The Scriptures clearly and repeatedly teach that one must be baptized to be saved. Christ himself said that one must believe and be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16). Peter said that it is necessary to repent and be baptized to have remission of sins (Acts 2:38). In 1 Peter 3:21, Peter wrote by inspiration that baptism saves, just as Noah and his family were saved by water. We are also told in God’s Word that baptism puts one into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27) and into the church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The new birth also involves baptism since one is born of water and of the Spirit (John 3:5). In the light of all of these Scriptures, how could anyone say that a person can be saved without baptism? Yet, there are many who do just that! Much of the denominational world teaches that the thief on the cross was saved without baptism. The record says, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:39-43). Although nothing …

On November 16, 1992, Eric Hawes, a metal-detecting enthusiast, was asked to help a local farmer find his hammer, which had been lost in a field. Using his metal detector, Hawes found something else instead: coins and other gold and silver objects. He immediately recognized it as something valuable, so he reported to the Suffolk County Council, owners of the land. The Suffolk Archaeological Unit professionally removed the contents on the following day. The collection is now in the British Museum. The find consisted of “15,000 gold and silver coins, gold jewelry and numerous small items of silver tableware, including pepper pots, ladles and spoons” (www.britishmuseum.org). It is estimated that this Roman treasure, better known as the Hoxne (pronounced ‘Hoxon’) Hoard, was buried around 407-408 A.D. as Roman rule in Britain was deteriorating. It may have been hidden due to the political turmoil of the time. The hoard had been buried in a wooden box that had long since rotted away. The careful burial of this treasure probably means that the owner intended to come back and recover it later, but for whatever reason was unable to do so. It was thus declared “treasure trove,” that is, objects of gold or silver that had been hidden with the intention of recovery but for which the original owner could not be found. Such discovery is to be reported to the police and subject to a coroner’s inquest. If the find is declared treasure trove, it reverts to the British Crown and …

Some preachers fail from a lack of balance in their lives and work. Imbalance neutralizes or destroys good work. Consider the following to help level the scales. Speak with authority like Jesus did (Matthew 7:20), but be not arrogant. Not only will a proud, arrogant preacher be rejected by his audience, he shall not stand in God’s sight (Psalm 5:5). Learn to be relevant in your preaching but not at the expense of neglecting the old paths (Jeremiah 6:16). God’s truth is timeless, and the most relevant preaching is solidly based on the first century Gospel (Matthew 24:35). Franklin Camp said, “A preacher’s duty is to preach the Old Truths in New Robes.” Your preaching should be scholarly but never over the heads of the common people. Every preacher should strive to know all he can about every passage of Scripture! The acid test of effective preaching is not how well one has mastered the ancient languages or logical formulas, but if children can grasp your message and understand their duty. It is still the common people who are most receptive (Mark 12:37). Use some humor in your preaching but do not be frivolous or clownish in the pulpit. Jesus no doubt drew smiles with His example about straining out the gnat and swallowing the camel (Matthew 23:24). There must be a clear distinction between a comic and an evangelist for Christ. Ours is the world’s most important message. It must not be lost in the roar of laughter. Be …

Israel was God’s chosen nation through whom He would bring forth the Messiah. Yet, by the decade between 625 B.C. and 615 B. C. these people had become exceedingly wicked, so wicked in fact that in 606/605 B.C. God allowed the Babylonian Army to begin taking them into seventy long years of captivity. One of the reasons these people were considered wicked and worth punishment is found in the words of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 5:30-31 we read, “An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so.” What was happening there? The prophets (preachers) were preaching falsehood, and the priests (those descendants of Aaron) were ruling by their means, not in the way which God had commanded them in His law. Can we learn something here? How does our town compare with ancient Judah?

It is not easy to sing with brethren during worship when they are using another language beside English. We understand the apostle Paul teaches us to sing with the spirit and with the understanding, and it is imperative this takes place. If one’s brethren of another nationality are singing in their language, but using a tune or melody we are familiar with, then it becomes possible to sing together, expressing the same concepts of praise and instruction while teaching and admonishing one another in spiritual hymns even while using different words and phrases. If one does not recognize the melody however, forget it. It’s not going to happen. Unfortunately, there may be a discordant tone that ascends heavenward to clash in the ears of our Lord, when brethren are singing the page, the line, the measure or the note they personally choose to sing without consideration of the direction and leading of the great “Conductor.” When brethren do their own thing (because they can) without due and proper consideration for Jesus, His wishes, His will and His purposes, it becomes difficult, yea impossible, for His disciples to blend in sweet, perfect harmony. Some sing with their heads bowed down. They never look up to see whether Jesus is smiling on them, or whether His heart is breaking from their failure to love, appreciate, adore and follow Him. Some are unwilling to sing with and follow the great “Conductor.” Rather than sing together on the same page, same line, same measure, …

“‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord God, ‘when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord’” (Amos 8:11). When God sent His prophet Amos to Israel, He was speaking to a nation immersed in idolatry. While Amos spoke God’s truth to them, the Israelites preferred the message of the false prophets, who spoke to appease the desires of the people, not to please God by being faithful to His Word. If they persisted in their rejection of God and His will, the time would come when God would no longer send His prophets to warn them. The time would come when they longed to hear the truth, but wouldn’t be able to hear the truth. A famine of truth leads to the problems of sin. The New Testament counterpart of this is offered by Paul to Timothy about some in their day. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). There would follow their own desires and would seek out teachers who offered God’s blessings apart from God’s truth. A famine of truth leads to the problems of sin. Though separated by centuries, this same attitude of heart leads …

There are many preachers in the religious world proclaiming that, because of their position and level of education, their teachings concerning God and the Bible should not be questioned by their hearers. However, what does the Bible say? John wrote in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” John argued that we are to try (test) the words of every man to see whether they match the teachings of the Bible or not. We are not to take any man’s word that what he is teaching is true. During the missionary journeys of Paul, he preached to the Bereans and they exemplified this principle perfectly. As the apostle was preaching it is stated that they “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). Let us always be ones who test what we hear by the Word of God to ensure it is the truth.

Often times these ramblings of mine are not designed to be in-depth teachings, but simply reflections on various events and thoughts that come to my mind. Hopefully, lessons are drawn, even from the lightest of these articles. Sometimes, some of these articles make reference to various Scriptures without citing them. Sometimes, they are designed to be particularly teaching articles. However, it is significant to stop on occasion and note that, while there is a place, I believe, for these “lighter” articles, that we must never lose sight of the fact that only the pure, unadulterated preaching of the truth is fulfilling God’s purpose in the church. The fact is that the preaching and teaching that must be done in our classrooms and from our pulpits must be Bible-filled, Bible-directed and Bible-driven. Nice little stories have a place, but it is not as the mainstay of our preaching! Sadly, there has always been a desire to hear only what makes us feel good. Isaiah spoke of this attitude: “That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us” (Isaiah 30:9-11). Do not tell us the truth, he said the people cried. Instead, speak to us smooth …

Have you ever had one of those moments where you really thought to yourself, “Man, am I in a heap of trouble”? Have you ever experienced one of those times when you knew very clearly that you had either fallen into a hole too big to climb out of or had dug your own grave and now had to deal with it? Maybe I am alone here, but there have been several occasions where that has happened to me. For one reason or another, a brief, but powerful chain of events occurred just in the right order to land me in some hot water. Well, if you are reading this note, then I would dare say that you trust I made it through alright. Yet, in the midst of trial one never knows just how it will pan out. Years ago when I was laboring at a church in a region far north of the sunny shores of Florida, which is my current location, I fell into one of these situations. It had snowed for days. Before that we had freezing rain. It was a Saturday night, and I had some last minute work to do, so I prepared to set off for the office, which was about a one minute walk from my front door, across the church parking lot, into the building, and then across the building to the door of my office. Seems like such a simple thing. As I prepared, I heard the sound of the …

Throughout the Scriptures, we find many characters listed only once, yet so much is mentioned in only a few words. It is the quality of life that makes a difference, not the quantity. Consider Methuselah who lived 969 years and only six Scriptures mention him, but the Christ who lived only 33 years – well, need any more be said? You may recall a few years back a best selling little book called, The Prayer of Jabez, taken from 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, which reads: And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. Although a bestselling book with this title, we see the story by inspiration in the best selling book of all time, the Holy Bible. As something written aforetime for learning (Romans 15:4), the prayer of Jabez is worthy for consideration. As a person, Jabez was honorable in that he sought “…the honor that cometh from God only” (John 5:44). He was humble (James 4:10). He was a praying person (Philippians 4:6; 2 Thessalonians 5:17). He did not ask to be relieved of burdens and responsibilities, but rather called upon the God of Israel, a God in covenant with his people …

In the late 1600’s and early 1700’s, Antonio Stradivari produced the finest musical instruments ever created. In his lifetime, he is known to have produced 1,101 instruments. These included guitars, cellos, violas and at least one harp. His crowning achievements, however, were his violins. They are known for their clarity of tone and ability to resonate so perfectly. His violins are what make his name synonymous with quality and fine craftsmanship. To be called the “Stradavari” of any field is to be designated as the finest there is. There are approximately 650 of his instruments (called strad or strads for short) still in existence today, and almost all of them are very well accounted for. They are played by the best classical musicians including Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman. There is a large collection of his instruments at the Vienna Philharmonic and another at the Library of Congress, which holds concerts each year featuring the top students at Julliard. His instruments have their own names, such as Solomon and Lady Tennant, and they command top dollar at public and private sales. One of his violins that went up for sale in 2006, known as “The Hammer,” sold for $3,544,000 to an anonymous bidder. There is one, however, that is prized above all others. Its value is not known, but could easily be several times that of other Strads. It occupies the same place in musical history as the Mona Lisa does in painting. Made by Stradivari in 1716, and kept …

Maybe some of us older folks have seen the dismantling of America’s Christian heritage to a sharper degree than younger people. Some of us older Americans have observed over the years a great change in our citizens and government concerning our Christian heritage. Some of our younger folks have little or no knowledge of the founding of the new world – America – and the influence that Christianity had on this new land. To deny the history of our Christian heritage is to deny verifiable facts. I have open and before me an old book entitled, The World’s Book of Knowledge and Universal Education, published by Columbia Publishing House, Chicago, Illinois. Further information on this volume states, “Entered According to Act of Congress, in the year 1901 by D.Z. Howell in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D.C., U.S.A.” On pages 179-183 there is a chapter on “International Law” with subject matter “Origin of International Law – Influence of Christianity – International Conventions and What they Accomplished – Mediation and Arbitration.” Sprinkled throughout this chapter, it is obvious that a general practice of Christian ethics/morals played a great role in the civilization of peoples and their governments. I would like to share with you from the chapter on “International Law” a few excerpts. “When nations first began to evolve from wandering bands of nomadic savages the main idea with each king was to subdue his neighbor. Thus warfare and barbarism were rampant for centuries. With the growth of …

Yesterday, my three granddaughters were playing out in the yard on a trampoline close to the woods. They heard a hiss and a rattle and the dog barked, so they ran in the house, screaming, “Rattlesnake!” My son, who doubted their hysterical report, took his shotgun and went to investigate. There was a rattler, about the size of his wrist, with five rattles. After appropriate treatment, it ceased rattling. When he showed me the remains, I thought of the Old Serpent, the Devil, who sometimes warns us before he strikes. Then, I stayed up until about midnight reading some articles in a publication that leaves the image that it is always searching for truth, but can never hope to find it. All conclusions seem to be tentative except the ones that relate to the conservative brethren in the church who still strive to give a Bible answer to questions that relate to salvation. Those conclusions seem to be firm and certain. They are that most of the brethren are ignorant, outdated in viewpoint, which is formed by their cultural roots rather than by biblical truths. The Editor was scoffing at the idea that the church can be distinctive. He affirmed that he had rather be biblical than distinctive. That statement is very close to being an oxymoron. He seemed totally unaware that to be biblical is to be distinctive. The Lord’s church is distinctive simply because there is nothing else in the world like it. It came into being by …

Stop praying? Now, that’s not what you typically hear, but that’s exactly what God once told Moses. Not that God was frowning on prayer, but the time for praying without action had passed. It was time to act. God told Moses to tell the children of Israel to “move forward!” (Exodus 14:15). Friends, could it be time for you to stop praying and “move forward?” Remember Saul of Tarsus? He was praying (Acts 9:11), yet when Ananias reached him, he asked Saul, “why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized…” (Acts 22:16). The time for praying was over. God had answered Saul’s prayer and sent Ananias with the saving gospel. It was time for Saul to stop praying and obey by being baptized! Balaam is another example that comes to mind. Balaam once sought God’s advice (Numbers 22:8-12), didn’t like God’s answer, so he continued to pray and ask again rather than “moving forward” with God’s answer (Numbers 22:19). Understand this one thing; many of the prayers we have prayed to God have already been answered. He has said “yes.” Yet, we remain in a quandary, not because God hasn’t answered, but because we haven’t “moved forward.” My point is, “Don’t just sit there and continue to simply pray when you can “move forward” and receive God’s answer to the prayers you’ve been praying.

There is this nice gentleman who often walks his beautiful dog right by my house where I can see him from my window. Also, there are two ladies who live in our small subdivision who walk together regularly where I can see them from my office. Further, from time to time, there are others who either walk or jog through our community. This is good exercise for one’s body and mind. After all, God formed our bodies in the beginning of time and He expects us to care for them. The problem area lies not in the exercise itself, but in the amount of time consumed, when it takes place and how much we spend on it. For example we often see individuals jogging on Sunday morning while on our way to the worship assembly. However, that would also be true of people who go to some place of recreation like the lakes and coastal area on the weekends where they can ride in their boats and go swimming. Great emphasis is being placed in our modern society as to what we should eat and the amount of exercise that we should engage in on a regular basis. Untold millions of dollars are spent on exercise equipment, vitamins and other products to make us feel and look better. No problem, unless we speak of extremes and exclusions. I can walk in my garage on a treadmill for thirty minutes and not move but a short distance. I can ride on …