We all may be guilty of it at times. What am I talking about? Assumptions. While we try to approach the Scriptures and let them speak to us and shape our beliefs, we may all, from time to time, unwittingly allow assumptions to shape our view of a text. Allow me to give you a few examples from the early chapters of Genesis. 1) Was there rain prior to the flood? Some would emphatically say, “No” based on Genesis 2:5-6. Yet, does this passage say it never rained prior to the flood? It says there was no rain prior to any plants and herbs, but the text stops there. How things were watered after plants and herbs had grown is not stated. That’s where some fill the gap by assumptions. 2) Cain took a wife from the Land of Nod. This is an assumption. The text doesn’t say this. The text says that Cain and his wife conceived a child there (Genesis 4:16). There is nothing in the text that says anything about Cain finding a wife in Nod, or for that matter any other people in this land from among whom he picked a wife. In Hebrew, “Nod” means, “wandering.” Cain may have taken a wife with him to “Nod,” this place of wandering, and conceived a son there and built a city. 3) Seth was the third child born to Adam and Eve. This too is an assumption, and an incorrect one at that. True, Seth was the third son of …

Apparently Chick-Fil-A must be a good place to pray. I see it happen quite often. Before I tell you about my most recent citing of prayer at Chick-Fil-A, allow me to remind you again that it is one of my favorite places. The food is delicious. It is always fresh and reasonably priced compared to many places. The people who work at the Chick-Fil-A’s in the Metroplex are always friendly and cordial. I mean, where else do they serve you always with a smile and then say, “My pleasure!” At most of the stores there is free Wi-Fi where I can get a lot of work done (like write a new post for the blog or catch up on answering email) while I sip on a large sweet tea (which by the way is consistently outstanding!). They are always closed on Sunday to allow their employees time to worship and spend time with their families (how can you not love that?). I know, I know, not everyone loves Chick-Fil-A as much as I do, but hey, I have to; I am a Chick-Fil-A Ambassador (see this post: https://jeffajenkins.com/2010/06/an-official-ambassador/). The other day as I answered emails and wrote a couple of blog posts, I saw three different groups of people who prayed. The last people were a couple of young ladies who were seated across the lobby involved in what appeared to be a very intense conversation. It was obvious that one of the young ladies was hurting. Before they left, …

“Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world” (Archimedes). Ludmilla Pavlova, an adjunct professor at UMass Amherst, wrote on her blog: “Archimedes’ famous quotation has always been a symbol for me of the power individuals have to change not only their own destiny, but also to affect social and organizational change. The two prerequisites are: a place to stand, and a lever long enough.”1 There have been times in my life I have asked myself, “Where is my place to stand? What is my lever and fulcrum with which to build my life, my faith, to change what needs to be changed in me, to empower me to live with a faith and a moral integrity that are genuine and true?” A simpler way to phrase the question is, “Why do I believe in God and seek to obey Him in my life?” Yet, asked another way, “What is my core belief, the place I stand?” Since July of 2007, I have asked this question with more seriousness and questioning than any other time in my life. The questioning began when our two-month-old grandson, Sully, was diagnosed with A.L.L. leukemia that July. Since Sully’s death on August 2, 2008, the questioning has continued with earnest. If I ever did, no longer do I take for granted the existence of God. No longer do I take for granted the truth of Scripture, the place of the church, the importance of moral integrity, or …

I was reading an article this past week that offered these statistics. “83% of Americans say the Bible is important for their lives, and for those inside the church only 16% say they read the Bible every day. 32% say they read it at least once a week, and only 37% say that Bible reading and study have made a difference in the way they live their lives.” Each year this congregation emphasizes spending time in the Bible each day. There is a reason for this. We need its guidance and instruction and direction to be faithful in every day Christian living. Whether we realize it or not, we’re receiving input from all kinds of sources, which shapes our consciences and directs the motives of our hearts. It may be from family or friend’s advice. It may be from reading newspapers or magazines. It may be from watching television or spending time on the Internet. It may be from our coworkers. It can come from all kinds of sources, but we are being influenced as to what to think and how to live. Shouldn’t we let our Creator help guide us in His way for life, the way that leads to eternal life? I believe one reason there are so many problems in people’s lives anymore is that we no longer know how God wants us to live – we no longer understand right from wrong. We choose a course of life based on worldly examples and our own desires, …

One of the central principles of the entire Bible is sacrifice. It is the foundation upon which all service and godliness is built and fastened. Nevertheless, many people have many different ideas about what sacrifice is and what role it plays in the lives of the servants of God. Some define sacrifice as being forced to do something you do not want or prefer to do. Others will define sacrifice, as it is seen in the Scriptures, as nothing more than a biblical description of ancient cruelty to animals. The true significance and purpose to be found in sacrifice is utterly lost in such concepts. Therefore, it is worth our time and effort to understand what it means to sacrifice, and how the Bible uses this particular concept. The term “sacrifice” is used over two hundred times in the Bible. Though the majority of the passages are found in the Old Testament, there are twenty-four uses of the term in the New Testament as well.  Webster defines this word as: the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage; the person, animal, or thing so offered; the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim; to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else. It is obvious that there are a number of different ways this …

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year – the crispness of the air, the colors and the smell of wood smoke coming from the fireplaces about town. However, when autumn is gone, the cold, raw days of winter are upon the land. Some folks like winter most of all, but not I. I had enough winter the four years we lived in Russia to do me a lifetime. I am not too keen on 57 degrees below zero temperatures. I like the spring of the year. As things seem to die in the fall and winter, they come alive in the spring. The budding of the trees, the gentle breezes, the blossoming of the flowers, and the songs and activities of the birds all seem to instill life back into our being. Also, as I know that in the spring there will be resurrection of life in the dormant plants, I am also made aware again of the biblical promise of the resurrection. Job asked in the long ago, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). The whole creation and the God of heaven answer with a resounding, “Yes!” Having this confidence, the certainty of death loses it dread and bitterness to those who have in this life obeyed the Gospel and have, thus, become children of God. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” I am glad spring is here again, aren’t you?

“The book of life” appears in the context of Revelation 20:11-15. Eschatology is the study of end times. It explores the biblical concept of judgment, Jesus’ return, heaven and hell. One of the eschatological events at judgment will be the opening of the “book of life” (Revelation 20:12). No question is more important than, “Is your name in the book of life?” This question involves heaven and hell. If your name is written there, you are saved and headed for heaven. If your name is not, then hell awaits you. Today, you should know if your name is there. Consider the following. The book of life is real. Right now in heaven there is a book of life. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament speak of it (OT – Exodus 32:32; Psalm 69:28; Malachi 3:16; NT – Philippians 4:3; Luke 10:20; Revelation 3:5; 13:8). The book of life is a registry. The idea is that rulers had a roll book of living citizens under their control. When a man died, his name was removed. The names in the book of life are living, active citizens and faithful members of the kingdom of God. The book of life lists the righteous. The book of life contains only the names of those who are righteous (Matthew 25:46). The names of the unrighteous will not be written there. Whose name will not be found in the book life (Cf. Rev. 20:15)? The names of those who refuse to become New Testament Christians will not be written …

All around our house are pine trees. Many of them are very tall, and some look like they are sturdy. However, there are several that look like they are rotten. Either bugs have destroyed the life in them, or lightning has struck them. We are not sure which is the case with most of them. However, we know that they are dead. As I write this, the rains spawned by a tropical storm are falling in our area. My wife called me a while ago and said, “Well, another tree has fallen.” I asked where it had fallen, and she said right where our oldest son parks his car when he visits. As a matter of fact, if it had waited about 25 minutes, his car probably would have been there. I’m pretty sure that one day one of those trees is going to fall and land on the house, or on one of our vehicles. I think it is a matter of when – not if, but I digress. I just could not help but think of some applications from the fallen tree: a. It is sad when a tree that was once strong and solid loses the life within its branches. However, that is not anywhere near as sad as when a good person, a tree planted by the waters (Psalms 1) dies from the inside out, and comes to a fall. b. Just like some of those dead trees in our yard have been destroyed internally by …

What a privilege it is to gather together with the saints. There is much joy and many blessings that are to be had each time we assemble as the church. Those who share the precious faith in Christ Jesus can be a great encouragement to each other. The weak are made strong and all are better each time we meet. In our day-to-day struggles, we all need help as we deal with the adversities of life. God knew our needs would be met when we gather with the saints. We come with uncertainties; we leave with greater faith. We come “down and out”; we leave edified and built up. We come in sorrow and leave with joy in our hearts. Paul told the Philippian saints to “rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 1:1; 4:4). In dealing with the topic of salvation, Peter said believers “rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable” (1 Peter 1:8). Remember our “light affliction is but for a moment” (2 Corinthians 4:17). What are some of the joys and blessings of faithfulness? God’s Word admonishes that we not forsake the assembly of the saints (Hebrews 10:25). So when we come together as the church, we take joy in the fact that the Lord’s admonition is heeded. When we gather in His name, we enjoy His presence (Matthew 18:20). When we assemble regularly, we in joy follow the example of the early church (Acts 2:42; 20:7). When we worship faithfully, we rejoice in proclaiming the Lord’s atoning death till He …

As far back as I can remember I have heard preachers say such things as “It must be admitted that faith and hope will terminate at the coming of Christ. Love is the greatest because it will abide forever.” It is my judgment that a deeper study of the question will convince us that the conclusion is incorrect, and based on either faulty logic or faulty exegesis, or both. I believe the song says, “faith will be lost in heavenly sight,” and the idea, no doubt, partly comes from a misuse of 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight [eidos – appearance].” Romans 8:24 says, “But hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopeth for that which he seeth?” If one takes those scriptures and makes an improper application of them, he involves himself in some ridiculous absurdities. For example, a man may see a new car. Does the expression, “For who hopeth for that which he seeth?” negate the idea that he may yet hope for that car? Surely not! Let us examine with a little more care whether or not it must be admitted that “faith and hope will terminate at the coming of Christ.” It is true that we walk by faith, not by sight. It is true that by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, and we would not need to have faith in the truthfulness of that statement if we had seen …

As I look out the window and across the street, I see a beautiful Bradford pear tree in full bloom and a Redbud tree also in full bloom. God, the Creator of the universe, is causing the vegetative kingdom which has been dormant to come alive! The display of such beauty that we presently see and will be seeing for weeks to come as the trees bloom and the flowers and shrubbery break forth their radiant colors should cause the believer’s heart to praise and glorify the name of the Almighty God. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 19:1-4, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork, Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.” Someone has said that there are two books, nature and the Bible that declare there is a Supreme Being. The heavens and the earth in their splendor and magnificence should cause every person to have faith in God, but that is not the case. The apostle Paul in writing about the depravity of the Gentile world in his day mentioned this very thing in Romans 1:18-21. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in …

Hope is among the three finest themes of the Christian life (1 Corinthians 13:13) as it is included in the midst of faith and charity (God-like love). Is it proper to use the word, “hope,” within the setting of laziness, waste or wishes? During such times, people are heard to say, “But, I hope the results are good anyway.” Is this the New Testament way of using the word? Hope is the opposite of seeing and possessing something (Romans 8:24). Yet, hope is essential in God’s plan. It is part of God’s design that we live by hope, which is the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19) that is sure and steadfast. This anchor of the soul is urged to be a ‘lively hope’ (1 Peter 1:3). The resurrection and ascension at the Lord’s coming should be filled with this hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16). Those who reject the Lord and the Lord’s way are without this hope (Ephesians 2:12). In the expression, “I hope the Lord will be favorable to me,” does this take into consideration the continuing way of neglecting God’s will, laziness, wasting one’s life and just wishing things to turn out well? The New Testament use of hope centers itself in the Christian’s life. There is one hope (Ephesians 4:4). We are taught to live hope (Ephesians 1:18) and to enjoy the hope of the glory to be fulfilled in us (Colossians 1:27). Hope is not taken by a tablet or a pill. It is not an …

From time to time one will see an advertisement on TV in which a certain religious body will offer to give you a free copy of the King James Version of the Bible, and in this advert they proclaim their allegiance to Jesus Christ and family virtues. However, those who pay for these advertisements do not believe in the Christ of the Scriptures. As a matter of fact, a man who is called an “apostle” by this group of people made this statement, “And virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ.” What this man means by “millions of apostate Christendom” is every person in the world who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, but does not believe in the Christ these folk accept. These people believe and teach that all human beings lived prior to this life in what is called “the preexistence.” The same “apostle,” from whom we quoted above, teaches that Jesus attained the status of a god in the preexistence. His exact words are these, “He [Jesus] is the Firstborn of the Father. By obedience and devotion to the truth he attained that pinnacle of intelligence which ranked him as a God, as the Lord Omnipotent, while yet in his pre-existent state… Inasmuch, however, as Christ attained Godhood while yet in pre-existence, he too stood as a God to other spirits.” Notice the words “a God,” which implies along with another group of …

The year was 1967 when I purchased a book titled “Sermons Delivered in Louisville, Kentucky, by J.W. McGarvey.” One sermon was simply titled “Baptism,” and it was preached on the evening of July 2, 1893 by brother McGarvey. As I started to read the introduction to the sermon, a few remarks caught my eye such as, “Why another sermon on that old hackneyed theme?” McGarvey then proceeded with an interesting suggestion. He stated, “If you want to investigate any question without bias of mind, it is a good thing to throw out of your mind by an effort of the imagination, all you know or ever have heard about it… I propose then, that before we begin reading we shall each one imagine that we have never heard the word ‘baptism’ pronounced in our lives.” What an interesting approach to a study! Brother McGarvey wanted all to see what the Bible said about this strange and unknown word “baptism.” His sermon continued, “Now we begin at the first chapter of Matthew, and after reading that long list of names, and that account of the birth of the Lord, and his childhood, in the third chapter, the writer introduces John the Baptist; and in verses five and six we read thus: ‘Then went out unto Jerusalem and all Judea, and the region round about the Jordan, and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.’ Why, there is a word I never saw before; I never heard …

Today, puzzles come in many different forms. They have been used through the years to challenge the mind and at times simply for entertainment. Puzzles were first used as a tool for teaching geography around the middle of the 18th century. Are there any spiritual applications? In God’s family, there are no pieces that do not fit. The puzzle of God’s family is designed, created and arranged by God Himself. Paul wrote, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (1 Corinthians 12:18). In the puzzle analogy, every piece of the puzzle has a place where it belongs. Just as the pieces of a puzzle are designed to interconnect at a certain place and in just the right way, so the Designer of the Spiritual Family Puzzle has designed us to interconnect in just the right way to avoid being “loose fitting.” No, one piece of the puzzle cannot say to another, “Get away from me, you do not fit, you do not belong in this puzzle.” Also, who may sit by me in worship? God is a Builder, a Constructor, while Satan works feverishly to destruct and tear the puzzle apart. He loves it when pieces of the puzzle become damaged and lost. You can have a beautiful 500 piece puzzle put together and placed prominently on display, but if just one piece is missing, its glory is diminished. You and I need to be out there searching, allowing God …

Some still try to massage the Bible into agreement with unproven and unprovable macroevolutionary theory. Such compromises as the Day-Age Theory (redefining the days of Genesis 1:1-2) and the Gap Theory (inserting billions of years into Genesis 1:1-2) have been answered adequately and repeatedly (Niessen, Morris). So-called “Progressive Creationism” is refuted by Genesis 2:1-3 and Psalm 33:6, 9. Yet, some still attempt the impossible union of Christianity and Darwinian Evolution. The course most Theistic Evolutionists take begins with an attempted relegation of Genesis 1-11 to the literary genre of mythology. It is not historical, they allege, since snakes don’t talk (Genesis 3) and universal floods don’t happen (Genesis 6-9). Never mind that Christians believe in other recorded miracles, like a donkey talking (Numbers 22) and a Savior’s resurrection. The consequences of such an irresponsible dismissal seem to escape them. In short, to wipe aside, or even metaphorically interpret Genesis 1-11, is to dismantle all of the Christian system. The system of Judaism, the precursor of and tutor toward Christianity (Hebrews 8; Galatians 3), focused highly on the Sabbath rest theme. Yet, a Sabbath rest is based solely on the solar creation days of Genesis 1 (Exodus 20:8-11; Hebrews 4:4). Without the reality of Genesis 1, the entire Jewish economy collapses. Jesus Christ (“Lord of the Sabbath” – Mark 2:28), the culmination of that Jewish system in law-keeping, prophecy and genealogy, loses all credibility if Genesis 1-11 is not historical. He taught, just as Genesis, that “from the beginning of the …

Out of twelve sons, Joseph was Jacob’s favorite. As a display of his affection, Jacob made a coat of many colors for Joseph. “But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him” (Genesis 37:4 NKJV). When Joseph told his family of some dreams that indicated that his family members would one day bow down to him, his brothers hated him even more (Genesis 37:5-11). Their hatred for Joseph grew to the point where they wanted to kill him. Instead of killing him, they decided to sell him as a slave to a band of Ishmaelites who were on their way to Egypt (Genesis 37:12-28). Now Joseph’s brothers faced a dilemma: what were they going to tell Jacob? They devised and implemented a plan: “So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then, they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, ‘We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?’” (Genesis 37:31-32). Jacob believed their scheme. Observing the coat of many colors saturated with blood, he cried, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces” (Genesis 37:33). Jacob was honest in his assessment of the situation; he thought Joseph had been killed. He was honest, but he was honestly mistaken. Saul was also …