The king of Babylon, Nebuchadrezzar (also spelled Nebuchadnezzar in other texts) was making plans to attack Jerusalem. Since Babylon was the world’s superpower of the day, this was of great concern to the residents of Jerusalem. The king in Jerusalem at that time was Zedekiah. Zedekiah had been very disobedient to God. God sent the Babylonians to Jerusalem as punishment for his disobedience. Zedekiah was very concerned about the intelligence reports that he had received. Babylon was indeed preparing a mass attack on his city. He did the wisest thing that he could do. He called Jeremiah and asked him to pray to God for the country. This was a very smart move! Most people would have called for the generals and colonels to ask them for a battle plan! Unfortunately, Jeremiah had bad news for Zedekiah. God intended for the Babylonians to punish Jerusalem for its sins. The answer to Zedekiah’s prayer was to surrender to the Babylonians! Zedekiah had received the answer to his prayer, but it was not the answer he wanted! Since it was not the answer for which he was hoping, should he obey? Instead of obeying the Lord (which he was not in the habit of doing), he allowed Jeremiah to be thrown into the dungeon by the rulers of the city. After Jeremiah had been in jail for a long while, Zedekiah called for him and asked him again, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is: for, thou shalt be delivered …

There He was, God the Son, incarnate in human flesh, nailed to Calvary’s cross. Jesus Christ was dying for all of mankind “by the grace of God” (Hebrews 2:9). He had been hanging on that rugged cross almost six hours. While He was on the cross He spoke seven times. Of the seven sayings of Jesus Christ, the shortest was, “I thirst” (John 19:28). Surely His words indicated the intense suffering He was enduring on that “tree” (Acts 10:39; Galatians 3:13). A Roman soldier gave Him a mixture of sour wine (wine that had passed its time and had turned into vinegar) and well water. Our Lord Jesus Christ created the “waters” in the beginning (Genesis 1), and yet, there he was saying, “I thirst.” He also created the trees, from which wood was used to make the cross on which He hung as He was suspended between heaven and earth. Also, He had created the material for the hammer or mallet being used by the Roman soldier to drive the nails into His hands and feet, as well as the spear used by the Roman soldier that pierced His side. Even the soldier was a descendant of the man and woman who God formed/made in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2). Jesus Christ could have called down “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) to rescue Him from that cross, “but He died alone for you and me.” You may ask, “How was Jesus involved in the creation …

Today we need for both young and old some vital lessons on faith that are involved in the story of the walls of Jericho falling down. First, let us notice the foundation of faith. In Joshua 6:2 the Lord says, “See, I have given into thine hand Jericho.” Note carefully an important principle that is true today as well as then. The Lord gave it to him. He could do nothing to earn it, for it was a gift. However, he had to take it according to certain stipulations and rules ordained by God. This is true with every gift God gives, including salvation. The wonder of it is that so many brilliant men, theologians and Bible students, do not seem to grasp it, for it is a universal and timeless truth. The air you breathe is a gift of God, but you must breathe it—accept that gift on the terms of God’s law. The water that gives you life is a gift of God, but you accept and use it according to God’s laws, or it will bring death instead of life. So, the foundation of Joshua’s faith and ours must be what God has actually said, rather than some guess, opinion, feeling or notion we may get. Most religious persons, and not a few connected in some fashion with the Lord’s church, seem to think they can act in faith without any revelation from God about the matter. However, faith still comes from hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17). It …

It’s Monday morning and you are tired. You get to the office, already dreading the day ahead, when suddenly you remember you forgot to print the reports for your boss. You rush over to your computer. It is fifteen minutes before the big meeting. You open your computer and try to access the file. Nothing is working. “What is wrong with this machine?” You finally decide to restart your whole system. Slowly but surely, the system begins to open up. You are barely able to get everything printed that you need, but you make it. Your week has officially begun. Your week is as busy as ever, and you promise yourself that this weekend you are going to get some rest. One activity leads to two, maybe three. Church services on Sunday are followed by more activities Sunday night. It is now Monday morning again. Many people rush through life, day in and day out, and they never take time to rest. Sooner or later, if we do not take care of ourselves, we find ourselves like that old computer on Monday morning, in desperate need to be shut down and restarted. As a Christian, living a life that is so focused on the next activity hurts more than just our physical lives. Our spiritual lives begin to take a back seat to everything else, and eventually we find ourselves looking back, “Wondering how did things go so wrong?” Jesus taught many great lessons while He was here on the …

I have my weaknesses and limitations, and I’m growing older much more rapidly than I like to consider. Each morning, I open my medicine box and consume an assortment of prescription doses to help provide what my body needs to maintain a reasonable portion of health. Each formula has something that I need, but no one source is enough to provide all that I need. How thankful I am that in my relationship with the living God, I can truly say that He alone is sufficient for my every need. I never have to ask, “Is God enough?” The following Scriptures show the answer to that question, which many may be seeking. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). The shepherd always supplies every need for his flock. I am part of Christ’s flock, and He will supply in some way or another all I could possibly need. Most of us, myself included, have known good times and bad, prosperity and perhaps want, but thanks to the God who meets our needs, I have never been hungry or begging bread. We are not sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God. We all work with heart, hand, mind and body to provide the needs for ourselves and for our families. We toil diligently to provide food, raiment, shelter and safety for ourselves and for our children, but we do not do this alone. Scripture says “…but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians …

The English language has many words that introduce us to a host of words with similar meanings. One such word is “bamboozled.” This word is defined in part, “to take in by elaborate methods of deceit.” Alternatively, similar words are “hoodwinked,” “beguiled,” “deluded,” “hoax,” “snooker” and “mislead.” As I dwelled on this odd word, I must confess I have been hoodwinked and bamboozled a few times during my lifetime. Not a lot of times, but I have accepted some things that were wrong while thinking they were right. Therefore, I was misled. It is an awful feeling to be duped. It is good and right that truth will always set one free. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). As I pondered this deceitful and wrongful way of obtaining the upper hand, I know there are definitely a few things about which I cannot be fooled. I cannot be bamboozled on the spelling of English words. The spellings of words are fixed by a standard—the dictionary. Now, I am not saying I can spell all English words, no way, but nevertheless, given time, I can look up the correct spelling to include the history of such words. Further, in a dictionary, there is a list of definite “Weights and Measures.” As an example, 12 inches equal 1 foot, and that is our standard. Further, I cannot be bamboozled on what is biblical truth and what is not God-given truth. For many years …

When we speak of wanting peace, we often feel as if there can be no peace in this old world. We think back to the time of Adam and Eve when peace on earth was a reality. However, sin took away that peace, and in its wake was conflict, sadness and death. It seems today that we have very little peace in this world—in families, communities, churches and between the nations. In Isaiah 9:6, the Old Testament mentions the Messiah who is the “Prince of Peace.” A prince is a son of a king. Jesus was the Son of the Almighty King of all creation. He is expected to lead in government. We rejoice today because Jesus has assumed such leadership over the new spiritual kingdom, the church. Burton Coffman mentioned concerning this verse, “Jesus Christ is the only true Prince of Peace the world ever knew, and the only one that shall ever be” (Coffman, Isaiah, 97). Jesus came to rid the world of sin and spiritual sickness. Jesus came to make peace for us with the Father. Colossians 1:20 states, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” The cross was the greatest example of self-sacrifice in history. Sin and rebellion separated man from God. To reconcile man to God, a perfectly obedient man had to be sacrificed to make possible the cancellation of the sins …

Contrary to the teachings and opinions of men that one is saved at the very moment one believes in Christ or when one prays the sinner’s prayer, the Bible very clearly teaches that to be saved in Christ one must hear His Gospel message and believe it, repent of sins, confess Christ to be the Son of God and be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins. This does not mean, however, that this is all one must do to be saved and to go to Heaven, but each person must follow these initial steps to begin the Christian walk. When Christ was going back to Heaven, He had charged His disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:15-16). Christ didn’t stop at “He who believes,” but said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Preachers who offer salvation by “faith only,” therefore, deceive people (Romans 16:17-18). Then, there are those who insist that one must have a supernatural experience to be saved or to be “born again,” an idea that is most irrational and unbiblical. This concept, variously advocated, supposes that at some particular moment, with emotions better felt than told, in answer to prayer, under the emotional appeal of revivalism or in some other bizarre circumstance, the sinner suddenly experiences faith. At that moment, it is supposed that all his sins are forgiven, he is transformed spiritually, born again and saved eternally. Some claim to …

Those of us who are in Christ should never take for granted what great blessings Christ has given us. Those who are not in Christ must realize the blessings that God offers. This writer is confident that if non-Christians truly knew what Christ offers, they would obey the Gospel without hesitation. In Colossians 1:21-23, Paul outlined the Christian condition. We consider it here with the hopes that those in Christ will be encouraged to serve the Lord with renewed zeal, and those outside of Christ will realize the blessings they are missing, turn from their own desires and obey the Gospel. Past: Lost and Hopeless “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works…” (Colossians 1:21). “Once” denotes an earlier period of time in the Colossians’ lives when they were away from God. “Alienated” refers to one estranged or one rendered as belonging to another. Formerly, they were not part of God, being without hope (Ephesians 2:12; Romans 1:20-23). Paul added that they were “enemies.” How were they “alienated and enemies”? In their “mind by wicked works”! Their mind, purpose and intent yielded sinful actions (Proverbs 4:23). Not only were they far away from God, but they also proved themselves to be God’s enemies in both thought and action. As Christians, we also at one time were alienated and enemies of Christ. All who are not in Christ still are enemies of our Lord. Where do you fit? Present: Reconciled “Yet now He has reconciled …

For quite some time now as Alice and I have been driving, we’ve been noticing and making note of the names that people have placed on their church signs and buildings. Here are a few of the names that we’ve recorded: Lifesong Church, God Family Church, Living Word Church, The Church Alive, Victory Life Church, River of Life Church, Cowboy Church and, if you can believe it, Whatachurch. It’s amazing! Folks have really gotten creative, and I can only guess that the effort is to try to establish individuality. That seems to be a really big ego booster today, and I know of no other reason anyone would attempt to put a name on an entity that God Himself already named. Some of these “church” names might interest someone enough that he or she would be curious enough to just go there to see what else was being offered. Someone might be enticed to become a member because of the newness and the excitement found there. However, what about the Truth? One must always be concerned that the truth of God’s Word is the number one priority in a body of people who claim to be His children. We’ve all heard the old question, “What’s in a name?” Does it make any difference anyway? Of course, it does! How do you think a husband who married the wife that he loves would feel if she took another man’s name rather than his? Some might say they wouldn’t care, but don’t you …

When Peter wrote to Christians who lived in the provinces of Asia Minor, his purpose was to encourage their steadfast faithfulness even when being subjected to a “fiery trial” by their enemies (1 Peter 1:7; 4:12). Such should be expected because of their love for and faith in the Savior. He explained: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). They had not themselves ever seen Jesus, yet they loved and believed in Him. In their faith, He was unseen, but not unknown! Some today might imagine that it was easier for those who lived in New Testament times to be believers because they were closer to the time Christ was on the earth. The fact is that most Christians in the early church never saw Jesus in person. His ministry was in a very small part of the world, and though He was seen by many of His own countrymen, that was a very small segment of humanity. What is yet more significant is that it is His resurrection that is the basis of our faith, and only a few—very few—saw Him after He was raised. In 1 Corinthians 15:4-8, Paul gave a partial list of those who saw Him, to which can be added Mary Magdalene, certain other women, and Cleopas and his friend who walked with Him to Emmaus. The emphasis is on the apostles, to whom Jesus “showed …

A sign on a building read, “Trust Jesus.” The question is, “How does one ‘trust Jesus’?” This is not a trick question. If I trust my doctor, I will follow his directions to the letter. Yet, how do I trust Jesus? Now, I know how I express my love for Him. He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” I hear some say that one trusts Jesus by saying the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer.” However, where is the Scripture for this? Others say that trusting Him involves the signing of a decision card. Again, Scripture, please! Is it wise to trust Jesus? Surely, all will agree that it is. If so, then, Jesus has told us how we express our trust in Him. He said, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). We sing, “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word…” Do you trust Jesus? Are you taking Him at His word?

The Old Testament required all Jewish males to appear in Jerusalem three times per year to worship and offer sacrifices. “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty” (Deuteronomy16:16). It was imperative that those who made the journey to Jerusalem to worship God not come before Him empty-handed. The Old Law even made provisions for those who could not afford to offer the customary sacrifice for sin of a lamb or a goat (Leviticus 5:7-11). From the wealthiest prince to the lowliest pauper, all were to come before God in worship with something to offer. Herein lies a fundamental principle of our worship to God: Worship is something that we offer, something that we bring before God, and when done in accordance with His Divine will, we know that such offerings will be acceptable to Him. The idea of worship has been lost on many within our generation. For most it is a time to be entertained. Worship has become just another spectator sport, a place to be seen or something to check off the to-do list. It is a shame to see those who claim to love the Lord coming to worship with nothing to offer. Some sit as silent as the tomb while praises are being sung …

In this short verse of Matthew 7:12, Jesus gave us the essence of His Father’s ethical commandments concerning our treatment of others. These words are customarily referred to as “The Golden Rule.” This rule is golden because of at least two reasons. First, a “rule” is an authoritative standard or principle given to regulate conduct. It is called “golden” because it is understood to be above all others in greatness and purity. It is certainly a “rule” because it is meant to guide our conduct toward what is best and most holy. Second, a “rule” is also a standard of measurement. It measures and establishes absolute truth to be authentic and accurate. We can measure ourselves and see how far we have fallen and how we need to realign with what is right and good. The Context of the Rule The word “therefore” draws us back to the words that precede this verse. As we look back, we see that Jesus taught through prayer about His Father’s care for us (7:7-11). Our Father is very good to us, not giving us what is bad. That’s how we want Him to treat us. Jesus, therefore, called us to imitate the goodness that God shows to us. We see this same goodness commanded in other verses (Matthew 7:1-5; 5:17-20, 27-37). Everything in Jesus’ sermon basically constitutes a call to heed and obey what He said in 7:12; it is a summary statement of the Sermon on the Mount. The Measure of the …

The religious title “Reverend” is typically used by well-meaning people as a designation of honor and dignity for a minister or preacher. In the urgency of people to append a title of honor to those of a sacerdotal caste in the sectarian world, they have gone far beyond the Bible in so doing. No preacher should allow himself to be called “Reverend” or by any other title. The word “holy” is also misused as a title of religious significance as in “Holy See.” Some even use “Brother” as a title. The reason such titles are wrong is because there is no “clergy and laity” distinction in the church of Christ. Jesus condemned all titles of honor in religion (Matthew 23:8-9). In their refusal to apply the title of “Reverend” to men, well-intended brethren often cite Psalm 111:9 and say that this is the only time the word is used in the Bible, and further, that it is used here only in reference to God, not man. The problem is that this argument is true only after a fashion. The word “Reverend” appears only once in the King James Version of the Bible. The Hebrew word from which “Reverend” is translated appears over three hundred times in the Old Testament. It is true that the word “Reverend” comes from the Hebrew word yare. This word occurs 373 times in the Old Testament. It is translated in the King James Version by “be afraid” (76 times), “dread” (1 time), “fear” (242 times), “reverence” (2 times), “afraid” (3 …

In recent years, brethren have dedicated themselves to a better understanding of the things that positively influence church growth. A review of the research material provided in conjunction with such efforts encourages us to develop and apply the following. These seven traits will greatly assist us as we genuinely fight the good fight of faith (2 Timothy 4:7). May we grow in each of these areas.

In one of the most intriguing passages in Ecclesiastes, Solomon maintained that, under certain conditions, it would have been better to have been born dead (6:3). This is a most startling statement. We value life. We consider existence a precious gift. So, what was Solomon talking about, and to whom was he saying that it would have been better for him to have been born dead? First, Solomon stated that a miscarriage is better than a man who fails to appreciate his family. In his illustration, a man is blessed with “a hundred children” (6:3). Yet, he is not satisfied. How can one not be satisfied with such a large “quiver” full of children (Psalm 127:3-5)? Since children are a blessing from God (Psalm 113:9), this man is richly blessed. Yet, if such a man cannot appreciate this blessing, he would have been better off being miscarried. Second, Solomon stated that a miscarriage is better than a man who fails to appreciate the years of his life. Again, using hyperbole, he said that if the man should live “a thousand times twice” (6:6), but fails to enjoy them, he is better off dead. Far too often we don’t enjoy life. Rather, we let cares and worries rob us of daily joy. Those days turn to months, which turn to years. Before long, it is a lifetime of discontent. Third, Solomon stated that a miscarriage is better than a man who fails to appreciate material blessings. Paul stated that we should be content with what we have, …

First Kings 11 records a prophecy that the kingdom of Israel—united under Solomon—would be divided under his son. First Kings 12 records how that came to be. Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, exercised his free will and made a bad choice, but God used it to accomplish His purpose (cf. v. 15) Upon the death of Solomon, the people petitioned Rehoboam for relief from the heavy taxation and forced labor imposed upon them (vs. 1-4). Rehoboam wanted three days for consideration (v. 5). One could argue that taking time to think about a matter was a wise choice of this new monarch, but it went downhill from there. Rehoboam asked the elders of the people what he should do. They wisely replied that he should be a servant to the people, and then the people would serve him willingly (vs. 6-7). It was good advice. Leaders are really to be servants of the people (Mark 10:42-45). Wrongly, Rehoboam rejected their counsel (v. 8). Instead, he sought out his young peers. They advised that he should be tough on the people—tougher than his father. Metaphorically, he said, “My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist” (v. 10). Probably not so metaphorically, he threatened, “I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” (v. 11). The division then ensued (vs. 12-14). A prime lesson to gain herein is to generally respect older people. “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor …

This flu season has been a particularly fierce one. Emergency rooms have been filled to capacity, hospital bed space has been at a premium and doctor’s waiting rooms have witnessed standing room only. Many people have been seeking therapy for the aches, pains and illnesses that have plagued them. The English word “therapy” comes from the Greek word “therapeuo.” In its original setting, it meant to serve. Later, however, doctors who rendered service in healing the sick became known by this word. Because it was used in reference to doctors, it took on the meaning “to care for the sick, to treat medically, to cure.” In the New Testament, this word is never used in the general sense to serve. It’s often used, though, with the meaning to heal. However, it wasn’t used to refer to medical healing by doctors, but of the real healing Jesus performed. Only Jesus could “cast out the spirits with a word and heal all who were sick” (Matthew 8:16), even to restoring withered limbs and life itself. Jesus performed such acts of healing, not just for the sick person’s benefit, but also more importantly, to testify that He is the Son of God. The healing He provided physically is secondary to the healing He offers spiritually to heal a world sick with sin. Only in Christ is there spiritual healing and the cure for sin’s consequences. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not …

Jesus gave up being equal to God to come to earth to live as a man, living willingly as a slave (Philippians 2:6-7). Paul explained it in simple terms when he wrote, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus gave up Heaven for me, but I fear there are times that I have given up service to Christ to fulfill selfish desires. Sleeping in instead of attending Bible class would be an example of failure to imitate the selflessness of Christ. Another example would be participating in my hobby instead of knocking doors to extend an invitation to some spiritual gathering, or in lieu of attending myself, would be another example. Paul saw the importance of giving up the things that mattered to him in order to pursue the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:8-11). He was willing to suffer, even to the point of being killed, so that He could finish that all important race (Acts 20:22-24). He declared, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). I need to take to heart Paul’s plea to the saints at Rome. “I beseech you …