Some say that New Testament writers, like John, James, Paul and Peter, taught and believed that Christ’s coming again was imminent in the first century. If they taught and believed that, they were mistaken because it did not happen. Would God allow His inspired writers to believe and teach something that was not true? In 1 John 2:18, John wrote, “It is the last hour,” and then, he added that he knew it was the last hour because the anti-Christ had come. Did John mean to teach that the Second Coming of Christ was just at hand? If that is the meaning of the phrase, then he made a mistake because almost 2,000 years have transpired, and the world is still standing. Peter made a similar statement in his first epistle, “The end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7). James wrote in James 5:8, “The coming of the Lord is at hand.” Did these inspired writers err about what was soon to happen? Did they believe that the return of the Lord and the end of time on earth was soon to occur? The phrase, “at hand” is found in other New Testament passages, and it always means something that is very near to occurring. Inspired men taught that something was about to happen, not something that would occur thousands of years in the future: Matthew 3:2 – “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Matthew 25:46 – “He who betrays me is at hand” and Romans …

“Where do we find out about Easter in the Bible?” “What kind of Easter service are you having in your church this year?” Based on the truth of the Bible, one Sunday is no more special than any other throughout the year. Many have been led to believe that observing and celebrating one particular Sunday appointed by the authority of man is what is found in the Bible. They are surprised, and often in disagreement, when they learn that historically Easter was both unknown and unpracticed by those taught directly by the Lord Jesus Christ and guided into all the truth through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; 2 Timothy 3:14-17). What this means is its origin is not from God; its authority is not from the Word of God – His revelation. Therefore, observance of Easter as a holy day, supposedly established by God, is incorrect. Setting aside a Sunday between March 21 and April 25 is without heaven’s approval (Galatians 4:10-11). To study God’s Word, trying to find such an idea commanded, is fruitless and vain. Setting aside this particular Sunday was first adopted by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Where’s the authority of God in that? God’s revealed and inspired Truth is completely silent regarding Lent, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday or Easter. Theses observances were neither commanded by God nor practiced by early Christians. We must turn to another source other than the Bible to find these days, and that’s forbidden (Revelation …

The God of Israel had this to say regarding the spiritual status of His people, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6 NKJV). Is it possible for spiritual Israel (the church of the Lord) to be rejected because of the lack of the knowledge of the Word of God? The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” There is always the probability that the church of Jesus Christ can lose its identity because of ignorance of the Holy Scriptures. Where there is a void in the understanding of the Bible, there is the potential of being led astray from the teaching of the Lord. When this happens, an apostasy usually occurs over a period of time. We must never assume that all Christians have a proper understanding of biblical matters. Therefore, it is of necessity that elders require of their preachers and teachers to present lessons and sermons over a broad spectrum of subjects pertaining to the authority of the scriptures, how to rightly divide the Word of God, the identity of the church of our Lord, acceptable worship as well as the grace and love of God. There is always a great need for a balance in the preaching of the Word of God. The apostle Paul instructed Timothy in this manner, “And the things that you have heard from …

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you were stuck in prison? Do you know that as a Christian, you are actually commanded in God’s Word to contemplate that very thing? Further, do you know why you are commanded to do that? Jesus told why, which is so that you can go to heaven when you die. Obeying the second greatest command, to love your neighbor as yourself, is required to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25-28). Yes, it’s that important, but how do we do it? There’s a written standard on how we are to love others. We can’t just love them any way we want to. The standard is us. We have to first look at how we would like to be loved and apply that standard to the way we behave toward and treat others (Matthew 7:12). Putting this all together, here’s the key passage for this lesson. “Let brotherly love continue. …Remember the prisoners as if chained with them…” (Hebrews 13:1, 3 NKJV). Remembering prisoners is a command of God, a love command contained within the second greatest command, but very often ignored by many if not most Christians. Have you ever in your life even heard a sermon on Hebrews 13:3 or read an article on that verse? And just like the second greatest command, it has a standard. We have to picture ourselves stuck in prison and contemplate how we would want others to remember us there. There is no option here if you want …

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:19-20 NKJV). When we read Revelation 3:19-20, we are faced with a question, “Why do we have this picture of Jesus knocking on the door to get back into the church?” Were these people Christians? Yes, they had been added to the church, which means they had heard (Romans 10:17), believed (Hebrews 11:6), repented (Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19), confessed Christ (Romans 10:9-10) and been baptized (Acts 2:38-27). Therefore, they had obeyed the plan of salvation. What was wrong? Let us examine all seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2-3 and note what was wrong with each one. The church at Ephesus was a hard-working congregation. It was good at spotting false doctrine, and it was good at teaching, but Jesus told them, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent” (Revelation 2:4-5). They had stopped loving. Every command our Lord has given us is based on love. “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in …

Just as it takes a certain number of inches to make one foot, so it takes certain things to make a Christian. The Bible is God’s measuring standard to tell mankind what is and what is not the measure of becoming a Christian and to exhibit Christian behavior (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The divine measuring stick – the Bible – says it takes faith (Hebrews 11:6), repentance (Acts 2:38), confession (Romans 10:9-10) and baptism (Acts 2:38) to make a Christian. This same measuring standard tells man it takes living soberly, righteously and godly (Titus 2:12) to practice Christian conduct or living.  All carpenters in the world simply claiming that 6 inches equals one foot (instead of 12 inches) would not make their claim true. All the preachers and professed religionists in the world merely claiming that one becomes a Christian before faith, repentance, confession and baptism won’t make it so either. How do your beliefs and practices measure up in light of the Bible?

In the sixth century before Christ, the exiles from Israel were marched through the mountains, valleys and deserts into a life of cruel slavery. They had rebelled against their God, and He permitted the Babylonian empire to conquer their homeland in punishment. Proud Jerusalem had been brought under the tyrant’s heel, not to be free again for generations. Is it any wonder the people who were dragged there in chains sang a heartbreaking song of mourning? In Psalm 137:1, they sang, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion” (NKJV). Without a doubt, they considered the folly of disobedience and how they had turned away from the God of their fathers. How they regretted the consequences of their poor decisions! They sang, “We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:2-4). The phrase, “plundered us,” in the Hebrew, tells us this was the wild cry of intense, inner pain. The longing for what was lost is declared in the next two verses. “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth — If I do not exalt …

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21 NKJV). Faithful Christians must always try to walk in the steps of Jesus, but no one will ever fully succeed. The reason is that Jesus is perfect. Just look at verse 22 that follows the above Scripture. “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth.” Hebrews 4:15 says of Jesus that He was “…tempted as we are, yet without sin.” No matter how hard we try to please God, we, though Christians, will still sin. God knew that before He created us, and that is why He provided a Savior for us. Yet, that doesn’t diminish our need to live the way God has told us to live. Not only did He give us a pattern to follow in the steps of His perfect Son, but He gave us the most beautiful book ever written, the Bible! Because of that book, we cannot plead ignorance in knowing what God expects of us. We cannot say that we weren’t given an opportunity to walk in the steps of Jesus. When I was a child and when we were blessed with snow, whenever an adult walked through the snow in front of me, I tried my best to walk in his footprints. Many of us have done that. We didn’t do that because we despised the snow, because we loved playing in the snow, …

Abandonment is real for an unimaginable number of people in the world today. They have been forsaken by those who were supposed to protect them. Their days are fraught with danger and temptation, and their protection is virtually non-existent. The Psalmist writer penned, “When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me” (Psalm 27:10 NKJV). Many people in this world have found themselves alone, forsaken and abandoned. Their own parents will not come to their rescue. Their families have no care or concern for their wellbeing. These people need to learn what the Psalmist writer learned – that God never forsakes you. Psalm 27:14 provides consolation when it says, “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” I’ll Never Abandon the Lord Joshua 24:16 represents a praiseworthy disposition toward God. “So the people answered and said: ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods.’” However, the commitment of one generation is often followed by the downfall of another as humanity’s relationship with God ebbs and flows. The Israelites of Joshua’s day were filled with conviction that they would never depart from God, and they would never be willing to forsake the Lord. Yet, in reality, it was just a short time before they turned away from the Lord and turned to idols. Even in the first century church, the reality is that Christians abandoned …

If most of us who consider ourselves sound, conservative Gospel preachers were asked the question, “Do you think I need to change churches?” by a member of some denomination with whom we were studying, probably at least 99% of us would answer with a resounding, “Yes!” The primary problem with that is that about 99% of the time, we would not be answering the question he thinks he has asked. In his own mind, he has asked, “Do you mean to tell me that I need to leave my denomination and join yours or some other one?” Deeper in his mind is this thought, “You think that the Church of Christ church is better than any other denomination.” If you merely answer his question, “Yes,” as a large number of persons who claim membership in the Lord’s church would, you have confirmed his opinion. If you found a person living on the street in a pasteboard box or under an overpass, if you wanted him to come into the house where food and warmth were found, would you say to him, “You should change houses?” The very idea that a pasteboard box is in the same category as a house is erroneous. Any time we use language that suggests that any manmade institution is in the same category as the Lord’s church, we do damage to the Gospel truth. The more nearly correct, although partial, answer would be, “Merely changing churches would not do you any good.” Surely, anyone who …

Just recently we hosted my father-in-law for a brief stay. He was a Viet Nam veteran, and as we ate supper, I asked him to quote his military serial number. He quoted it without any hesitation. Before asking this question, I knew he would be able to quote it. I knew this because my father could do the very same thing. He was a WWII veteran, and he could quote his military serial number up until a week or so before his death. My father told me that each service member was to provide only his name, rank and serial number if captured by the enemy. This was very important for the one captured, since it helped the family of the one taken POW to know that its family member was still alive. Moreover, the treatment of POW’s pivoted on the U.S. government’s knowledge of their survival. That is, if people do not know you are alive, you can be tortured, brutalized, propagandized and murdered by those holding you as a prisoner of war, and do so without any real consequences. Until the release of Douglas Hegdahl, many of those held POW in the “Hanoi Hilton” were unknown. This refusal to let the United States know that some of their military servicemen were being held allowed the North Vietnamese to brutalize American Soldiers and torture them for information. Hegdahl was viewed as the “incredibly stupid one” by his North Vietnamese captors. This being the case, he was given liberties around …

Sometimes as a dad, I have to set my children down and have serious talks with them. Maybe they have been misbehaving or not listening, or maybe it is just something that is really important that I need them to understand. In those moments, I am trying to help them see the big picture. I am trying to help them see what is really important and what the consequences will be for not listening and not obeying. When we come to Hebrews 6, the writer was trying to help those who received this message to grow beyond first principles and to move on to heavier matters. He was trying to shore up their faith so that they had what they needed to grow, endure and be fruitful. Specifically in Hebrews 6:9-12, the writer was encouraging them to continually focus on better things, things of God and salvation. This is something he was convinced was possible. They were a people who had proven that they could work for God and serve others, but just like all of us, they still needed to strive daily to be better. In Hebrews 6:11-12, they were encouraged to “show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (NKJV). Like we see in Hebrews 5 and 6, we all are to be diligent to hear and grow in sound doctrine, to work and serve God …

Few things are as misunderstood as preaching. Some view preaching as the main event in the worship service each week. Others view it as the preacher’s attempt to keep the congregation awake for thirty to forty minutes. The truth is that preaching is neither entertainment nor a spiritual pep rally where the preacher tries his best to keep the congregation interested in the things of God. Biblical preaching is not boring preaching. However, many people today often listen to preaching expecting things the Bible never promises to deliver. Others have their expectations too low when it comes to preaching. They are content to hear a few stories, several jokes and very little if any Scripture expounded at all. God chose to communicate His will through preaching (1 Corinthians 1:21; Titus 1:3). Preaching is important to God, and therefore, it should be important to us. Those who preach will be held to a higher account by God and should be sure they remember to do what pleases God (James 3:1). What should we expect from preaching? Let us be sure our expectations are God-centered and not manmade (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Expect to Hear the Truth Preaching is supposed to communicate the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17). Paul told Timothy to preach the Word, which contains the truth from God (2 Timothy 4:2). Many times, we focus on style and personal preference (which are not bad in and of themselves) to the extent that we forget to consider whether we heard the truth …

Recently, I spoke to a brother in the hospital. He was there because his primary care physician told him to check himself in through the emergency room so his symptoms could be stabilized, and a specialist could see him. This brother, who made it a point to pray with his doctors and nurses, had already passed out business card-sized invitations to the local church’s services and was equipped with a few sets of Back to the Bible personal evangelism booklets, just in case people at the hospital accepted his invitation to a Bible study. This brother revealed in the conversation that his usual overnight bag consists of personal evangelism tools because, “You never know when you’ll need them to teach people the Gospel.” Here is a brother who was packed for evangelism. What a great example! The apostle Paul stated, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also” (Romans 1:14-15 NKJV). Paul revealed two tremendous attitudes that are necessary for personal evangelism. First, he felt an obligation to all people (Romans 1:14). The word translated “debtor” refers to someone who is “under obligation” (ESV). Although this particular verse does not identify why Paul felt the obligation, an examination of his life suggests that at least part of it was that he himself was forgiven so great a debt of sin that …

We define the word “symphony” as an intricate composition of music. I imagine that diverse parts are coordinated into a whole and fit the composer’s design. We get our word “symphony” from the Greek word symphonia. It’s a compound word, and the two parts mean “together” “sound.” It’s not the case that every word that looks like a similar English word has a similar meaning. Nor is it the case that every word’s meaning is like the parts of the word that make it up. Though, this is what symphonia does. Two hundred and fifty years before Jesus was born, the Septuagint used this word in Daniel 3 to describe the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre and psaltery together “in symphony” (vs. 5, 7, 10, 15). The usage of the word didn’t change much in the next two and a half centuries. In Luke 15, Jesus’ description of the celebration of the return of the prodigal son described the older brother drawing near and hearing “music.” Using this word picture, we have a vivid illustration of how inspiration works. When the addition of Gentiles to the church was a point of sharp contention, there was a meeting in Jerusalem to discuss the matter. The simple, yet important, decision was that the Scriptures taught it was always in God’s plan for the Gentiles to be part of the church. Before elaborating with Old Testament Scripture, James began his case explaining, “…with this the words of the prophets agree…” (Acts 15:15 NKJV). “Agree” …

Jesus told three parables in Matthew 25 regarding the end of the world. The last is often called the Parable of the Judgment, though the Lord gave it no name. He depicted Himself on His glorious throne with all nations gathered before Him. He said that He will then divide all of humanity into two groups. The group on His right hand, which is the hand of power, will hear him say, “…Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34 NKJV). Then, Jesus listed six separate acts of service done for others as the reason those on the right hand will be invited (Matthew 25:35-36). McGarvey says, “The acts here enumerated indicate more than a mere outlay of money. They are not such as are the offspring of impulse, but such as call for the sacrifice of time, strength, sympathy, etc., and clearly demonstrate the fullness of the Christian life” (639). True love for the brethren, without which one cannot claim to love God, will motivate one to act on behalf of those beloved brethren. “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17-18). Only an active, loving faith is truly alive (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Jesus said those …

From its inception in 1830 through the next 13 years, the Mormon Church officially condemned the practice of polygamy. Doctrine and Covenants (first published in 1835) expressly equated polygamy with fornication in each edition for over 40 years. “Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again” (Section 101:4). The New Testament also prohibits polygamy (1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:5-6). The Book of Mormon has always condemned polygamy as well. But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son. Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord. (Jacob 2:23-24 emphasis added) For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many wives and concubines. And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness. (Mosiah 11:2 emphasis added) And it came to pass that Riplakish did not do that which was right …

From its inception through the present, Mormon doctrine has proved to be as pliable as wet clay. Beginning with Joseph Smith’s “First Vision” onward, official Mormon history and its interconnected religious dogma have been repeatedly reshaped and refashioned. No longer able to conceal conflicting historical accounts and contradictory doctrine from its members and the general public, over decades, the Mormon Church has reluctantly conceded as true several histories and teachings that it had effectively hidden for well over a century. Yet, these candid admissions are made without acknowledgment of culpability, and they are reminiscent of malefactors who confess their misdeeds only because they have been caught. If Mormonism were to discard every falsehood, the Mormon Church would be utterly dismantled, and its contemporary proponents would be compelled to apologize for the injustices that religion has inflicted on men’s souls. Mormonism owes its very conception to fraudulent claims and its development from purposeful fabrications severely at variance with facts and Bible truth. The Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) is itself a lump of clay, the final form of which is still uncertain. Yet certainly, the Mormon Church is a lump that the Lord will one day remove out of its place (Matthew 3:10-12). In this regard, Mormonism is similar to countless other denominations that change their doctrine from time to time. Mormonism, though, has been susceptible to more radical change than many other manmade churches, basically because it contends for ongoing new revelations and inspired, living apostles. The …

In 1830, Joseph Smith published the Book of Mormon and organized a church in the State of New York. According to the Book of Mormon, the name of that church was a matter of divine selection (3 Nephi 27:3-4, 7-8). Smith’s new church was initially known as the “Church of Christ.” However, in 1834 the name was changed to the “Church of the Latter-Day Saints,” only to be renamed again in 1838 to the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints” (Address to All Believers in Christ 73; History of the Church, 2:63; Doctrine and Covenants, Section 115, the preface and verse 3). The original name corresponds to the church named in the Book of Mormon. “And they who were baptized in the name of Jesus were called the church of Christ” (3 Nephi 26:21); “…the disciples of Jesus had formed a Church of Christ…” (4 Nephi 1:1). Today, there are two Mormon churches – the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a smaller, dissenting group, the Re-organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In the 1820’s, the Restoration Movement was beginning to have an impact on the Western Reserve (northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio). Among other religious issues, the question of what constitutes a biblical or a divine church name was a subject of frequent discussion. Prominent among personages in the Restoration Movement who argued in favor of the name, “Church of Christ,” was Alexander Campbell (The Christian Baptist 2:237). Sidney Rigdon, formerly associated with the Campbell arm of the Restoration Movement, assisted Joseph …

“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’” (Revelation 1:8 NKJV). There are several descriptive phrases used in the New Testament to describe the nature of God, but one that expresses the fullness of what it means to be deity is the term Almighty. It is used only of God in Scripture. The word is a compound term, which means all power, strength and dominion. Obviously, God is the only One Who can fit this description, as no earthly ruler or human authority can claim all power over everything and everyone. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), the Hebrew term “Shaddai,” or “El Shaddai,” is translated by this same Greek term. It speaks not just of the promises God makes but of the power He has to fulfill those promises. It is used in Genesis 17:1 when God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, as he would be the father of a multitude, beginning with Isaac the son of the promise. Only God could accomplish through Abraham and Sarah what He would bring about in their old age (Genesis 21:7). The Greek term is used 10 times in the New Testament, 9 of which appear in Revelation. “…Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8). It is not just descriptive of the power God possesses but of His eternal nature, …