Thyatira—Hardworking but allowed false teaching (Good & Bad) Ephesus—Doctrinally correct but not devoted (Good & Bad) Pergamos—Devoted but not doctrinally correct (Good & Bad) Smyrna—Poor in life but rich in spirit (All Good) Laodicea—Rich in life but poor in spirit (All Bad) Philadelphia—Little Strength but won’t quit (All Good) Sardis— Great reputation but are actually dead (All Bad) The characteristics of these churches represent many churches and individuals in the kingdom of the Lord. It is very important to be hardworking, doctrinally correct and devoted, and yet it is a must to be balanced, too! If we have one or more characteristics without the other, we are in trouble! It doesn’t matter how much work we do if we allow false teaching; we are wrong (Thyatira). It doesn’t matter how right we are if we aren’t devoted to God; we are wrong (Ephesus). It doesn’t matter how devoted we are if we teach bad doctrine; we are wrong (Pergamos). It doesn’t matter whether we have money or not; our dedication to God is the most important thing (Smyrna & Laodicea). It doesn’t matter what the world thinks of us; what God thinks of our service is what really matters (Philadelphia & Sardis). Which one are we? Which one am I?

If we teach what the Lord’s Supper is, then the question about how often to take it will be easier to accept. Taking the Lord’s Supper is an act of worship! Just as we pray, give, sing and preach every Sunday, we take the Lord’s Supper every Sunday. “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…”(Acts 20:7). [Editor’s Note: Two activities in particular strike visitors to the worship assemblies of the churches of Christ as being odd to them, because few religious groups practice them today. First, singing without the accompaniment of mechanical instruments of music is seldom experienced by congregants in our day and time. Second, few churches observe the Lord’s Supper weekly. The Lord’s church – if it’s to be the Lord’s church – endeavors to act out the biblical examples and divinely-given instructions found upon the pages of the New Testament. We haven’t changed! Rather the denominational world changed how it worships and resorts to manmade books rather than exclusively to the Bible. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

It is true that Easter was originally a pagan holiday. It was named after Eastra, the Goddess of Spring. Sacrifices were offered each spring in this false goddess’ honor. It just so happened that about the same time Eastra was being honored, the Jews celebrated Passover. This celebration commemorated God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Jesus was celebrated Passover the night He instituted the Lord’s Supper. It is a memorial of Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. The Lord’s Supper also helps us to remember His resurrection from the dead! [Though primarily about the sacrifice of Christ – His body and His blood – knowledge of our Lord’s resurrection acknowledges the victory over death and sin brought about by the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus Christ. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor] Jesus came up from the grave the Sunday following Passover. We celebrate the sacrifice of our Lord every week. “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…” (Acts 20:7 NKJV). When Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire under Augustine in the 4th Century A.D., the false goddess Eastra was not being worshipped as fervently. Instead, however, the Easter holiday was quite appealing; therefore, Eastra observances were slowly changed to a so-called Christian celebration. In fact, in Acts 12:4 the holiday “Easter” appears in the King James Version. All other standard translations properly translate the Greek word as “Passover.” The mistranslation in the King James Version of the Bible shows how

We find in Mark 5:24-43 that Jesus got off the boat and was met with much excitement! Many people had heard that He was coming to that shore, and they met Him there. Among the many people who came to Jesus was Jairus. He was one of the rulers of the synagogue, and he came and fell at our Lord’s feet! This was an act of worship! Jairus knew that Jesus was indeed worthy to be worshipped. Jairus begged Jesus to lay His hands on his daughter because she was at the point of death. He believed that Jesus could touch her and cause her to live! Jairus was desperate because his daughter was dying. He needed help! There is no doubt that this ruler tried everything to heal his daughter. Why not try Jesus? As Jesus went with Jairus, many people followed and thronged Him! Among those who pressed Him was a woman. She had a “flow of blood” (NKJV) for the last twelve years! She had been to many doctors and had spent all that she had, although she had gotten no better. When she heard that Jesus was in town she said, “If only I may touch his clothes, I will be made well.” She fought the crowd until she was able to touch Jesus. When she touched Him, Jesus felt virtue (power) leave Him. He then asked, “…Who touched me?” The woman was afraid and fell down before him and told him what she had done. She

Year after year it goes. Don’t be the “Average Guy”!

The word “prejudice” simply means to “prejudge” or to make a determination before looking into the truth of the matter. Webster says of the word, “(1) preconceived judgment or opinion (2) an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge.” Another word that often is used to define “prejudice” is “bias.” Webster says that “bias” is “an inclination of temperament or outlook; a highly personal and unreasoned distortion of judgment; one’s tendency.”  Here is the unfortunate thing; people confuse “prejudice” with “judgment.” If I make a judgment about a certain doctrine, lifestyle or practice, then I may be accused of prejudice by someone! This is not the case at all! Oftentimes, I may be called prejudiced in an attempt to divert the attention from the issue and discredit my character. Judgment is something that should be exercised in all aspects of life. Jesus insisted that we “judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Jesus named “judgment” along with “mercy” and “faith” as important matters that we should exercise (Matthew 23:23). The Greek word for “judge” is “krino.” It means to “judge,” “determine,” “condemn,” “go to law,” “call in question” or “esteem.” Webster says “judge” is “to form an opinion about a matter through careful weighing of evidence and testing of premises; to determine or pronounce after inquiry and deliberation.” To have an opinion (judgment) about anything without knowing about it is indeed folly! However, to abstain from an opinion (judgment) after studying the facts is irresponsible! I must come to a conclusion (judgment) concerning

I heard this story this week and thought you might enjoy the “insight.” The story went something like this. A gentleman was seated in his barber’s chair. During the course of the haircut, the topic of the existence of God came up in conversation. The barber stated, “I do not believe that God exists.” The gentleman, shocked at this statement, asked “Why not?” “Well,” replied the barber, “all you have to do is go out into the street and see the pain and suffering that humans endure. If God existed, He would not allow this to happen!” The gentleman did not want to engage in an argument, so he did not respond. After the haircut, the gentleman left the barber shop. He saw, sitting on the sidewalk, a man with dirty clothes and long hair. He turned and went back into the barber shop. “Barbers do not exist!” he exclaimed. “What do you mean?” said the barber. “Of course we exist! Here I am standing right here to prove it!” The gentleman replied, “There is a man with long hair sitting on the street! If barbers existed, he would not have long, unkept hair!” “That’s a ridiculous conclusion” said the barber. “People don’t always come to me to get their hair cut!” “That’s right” the gentleman responded, “and people don’t always come to God!” If all people always went to God and submitted to His Will, then every person on the planet would not be hungry! All the sick and dying would be well cared for! There would

In our lives, no matter what “baggage” we carry around, no matter what “equipment” we use and no matter what “things” are necessary, the Bible should always be considered standard equipment to us! It is the only book that meets the needs of man under all conditions. Make the Bible a part of your life. Carry it, read it, study it and live it! Don’t let the Bible become an unused, unknown, undesired thing in your life as it has become in many people’s lives today!

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

Why was he born blind? Because he is clay! And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:1-5) The man was born blind. The disciples had thought about this sort of thing before. They had come to the conclusion that sin was the reason for such a horrible thing. The question was, “Who sinned, the man or his parents?” Certainly one of them was being punished! Jesus explained that sin was not the reason at all! If sin was not why he was born blind, then why was he? Jesus said, “…but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me.” In other words, the man was born blind so that Jesus could heal him and show the world that He worked the works of God! Does this sound unreasonable? Should God allow a man to be born blind and live his whole life suffering only because He wanted to show

After Jesus resurrected, He appeared several times to His disciples. On one occasion, He cooked them a meal. After the meal, He asked Peter if he loved Him. The word “love” that He used was “Agape.” This is the kind of love that we Christians should have for one another as described in 1 Corinthians 13. Peter responded by saying that Jesus knew that he loved Him. The word Peter used for “love” was “Phileo.” This word means “brotherly love” like we love our good friends and brothers! Peter was saying that he loved Jesus like a brother. He was very fond and affectionate toward him. Jesus was asking for “Agape” love—a love which transcends affection and fondness! “Agape” is a love that loves regardless of “feelings” for an individual. Jesus asked Peter a second time, “Do you Agape me?” Peter said, “You know that I Phileo you!” Jesus then asked him the third time, but this time He used the word “Phileo.” Peter became “grieved” and said I “Phileo” you! Jesus knew that Peter was His friend and acknowledged that fact, but he wanted Peter to see that his love must be deeper! After each question Jesus asked Peter to feed his lambs and sheep. Jesus wanted Peter to watch over the believers and teach them to love. However, in order to lead, one must remain faithful himself! Jesus informed Peter that he would be persecuted for his love for Christ. There would be times that Peter would not “feel” love. If he were to remain faithful, he would have to