What are you doing here, Elijah? He said, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away. And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. (1 Kings 19:9-12) It started off as a misdialed call and ended with a promise of greater spirituality. A woman, whom I only know now as “Kim,” called my number by accident while trying to get a hold of her neighbor for some reason. After three attempts at dialing the neighbor and getting me instead, I tried to walk her through a series of questions to figure out why she was dialing my number rather than the neighbor. She was surprised by my willingness to help and laugh off the situation. “It is good to hear laughter,” she said. “I haven’t laughed in a while.” I told her that I was …

There is that system known as “the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).” Of course, this is the Gospel system. Secondly, the apostle Paul emphasized the necessity of one being in this faith. Thirdly, each one has the responsibility of making a self-examination to determine if one is in that system. Although not specifically stated, a fourth item is implied. In order for one to examine himself or herself, there must be an authoritative standard that can be used for such an examination. Without doubt, that standard is the Word of God – the Holy Scriptures. Through the centuries there have been those who have grown weary of God’s way. As a result, they have attempted to usurp His authority and have rejected that standard. In doing this, they have substituted their own laws, creeds and doctrines. Notice some of their writings on this subject. In speaking of the traditions of a certain church, it is written: “It is, therefore, to be received with the same internal assent as Scripture, for it is the word of God… Tradition would suffice without Scripture…” In the preface of a church manual it is written, “This manual is offered to ______ churches because it is believed that such a book suited to modern church life is needed.” In the so-called scriptures of another religion, a religion founded by a mere man, one reads: “And because my words shall hiss forth,  many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there …

But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, “My son, go, work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I don’t want to!” Yet later he changed his mind and went. Then the man went to the other and said the same thing. “I will, sir,” he answered. But he didn’t go. Which of the two did his father’s will? “The first,” they said.” (Matthew 21:28-31) How important are good intentions? They are fundamental! Intention is our determination to act in a certain way, our resolve to achieve a certain goal. Good intentions are the desires we have to accomplish good. They allow us to plan, prepare and then perform the good we have in mind. Without good intentions there is no desire, no preparation and no initiative to reach out and accomplish good for the kingdom of God. Nothing good can be done without good intentions. As basic as good intentions are, they must be carried out to accomplish anything good. You can have all the good intentions possible, but if they are never acted on, the result is no different from the one who has no good intentions at all. Either way, nothing positive is accomplished. Jesus emphasized this in the above parable. It was not the son who said he would work that did the will of his father, but the one who actually served (although he had originally said he would not). No matter the good intentions of the …

The Church of Christ is not a physical building nor is it a denomination. It is the blood-bought body of Christ. Paul wrote by inspiration of God, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27). At the end of time the church which is the kingdom of God will be delivered up to God, the father. “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). If you will do what the Bible teaches, the Lord will save you and add you to His church. The church Jesus built is made up of saved people (Matthew 16:18-19). Jesus did not build a denomination. His interest is not in a physical building. The Church of Christ is a living organism. It is composed of people saved by the blood of Jesus. If you have read your Bible, you have read about the Church of Christ. The Church of Christ exists anywhere people follow the Bible and the Bible only (Acts 2:38-47). The …

In the parables, Jesus taught lessons with stories familiar to His listeners. While the following story is not a parable, it still may serve to teach sincere students of the Word “the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26). Consider the following fictional scenario. Many years ago, some in the world of Christendom had looked on the great and notable day of the Ascension of our Lord as a day worthy of a special remembrance once each year. Over the centuries, this celebration became quite well known. In time, I learned of this special holy day and determined to participate in the celebration. I said, “That was a great and notable day in the course of human events. I’ll join them.” Religionists finally settled on July 17th each year as the Day for the Ascension celebration, though there was some debate among them as to the actual day of the Ascension. On the Day of the Ascension celebration, young men in white apparel stand and repeat the phrase “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven?” among other things. These religious folk also pulled ideas from pagan practices and Roman Catholic traditions to incorporate in their holy day celebration of the ascension. After some thought, I decided to try and see if I could find in the Scripture where God had directed us to celebrate the Ascension of our Lord. I read Mark 16:19, which mentions the Ascension, but there is nothing in that passage to instruct me to celebrate the Ascension. I …

Christmas is a date surrounded by myths, legends and falsehoods. Worst of all, it’s a date into which the birth of Christ was inserted out of sequence. It’s certain that Jesus was not born during this time of year. Yet ironically, the fact of His birth is what is most true, out of all the things that people think about during Christmas. The myths could be easily resolved with a light reading of the New Testament, actually, of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which contain the story of Jesus on earth. What is most worrisome is what the yuletide myths say about religion. Faith in Man The faith of many today is nothing more than a human production. Their beliefs do not have their origin, as they should, in Holy Scripture, but people get their religious data for their faith from others. A secondhand faith. A faith that depends upon a priest, pope, pastor, preacher, religious Authority with a capital A for its content and exercise. However, the warning is ancient: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord’” (Jeremiah 17.5 NLT). Whenever one deposits in man one’s dependence of faith, that confidence will be betrayed. Good, But Short Sentiments Christmas is a moment for the expression of positive sentiments, endearing terms, family gatherings and fraternal greetings. Any occasion that cultivates the finer attitudes of …

Did you know that 97% of the world has heard of Coca-Cola? Did you know that 72% of the world has seen a can of Coca-Cola? Did you know that 51% of the world has tasted a can of Coca-Cola? Coke has only been around for some 100 years, not too bad! In knowing that, compare it to the fact that only some 20% of the world’s population has heard the Gospel message! We need to get our attention back on that which is eternal and focus on the lost. Christians should be Soul Winners! The Command from Above (Matthew 28:18-20) Since Jesus has all authority, we are commanded to go, make disciples of all nations, baptize them and teach them to obey. This commission is given in light of the authority of Jesus; it is an authoritative command, not a suggestion. It is the same idea as an officer reminding a private of his rank before he gives the orders. Because He has this authority, He can send whomever He wills to do whatever He pleases. One problem for many churches and Christians today is that the Great Commission has become the Great Omission (cf. John 14:15)! The Cry from Beneath (Luke 16:27-28) Remember the rich man who died and woke up in hell, begging for someone to go and tell his brothers? “I pray thee, therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house (for I have five brethren), that he may testify unto them, lest they also come …

There once were two siblings: a brother and sister. The brother was older and more knowledgeable than the sister. The sister was pretty, but not flawlessly so. She had a birthmark underneath her chin, a mole beside one ear and hair that always looked messy no matter what she tried to do with it. Yet, she had a beautiful heart and worked very hard at being the best she could be. Nevertheless, the brother was merciless toward his sister. He constantly told others, both family and strangers, about her flaws and shortcomings. She wasn’t really as pretty as people thought, according to him, for she was far too flawed for anyone to be truly pleased. The derogatory statements began as whispers behind her back, but soon they became constant statements that were before the sister on a daily basis. She tried to make changes, to cover the blemishes with makeup, to keep the hair as others thought it should be and to appear less “ugly.” However, no matter what she did, the brother never changed his opinion of her. She was always going to be his ugly sister, and he was not afraid to let anyone know the truth about her. Finally one day, after a great deal of time taking the berating words from her brother, the sister decided she could not take it anymore. One night she ran away from home, leaving a note stating that she could not take the brother’s criticism any longer. While she was …

Some trends are developing in worship services in the Lord’s church today that are aimed at pleasing those who are proposing to be worshipping and not to serve as worship to God. God didn’t leave us “in the dark” about what He expects of us, and that includes our public worship services. These modern “added” trends in the Lord’s church are not very far from us. My wife and I attended a service of the Lord’s church within 25 miles of here and we had our eyes opened. Teenage girls stood at the back of the auditorium and led the public singing along with a group of young men. There was handclapping and so much disorder from the young folks that we looked up elders after the “service” was over and attempted to talk with them about it. Basically, we were told to mind our own business. These modern trends are popping up in congregations all around us. So many seem to want to express their worship by handclapping, foot stomping, swaying and much loudness. They are expressing their emotions by their spirited display of worship. I certainly want to worship God in the proper way, that is, in the way He has directed, and I don’t find any of these things demonstrated in details of the way early Christians worshipped nor do I find them commanded or demonstrated in the New Testament at all. Those who do such things in worship seem to be doing it for show to draw attention …

“And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision” (1 Samuel 3:1 KJV). There are times in the Old Testament where God is recorded as speaking often to a man, such as Moses or one of the great prophets, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel. On the other hand, there were times when God did not speak directly to anyone for long periods of time. The events recorded in 1 Samuel 3 are at one of those times. The word translated “precious” is often translated “rare” (NKJV, ESV). When something good is rare, that makes it seem so much more precious. In the following verses of this chapter, inspiration records God calling to Samuel, and his consistent answer, “Here I am.” Later, in Isaiah 6:8, Isaiah is called by God: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Notice the reaction of both of these godly people. “Here am I.” From these concepts I would make the following observations: First, the Word of God should never be rare anymore. God has revealed His will through the pages of the inspired Scriptures. There is no excuse anymore for the word to be “rare.” Only through our negligence will it be rare. To me, it is so sad that in the days of Josiah they had to find the …

Listed in 1 Timothy 2:4 is God’s desire for all mankind: “Who would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” The use of the word “truth” as Paul is instructed to write occurs in various forms throughout the epistles of the New Testament. In 1 Timothy alone note 2:7, 3:15, 4:3 and 6:5. In 2 Timothy notice 2:15 and 3:8 as key verses. In other letters, he wrote of the ‘truth of the gospel’ (Galatians 5:7), ‘obeying the truth’ (2 Corinthians 4:2), ‘refusing to love the truth’ (2 Thessalonians 2:10) and ‘wicked men who suppress the truth’ (Romans 1:18). Why the importance of the truth as it deals with application to any subject? Is the importance written due to Jesus’s prayer for ‘our sanctification to be by the Father’s truth’; “thy word is truth” (John 17:17)? Can you think of any better reason for the truth to be emphasized? When seekers desire for dreams, happenstance and feelings to guide their decision for the Lord, are they not avoiding the prayer of Jesus and His teaching? Do we not see the examples of Acts 2, 10 and 22 emphasize the acceptance of the truth as they obeyed the Gospel and received the remission of sins? [God wants all mankind to be saved, but He forces no one. Only those who voluntarily obey the truth of the Gospel will ultimately be saved. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but …

A common question posed to young men and women is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Depending on their age, this question is usually used to initiate a conversation about the occupation they envision themselves pursuing in the future. In James 1:19-21, the writer encouraged Christians (“brethren,” 1:19) to listen (1:19) and receive (1:21) the “word of truth” (1:18), but in James 1:19-27 he reminded Christians that listening and receiving is not an end; there is more involved in being a “spiritual grownup.” Almost everyone knows that “to be something” you must “do something,” but not everyone is willing to put forth the effort. It is not uncommon for a young person who aspires to become a doctor to shrivel at the thought of long hours in the library, countless tests and lengthy term papers. In no uncertain terms, they want to be a doctor, but they do not want to put forth the effort. Therefore, their aspirations will never become a reality. They may insist they will still become a doctor, but everyone knows they are deceiving themselves. James commanded Christians, “but be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). In other words, they were to be continuous doers (James 1:22-23, 25; 4:11; Acts 17:28; Romans 2:13) of the Word; it was to be their habitual occupation. In contrast, they should resist the temptation of being “hearers only.” The word translated “hearers” is found four times in the New Testament (James …

Someone has said, “If you want good government, be a good citizen.” If we want a better church, the place to begin is with ourselves. Jesus died for the church so it could be a better church. If we want a better church, we must realize that we are important! We must realize that we are important no matter what we can or cannot do (Romans 12:20-26). The Lord depends on us to do our part (Ephesians 4:15-16). The Lord depends on us to help the church to grow and function. If we want a better church, we must do something for the church. One can be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving and ready to help one another (Ephesians 4:31-32; Galatians 6:1-2). We can help the church by building up the church rather than being critical of what the church is trying to do (1 Corinthians 10:10; Hebrews 12:1). One of the best ways we can help the church is to guard our lives daily against doing or saying anything that would bring shame or reproach on the church for which Jesus died (Ephesians 5:15). If we want a better church, we must invite others to share our blessings. The Christian life is the best life and the most rewarding life that one can live. A Christian is blessed materially and spiritually. A Christian is blessed in unlimited ways. When we bring a friend to Bible classes and worship, we help that friend understand that God has provided many blessings for those in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). …

There are those who assert that Jesus was mythological and reject the evidence of the Bible. These skeptics try to persuade others that Jesus and the New Testament are mere propaganda. However, there is evidence outside the Bible that proves that Jesus of Nazareth really lived. Josephus, a Jewish historian during the century Jesus lived, wrote of the High Priest Ananias: “convened the court of the Sanhedrin, and brought before them the brother of Jesus the so-called Messiah, who was called James, and some other men, whom he accused of having broken the law, and handed them over to be stoned.” This is not the only reference Josephus makes about Jesus of Nazareth. There are also references to Jesus’ existence in the Babylonian Talmud as well. So the Jews, while some rejected Jesus as the Messiah, did not reject the fact of His existence. Tacitus, Roman pagan historian who wrote Annals around 115 A.D., made the following statement about Nero burning the city of Rome: “To dispel the rumour, Nero substituted as culprits, and treated with the most extreme punishments, some people, popularly known as Christian, whose disgraceful activities were notorious. The originator of that name, Christus, had been executed when Tiberius was emperor by order of the procurator Pontius Pilate. But the deadly cult, though checked for a time, was now breaking out again not only in Judea, the birthplace of this evil, but even throughout Rome, where all the nasty and disgusting ideas from all over the world pour in and find a ready following.” These …

“In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility…” (Titus 2:7) Someone, I don’t know who, said that character is what we are when no one is watching. How true! When we do things that aren’t right, we try to hide them from our families, friends and the rest of the church. Even then, God is watching, and He knows. If you want to be pleasing to God, to walk with Him, you must seek to follow His commandments. When you try to live up to God’s standard, your character will take care of itself. You won’t be living to please other people anymore. You’ll live to make God happy, and if we get that right, the rest will fall right into place.

Every day there are people who do others wrong whether by word or deed. Unfortunately, the doing of wrong to others is often committed by those of us who claim to be God-fearing Christians. Why do Christians mistreat others knowing full-well God is highly offended when we cause unnecessary hurt, and further that He will execute judgment and wrath upon us? Isn’t it past time we truly learn “the more excellent way” of which Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:31ff? In the first three verses of 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, we note that without love: (1) Our speech is a noisy gong; (2) In spite of what gifts with which we have been endowed, we are nothing; (3) Any sacrificial acts we make profit us nothing. Friend, what is the value, then, in professing with our mouths to be a Christian, if our behavior toward others is no better (and sometimes even worse) than that of the world? Jesus teaches that what we do unto the brethren is what we do unto Him (Matthew 25:40; cf. Acts 9:1-4). Do we realize that we abuse the Lord and wound His heart through injuring even “the least of these”? In John’s first epistle, we observe indicators of our identity: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3:10). “The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one …

Almost any standard dictionary will define the word “worthy” as, “that which is of commendable excellence; deserving.” The definition is arresting. If we can trust the definition, there are few people in the world worthy of what they receive in life. Even great people bring little to the world that it has not known and appreciated, or known and discarded before. Who among us would assert that he or she is worthy of all the blessings received from the hand of a gracious God? Some arrogant persons might, but those who are truly in touch with themselves and with the Bible would never dare to take such an unworthy stand. Among the greatest people who have ever lived on the earth were the apostles of Christ. To these great men, to whom even we owe our salvation, Jesus said, “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). This Jesus said after telling a parable of a slave plowing or tending sheep. When that servant returned to the residence of his master, he did not find that the master had all the preparations made to see that the slave had a good meal waiting for him. On the contrary, it was his duty to prepare the meal for the master after having labored all day. When we serve Christ to the best of our feeble abilities, we have done …

as mowing my large back yard lawn; it was Saturday, July 25th, 2009. As some may know, our minds wander when we mow the lawn. I was thinking about a recent event that drew national news attention. The event was a confrontation between Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. of Harvard University and a local policeman. I thought about how I would have responded if I were in the same situation as Professor Gates. If a policeman came to my house and said, “There is a report that this house was being burglarized,” my response would be, “Good day Officer, please come in. May I show you my identification? This is my house; I have lived here for a very long time. Please sit down!” Showing off some of my family pictures on my living room wall, I would offer him a cup of coffee. You know, friends, in a very short time, I believe we would have departed in peace. As he left my home, I would say, “Come by and see me sometime and have a cup of coffee.” O yes, I am a friendly fellow! “You’re Not Going to Hurt Me, Are You?” As I continued mowing the lawn, thinking about this Professor Gates situation, my mind drifted to an incident that happened over forty years ago. I was living in the small town of Sherman, Mississippi. Sherman is a little north of Tupelo, Mississippi (the birthplace of Elvis Presley). I remember that I was outside in my …

There are many in the past who have given us many rules by which to live: the Iron rule, the Silver Rule and the Golden Rule. The Iron rule is “might makes right.” It cares nothing about justice or mercy, but is concerned only with power. The Silver rule is “Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to you.” The Golden Rule, contrary to popular belief, is not “the one with the gold rules,” but “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). While there is a close resemblance between the Silver and Gold rules, there is a very stark distinction between the two. The Silver Rule is very passive and reactive; it gives no calling for service to others. While it looks good on the surface from afar, upon closer inspection, it is found to be quite selfish. The people of God are to be a people of active service to one another. This is the Law and the Prophets.

The responsibility of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and pleading with sinners to obey this call belongs to the church of our Lord (Mark 16:15; 1 Timothy 3:15). We are to be persistent in our efforts in leading others to Christ. The body of the Lord is to continue this great work that our Savior began while he lived on this earth (Luke 19:10). We should never grow weary in this tremendous challenge. However, there is also a need to recapture the saved that have become lost. That is indeed strange, but it is a perpetual problem that plagues and perplexes the spiritually strong members of any congregation. Interested Christians spend a great deal of time and effort in bringing a lost soul to Christ, and at the same time become disturbed when they witness the losing of the saved. In other words, we win a few and lose a few. If we could retain all those who have been baptized into Christ, our church buildings would be filled to capacity. Elders, deacons, preachers, teachers and all faithful Christians become frustrated with the loss of members and often ask, “Who is to blame?” While there may be the case in which many are to blame if the proper care has not been shown to the erring, the Lord Himself dealt with this serious problem in the parable He gave regarding the sower who went forth to sow the seed (Luke 8:4-15). The seed (word) was not different as it …

Doug Parsons once told about Morris Siegel, a homeless man that lived on the streets of Los Angeles. Morris slept outside and carried everything he owned in an old shopping cart. He died on December 14, 1989 from natural causes; his body was found in an alley. But Morris was not a typical homeless person. He died with $207,421.00 in the bank! Then WHY was he living on the streets of L.A.? Ten years earlier, Morris Siegel’s father had died and left him a small fortune. Morris never showed up to claim the money. Finally, the Division of Unclaimed Property tracked him down. They forced him to accept it, even though he did not show up for the ceremony to receive the money. He did take enough money to buy an old car in which he slept during bad weather. Relatives rented an apartment for Morris, but he never went there. He died with $3.00 in his pocket and a small fortune in the bank. His father had left him a substantial inheritance, but Morris refused it. It is the desire of God, the Heavenly Father, to give each of us an eternal inheritance. Even though we were lost in sin, because of His great love for us, God sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we might become His children and heirs together with Christ. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if indeed we …

Light and darkness: knowing the context of these words when reading is the key to understanding. More specifically, understanding these words on a biblical basis is needed. Once one finds the individual meanings, the next task is to find where they are used in Scripture, and then finally, to apply their lessons to our everyday lives. The absence of light is the common definition of darkness. Biblically, this word refers to evil or absence of truth. It is important that this meaning is established so that a proper interpretation of the verses can be established. The worldly view perceives light as that which is visible; the Bible on the other hand has a different view. The Bible lists light as the truth, which is good, and it also refers to Jesus as the light. Those who stray from the truth into darkness will hate those of us who are in the light (truth). “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). Every aspect about us contributes to who we are and how we live. Whether it is in word or in deed, what we say and do relates to which master we serve. We know from reading Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve two masters. In addition, we observe that our thoughts and actions directly relate to whether we are in the light or in the dark. “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, …

There is little question in the minds of those who are committed to pure, New Testament Christianity that untold damage has been done by all the false systems masquerading under the name of Christianity. However, as I meditated on this subject, I remembered Psalm 76:10, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee.” Surely no student of the Bible can doubt that God has used ungodly men and situations to work for good to those who love Him. Let us consider some values of counterfeit religions. Strange as it may seem at first glance, the tremendous amount of evil that has been produced by false religions from the original apostate church on down to her present children and grandchildren should call attention to the careful student to the glory, good and wonder of the true Gospel. This was first impressed on me while in a doctor’s office. The doctor was berating what she called “the Christian religion,” but she kept referring to the practices of Catholic and Protestant churches. I said to her, “I have no apology to make, nor desire to uphold the things you are criticizing. What do you find wrong with Christ or His teaching?” She replied, “Nothing.” Then she kept me in her office for an hour while her waiting room filled up. I made another appointment to see her at home where I would not feel guilty for keeping her patients waiting. Most of the criticism I have heard directly from skeptics, agnostics and avowed …