I have read several articles lately that have attacked brethren for saying that giving is a command of God. I am trying to figure out the purpose of these articles, and I can only assume that the authors oppose the idea that there are designated items which should be part of our gatherings to worship God on the Lord’s Day. In sort of a conglomeration of the ideas that I have seen various ones express, it seems to boil down to a couple of arguments. (1) If it is commanded, then, it will be done “grudgingly and of necessity” (2 Corinthians 9:7). (2) First Corinthians 16:12 and 2 Corinthians 8-9 do not apply to us because those passages only relate to those doing a specific giving—the collection for the saints. Let’s note, first of all, some commandments: believe (Acts 16:31), repent (Act 2:38; Acts 17:30) and baptism (Acts 10:48). Now examine all of these by the arguments being made. If these three things are commanded, and they are specifically called commands, then does that mean that they are to be done grudgingly and of necessity? Can one obey a command and do so without it being grudgingly or of necessity? I contend that one not only can do so but must do so. So, to argue that teaching giving is a command means that it is not being done purposefully and willingly, then we do not believe, repent or allow ourselves to be baptized purposefully and willingly. Also, carefully note …

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 states, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up.” For me this must be a time for things to break down because I do not remember a time in my life when so many of our things have broken at once. During these past three months, our washing machine broke, our old desk top computer finally broke down for good, one of our house fans stopped working, one of our ceiling fans also broke, our garden hose broke too, my glasses broke, my alarm clock died and just yesterday our refrigerator started leaking; this is just the short list. Now with the way things are made today, very few of these items can be repaired; most can only be recycled or thrown away. Someone has made the comment that we live in a “throw away” society; rarely do we or can we fix things, and it is almost as cost affective to buy a new product. Broken things in our eyes are not very useful. However, not everything in life that breaks needs to be thrown away. Vance Havner wrote, “God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain …

“Remember also your Creator in the days ofyour youth, before the evil days comeand the years draw near when you will say,‘I have no delight in them’” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). As Solomon wrapped up his sermon, he offered a warning. This warning is especially directed to the youth, although people of all ages can learn from his wisdom. People need to “remember your Creator” when they still have the capability to do so. Say what? Yes, there is a danger that as one grows older, he will no longer have the capability to think seriously about God, His Word and His will. This is illustrated by Solomon’s reference to the “evil days.” It is unfortunate that the translators translated the Hebrew as “evil days.” Solomon was not talking about days filled with sin and wickedness. Rather, he was talking about hard, difficult and troublesome days. He, then, proceeded to describe those days. They include numerous physical breakdowns. The hearing goes, the eyesight fades and the arms are not as strong as they once were. There are even mental problems, such as various fears. This section of these “evil” (growing old) days teaches us important lessons. First, all people will endure these days if they live long enough. It is God’s plan that there be a physical breakdown over time. This world is not our home. God wants us to long for that better place where we will be given an immortal body (1 Corinthians 15:53; 2 Corinthians 5:1-4). Second, mental breakdowns will impede one’s …

The Lord Jesus Christ said, in the Gospel account of John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” This is not a suggestion. It’s a command, directly from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! To whom does this apply? In Matthew 7:12, we read, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Here is the clear command to treat others as we would treat ourselves! If we were at the mercy of an enemy, would we not want mercy? So, we realize that according to the blessed Redeemer, there is no room for hate in the heart of one of His followers! In 1 John 3:15, we read, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” Yet, there is a hate that’s held onto and passed along like a precious heirloom—racism. It is a cancer that reaches to the very depths of the soul and endangers those infected with the peril of hellfire. Jesus commanded Christians to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). That refers to all mankind. In John 3:16, Scripture says, “For God so loved the world.” This is as inclusive as it gets! God loves the world and all who …

I recently read a question in the local newspaper directed to a well-known preacher or evangelist. I am in no way casting stones at those who say they are evangelists, for many are indeed very wise men. As a teacher of God’s Word, I have observed that many preach a lot of truth but not all of it. I have observed through the years that some men preach lessons that bring folks to the verge of true faith, and then they tell them to accept Jesus as Savior, after which, to join the church of their choice. This does not get the job done and leaves men still wandering in search of the one, the true, the holy God. Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). He did not say dozens of religions or 5,000 or more denominations from which we can choose. No one can join the church that Jesus built. When one completely yields to Christ and becomes His true disciple, the Lord Jesus then adds that person to His Church (Acts 2:47). Those who ask, “How can I find, know and understand who God is?” are usually directed to Matthew 7:7-8. It reads, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Colossians 1:15 speaks of “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible …

Being spiritually blind is a great, eternal tragedy, and I feel certain that most people reading this would immediately proclaim that they are not spiritually blind. Hopefully, that is true; however, we should not be so quick to assert such a statement. For one thing, we must realize that at one time we were all spiritually blind. Before we surrendered our lives in faith to Jesus, all of us were lost in sin. Paul declared in Ephesians 5:8, “for you were once darkness…” Scripture associates sin with darkness. When we are walking in physical darkness, we are in effect blind because we cannot see obstacles in our way. Similarly, when we are walking in sin, we are in darkness and are spiritually blind. All of mankind eventually chooses to sin against God and becomes spiritually blind. Paul affirmed this spiritual truth when he wrote, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yes, it is a great tragedy to be spiritually blind; however, we also need to realize that Christ came to deliver us from such a state. Part of Ephesians 5:8 was mentioned earlier, but Paul continued in the same verse, “… but now you are light in the Lord.” Yes, we were all once in darkness, but we do not have to continue in darkness. We can become light by following the light of the world, Jesus Christ (John 9:5). Jesus made that statement and then proved it by giving physical sight …

Due to the widening of a local road into five lanes of traffic, we see a great deal of road construction when we leave our house, no matter whether we go north or south. Needless to say, we will be glad when the road construction is completed, but then, we dread the noise and speed at which some of the traffic will go; we live only about half a mile away. However, for now, let’s talk about some of the road construction signs. Of course, with new construction, we will nearly always see a sign that reads “Warning, Road Construction for next so many miles.” That’s just the way life is. Likewise, we must heed the warnings from God’s Word because our lives are under construction for however many years we will be granted. God created man with a purpose in mind for He said, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28 NKJV). God told the first man how to construct his life and also gave him the commandment not to eat of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). From the beginning, man could not follow directions that were simple and easy. Adam’s sin in the Garden brought death to all after him …

Now the Ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the Ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place.” So they said, “If you send away the Ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but by all means return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.” Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, from your gods, and from your land. Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, did they not let the people go, that they might depart?” (1 Samuel 6:1-6) The Ark of the Covenant fell into the hands of the Philistines because of the wickedness of the sons of Eli and their belief that carrying the Ark into …

According to Webster’s dictionary, the word sensitive can be defined in part as, “having or showing keen sensibilities; easily offended, disturbed, shocked, irritated, etc. as by the actions of others, high-strung, tense, and touchy.” When I was growing up in Brooklyn, New York, my favorite major league baseball team was the Brooklyn Dodgers. My boyhood friends also liked the New York Yankees or the Giants. Friendly squabbling about our favorite teams was commonplace. None of us were easily offended because of our team choices. Maybe it’s just me! However, it seems that political sensitivity has increased over the years. People seem to be afraid to discuss for whom they voted. We don’t want to discuss political differences. We whisper to each other, and we look over our shoulders, watching and not wanting to stir sensitivities or to offend anyone. Such type things are not normal for Americans. We were always open to discussion. What has happened, and why the sensitivity? We have heard for years, “Don’t discuss politics and religion.” Most of us ignored this axiom. We would come back with another truism, “It’s a free country, isn’t it?” With that comeback, we all smiled and joked with each other. Many times, there were strong disagreements concerning these matters, and yet, we would depart, still friends. In matters of religion, sensitivity is always an issue, with strong feelings concerning such. Family ties, the religion of parents and the like have always been a problem. Our conversations must be civil and …

I am a fan of the comic strip Calvin & Hobbs. Sometimes you just have to laugh! In one of the comic strips, Calvin, who is not fond of school, told Hobbs that a pronoun “is a noun that has lost its amateur status.” I thought of this definition when I came across the term “Solemnized Pronouns” in a discussion group. I had never heard the term, but it was not difficult to derive the meaning. Some appreciate the beauty of the King James Version, and I would include myself among them. That being said, some misconceptions have arisen over time. One misconception is the belief that certain pronouns should be used to increase solemnity or reverence for what is being read or spoken. I used to feel that way myself. Who would want to read or speak of God’s Word irreverently? Not anyone I would want to fellowship. Yet, must we use certain pronouns such as “thee,” “thou” or “ye” in order to convey reverence? No. The original use of these pronouns was not a function of reverence but of grammar. The notion that pronoun usage denotes reverence is a misperception. It may surprise some to read a comment that Alexander Campbell made in relation to old English and “solemnized pronouns” in the Preface of his translation: The old Gothic buildings in North and South Britain are generally places of worship; hence, although this style of architecture was once as common in England and Scotland as any of the present …

I was sitting in my car looking at my side view mirror, thinking that I needed to adjust it so I could see better, but then, I remembered I was not sitting upright. When I sat in the seat properly, I could see clearly in the mirror. The same thing has happened with my rearview mirror. I thought it needed to be adjusted, but really, I was the one that needed to adjust. Then, I really got to thinking. Life really is about perspective; how we choose to look at things really makes all the difference. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was meant to keep him humble, but it reminded him of the strength of God instead of his own weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Every cloud has a silver lining, even if we cannot see it right away. The challenge for us, then, is to try and change the way we look at things. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Someone may have said, “Clothes make the man.” While we may hasten to express a variant viewpoint, some people will agree that one’s clothing certainly says something about the one so clothed. Such is generally true in life and is especially true in Christianity. If we want to better understand the character of one claiming to be a Christian, then may we observe his clothing, that is, his spiritual clothing. As we put on the new man and enter our new life in Christ (Galatians 3:27), we are admonished unto spiritual strength (Ephesians 6:10) and advised of the means of being spiritually empowered (6:11-20). We must put on the whole armor of God, enabling us to stand against the devil’s craftiness (6:11-13). By so doing, we will be able to stand firm, hold our ground in battle and successfully stand as we wield the sword of the Spirit in an honorable manner (6:14-20). May we personally make the effort to be immersed in the Word of God so that His armor will strengthen us according to our needs as we fight the good fight of faith. If we are ever to wear the armor of God, we must personally put it on; others cannot put it on for us. Yes, blessings await us in Bible study!

For those of us who are familiar with Paul’s life, perhaps 2 Corinthians 12:10 is one of the significant things we remember when he said, “Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Although we may never have thought of it, that is a theme that runs through the whole Bible. What were the midwives who saved Moses compared to the power of Pharaoh? What was David’s sling compared to the spear of Goliath? What was the fearful group of disciples who fled from Jesus when He was arrested compared to the combined forces of the jealous Jews and the rapacious [brutal] Romans? If we have built our lives on the foundation of the powers of this world, we will be lost. Banking on money will not work. Politicians may have had a catchy slogan when they said, “It is the economy, stupid,” but the truth is that the last word in that sentence describes the philosophy of the first four. Those who assume that the solution to the problems of drugs, racism or any other will be solved by edicts of the Supreme Court, legislation from the halls of Congress, giving away more money or pontifical and political pronouncements from the President are all wrong. Pharaoh is gone (though his mummified body may still exist), but God’s people were delivered from captivity by one who was born in captivity and cradled …

It is always good and pleasant to hear good news, and especially so if it comes from one who is far away. Solomon described it in Proverbs 25:25. “As cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a far country.” As I have been privileged to travel into different parts of the world, I have always tried to call home. It is always good to hear from loved ones and to know that all is well. I remember receiving the news that my wife and I had another grandson, this while we were living in Singapore. What wonderful news! The soldier in the field is cheered by mail from home, especially if it contains news that is good. The greatest news that has ever come to man came from a “far country”—Heaven. That good news is the Bible—God’s Holy Word! In it one learns of the provisions God has made to save fallen man. It tells of man’s redemption through God’s only begotten Son. It tells of God’s willingness to forgive the vilest sinner if that sinner will simply accept the terms of the Good News—the Gospel—for that is what the word Gospel means. This news tells man of the promise of an eternal home with God, a place so beautiful that the human mind can scarcely comprehend it. Have you heard the Good News? Have you obeyed its terms? Are you spreading that news to sinful man? Hear it, heed it, and then, tell it to …

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Several metaphors are used to show the relationship between Jesus and His church or the “called out” ones. We often read of Jesus as the Good Shepherd with Christians being His sheep. We are children with God as our Father and Jesus as our older Brother. We are God’s husbandry and His building (1 Corinthians 3:9), Christ’s household (Hebrews 3:6). Other analogies speak of Jesus as the Vine and His disciples as the branches (John 15:1-5). The church is called His body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 2:22-23; 3:6; 4:4-16; Colossians 1:18), with Jesus being the Head of that body. Scriptures are replete with lessons about the kingdom (Matthew 13:38-42; 16:15-19; Mark 9:1; 14:25; Luke 17:20-21; John 3:3-5; Ephesians 2:19; Acts 1:3) with Jesus being the King of that kingdom. A deeper study of the church reveals about ten such metaphors with each comparison given to help us see our position or relationship to each other, to God and to Jesus. Focusing on the temple analogy, we see Christ is the chief corner stone (Ephesians 2:20-22; 1 Peter 2:6-9), and we are “lively stones” in that one temple (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 3:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Revelation 3:12), while the apostles are the foundation (Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:19-22; Revelation 21:14). We are called “living” or “lively stones” in His holy temple. Under the Old …

The Bible tells us that Christians will have persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). Christians will face tribulation and hardship (Acts 14:22). Christians will experience hatred from many people who are antagonistic towards Christianity. Yet, even though there are many difficulties Christians must endure, we must remember that we are victorious. In fact, the Bible says we are always led in triumph through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). As long as we are in Jesus Christ, we win in the end. Knowing that we will ultimately end up as victors should shape the way we live our lives now. In Romans 8, Paul wrote what could be called the most victorious chapter in the New Testament. He detailed our relationship to God, sin and trials, and he concluded that we are victorious. Notice a few of the amazing points that he made in this chapter and allow them to enrich your life and your faith. We Are Not Condemned Paul began the chapter by saying, “There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). This verse should ease our burdens and relieve our hearts. While earlier in this letter Paul said that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), we are without condemnation. How can this be? Those of us who have obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ are now the servants of righteousness (Romans 6:16-18). In Christ, God forgives all of our sins. He does not hold them against us (Acts 22:16). …

There are many views about God in the religious world, but can they all be true? Is Islam’s “Allah” the true God? Is present day Judaism’s “God” the true God? What about the “God” of the so-called “Christian” denominations? Is their “God” the true God? Let us examine Paul’s sermon on Mars’ Hill to know the truth about the true God (Acts 17:23-31). The True God Is Unknown to Many When Paul was in Athens, he stood “in the midst of the Areopagus [Mars’ Hill, KJV]” and said, “for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you” (Acts 17:23). Earlier, as Paul waited in Athens for his coworkers, “his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols” (Acts 17:16). Ancient historians have acknowledged that the Athenian landscape was dotted with idolatrous shrines. Standing from where Paul stood, evidence of idolatry could literally be seen in every direction. The Athenians had a god for just about everything. If an altar was dedicated to the wrong god or if they accidently left out a god, they feared the anger of that god. Thus, to give themselves an out, they erected this altar “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” As Paul made the application, he declared this unknown god as the true God. The Athenians knew many “gods,” …

Paul, even as a prisoner, was confident God would deliver him (Philippians 1:19). His confidence did not seem to have been in a deliverance from prison. The apostle seemed to have been assured that the Almighty would work everything out for good (1:20). It did not matter whether he was delivered from prison to preach freely again or delivered from this life to be with the Lord. God’s spokesman to the Gentiles seemed to have based his confidence, in part, on the prayers of the saints for him. He had learned not to trust in himself but in God who is able to raise the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9-11). Paul also benefited by the “supply,” or help which undergirds and strengthens, of the Spirit. He expressed a powerful trust in the Lord as a part of his closing words to his son in the faith (2 Timothy 4:18). Such thinking would surely support one through the most difficult of times. An “earnest expectation” is “primarily a watching with outstretched head.” It “signifies strained expectancy, eager longing, the stretching forth of the head indicating an expectation of something from a certain place” (W.E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words 61). Paul did not look forward to failure but to success in showing the Savior more clearly to others either through his life or through his death (Philippians 1:20). Thus, death would be gain because it would bring the long-awaited reward of rest (2 Corinthians 5:18; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Revelation 14:13). One …

Recently, Crossway Publishing conducted a survey regarding how much time people spend doing a variety of activities. The question they asked was what percentage of people spend 30 minutes or more each day in specific activities. Some of the results were 70% on email, 59% on television, 55% on housework, 42% on hobbies, 28% on Facebook, 26% on YouTube, 11% on Instagram and 65% on Twitter. This does not imply there is anything intrinsically evil in any of these activities, but this is just a reflection on how people spend their time. If one can spend 30 minutes or more a day engaging in things like this, can you spare some time reading God’s Word every day? I know we all have things to do, activities with which we’re busy. Yet, if we have time for such as these, why not make the time to read Scripture, to let God speak to us through His Word? If you take 9 minutes a day, you can read through the Old Testament in a year. If you take 3 minutes a day, you can read through the New Testament in a year. If you take 12 minutes a day, you can read the entire Bible in a year. Surely, we all have 12 minutes a day we could spend in reading the Bible. If not, how about 3 minutes a day to read the New Testament? Perhaps after spending a few seconds with a single verse, then we could reflect on that …