A joint study from the University of Rochester and the University of Notre Dame has connected problems in the home with problems at school. Melissa Sturge-Apple, the lead researcher on the paper and an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Rochester writes, “Families can be a support and resource for children as they enter school, or they can be a source of stress, distraction, and maladaptive behavior.” She also goes on to say, “This study shows that cold and controlling family environments are linked to a growing cascade of difficulties for children in their first three years of school, from aggressive and disruptive behavior to depression and alienation. The study also finds that children from families marked by high levels of conflict and intrusive parenting increasingly struggle with anxiety and social withdrawal as they navigate their early school years.” I do not agree with all the assumptions on which many of these types of studies are often based, but the conclusion that what happens at home can affect how children behave is nothing new to those familiar with Scripture. I remember my wife, a school teacher, having this discussion with a principal years ago, regarding a student whose home life was intruding in schoolwork. The principal responded that nothing happening in the home affects a student’s learning. Yes, I could not believe that statement either. As adults, we know how difficult it can be to leave problems at home behind in other areas of life. How much more …

Very recently, a correspondent of mine emailed me an article I have seen on occasion for more than the past 40 years. Briefly, the article claims that NASA scientists at Goddard Space Flight Center, while calculating orbits of planets and satellites, had “proven” that the long day of Joshua (Joshua 10, when God made the sun stand still) and the reversal of the sun’s motion for Hezekiah (2 Kings 20) had occurred, because it was necessary for NASA to take those events into consideration in doing orbital calculations. The version she planned to include in her weekly column for a small-town, mid-American weekly newspaper was the same I recall reading in church bulletins and mimeographed letters from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Fortunately (as we do for each other), she sent it to me to vet. Why? Because it is false – NASA never did any such thing, and there is no way to do any such thing, nor any need to do so, unless someone invents a time machine. Yet, for more than 40 years, people (for the most part well-meaning people) have been spreading this rumor as truth – spreading lies. I found, to my amusement, that the tale is much older than even my childhood, and was first concocted (but not with NASA as a key part) in 1890. So, for more than 120 years, this has been harming the cause of Christ. Many people have tried to debunk it over the years, and now it is my turn in the barrel. …

A common expression used by those who wish to justify a belief or practice for which there is no biblical authority is: “After much prayer and Bible study, we have concluded that _______________ is not a salvation issue.” In so doing, they attempt to classify a matter of faith and doctrine as a matter of opinion. We need to understand the difference between matters of faith and of opinion. In regard to things Christians must or must not do, there are several important matters to be understood. We need to know what things are essential and those things that are not essential. We need to know God’s full teaching on a given matter and how to ascertain biblical authority. It is also imperative that we understand and can distinguish between matters of faith and matters of opinion. A matter of faith is something that is authorized in the New Testament and is required for the followers of Jesus (Romans 10:17). Matters of faith are proven or founded on Bible authority. Bible authority is established by approved example, implication, direct statement (e.g. commands) and expediency. Christians are obligated to conduct their lives in accord with matters of faith. A matter of opinion is a belief but not a requirement. It may be an optional matter. It may have to do with the “how and when” of a matter of faith. A matter of opinion cannot be required as a condition for fellowship. Thomas Campbell in his “Declaration and Address” said that …

The words used in Acts 20:28-32 regarding the eldership of the church leads us to believe that rulership is involved. “Feed the flock among you” and ‘appointed you to be overseers’ and ‘draw away many after themselves’ are such expressions that involve rulers. The warning of Paul in the passage certainly alerted the elders at Ephesus that ‘from your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things.’ By drawing others to themselves, they were drawing men away from Christ who shed His blood to purchase the church. It is a shame for such to happen. This would be the first wave of division from Christ, and it would come from within the eldership. Could it have been avoided and how? In 1 Peter 5:1-4, we read a sobering thought from an elder who was as well an apostle, Simon Peter. He warned to shun ‘lording over God’s heritage’ and reminded elders that each one has to account for himself to the Chief Shepard! Yes, the way to avoid ‘lording’ in the rulership of the church rests within each of the elders recognizing his accountability to the Lord. It is not ‘his church,’ rather the church is the Lord’s heritage. It’s not ‘his rule,’ rather the Lord’s rule ought to be honored by all. It is good to be reminded of this. It is an effort for brethren to have to remind an eldership not to go too far. There are many ways to ‘lord it’ over the brethren besides rude …

In the opening chapters of Nehemiah, we see a man who was consumed with God’s plan for his life. His zeal for God’s work was evident in the way he handled himself before the king, the way he responded when told about the state of Jerusalem and the planning he did while waiting for the right opportunity. Further, it was because of that zeal that Nehemiah accomplished such great things in God’s kingdom. His zeal led him to the walls and gates of a tattered city. When Nehemiah reached his beloved town, he found a place in ruins and people who did not care one way or another. Their city – God’s city – was in terrible shape, and no one was doing anything about it. Nehemiah inspected, was honest in his assessment of the city, and got to work on God’s kingdom. If we are honest with ourselves about God’s kingdom today, it’s not in much better shape than Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day. The walls of the church (not the buildings) are broken and the gates are burned – and maybe that is the big reason that we do not see many people these days entering the gates of the kingdom. It is about time we fixed the city – the church. It is time that we inspect the walls and figured out where we can do some renovation and rebuilding on God’s city, the church, Jesus’ body. The walls are broken and the gates are burning – have …

The ridiculing and holding in contempt those who believe in the absolute authority of the Bible is not a new thing. David in the long ago stated: “The proud have me in great derision, Yet I do not turn aside from Your law” (Psalm 119:51). Do you suppose that David was accused of being a “hate monger” when he spoke against the sins of his day? One thing we do know, he would not give in to the practice of trying to be “politically correct.” In our society today, there are those who are quick to ridicule anyone who believes in a strict moral standard, and who believes that God is the Author of such a standard. These critics believe in and practice a way of life that rejects any and all moral standards. The Hollywood crowd, the music industry and much of the media, as well as a lot of politicians, make up this motley and sleazy crowd. God will judge them. His judgment will be according to His Word. His judgment will be exactly right (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:10)!

We have had some extreme weather events this summer and, not just here, but all across the country. In February, we had 7” of rain that did quite a bit of damage. The two-lane gravel road from our house to the highway was flooded so badly that we absolutely could not get out without a boat (thankfully we did not have to!). The later spring brought more heavy rain and flooding that has brought woe to area farmers. Then, there were all of the spring killer tornadoes that devastated some areas that are still trying to recover from them. Now, the extreme heat is plaguing us. The temperature on our back porch (in the shade) was 114 on Wednesday this week. Never in my lifetime have I seen a temperature that high. My wife and I made a trip this week, and as we traveled, we were talking about all the trees that were dying after having been struck by lightning. She made the remark that the lightning had gone straight to the roots (the life of the trees) and had killed them. Even though sometimes trees die in stages because of wind, disease, etc., that is not the case when lightning strikes head-on. Occasionally, a tree will get struck only slightly and may live, but when the lightning goes to the roots, the tree will not survive. This made me think about how much this is like sin. When Satan strikes, he goes straight for the vital spiritual organ …

I read a story on Foxnews.com about a military course that was cancelled on the basis that it violated the separation of church and state. (Excuse my technical language, but that is baloney!) I am not going to comment more on that case; you can read about it at the link below. However, I did like the following quote from Commander Daniel McKay, a retired U.S. Navy Chaplain: “History will prove that if you stay true to God’s wisdom, it will serve us well and it has served us well.” McKay said it’s possible that parts of the military are trying to play “all sides of the fence – trying to take a middle-of-the-road approach.” That, he said, is a mistake. “If you stay in the middle of the road, you become road kill,” McKay said, urging the military to stay true to what the Founders established. Read more at https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/03/air-forces-suspends-christian-themed- ethics-training-program-over-bible/#ixzz1U4YFkSf1. We have all seen it. The poor animal, a possum, a deer, a squirrel, or maybe a dog or cat, is stuck in the middle of the road with traffic coming and just does not know what to do. Way too often they make exactly the wrong move and are struck by a vehicle. I hate it when I hit an animal, no matter what kind (except maybe a snake, I have a very strong prejudice against snakes). Yet, sometimes it is unavoidable, and then a living creature becomes, for lack of a better term, road kill. Staying …

We live in a culture that devalues, on a daily basis, the idea of submission. The word “submit” is defined as, “to give over or yield to the power or authority of another” (Webster). The humanistic mentality of “do whatever feels good to you” has so integrated itself into our society that submission is now considered a bad word in many ideological circles. This has been especially true within the realm of American “religion.” The approach of most of the religious community is to find something one likes, regardless of what is taught or practiced, and stay there until in the mood for something else. There is no hint of a necessity to submit to anyone or anything; it is completely self-serving. However, the Bible paints a very different picture of the attributes our attitude must incorporate to be pleasing to God. There is an emphasis placed in Scripture upon the need for one to be willing to submit before he or she can be acceptable to God. Consider the words of Paul when he wrote to the Romans: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:1-3). Paul indicated that the people of Israel as a whole had not …

Most of the time when I have been asked, “Is a man born into the family of God, or adopted?” I have replied, “‘Born’ or ‘adopted’ are simply two different terms indicating a method of entering a family, so it does not matter.” I was simply indicating what I thought every reference work and dictionary to which I have access says. In addition to that, every preacher of the Gospel that I heard speak of it used the terms synonymously. Upon further examination, I discovered that most of the reference works start and end with the assumption that the terms refer to the same thing, without giving any Bible reference that indicates that to be the fact. I now believe we have overlooked some interesting, though not crucial things. The Greek term translated “adoption” is “huiothesia” about which Thayer says, “The nature and condition of the true disciples of Christ, who by receiving the Spirit of God into their souls become sons of God.” He adds, “It also includes the blessed state looked for in the future life after the visible return of Christ from heaven – i.e., the consummate condition of the sons of God which will render it evident that they are sons of God.” We wish that our readers and we were always able to differentiate between a casual opinion expressed by an “authority” and a scholarly, definitive conclusion, arrived at and proven by the proper analytical methods. Also, we wish the authority or the student would …

Fault finding is a pastime that is as old as it is distasteful. Often is the case when people just want to find something wrong with another to the point of dreaming up crimes or allegations to convict. As the youngest of the family, this writer can relate to some degree as to the possible motives one might have to do this. Yet, when it comes to doing another harm or injury, there is no good or acceptable reason or motive. After our Lord was betrayed by Judas in a Garden where He often found peace, tranquility and comfort (John 18:2) and denied by Peter, Jesus was then brought before Pilate for questioning. Pilate was the Procurator or Governor of Judea for about ten years (26-36 according to Josephus, Ant, XVIII, IV, 2). It was before Pilate that our Lord was brought because of the desire of the Jews to put Him to death. It was not permissible for the Jews to put one to death without the consent of Rome, so Pilate was used to speed things along. It was not because Pilate was loved or respected by the Jews, he was not. “Pilate never became popular with the Jews. He seemed to be insensitive to their religious convictions and stubborn in the pursuit of his policies” (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary). In spite of their distain for Pilate, the Jews had a goal in mind, and they sought to accomplish it – and accomplish it they did! In John 18:29-31, Pilate …

The Corinthian church held a special place in the heart of the evangelist and apostle Paul. No doubt this was, in part, because he and Timothy were co-laborers together with God in sowing the seed of the Gospel in that part of Achaia during the middle of the 1st century A.D. (1 Corinthians 3:9). Paul was thrilled God had given the increase (3:6-7). In consideration of the rank idolatry and gross immorality so prevalent in that strategic commercial city, it is hard to imagine any ancient city needing the prevailing benefit of the Gospel any more than did they. Now they were washed, justified and sanctified! While Paul was later evangelizing the city of Ephesus, he learned of plenty perplexing problems through both oral and written means of communication. He experienced heartache and deep sadness prompting his tears to flow as he penned what we know as 1 Corinthians. About a year or so later, he would give the Corinthian saints insight into his emotions as he penned the earlier epistle. “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you” (2 Corinthians 2:4). The epistle of 2 Corinthians informs us how Paul “believed in the Corinthians” that they would do what was right in a number of areas needing attention. Apparently, Titus had been less optimistic. However, Paul was proven that his confidence …

In the 23rd chapter of Matthew, we have recorded the scathing denunciation of the Pharisees that Jesus delivered to their faces just hours before He was taken by wicked hands, crucified and slain. Near the end of this denunciation, Jesus made a prophecy regarding what the Pharisees, and other Jews, were going to do to His disciples in the future. He said, “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city…”(Matthew 23:34 NKJV). Jesus intended to send not only the apostles out to preach the Gospel to the disobedient Jews, but He would send them prophets, wise men and scribes as well. As we read the New Testament, we find men who had the gift of prophecy, that of wisdom and those who wrote to the followers of Jesus. These men, along with women and perhaps even young people, were sacrificed on the altars of martyrdom all over Palestine and other areas of the world. There are those who deny that the persecution of the Christians by the Jews was intense and place great emphasis on that of the Romans. While it is true that the Romans did persecute the Christians with great intensity, especially during the reign of Nero, we must not forget that the persecution of Christians by the Jews, which is mentioned some thirty-three times in the New Testament, was the first, …

To act hastily and not consider the consequence of our actions is a common problem. The word “clouded” is used to describe blurred aims and decisions. We have observed local and national governments acting strangely many times because of blurred and unclear rulings. When one has been misguided and/or there are fixed standards to guide the decision making process, the result will be clouded. To act on clouded and unclear action policy is foolish. We Need to Let the Dust Settle I learned to drive a car on the back roads in northeast Mississippi. There were still a lot of dirt roads in Mississippi in the 1950’s, and dust was always a problem, especially in the hot and dry summertime. Driving produced a thick cloud of dust. When a vehicle passed, you better slow down because the dust was blinding. We remember an idiom, “let the dust settle.” Could it be that this figure of speech originated from driving on dirt roads in Mississippi? From a practical point of view, when we are faced with an important decision to make, a problem, a quarrel or the like, “let the dust settle” before speaking or acting. Our words communicate our thoughts and our inner feelings, be it good or bad. Do we blurt out a comment before we think? Oh, that gets us in a lot of trouble, does it not? Blurred thinking and planning will only cause greater problems. Calm, Thoughtful Action and Speech Needed “Wise men lay up knowledge; …

What are you willing to lose for Christ? It is really not my question, but His. He issued the challenge a number of times during His ministry, but perhaps none is as strong a statement as the one found in Matthew 10:39, when he says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” This came at the end of a rather long speech to His disciples just before He sent them out into the world to teach His message of the kingdom. In the speech, He told them where to go, what to do, and then warned them that the message may not be received well. In essence, Christ revealed that the road was going to be a difficult one, and they should not be surprised when they were betrayed, slandered and make enemies even in their own households. At the same time, He empowered them with the knowledge that they were not be alone, but the Father in heaven had even the very hairs of their heads numbered and would more than take care of them on their journey. Furthermore, they would be rewarded in full for their efforts. What I want you to notice, however, about this wonderful section of Scripture is the list of people to whom they were supposed to go and to minister. They were forbidden, at least at this time, to go to the Gentiles (10:4-5), but others they were to seek out and …

In the book Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the Twentieth Century by John R.W. Stott, Stott gives, what he calls, the “Theological Foundation for Preaching.” Stott, an Evangelical, provides noteworthy information for both the preacher and church. Preachers must have a conviction about God. Three affirmations about God are necessary: God is, God has acted and God has spoken to reveal Himself to man. Therefore, what God has spoken is imperative! Preachers must have a conviction about Scripture. This includes three things: (1) Scripture is God’s Word written. (2) God still speaks through what He has spoken. His Word is still relevant and applicable to us today. (3) God’s Word is powerful. It is able to accomplish what God intended for it to accomplish in man. Preachers must have a conviction about the church. The church is the creation of God by His Word. The church did not give us the Bible nor is it the authority behind truth; it is, however, the total number of redeemed following the Bible. Furthermore, God “maintains and sustains it, directs and sanctifies it, reforms and renews it through the same Word.” Preachers must have a conviction about preaching. Preaching is expounding the sacred text. This type of preaching has benefits: (1) It sets us limits. It restricts us to the sacred text, not secular literature or our own opinions. (2) It demands integrity. “Not everybody is persuaded of this,” says Stott. “It is commonly said that the Bible can be made to mean anything one …

In our day, more and more women are becoming preachers. Many pulpits are now being filled by them, and they are often the speakers on religious TV programs. In a time in which the women’s lib movement is in full swing, the idea of “women preachers” fits right in with the idea of women taking the lead in many or all fields that were formerly reserved for men. The question here, however, is not a matter of men suppressing women and forbidding them to preach, or not allowing them to enter a field of work where men have previously played a dominant role. The question is, “Does the Lord, Himself, authorize women to take the lead in doing this kind of public work in the church?” When we look at the ministry of Jesus, we find Him choosing 12 individuals to serve as His apostles. Who were these apostles? They were all men! Later, when Judas betrayed Christ and another was selected to take his place, even though there were faithful women among His disciples, still it was a man that was chosen (Acts 1:26). Also, when one was appointed by God “out of due season” to become an apostle to the Gentiles, Paul – a man – was the selection. After the church had been established and had begun to grow and spread throughout the world, there was a need for leaders in each congregation. According to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, those Christians who were qualified were …

“And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call thy name” (Acts 9:14). These words were spoken by the disciple Ananias to the Lord in reference to Saul, the former persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ. Saul had authority to cast into prison “all that call thy name,” that is, the name of the Lord. What was it and what is it to “call on thy name”? We can believe with confidence that it is not a mere repeating of the name of the Lord. On one occasion Jesus stated, “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). In Luke 6:46, we read, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” One can readily see that whatever calling on the name of the Lord is, such is more than saying his precious name. The two passages noted previously greatly emphasize the need of obedience to the commands of the Lord. The first instance wherein we find an inspired man using the prophecy from Joel 2:32 was Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:21). That prophecy was, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Peter continued preaching to his audience that Christ had died and had been resurrected by the power of the …