“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (Romans 14:19). As we begin the holiday season, the concept of peace will occupy a prominent position in public thought. Peace of mind is one of the most needed, and one of the most sought after, attributes of our society. Even the most cursory glance at the newspaper or television news reveals the lack of peace in people’s lives. This lack of peace in our world comes from a lack of genuine spirituality. Paul reminded the Christians in Corinth, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Disorder and confusion are the opposite of peace. They are traits that fill many people’s lives, but their origin is not of God. “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every vile practice” (James 3:16). Sin creates confusion and destroys peace in our own lives, in our relationship with others and especially in our relationship with God. What is the way to find peace? The answer is Jesus. “For he himself is our peace…” (Ephesians 2:14). When we obey the Gospel and are cleansed of our sins by the blood of Christ, we can have peace. We have peace with God as our sins are forgiven. We have peace in ourselves, knowing the guilt of sin is removed. We can have peace with others, as we respond to them in love, not from sinful, selfish motives and attitudes. So, peace …

Generally, when people speak of hope, they define it in the sense of wishful thinking, stating that they hope a certain thing occurs or that they receive a particular thing. Unfortunately, that mentality also bleeds over into their philosophy about biblical hope. They, then, will state that they “hope” to go to heaven or they “hope” that God will answer their prayers. These statements are also made as nothing more than wishful thinking with no certainty involved. Thankfully, this is not the biblical teaching about “hope.” The term in the New Testament that is translated “hope” comes from the Greek word “elpis” and literally means “expectation or confidence in someone or something” (Strong’s). This is by no means similar to the earlier connotations discussed. Biblical hope lies in confidence that something will occur, not a wish that something might occur. There is a vast difference between the two. The writer of the Book of Hebrews shows in chapters six and seven that we have a better hope available through Christ than any who had come before. This confident hope comes from the understanding that God always keeps His promises (Hebrews 6:11-19), has raised His Son from the dead to be our High Priest (Hebrews 6:20-7:18) and makes available the perfection of full salvation through our Lord (7:19). When we understand that God, through His Word, has laid at our feet all that we need in order to have a biblical hope, there is no reason for us to be as …

In David’s song of thanksgiving when the tabernacle was brought to Jerusalem, we find these words: “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad: And let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns’” (1 Chronicles 16:31). At a time when national morality seems to be non-existent; at a time when money speaks louder and with more power than righteousness; at a time when men and women are blowing themselves up and murdering hundreds of others in the process; at a time when many in the religious world want to be politically correct rather than obey plain statements of God; in such times it is a comforting thought to know that David was right — The Lord Reigns! Yes, He allows men today, as He allowed Israel of old, to reject Him, disobey Him and to even think that they are in control. However, in the final analysis, we learn that He had, still has and will always have the last word. Paul warned in 2 Corinthians 5:10-11, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.” So it will be!

Two men were talking about the relative merits of the automobiles they had just purchased. With good humor, each was giving reasons why he thought his car was better than the other. A mutual friend happened by, and they tried to enlist him in their friendly argument. “Which car would you rather have?” they asked. Not wanting to be drawn into the dispute, he merely said, “Oh, I don’t know. I suppose one is as good as the other.” “One as good as another?” Maybe, regarding some things, but certainly not all things. Is one husband or wife as good as another? Is one house as good as another, or is one food as good as another? The Bible teaches that Jesus built His one church, purchasing it with His own precious blood (Acts 20:28). That is the church about which we need to be concerned. One is added to this church as he expresses his love for Jesus and obeys His commands. Where are you, in the Lord’s church, or in some other?

Paul used every situation to advance the borders of Christ’s kingdom; he even used prison as an opportunity to further the cause of Christ. While prison robs a person of freedom, family and choices, Paul was not robbed of certain things, such as: 1. HIS PEN. The prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon) were all written while Paul was in a Roman jail. 2. HIS PURPOSE. Paul had been chosen to spread the name of Jesus to the Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15). His purpose was to preach, and his life was for Christ (Philippians 1:21). 3. HIS PULPIT. Paul was successful in preaching to the elite Praetorian Guard (Philippians 1:14), something possibly unattainable had he been a free man. He capitalized upon every situation for the sake of Jesus. 4. HIS PRAYER. While in prison, Paul prayed for the brethren. Ephesians 1:15- 23; 3:14-21; Philippians 1:9-11 and Colossians 1:9-12 illustrate his prayer life on behalf of the saints (cf. Romans 10:1; 2 Thessalonians 7:17; 1 Timothy 2:1-8). 5. HIS PRAISE. Paul and Silas sang praises to God at midnight while in the Philippian jail (Acts 16). Although they were confined, their hearts were full of joy and thanksgiving in the form of melodious song. 6. HIS PATIENCE. Paul was confident in God’s plan for his life; therefore, he endured patiently. He was willing even to postpone going to heaven in order to help the Philippian Christians in their spiritual growth (Philippians 1:21-25). 7. HIS PEACE. Paul found peace in Jesus Christ. He said, “I have learned in whatever …

We recently heard the story of a Gospel preacher who had in his youth memorized the genealogy of our Lord as it appears in the Book of Matthew, Chapter One. This it would seem to most preachers to be a formidable task and one which, if one did not memorize the history that goes with each name, would not appear to serve any great purpose. Most of us are content to know where the genealogies of our Lord are found to make easy reference to them when we need them. However, this brother, who obviously had great faculties of memory, memorized the one appearing on the pages of Matthew’s record of the life of Christ. One day, he found himself within easy hearing distance of two men who were discussing whether or not Jesus Christ had ever lived on the earth, and if so, did he do the things that are attributed to Him in the records of His life. They came to the conclusion that no such person as Jesus ever lived, and consequently, the stories told about Him in the records of the Gospel could not be true. One man concluded this conversation by saying, Jesus is very much like Santa Claus, and He is just the figment of a very fertile imagination. At that point the preacher, whose name has been forgotten to protect the innocent, stepped up to the two men and casually recited the entire genealogy of our Lord from Matthew. Then, he laid out …

Church work is like gardening (2 Timothy 2:6) without the bib overalls and straw hat. The seed is the Word (Luke 8:11). Preachers are patient laborers (James 5:7), seeking to bring their produce to harvest (Matthew 9:37-38; 13:30). Making a good garden is dependent upon several factors – the right seed, proper fertilizer, sufficient water, warm sunshine, insect control and periodic weeding, etc. (1 Corinthians 3:6). Joel Neal Pinion, my old gardening buddy over in White, Georgia, used to laugh and say, “Mike, growing a garden isn’t just about pulling weeds.” His humor had a point. Having spent considerable time in my own vegetable garden and having observed other growers and their produce, I can attest to the truthfulness of his statement. Pulling weeds is but one aspect of what a gardener must perform. Respectfully, I wish some of my fellow “gardeners” could learn that lesson. To read from the pen of some of my brethren, you would think that weed pulling (i.e., exposing false teachers and false teaching) is a preacher’s sole responsibility; it is the Gospel. Virtually every issue of their bulletins or papers is devoted to “weed-pulling” and little – if anything – is written from the vantage point of optimism or encouragement. Please don’t misunderstand; left unchecked, the weeds of false doctrine can choke a congregation and must be pulled up (Titus 1:10-11; Romans 16:17-18; 2 John 9-11; Matthew 7:16-18) in order to ensure the garden’s growth (2 Peter 2:2; 3:18). However, a preacher-writer who devotes 98% of his energies …

Most persons in the world of so-called Christendom are taught that since Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” then the alien sinner needs to pray for salvation. Of course, they do not use the term “alien sinner,” for they apparently do not know the meaning of the term. At least in the 60 or more years I have been listening, I do not recall any preacher of any denomination using the term or distinguishing properly between the responsibilities of an alien sinner and a child of God who sins as a citizen of the kingdom. Probably a large number of those who claim to be “New Testament Christians” know there is something wrong with that doctrine, and may be able to quote John 9:31, “For we know that God does not listen to sinners,” or Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Yet to many, this is too much like simply arraying one Scripture against another, so you can just take your choice of which one to believe and overlook or reject the one that does not fit your preconceived notions. Of course, an honest Bible believer will take all the Bible says on any subject, and if one thing seems to contradict another, will try to see wherein he can find harmony. There needs to be an examination in more detail of what is involved in the expression, “calling on the name of …

While things of this present sphere remain, political kingdoms will rise in dominance, peak and fall. There are, however, two spiritual kingdoms that will continue until the end of time: one is the kingdom of darkness, which is ruled by Satan and his evil cohorts; the other is the kingdom of heaven, also known as the kingdom of Jesus, the Christ. In addition to having different rulers, there are the following distinctive features: The kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light have distinguishing objectives. The kingdom of heaven seeks to bless God’s creation, especially man; the other seeks to curse and destroy. The purpose of one is to provide life, give meaning and fulfillment, while Satan works to rob, steal and kill, to make us despondent under the gloom of misery and hopelessness. The kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light bear distinguishing fruits. One produces chaos, confusion, lawlessness, selfishness, hatred, strife, division and death. Jesus, though, creates peace, unity, joy and love. The kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light have distinguishing destinies. The kingdom of darkness will be overwhelmed and utterly conquered by the power and glory of Jesus at His coming. Satan, his angels, along with his willing and deceived followers, will be vanquished in everlasting destruction. Jesus, the King of righteousness, along with His angels and faithful followers, will glow in radiant splendor as He positions upon their heads eternal crowns of victory over Satan, sin and death. Presently, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the …

“Today is the first day for the rest of your life,” an adage named to and spoken of everyone. God’s teaching is of even greater blessing than the adage. For with God we (Isaiah 49:8) can use the hour of decision for the Lord. Paul, by inspiration, reaches back to this Old Testament statement and applies it to the church at Corinth (2 Corinthians 6:2). When Jesus prayed for His disciples to be sanctified by the truth (John 17:17) and noted “Thy word is truth,” He wanted His disciples to receive and immediately begin the practice of a ‘set apart’ life. When we believe (John 8:24), we need to move onto a sorrow for sin that leads us to turn away from sin (repent, Luke 13:3, 5). Confessing Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32) brings a person to baptism into Christ (Galatians 3:24-27) and, thus, putting on Christ. Further, when a person comes into Christ, he is Abraham’s seed and an heir according to the promise. Such a decision should not be delayed till the morrow. It’s not good to await another day. Obeying the Lord is the need of this minute, moment and hour. The examples in the Book of Acts of the Apostles show us the practice of these commands as each conversion occurred. Some (Acts 2, 8, 9, 10, 16, 19 and 22) were told to believe, others were told to believe and repent, others were told to repent and be baptized. Everyone being converted was told to …

An old story is told about three men who meet at the end of a dock on a Florida beach. One was an alcoholic and homeless. The second man was just an average guy. The third man was a fine, honorable man, well respected in the community. Suddenly the alcoholic ran and jumped off the edge of the dock, landing five feet out into the water. The other two men standing on the dock yelled, “What are you trying to do?” The man in the water yelled back, “I’m trying to jump across the Atlantic Ocean!” The second man, the average Joe, said, “Watch me. I can do better than that!” He quickly ran across the dock, jumped and landed 10 feet out into the water, twice as far as the alcoholic. The third man, the outstanding man, laughed and said, “That’s nothing. Watch this!” He backs up about 50 feet and made a mad dash across the dock out into the water and landed 20 feet out, twice as far as average Joe, and four times as far as the homeless alcoholic. If we were to actually see such an attempt, we would think these three men were crazy for attempting to do the impossible – jump across the Atlantic Ocean! However, people trying to earn their own salvation are even more foolish. After sharing the story above, Howell Ferguson provided the following insights: “God can’t be approached by man on the basis of man’s own moral goodness. Sometimes …

P.T. Barnum (1810-1891) has been credited with the following statement: “The public likes to be humbugged.” He was a showman of early circus fame here in America. He also is known as the “19th century American huckster.” Barnum created the “Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, and Caravan & Hippodrome.” This traveling circus was billed as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Webster’s Dictionary defines “humbugged” in part as: “Something made or done to cheat or deceive; fraud; sham; hoax; misleading; dishonest; or empty talk. A dishonest person; person who does not live up to his claims; impostor. A spirit of trickery, deception, etc.” Further, Webster defines huckster in part as: “A hawker of wares; a mean, haggling tradesman; tricky, mercenary peddler; an advertising man, etc.” P.T. Barnum was after folk’s money. Entertainment was his ways and means to get into the pockets of the public. For the most part, folks came away from his shows highly entertained. Did they know that the master of humbugger humbugged them? I would suggest they knew or they didn’t care. They enjoyed the show! In the late 1930’s, my father took my younger sister, Kathleen and me to Manhattan to see the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. I remember seeing “Gargantuan the Great” (1929-1949). He was a low land gorilla, but I understand he wasn’t that terrible. Another sideshow favorite was the giant of a man, very tall. He dressed like a cowboy and was selling cheap rings. He would take them off and sell them. …

I arose early on Sunday morning because where I was scheduled to preach was over one hundred miles from my home. As I drove down the interstate highway, I could not help but to observe the beauty of the Lord’s Day morning with the sky so blue and the trees so full of green foliage. From time to time as I drove down a county road, I saw beautiful flowers and some promising vegetable gardens that soon would be laden down with fresh produce. The drive was most enjoyable and even relaxing at that time of the day. I eventually arrived at my destiny and went inside the church building in the south Alabama city of Brewton. I soon met old friends and was introduced to new friends who are members of this congregation. After the evening assembly, a young father introduced himself to me. I asked his last name again, and because I recognized not only the name but the city where he informed me he had lived previously, I asked him his parent’s names. Immediately, I knew who he was when he told me that their names were James and Linda Barron. I looked at him and told him that I not only knew his parents but his grandparents. Standing by him was his beautiful daughter, which I supposed to be about twelve-years-old. I moved alongside her and gave her a hug and said, “Let me tell you about your ancestors.” In actuality I was looking in the …

There are restaurants that I will never go to again because I remember the first time I ate there. They did not serve in a timely fashion, or they were ugly to me, or the food was not good – you know what I am talking about. These restaurants or stores, or whatever they may be, have made me say, “I remember the first time I went there, because it was also the last.” On the other hand, there are places to which I have often returned based on the fact that I remember the first time I ever went there. The people were friendly, the service was prompt and courteous, and the food or merchandise, etc. were very good. Those first, pleasant memories are never forgotten. On any Sunday, or even Wednesday night, people can walk into our assembly who will be experiencing it for the very first time. They will remember how welcome they felt. They will remember how sincere the worship seemed. They will remember whether the teaching or preaching was biblical, sound, yet caring and kind. As a preacher, I know that sermons are going to vary. I know that sometimes I am really “on my game,” and other times I am just a little off (or worse). I realize that some subjects are inherently harsher than others. If you are preaching on eternal condemnation, that is much “harsher” than if you are preaching on God’s love. However, I must keep in mind that if there …

In Jeremiah 6, God proclaimed the destruction of Jerusalem (1-15). The people of Jeremiah’s day had fallen away from God, becoming idolatrous (1:16; 2:9-13; 3:8-10). Despite their wickedness, some hope still remained that they could repent and return to God (3:22; 4:1-4, 14). God implored them to examine their direction, saying, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). In this verse, God used five commands to show the people their errant path and encourage them to repent and follow His path. God first exhorted the people to stand in the path, to position themselves where they could compare His path with other paths. Six times in chapters 1-6 God depicted their paths: in 2:23, He cited their “way in the valley (i.e., Baal worship); in 2:31-33, the people had taught their evil ways to the wicked; in 2:36 and 3:2, God accused them of vacillating between His path and others; in 3:13, they had “scattered their ways” to serve everyone but God; in 4:18, their paths were bringing punishment. God next urged them to see or evaluate the path before them. God had warned them not to serve other gods, but the people disregarded His message. They were spiritually blind (5:1) and deaf, closing their ears to His warnings (6:10). Thus, they were also blind to the results of their choices (5:31). However, if they would compare the paths, they …