with apparent contempt at His lowly station in life. Third, Jesus said in Matthew 8:20, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.” As the physical family of Jesus was of humble origin, so must the spiritual family …

According to the New Testament account of Paul’s missionary journeys, the people in two cities with the same name, Antioch, had very different reactions to the Gospel. Antioch of Pisidia, the smaller city, was located northeast of Ephesus in what is now modern day Turkey. In the first century, it was part of the Roman Empire and had a population of just over 50,000. Antioch on the Orontes, also known as Antioch of Syria, was about 300 miles north of Jerusalem and had a population of more than half a million. In Acts 13:14, Paul and Barnabas departed from Perga and arrived in Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath they preached to the Jews about Christ (13:6-41), and on the following Sabbath, they preached to the whole city, focusing more on the Gentiles (13:44-47), since many of the Jews had rejected the Gospel. Eventually, these Jews stirred up the chief men of the city, persecuted Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from the city (13:50). The Jewish leaders were not satisfied with forcing the missionaries to leave town, and they pursued Paul and Barnabas to Lystra (Acts 14:6-8) where they stirred up the people, stoned Paul and threw him out of the city, thinking he was dead (14:19). However, Paul lived and continued to preach the next day before departing for Derbe. Today, we remember the Jewish people at Antioch of Pisidia first “followed Paul and Barnabas” and then became envious and opposed them because they spoke to “multitudes” of …

Burton Coffman relates a story from William Barclay’s commentary in which an ancient heathen man hated a particular righteous man. His reason was thus stated once to the righteous man: The man guilty of a lifestyle of debauchery said to the much more upright individual, “I hate you; because every time I meet you, you show me what I am.” If honesty were inescapable, this statement would be repeated many times over from the lips of those wicked souls who persecute the righteous. Sometimes the simple living of a righteous life is provocative enough to get the unrighteous quite angry. Christians trying to humbly follow their God may receive every form of persecution from tongue-lashings to physical scourging just because those who are not trying to humbly follow God do not like it that some are. In many cases, Christians have neither been arrogant nor confrontational about the differences of lifestyle. It is just that the immoral see an indictment of their depraved lifestyle when they encounter one who has learned to exercise self-control. The Bible warned that this would be the case and told Christians how to respond. Christians should be ready to answer their opponents, and continue to keep “a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (1 Peter 3:15-16). It is disturbing, but should not be surprising to Christians, that some non-Christians would despise their lifestyle. Peter reminded, “Beloved, do not think it strange …

When visitors attend our periods of worship on the Lord’s Day, they quickly observe that we partake of the Lord’s Supper as a part of our worship to God. Some ask, “How often do you partake of the Lord’s Supper?” The answer is that “we partake of it on the first day of every week” (Acts 20:7). Another question is, “Do you practice open or closed communion?” That is an interesting question. The fact is the Bible does not use such terms. It becomes necessary, therefore, to inquire from the Word of God who may and who may not participate in the Lord’s Supper. The apostle Paul, in addressing this particular subject in his first epistle to the church in Corinth wrote, “So let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (11:28). Thus, the participation in the communion of the Lord is a very personal matter. In the churches of Christ, there are no brethren standing by to inform people who may or who may not eat the bread and drink the fruit of the vine. That responsibility is not in the realm of decision-making by the church leaders. It is an individual matter. In this sense, the church of the Lord practices neither “open” nor “closed communion.” Each person must decide for himself. However, we must not construe this answer to mean that all commune with the Lord when they partake of the bread and of the fruit of …

In the last two hundred years, it has been far from unusual for a new religious body to appear. Most of these new groups have claimed that God has given them some new revelation, and it is their purpose to carry it to the world. Events such as these may cause one to question his own faith and wonder if he really does have the complete revelation from God in the Bible. In other words, does he have the essential ingredients necessary to form a belief that will bring about salvation? The New Testament does not leave any indication that there is a revelation to follow. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correcting, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Peter plainly indicated that all of man’s spiritual needs are provided for in the Scriptures. If this were not the case, he could not have gone on to say, “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:3-4, 10). John by inspiration said that we have all that is necessary to receive eternal life (John 20:30-31). Paul was convinced he had preached the Gospel and warned against anyone who preached anything contrary to it (Galatians 1:6-9). He also admonished the Corinthians to “stand fast in the faith” (1 Corinthians …

It is interesting that, while the introduction of Mother’s Day was met with enthusiasm, Father’s Day was met with amusement, the target of satire and derision, as many people saw it as an effort to fill up the calendar with promotions for merchants. Culture today seems to hold the very concept of fatherhood in much the same way, viewing it as an antiquated and unnecessary element for both the well-being of children and society. Several years ago the British parliament voted that fertility clinics no longer need to consider a child’s need for a father. Others contend the rapidly changing patterns of morals in society reveal the traditional father/mother home as just one possibility among many. Along with this, the typical portrayal of fathers in most entertainment fare is that of a self-absorbed person who has no clue how to parent his children, along with no desire to do so. Many have concluded homes would be just as well off without a father as with one. Statistics, however, indicate how integral the role of a father is in the home. The US Dept. of Health has reported 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. The Center for Disease Control related that 85% of children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes. The US Justice Department stated 70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes. Other examples could be offered, but these are sufficient to point out, simply from a pragmatic view, the role of fathers is …

Being a father is not easy, but it is worth it! The Bible gives instructions about how to do it right. For example, notice Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” How do you bring up a child in the training and admonition of the Lord? Notice what fathers can do for their children. Pray for them. There are many biblical examples of fathers praying for their children: Jairus (Mark 5); the father with the demoniac son (Mark 9); Job (1:5) and David. Toward the end of his life, as David prepared to pass leadership to his son Solomon, he prayed a special prayer: “give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision”(1 Chronicles 29:19). Pray for them and with them. Let them hear your prayers to God. One of the greatest gifts you can give your children is prayer. Spend time with them. A recent survey revealed: The average five-year-old spends only 25 minutes per week with his father, and most children spend 35 hours per week with some type of digital device. No wonder we have difficulty influencing our children. Notice God’s Word: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them …

In John 3:16 Jesus called Himself God’s “only begotten Son.” There are some who take this as evidence of Jesus being not divine, alleging that something that is “begotten” is created. What does it mean to be the “only begotten Son”? The phrase “only begotten” appears six times in the New Testament. Five times it was used by John (John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9) and one time by the Hebrews writer (11:17). If we wish to understand what it means to be the “only begotten Son,” then we must examine all of these passages to see what can be learned from each. That being said, every time John uses the phrase, he talks about Jesus, but the Hebrews writer talks about Isaac. There in Hebrews 11, the heroes of faith are recounted and Abraham is listed among them for a number of reasons, one of which being his sacrifice of Isaac. What is interesting about this usage is that the Greek word behind the phrase literally means “only child,” yet Isaac was not Abraham’s only child. Even back in Genesis 22, where the story is found, Isaac is called Abraham’s only son, but he is not. So what are we to make of this? Most commentators remark that Isaac is the only child of Abraham through Sarah, which is true enough. However, there must be something more behind the usage other than a literal, born child. The “only begotten,” then, denotes a special relationship. Isaac is the …