As with the husbands, wives are commanded to love their husbands (Titus 2:4). The word in this passage is not the usual word agapao but rather is phileo. The wife needs to learn to like her husband; to like who he is and what he does (as long as it is in harmony with the Word of God). The wife in the Song of Solomon is a loving wife. Notice the positive qualities of the loving wife. First, the loving wife provides positive support for her husband. She realizes that the home is the one place her man can go to find rest, encouragement and acceptance. Her husband knows that his wife is for him, even when it may seem that everyone else is against him. This will provide him a level of peace (8:10). Second, the loving wife verbalizes her love. The wife in the Song says that her husband is “outstanding among ten thousand” (5:10). She then proceeds to describe some qualities about him that she loves (5:11-16). Third, the loving wife is committed. She does not have eyes for others but is faithful and loyal. The wife boldly affirms, “I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me” (7:10). Fourth, the loving wife is sensitive to his physical needs. After taking his bride on their honeymoon, and expressing his desire for her, the Shulammite invites her husband to make love to her (4:16).

The Passover Supper was the beginning of the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread for the Jews. It marked the beginning of the year for them, and it was a time of rejoicing for deliverance from Egyptian slavery and from the Death Angel that destroyed the firstborn of all who were not protected by the blood of the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:1-42). Now what does any of this have to do with us? As Paul might say, much in every way (Romans 3:2a)! The Lamb is the Lord Jesus (John 1:29; Revelation 5:6). Jesus is our Passover Lamb, sacrificed for us, whose blood covers our guilt before God and saves us from His wrath. “…For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8 NKJV). Therefore, we are to keep the Feast! For how long? Well, how long are we to be unleavened in sincerity and truth? Remember, the Old Testament feast lasted a week, beginning with the slaughter of the Passover lamb. What do we commemorate now on the first day of every week? The death for us of Jesus (Acts 20:7)! We should hold that commemoration in our heart for the rest of the week, right? Then what? Then, we do it all again! Every Sunday is our Passover celebration, and every week is our feast of unleavened bread seen …

From time to time, church members will be asked a question similar to the title of this article. There are many ways in which this can be answered, such as only the church of Christ started at the right time (Daniel 2:44), in the right place (Jerusalem, Luke 24:49; cf. Isaiah 2:3; Acts 1:8; 2:1-47), by the right person (Jesus, Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23) and with the right doctrine (Matthew 16:19; Acts 2:38; Romans 16:16-18). No denomination can claim any of these points! However, there is one single Bible verse that also totally exposes the difference between the church of Christ and all denominations. Colossians 3:17 The most concise yet comprehensive way to answer the question is to accept and apply what Colossians 3:17 teaches. This verse reads, “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” (NKJV). Notice the three statements in the beginning of this verse that show how much an individual or a group of individuals calling themselves a church must do by the authority of Jesus Christ: (1) “whatever you do” leaves nothing out; (2) “in word or deed” includes everything, even thoughts, because they determine speech and actions, and (3) “do all” encompasses everything. Any one of these statements by itself would teach that Jesus’ authority is needed for everything we do, but when the God-breathed Scriptures give that scope three times in one verse, there is an undeniable …

An Open Letter from a Father toHis Children and Grandchildren “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them…” (Psalm 127:3-5 NKJV). We are heirs of the Lord, and children are our heritage. They are a gift we are given because we are so fortunate to belong to the Lord, not because we have done any hard work to acquire them. One of the ways God can bless us is by giving us children. It matters not how the children come to us, by birth or by adoption; each child is a gift. Whether by adoption or by the melding of a blended family, they are truly family and as such a part of our heritage. My entire family is my heritage from the Lord. I am a man so blessed and so happy that my family is full of sons, daughters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law. A family of children, grandchildren who are a conglomerate of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. I am so thankful for my wonderful family who are truly, as the Psalmist said, a heritage from the lord. Through the years it has been my prayer that I have given you words of wisdom, enlightenment and encouragement, and in my own small way, shown you a light on the path of life that leads …

“See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?” (“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” Isaac Watts). Sin is such a commonplace element of the world in which we live that it’s easy to take it for granted. We see it in the world in general and in society. How sad the way people treat one another! It’s something we can experience in our own families, and we see the effects of it in ruined lives of people we dearly love. We also know what it can do in our own lives, in how we can struggle against yielding to the demands it makes in our own lives and the frustrations it brings to our efforts to live faithful and godly lives in Christ. We agree with Paul, who said of himself, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:22-24 NKJV). So, how do we break out of the bondage to sin to live in the light of God’s will, to know fully His love for us and the beauty of life in Christ? Paul went on to say, “There is …

A daily poll is a part of a website I enjoy visiting from time to time. A recent poll asked people where they eat supper. Forty percent said, “In front of the TV.” That led me to a question. Does the television distract family members from paying close attention to what other family members might be saying? The survey did not have a response for what a person was doing while eating the meal. How many appear disinterested in their families because of smart phones and tablets? God directed that the family make a continual effort to teach and train children. Notice Moses’ words to the second generation of Israelites delivered from bondage in Egypt. 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 when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NKJV) Parents should make every effort to learn what their children are doing and thinking. Seize upon questions, viewing them as teaching opportunities. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, …

At the time of the coming of God’s kingdom on earth, an empire spread across three continents. It had been rising in power for almost 800 years before the incarnation of our Lord. Indeed, the wealthiest part of it would survive another 1,500 years, with many attempting to restore the unity Rome had brought Europe and its overseas possessions during that time. There is a difference between a kingdom and an empire. The latter is made from many nations, and the former is one nation. Both have a sovereign, and, in the first century, both rulers of Rome and God’s kingdom shared common titles. Both were addressed as “Lord,” with all the religious applications applied. However, the moral decency of the Lord Jesus far exceeded Caesar on every level. One message of the New Testament is that Christ is Lord and Caesar was not! This clash of kingdom and empire was amplified when you consider that Caesar claimed the title, “son of God.” Of course, in his case, it was false, but his worshipers did not take lightly to the Christian proclamation that not only was Jesus the Son of God but that He was the only begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 3:16), thus denying Caesar’s claim of divine origin and authority over the Empire. There was certainly a clash of world views and religions. As faith in Christ grew, so did His kingdom. In Philippians 4:22, Paul wrote, “All the saints greet you, but especially those who are …

Moses was given God’s law on Mount Sinai, and that law included what we commonly refer to as the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:1-17, we read, “And God spoke all these words, saying:” Thousands of years ago, God gave these commandments to Moses. The wondrous thing is that, even though we are no longer under the Law, all but one of these commandments is still given for God’s people today! Let’s examine that thought. Sometimes we say that the Old Law was given to those folks a long time ago. True, it was but the teachings of the Old Law still apply in almost everything that we do today. Thank God for His continuing laws of goodness! [Editorial Note: The New Testament replaced all of the Old Testament, including the original Ten Commandments (2 Corinthians 7:7-13; Romans 7:6; Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:8-13). However, essentially, nine of the Ten Commandments have been given again in the New Testament; we follow them, not because they were in the Old Testament – which is no longer authoritative – but because they are in the New Testament. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

In the last year or so we have found an increasing number of persons who have decided that the church as a whole is no longer (if it ever was) the Church of Christ, but it is either a “big, sick denomination” or something equally reprehensible. This is different from the position that the churches “listed in the yellow pages” do not necessarily contain all Christians. The first position is that the churches “listed in the yellow pages” are not churches of Christ at all, but they may have a few Christians in them. We have no doubt that there are denominational tendencies in the church, and they have been from the beginning. We have no doubt that there are churches of Christ and individual Christians in the world who know nothing about the churches in America, and may not even know that there are “yellow pages.” We have no doubt that there are cultish tendencies and worldly tendencies in the church, but that does not prove that the church of the Lord is a denomination, a cult or the same as the world. We are sympathetic toward those who hold the view we are now denying. For when we look at the average congregation and find such a contrast between what is and what should be, we are saddened. We may give a Bible examination to a group of teachers (the cream of the crop!) and find them woefully ignorant of even simple Bible facts. Few give more than lip-service, if …

It’s an interesting fact that the Masai tribe in West Africa has an unusual way of saying, “I thank you.” They say literally, “My head is in the dirt.” When the Masai express thanks, they literally put their forehead down on the ground. They want to acknowledge gratitude with humility. It is also interesting that members of another African tribe express gratitude by saying, “I sit on the ground before you.” When one of them wants to express gratitude to another, he sits in front of the hut of the person to whom he wishes to express gratitude and just sits there in humility for an extended length of time. (Joel Gregory, “The Unlikely Thanker,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 110). How do we show our appreciation to those we want to thank? Maybe the best way is by just saying, “Thank you.” Thank you is an expression that seems to be rarely spoken today. Yet, next to “I love you,” they may be some of the most powerful and thoughtful words we say to one another. The Bible is full of examples of the thankful attitude that we as Christians are to have daily. The following list is just a sample of what the Bible teaches about giving thanks. As we think about giving thanks around the holiday of Thanksgiving, may we be reminded that the Bible tells us as Christians to have the attitude of gratitude every day.

From at least 1844, we have been told that “on this day the Lord Jesus will return to the earth, finally establish His kingdom, then reign for one thousand years from Jerusalem.” Of course, the event failed to materialize. From that time to the present, there have been numerous other false prophets who continue to spew out the doctrine of premillennialism. Untold numbers have partaken of what these false teachers have poured forth. Sometimes, false teachers and their false doctrine must be met directly and bluntly as did the apostle Paul. “But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.’ And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand” (Acts 13:8-11 NKJV). There was much at stake as this man was trying to keep the proconsul from hearing the truth that Paul was preaching. Note what Jesus Himself taught about His second coming. He stated, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the …

The first sermon preached each Sunday is not by the pulpit preacher but by you. You preach a message about the importance of the Scriptures when you bring your Bible. You preach a message of good cheer when you say “Good Morning!” to those you meet when you park your car and when you are in the hallway and classroom. You preach a message of hope and joy when you sing enthusiastically during the song service. You preach a message about the power of prayer when you fervently enter into our time of prayer together. You preach a message of respect when you listen attentively while the preacher is speaking. You preach a message of love when you smile, say “Hello” and introduce yourself to visitors. You preach a message of faith when you give your offering. Many messages are preached before the preacher stands up to bring his message. If your message is positive and consistent, then the message from the pulpit will be much better received. Come each Sunday prepared to preach your sermon.

Sitting on our deck, my head resting on the back of my chair, I looked at the blue sky above the trees. The blue sky, some kind of orange flowering vine on a tree and a hawk circling, God was being praised. When my brother left home, I inherited his bedroom. It was before the days of central air conditioning. Spring through early fall, I slept with windows opened. There is still a large American Basswood tree outside those windows and other trees in my parents’ yard. My alarm clock every morning was the birds singing and the doves, whose nest was outside one window, cooing. In recent years, a mockingbird has danced and sung on the telephone pole visible from my office window. When I hear birds sing, I hear songs of praise to God. I have always been awed by creation. Standing on one of the ridges of Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania and watching the hawks, eagles, and yes, even buzzards, floating on the updrafts, I am amazed not only of the birds in flight and the view of the mountain and of the valley below, I am in awe of their Creator. The smell and feel of the dirt freshly plowed when we gardened on the farm in Delaware refreshed my soul. To walk those fields with Boomer, our dog, praying in the quiet, watching the geese fly over, on occasion seeing a deer, yes, was to experience God. God’s creation is God’s cathedral as our son …

When Christ in the beginning established His church, as He had promised in Matthew 16:18, Christians sang psalms, hymns and spiritual songs in the worship of God, without the use of any kind of instruments of music. They were taught, “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). Likewise, Christians in Ephesus were instructed, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). When the Roman Catholic church began hundreds of years after the establishment of the church of Christ, it began to use mechanical instruments of music in its worship. In the beginning of the 16th century when the Protestant movement started, founders and leaders of prominent denominational churches, including Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Wesley, spoke against the use of instruments of music in the worship of God. Christ taught, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). God desires that people, whom He created, should worship Him with their hearts and lips, which God made and not through musical instruments which man made. Hebrews 13:15 teaches, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” [Editor’s Note: The foregoing is part of …

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13). The inspired writer of the book of Hebrews exhorted his brothers and sisters to remain faithful to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. There was the imminent danger of believers being lured back to the first covenant with all its rituals and animal sacrifices. Their hearts could be hardened if they turned their backs to the “new and living way” (Hebrews 11:20) through Christ. In the original, the word “exhort,” parakaleo, meant to encourage, entreat, to urge and to comfort. Now, as then, we are to encourage our brothers and sisters to be faithful to Christ, and not to be drawn away by the devices of Satan. There are brothers and sisters who are drifting away, and we certainly need to encourage them. James wrote, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20 NKJV). We should do this while we have the opportunity, that is, as long as it is called today. This exhorting can be done in various ways and anytime by individual Christians. Perhaps a personal visit would be the most …

The presence of social media allows a single statement to travel the world in milliseconds. Have you ever thought about the power of sending a single message? Much good has been accomplished via social media. Many people gain the opportunity to hear the Gospel preached. Others beg for prayers from those who believe. Comfort comes from reading stories, Scriptures or encouraging thoughts sent out from “friends.” On the other hand, much harm oozes from the screens of mobile devices. Many disparage life while blaming God for troublesome times in their lives. The language used by our “friends” and even other Christians ought to make us blush as we read them. One of my favorite YouTubers made this comment: “If you voice an opinion on social media, someone will rebut it. What one would never say to your face, he will throw it on social media. If I said, ‘chocolate chip cookies are great,’ someone would disagree.” Not being able to see the face of those who read our messages or hear their responses gives us a type of blind strength. As a follower of Jesus, there are several verses we ought to consider in our conversations with others. Note the following list that was compiled by Karen Ehman. The world strives to draw us back into it. Troublesome times and desperate situations tend to be an inlet for Satan to gain a foothold. When scrolling through Facebook, we may find posts with content presented in hurtful, divisive and even hateful ways. …

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Philippi from a Roman prison around A.D. 61-63 and told them, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NKJV). This passage is the theme of the Book of Philippians, one of the four prison epistles of Paul, aside from Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon. Christians are to rejoice always despite life challenges. King Solomon said that there is “a time to laugh” and “to rejoice, and to do good” (Ecclesiastes 3:4b, 12). However, there are occasions when it is not appropriate to rejoice, yes, to be glad. This is the thrust of this piece. It is inappropriate to rejoice at calamities, as the following passages note. Mull over what you read, and act fast on them. “…He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 17:5b). “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17). Christians are to rejoice always, however, this rejoice is a limited rejoice in that it does not cover rejoicing over enemies, haters, persecutors and calamities. Christians, as children of blessings, must not wish evil to their foes, but rather they must abide by what Christ said in Matthew 5:44-48, which reads, “…Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven… Therefore you shall be perfect, just as …

The world yearly considers our Savior in relative calm as a harmless, speechless and swaddled baby boy – the silent purveyor of peace in a world of pain and hopelessness. Admittedly, it is thrilling to reflect upon the miracle of Christ’s physical birth by the virgin Mary. We find ourselves blushing with her as she humbly struggles with the prospect of motherhood. We can almost hear the awe-inspiring words of the angels that announced His birth. We can feel the anxiety of Joseph and Mary as they fled to Egypt for refuge. We can rejoice with the prophets of old as the plan of God unfolded in unimaginable splendor. Yet, these events are merely a ripple in the pond of God’s mercies when compared with the gift of eternal life – a wonderful and glorious life that follows in the wake of Christ’s triumph over death. Our hope does not rest in the simple facts of Christ’s birth in the humble surroundings of Bethlehem. Rather, our hope rests in the Christ who became the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). This contrast in vision seems to be foolishness in the eyes of the world (1 Corinthians 1:20-25), but it has a wondrous attraction to those who cherish the true gift of God’s love (John 3:16). In Christ’s death is the celebration of life, for through the broken body and our Lord’s shed blood came the new covenant (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). The celebration of our own new birth follows baptism as …

“And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men’” (Mark 1:16 NKJV). Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, and He spied a man and his brother. Their names were Simon and Andrew. Previously, they had followed John the Baptist when he was preaching in Judea, and one of them, Andrew, was present the day following Jesus’ baptism when John declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” When Andrew heard John say this, he went to find his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. They listened to Jesus teach, and they obeyed His teaching. When Jesus called them, Simon and Andrew were working with their father. Their current task was mending the nets of the fishing boat. Fishing was their livelihood. This was their occupation, their trade. Some men, it might be said, live to fish. Simon and Andrew fished to live. Jesus came to them and said, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their father’s nets behind and followed Him. Following below are two important lessons from these events. When Jesus Calls, You Have to Choose. Jesus did not present a third alternative. Simon and Andrew had to choose to either stay or to follow Him. They made the right choice. They chose their Teacher. Their determination that …

I read an Internet article last week where the author was commenting on how baptisms have become extremely non-traditional. I don’t know the author or the author’s religious background, but it is clear that there is a great deal of misinformation about baptism in the religious world. I cannot possibly cover all of the problems and misunderstandings in a single, short article, but here are some of the bigger takeaways that we need to share with our friends and family. Baptism is a burial in water by the authority of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins (Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38). Candidates for baptism are teens and adults who recognize the need. Where someone is baptized and who does the baptizing are things that do not matter. A person wearing casual clothes baptized in a pool by a friend is no less saved than a person wearing a baptismal robe who is baptized in a church baptistry by a minister or an elder. Our concern should not be how traditional a baptism is but how biblical it is. [Editor’s Note: Traveling around the world to distant and often remote interior destinations with the Gospel message presents a variety of variables that differ from American traditional trappings. Over a hundred years ago in the USA, too – predating contemporary American church amenities and traditions – baptismal robes and baptistries in modern buildings did not trump the immersion in water of penitent believers for the remission of sins. The conversion of …