Philip asked the Eunuch if he understood what he read. It might be well to ask, “Do you understand what you hear?” On any given Sunday one can turn to any radio or television station which deals mainly with religious material, and can hear some rather outlandish and downright silly stuff that some folks call preaching. Nearly all of the speakers claim to be directly led by the Holy Spirit, yet are teaching different doctrines, as though the Holy Spirit contradicts Himself. I have noticed that on television when the Holy Spirit apparently fails to direct the speaker to the spot on his notes, the fellow just sort of fills in with a bunch of “Amen’s” (always put in a question form), a “praise God” or two, and quite frequently a “Hallelujah” comes forth while the speaker is waiting for another “leading.” Now a question: If you listen to or view this stuff, do you ever do as did the Bereans, and “search the Scriptures” to see if what you are hearing is truly the Word of God, or if it is just someone trying to make merchandise of you? Maybe you should. It would be a great eye-opener to you if you did. There are a lot of blind guides out there leading a lot of folks into the ditch of destruction.

An old judge told of a troublesome dog, that whenever the moon was shining, went out and barked at it all night! Someone asked the judge what eventually came of the matter, “Oh,” said the judge, “the moon just kept on shining.” One of the hardest things for a Christian to do is to keep on shining when being barked at by others. Many times even insignificant matters can disturb and discourage us. Paul’s approach was to “Press on to the good…” No doubt, the enemies of Christ often barked at Him and tried to get Him to react in a mean and sinful way. However, He was the light of the world and would not give up His glory. He just kept on shining, and in doing that, He left us an example to follow when those who are teaching error bark at you for exposing their error. Do you bark at those who try to teach you the truth (Galatians 4:16)?

Back when tropical storm Bill came through our area, I was driving on Highway 98 east of Destin a few miles. Off of the road about twenty or thirty yards was a large hand-painted sign, which simply said, “ARK.” With all of the rain that came with Bill, one might have expected to see some critters going that way two by two. Seriously, though, we all know that God promised that He would never again destroy this old world by flood. However, He did not promise that He would not destroy it. In fact, He promised that He will destroy it by fire. In 2 Peter 3:10, Peter described it this way: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” This will also be the time of judgment. On that great Day of Judgment, there will be no arguments, no excuses and no second chances for those who are unprepared to meet God. All the talk one hears today about “Rapture” or “Tribulation” of the Premillennialists is nothing but the nonsense of men’s doctrines. The Word of God does not teach it. The song says, “Are you ready for that day to come.” ARE YOU?

When discussing God’s instruction concerning how one is saved, many people will say, “I just can’t understand it that way. If this describes you, which of the following statements do you think you might have difficulty in understanding? “He who believes and is baptized shall be promoted to a better job with a better salary.” “He who believes and is baptized will be given a new automobile of his/her choice.” “He who believes and is baptized will be given an extra month’s vacation.” “He who believes and is baptized will be paid five million dollars.” “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” Which one did you have trouble with? The first four we all can and do understand. We know that certain rewards are promised to those who believe and are baptized. If we are honest with ourselves, we know that we could not expect to receive the reward until the requirements were met. Yet, when Jesus promises salvation to any who believes and are baptized, folks just cannot understand it. Honestly now, is the last one any more difficult to understand that the other four. Surely not! We are only lying to ourselves to say that it is.

Bildad, one of Job’s friends, asked a penetrating question: “How then can a man be righteous before God?” Of course, we know that by his own works or merit no man can be righteous before God. If man is to be righteous, he must be made so by God. This the Father does through the Son. Through the Son we are justified. By the Son’s blood we have redemption. Some tell us that man has absolutely no responsibility in his salvation. If this be true, man would not even be required to have faith. However, we know that without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus plainly taught that one must do the will of the Father, else he would not inherit the kingdom of God. He also taught that one must hear and do His words if he would build upon the rock. Man’s doctrines, opinions and perversions do not make one righteous, nor does God make one righteous who abides in those doctrines and opinions. However, obeying from the heart the Word of God does make one righteous. Which are you doing?

Does this sound like a strange title for an article? After all, doesn’t the Bible prohibit one human from murdering another human? We are not talking about the law of the land exercising capital punishment; we are talking about murder, the kind that is so much in the news now-a-days. High school students go loaded with guns into a school and deliberately murder as many as they can. A woman murders her husband. Out of apparent jealousy, a teenager kills his friend and his friend’s parents, and on and on we could go. Why have these horrid and senseless murders increased in the last few years? Many of us are old enough to remember when such incidents were far from common. They were virtually unheard of. Again, why are they taking place in so many places today? I believe I know the answer, an answer that modern society will not accept. Do you remember the approximate time when it became the rule that the silly philosophy of evolution began to be taught as scientific fact. Evolutionists are God-haters and God-denying infidels. One of the major tenets of this philosophy is the belief in the “survival of the fittest.” Our children are being taught that they are just a higher product of evolution, just a segment of the “survival of the fittest” existence. Connect this fact with the denial of the existence of God and one comes to the irresistible conclusion that man is nothing more than an animal subject to

For the most part, we are a reasoning people. Our children are encouraged to use their reasoning ability in working out assignments in school. Even in our everyday life, we are confronted with situations in which we use our reasoning faculties. For instance, at the market are items that we want and need. One is a brand name, while the other a generic. One is more expensive than the other. We use our daily reasoning ability to determine which one would best serve our purpose. Having used our thinking processes, we make our choice. A question: Why cannot we be a reasoning people when it comes to the Word of God? Why are there four hundred or more denominations in our country when the Word of God states that there is only one, true church? The Scriptures plainly teach that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, and that He is truly God Himself. (cf. John 1:1-3). We do realize, however, that there are some religious cults such as the Islamic religion, the Mormons and those who call themselves “Jehovah’s Witnesses” who deny the true deity of Jesus of Nazareth. Some believe in the so-called prophet Mahomet, while others of these groups believe that the God of the Bible was once a man and simply evolved into a god, and they follow the writings of a false prophet and a book he wrote, while another group published its own “translation” (false as it is) so that it could

The Bible has much to say about the house of God. Isaiah stated that it would be established on the top of the mountains. Paul wrote to Timothy to tell him that the house of God is the church of the living God. He also told the Ephesians that there is one body, and that body is the church. However, in our world today there are hundreds of religious organizations. Who established them? Jesus shed some light on this when He taught about the two builders. One builder heard the Lord’s words and obeyed them, and in doing so built upon the sure foundation of the solid rock. The other builder heard, but did not obey. This one, according to Jesus was a builder, but one who was building on the foundation of sand and was destroyed. This reminds us of two passages of Scripture. Psalm 127:1 reads, “Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it…” Then in Matthew 15:13 we read, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.” Who built your religious organization? If you answer that it was the Lord Jesus Christ, can you prove it by the Scriptures?

I have read where Houdini, the great escape artist, bragged that he could escape from any jail built by man. The story goes that a certain town built a jail and invited Houdini to try to escape it. He accepted. He entered the cell, the door was closed and he pulled a curtain across and began to use all his ability to show that he could indeed escape. Thirty minutes later, he had failed. It was then that the jailer stepped to the door, and without using a key, simple pulled the door open. It had been unlocked all the time. There is a moral to this story. We imprison ourselves in sin by choice. Despite our efforts, we cannot free ourselves by ourselves. We find ourselves caught in the web of sin, a prisoner of our own devices. By going to the cross, Jesus paid the price to set us free from sin. There are requirements given by God for us to be free – obey the Gospel! Once free, we must continue to walk in His Word. Are you imprisoned?

Recently I read a short little piece entitled, “A Rule of Three.” Let me read it to you. I think that you will agree with its sentiments. Three things to govern: Temper, Tongue, Conduct. Three things to cultivate: Courage, Affection, Gentleness. Three things to commend: Thrift, Industry, Promptness. Three things to despise: Cruelty, Arrogance, Ingratitude. Three things to wish for: Health, Contentment, Friends. Three things to admire: Dignity, Intellectual Power, Gracefulness. Three things to give: Alms to the Needy, Comfort to the Sad, Appreciation to the Worthy. And I add one—Things to do: Study the Word of God, Obey It, Teach It to Others. These might just make some good resolutions for the New Year also.

All of us have habits—some good, some not so good, and some that are wrong and sinful. I read recently the following statement about habits. Let us look at them. If a habit… 1. Does not build up, but tears down your physical powers. 2. Does not increase, but depletes your financial strength. 3. Does not add to, but detracts from the beauty of your personality. 4. Does not commend, but reflects on the Worthy Name by which you are called. 5. Set an example you are unwilling for a child to follow—it should be eliminated. What habits do you have?

The story is told, and it is a true one, that two men of conflicting beliefs were in a public debate about some point of doctrine, whether it was from God or from man. In one of the sessions of a scheduled four-night debate, one of the preachers was showing from the Scriptures that the doctrine taught by the other was false, and condemned by those Scriptures. As he was pressing his point, the other preacher jumped upon the speaker’s platform and gave a resounding slap to the face of his opponent. A hush fell over the audience. The one who had been slapped was a rather large man. As he towered over the one who just slapped him, he glared at him for a long moment, then quietly spoke into the microphone, “Go ahead and defend your doctrine with your fists, you can’t defend it with the Word of God.” As you can imagine, for all practical purposes, this ended the debate. How do you defend what you believe? With feelings, with deathbed tales, with what your “pastor” says, or do you, can you, defend it with the Holy Word of God?

The doctor comes into your room and in somber tones tells you that you have only one more year to live. What changes, if any, would you make? Let’s notice some possibilities. Would you adopt a new sense of values? Would “things” be so important? Would you use your time more wisely? Would you learn to put spiritual things first? Would you attempt to clear up your past as much as possible, apologizing for words and deeds that you would liked to have recalled? Would you clear up your past with God by learning and obeying the Gospel? Although we cannot undo some things, we can be forgiven of them if we follow God’s commands concerning sins and how to be forgiven of them. Would you do your best to develop a spiritual life by work and worship in the Lord’s church? Would you pray more, study more and teach your friends, relatives and neighbors? Remember, my friend, if you are not preparing, according to God’s instructions, to live a life in harmony with His will, then, friend, you are not prepared to die.

About six years ago I wrote about a tiny flower that was blooming along side of the walkway where people in our town take their walks. It is situated under a large oak tree and just pushes itself up beside the sidewalk. This morning (July 15, 2008) as I took my walk, I saw it again. For six or so years this little plant has tenaciously clung to that spot through wind, storm and drought, and it is still there for the enjoyment and delight of those who happen to pass by and notice it. Surely, there is a lesson in that somewhere. I wonder how many people in the last six years have had numerous opportunities to hear the truth of the Gospel proclaimed, but who turned away from it and either stayed in, or turned to the hopeless doctrines of men, doctrines of which Jesus Himself said, “In vain they do worship me, teaching as their doctrines the commandments of men.” When told by His disciples that His words had offended the Pharisees He said, “Let them alone. They are blind guides of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, they will both fall into the ditch” (cf. Matt. 15:1-14 – Read it all!). I also wonder how many who were faithful to the Lord six years ago have now, like Demas, forsaken Him because of their love for the world. These are the ‘used-to-be’ Christians. They bring shame to themselves and to the church by their

Solomon said, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). The question arises, who are the wise and who are the foolish? Jesus had much to say on the subject. In Matthew 7:24-28 He said that the wise are those who hear His words and do them; He also said that the foolish are those who also hear His words, but do not do them. In Luke 12:20-21 He says that the fool is one who lays up treasures for himself, but is not rich toward God. The Psalmist, as well as the apostle Paul, stated that one is a fool who says there is no God. A fool will not listen to God’s Word, but a wise man not only listens, he applies what he learns to his life. The apostle Paul also said, “Evil companionship corrupts good morals.” With whom are you walking; who are your closest companions, the wise or the foolish?

There are many in today’s society who would like to have a close and personal relationship with God. Such a relationship begins with living a life of integrity. In Psalm 15, God presents a summary of what He expects of His people. He gives a list of do’s and don’ts that, if followed by man, will be pleasing to Him. Let’s look at that list that God gives. The person worthy to meet with God is one who: Walks uprightly. Works righteousness. Speaks the truth. Does not backbite. Does no evil to his neighbor. Does not take up a reproach against a friend. Honors those who fear the Lord, but does not honor the ungodly. Keeps his word, even when it is costly. Does not practice usury. Does not take bribes. By God’s standard, are you worthy to meet Him?

No matter what one does there will generally be someone who will have critical or negative remarks about it. The area of religion is no exception. However, in this field there are some things that rational and sensible people never say. They never say: That a man was a loser because he served Christ faithfully. That good was accomplished because a scandal was repeated. That a man got into trouble for not sowing discord. That it is wrong and sinful to wear the name “Christian” rather than manmade names. That immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is not biblical baptism. That it is wrong for a congregation to wear the name “church of Christ.” That a man on his deathbed said, “I regret having followed Christ.” That it is sinful and anti-biblical for Christians to worship without playing some instrument of music. If these statements are true, and they are, where do you and the religion you practice stand in relation to them?

Joshua called upon the people to “Choose you this day…” There are some good biblical examples of men and women who were faced with choices who made the right one. Moses “came to years” in Egypt. The Hebrews writer tells us that Moses chose to forsake all that Egypt was to him, and chose to serve with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Joshua, in his farewell address, and after calling on the people to make their choices, stated, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” David had a choice to make. He, like Moses and Joshua, made the right one. In Psalm 119:30 he said, “I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.” Mary, the sister of Lazarus, made the right choice, and Jesus stated that this would not be taken away from her. In Luke 10:38-42, we read, “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. When Martha complained, Jesus said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’”

Have you ever been so tired that you just wanted lie down and rest for a long time? Just as one’s physical body can become weary with the toils of labor, so the soul can become weary of the heavy burden of sin. Jesus gave the answer. It is found in Matthew 11:28-30. Listen to His words of invitation to every soul that is tired of sin and the burden it causes one to carry: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Notice please, that the one who comes to Him, comes at His invitation; they take His yoke; they are submitting to Him. His burden is light. It is His rest one enters. QUESTION: Have you placed your burden of sin on Him by your obedience to His Word, or are you still in the clutches of denominationalism? Read 2 Corinthians 13:5.

An old judge told of a troublesome dog that whenever the moon was shining, went out and barked at it all night! Someone asked the judge what eventually came of the matter. “Oh,” said the judge, “the moon just kept on shining.” One of the hardest things for a Christian to do is to keep on shining when being barked at by others. Many times even insignificant matters can disturb and discourage us. Paul’s approach was to “Press on to the goal…” (Philippians 3:14). No doubt, the enemies of Christ often barked at Him and tried to get Him to react in a mean and sinful way. However, He was the light of the world and wouldn’t give up His glory. He just kept on shining, and in doing that, He left us an example to follow when those who are teaching error bark at you for exposing their error. Do you bark at those who try to teach you the truth?

As we continue our study of New Testament church worship, let us be sure that we truly do examine ourselves “as to whether you (we) are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). There are many excellent examples in the Bible showing that man must worship God according to His commands, rather than just how one might prefer to do so. One such example is found in Leviticus 10:1-2. Here the record states: “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” If one reads the entire account, plus reading God’s commands about the duties of the priests, he will see that a certain fire was required to be used in the lighting of the incense in the tabernacle. Sanctified fire had to be used, and the altar of burnt offering is the only place where such fire could be found. In this account, we have the right people (sons of the high priest), who were at the right place (the altar of incense), for the right purpose (to offer worship to God). However, the record states that these two men offered profane (strange – KJV) fire which the Lord had not commanded. Notice the results: God sent down fire from heaven and killed those men. Why? Because they offered

In our last article we noticed that the first century Christians met upon the first day of the week (Sunday) to worship God. We also noticed how they prayed and how they studied the Word of God (or had preaching). In this article, we will continue by noticing that these same Christians partook of the Lord’s Supper on each first day of the week. In Matthew 26:26-28 we read: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’” It is here that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this

From the creation of man, God has commanded and expected worship. In the 11th chapter of the Book of Hebrews we learn that “by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain” (v. 4). Since the kind of faith that pleases God comes by hearing His Word, we know that God had told these two boys what He wanted as proper worship. In John 4:24 Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In this passage several things are worthy or attention. God is the object of our worship; man is expected to worship Him; it is imperative that man worship correctly (“must worship”); there must be the proper attitude in worship (“in spirit”); and worship must be according to truth. The one who worships must remember that he is trying to please God, the object of his worship, rather than please himself. Therefore, if we desire to worship God correctly, we must turn to His Word to learn what pleases Him. Let me illustrate. Suppose someone wanted to invite me, the author, to eat a meal with him. Suppose my host or hostess really liked liver and prepared such for me. Frankly, I would just have to disappoint my host or hostess and ask for a cheese or bologna sandwich, simply because I just will not eat liver. I don’t like it, and I never have liked it! Regardless of how sincere the one who invited me may

No one appreciates a liar. The Book of Revelation tells us that all liars shall have their part that burns with fire and brimstone. Solomon, too, spoke of the difference between a true and a false witness. In Proverbs 14:25 he said, “A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.” Let us keep this in a religious context and notice what Paul commanded of Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16. He wrote, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing so you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” In short, he was telling Timothy to teach truth that will deliver the souls of men. Still staying in the religious context, let us look at the warning of Peter as found in 2 Peter 2:1-3 where he says in part, “…there will be false teachers among you who will…bring in destructive heresies…and many shall follow their destructive ways…they will exploit you with deceptive words.” Herein is the difference in the church of the Lord and every denomination of man. One is built upon truth that can be verified by searching the Scriptures; the other is built upon the doctrines, creeds, dogmas and opinions of men, which constitute destructive heresies. On the Day of Judgment, in which would you want to be?

In one of His parables, Jesus told of a farmer whose fields brought forth bountifully. This lets everyone who has ever farmed know that this man was a hard worker. The fields of a lazy man grow more weeds than they produce grain. However, near the end of this parable, God calls this man a fool. An analysis of the parable tells why. First, he left God out of his life. He gave God no credit for what he had been able to acquire as a result of God’s blessings. He left his fellow man out of his life. Everything was “I, my, mine.” Like so many today, he thought that his soul could be satisfied by material things. “Soul, you have much goods laid up…eat, drink, and be merry.” He thought he had time that he did not have. “Much goods for many years…” He talked about years while God talked about “this night.” God called this man a fool. Jesus said, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Do any of these actions and attitudes describe your way of life? If so, don’t you think that it is time to change?

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns; broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). God makes the fountain while man makes the cistern. The fountain is the only sensible choice for man to make. The cistern can leak and can have impure water, while the fountain provided by God is always fresh and plentiful. Yet, God said His people had forsaken His way for their inferior ways. Today, many are still guilty of this. They substitute manmade creeds for the saving Gospel. Many times, the Gospel angers those who are in love with their creeds. These creeds create denominations that they substitute for the church. Sadly, there are those who would rather have their denomination than the Lord’s church, and these are not one and the same. They make a profession of godliness, but in their true character, they prefer their way to the way set forth in God’s Word. Their actions, their worship and their morals are those that are designed to please themselves, not God. Are you drinking from the “cisterns” of men or from the fountain of God? Are you sure?

Those who love animals, of whom I am one, will agree with what Solomon said in Proverbs 12:10. Here he said: “A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” We applaud and appreciate people who give humane treatment to animals. Those of us who have pets in our homes know the love that we can give to them, and the love that they return. There is, however, the need to keep in mind that the animal has no soul. When it dies, that is all there is. We wonder sometimes, though, why it is that some can be so kind to an animal, and so unloving to themselves and to other human beings, those who have an eternal soul. Oh, the ones we have in mind do not do physical harm to the person, but by their teaching, they lead souls on the path to hell (Matthew 15:9). Jesus said such teachers and teaching constituted the blind leading the blind, with both falling into the ditch (Matthew 15:14). If one severely mistreats an animal, he can and should be arrested and punished. On the other hand, if one is a teacher of false doctrine he or she is many times lauded as such a fine “pastor” or “reverend.” This one is not punished by the law, even though he or she is robbing men of their most precious possession – the soul. The law may not punish him or her,

God said of Job that he “was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). What a wonderful epitaph. To be “perfect and upright” is to be complete. One becomes this way, and only becomes this way, as he listens to and follows God’s Word. To fear God is to hold Him in deepest reverence and highest respect. One who lightly uses the phrase “Oh my God” is not one who has such reverence for Him. Job also “eschewed” evil. He hated it. He had contempt for evil. He avoided evil. If God said it was a sin, Job hated it as sin. It would not have mattered to him how many of his friends or relatives may have practiced; it was still sin. Wouldn’t you like to live in a community where everyone would be like Job? Heaven will be that way.

There are many today who attribute many things to the Holy Spirit. Most of those things are related by those who are highly emotional. They have a “zeal, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). Almost without exception those things are considered as miracles – such things as the Holy Spirit finding a parking spot for someone who is late for an appointment, popping a baby that is underwater into the arms of its father or unplugging a coffeepot at a youth gathering because it was making too much noise. Each of the above has been related to me personally. Perhaps these are more radical claims than most would make; however, there are those who make claims of the Spirit speaking directly to and through them, speaking in tongues, raising the dead, all by the miraculous power of the Spirit. Does the Holy Spirit work today in the conversion of the sinner, and in the life of the saint? For the answer, shouldn’t we do as we go to the one infallible standard, the Word of God? How can we go to those who make claims about the Spirit working in their lives when they teach something absolutely contrary to what others who make the same claim are teaching? The answer to the original question is an emphatic “Yes!” The question is not, “Does the Holy Spirit work in the conversion of the sinner, and life of the saint?” but “How does He work?” Please study the chart below and notice that

Do you know someone who knows all the answers even before he or she knows the question? If so, you are not alone. Solomon evidently knew some. His comment about them can be found in Proverbs 18:13. He said, “He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.” One area where this kind of person can be found is religion. These folks know how one is saved without bothering to read and learn what God has said on the matter. They “feel it in their heart,” or some pastor or reverend has told them to “just ask Jesus to come into your heart right now,” and they know the answer without examining the matter. Such, according to Solomon, act foolishly and shamefully. Men worship the way that “makes them feel good,” without any regard to what God has said pleases Him. Some know the answer about God’s attitude about homosexuality without hearing God on the matter. You should read some of the “hate mail” I get on this when I show what the Bible says. Surely, this is a terrible and dark shame on a religion or a nation who so thinks and acts. God calls it foolishness, foolishness that damns the soul, and all of the laws and wicked decisions of men do not change or make void God’s law. Where do you stand in such matters? Do you know the answer before hearing God in His Word?

There are two verses in the 8th chapter of Jeremiah that tell us something about the condition of Judah in that time period. In verse 5 the Lord asks: “Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?” Verse 20 tells us of the condition of those of whom Jeremiah wrote. It states: “The harvest is past, The summer is ended, And we are not saved!” These people had experienced the special love of God. In the summer of God’s care for them they had on the whole committed spiritual adultery by worshiping other gods. When the time of harvest came they could bring nothing to the Lord of Harvest. Their terrible plight was that they were not saved, and the context of chapter 20 gives the reasons. As a result of their unfaithfulness and backsliding they were sent into captivity for seventy long years. Today, God has given us His wonderful and precious Word. By learning, obeying, and living by that Word we can have our sins remitted and have the hope of the eternal home. Yet, many, like the Jews of that day, are lost and seem so unconcerned. One day the summer will be gone; the time to obey (harvest) will pass; and many will awaken to the awful realization that they are not saved, and will meet their Maker in this condition. Are you saved—Saved according to the directions found in God’s Word?

Recently, as a result of receiving a publication that I edit, some have said that I should be more tolerant of other people’s beliefs. I rather tongue-in-cheek noticed that those who told me this were not very tolerant of my beliefs. One definition Webster gives to the word “tolerant” is: “The allowable deviation from a standard.” In some situations, tolerance may be granted without harm being done. However, if your loved one was having open-heart by-pass surgery, how much “deviation from the standard” are you willing to give the surgeon in whether he connects the right artery to the right valve? I don’t know much about the procedure, but I do know that it is very precise. The patient’s life depends upon it. Again, how much “deviation from the standard” are you willing to give a drunk driver as he weaves back and forth across the centerline as he is meeting your teenage daughter as they both drive along a two-lane highway? Will you give him a foot, two feet? We all know the answers to theses questions. Yet, when one is dealing with his most precious possession—his eternal soul—many people not only want such “deviation from the standard,” they adamantly demand it! “I don’t care what the Bible says, I wouldn’t give my feelings, opinions, or my pastor’s teaching for a whole stack of Bibles,” they cry. How truly, truly sad!

In the prophet Hosea’s time, Israel was in a downward spiral from God both morally and spiritually. Because the nation as a whole rejected God’s plea and warning, He finally sent them into captivity. Let us look at some of Hosea’s statements, and then compare the situation he describes with the conditions in America today. 7:1 – “They have committed fraud…” 7:13 – “…they have spoken lies against Me.” 8:1 – “They rebelled against My law.” 8:12 – They considered God’s law “a strange thing.” 8:14 – “For Israel has forsaken his Maker.” 9:1 – “You have played the harlot against your God.” 9:9 – “They are deeply corrupted.” 9:17 – “They did not obey Him.” 10:13 – “Because you trusted in your own way. Finally: 4:1 – “There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land.” 4:6 – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” 4:8 – “They set their heart on iniquity.” 5:11- “…he willingly walked by human precept.” Question: Is there any one of these things of which America is not presently guilty?

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God…” and “And the wages of sin is death,” so writes the apostle Paul in the Book of Romans. Jesus came to save man from the consequences of sin. He died on the cross, then told man how to take advantage of His sacrifice. The Gospel must be preached; “Go into all the world and preach the gospel…,” said He. He also stated that “Except you believe that I am He you will die in your sins…” He continued by saying: “I tell you No, unless you repent you will likewise perish.” In Matthew 10:32 He said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.” And in Mark 16:16 He stated concerning those to whom the Gospel was preached: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” There it is! Saving truth in a nutshell—tough truth! Men have denied one or more of these truths, but their denial has no more changed the truth than one who has cancer, but denies it, changes the truth that he has it. If one is lost in sin, he must obey from the heart the Gospel that has been delivered. What will you do, obey the Gospel and be saved, or listen to denominational preachers and deny and reject the precious saving truth and be lost in hell. The choice is yours.

My wife and I were married 50 years ago on this past March twenty-third. It wasn’t long before I learned something about her that I had not previously known – her mother had taught her how to make delicious biscuits. She told me that secret was using enough shortening. Well, I decided to surprise her one morning and make the biscuits. Now, I reasoned that if a good dob of shortening made‘em that good, a double dob would make ‘em that much better. Friends, when they came out of the oven, they would have smashed a foot if they had fallen on it. They were more like hockey pucks than biscuits. What’s my point? Just this, some things do not work unless the directions are closely followed. God tells us that He has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” He warned that His Word must not be added to or diminished from. It is perfect as it is. When perverted by additions or subtractions, it will not save. The Message: Don’t add to – Don’t take away from.

Sometime back I fell while walking, doing extensive damage to my left hand. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital where the doctor was more than an hour and a half in surgical procedures to save the hand, and the use of it. Upon leaving the hospital three days later, I was given specific instructions of the care that I must take concerning that hand.     Now a question: At what time do you think that I started obeying those instructions? Did I say to myself that I would get around to it “one of these days!” Or, did I say to myself that I really didn’t care what the doctor said, I would do things in my way, when I wanted to do them? Another question: If I should have said those things, what would be your thoughts of my sensibility? If I wanted to save the hand, I must follow immediately the doctor’s instructions.     What is my point? Just this: How long have you known what your Creator has said about what you must do, and how you must live in order to have the salvation of your soul? Why have you not followed those instructions (Mark 16:16)?

Do the Scriptures teach that once a person is saved he then cannot be lost? There are several religious organizations that teach this doctrine. It is known by several different designations: “Once saved, always saved”; “Once in grace, always in grace” or “The impossibility of apostasy.” Read what a preacher of a prominent denomination wrote several years ago: We take the position that a Christian’s sins do not damn his soul! The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct, or his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul. …All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the sermons he may practice, all the debts he may pay, all the ordinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may perform will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger. …The way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul. (Sam Morris)     Most folks that I know who hold to the doctrine under discussion will not go to the extreme that Mr. Sam Morris has gone. However, if one holds a position, he must be ready to accept the consequences of that position, and Mr. Morris’ statement is

In Hebrews 11:7, it is stated: “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Then, in Genesis 6:22 it is written: “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” This last passage simply says that Noah did what God told him to do in the way God told him to do it. When we come to the action of baptism, we must have that same attitude. Some say that it doesn’t matter how one is baptized (according to their definition of that word). However, a question comes to mind. Who said it doesn’t matter? Has God said so? Did it matter the size, the instructions concerning the building of the ark? It must be remembered that the Scriptures say that Noah operated by faith, a faith that came by hearing God’s Word (cf. Romans 10:17).     If one wants to know the meaning of a Greek word, and baptizo is a Greek word, then he cannot go to an English dictionary to find the correct definition. For instance, if I should meet you on the street and say, “Kak Dalah,” could you know what I had said by looking it up in Webster’s dictionary? Obviously not, since the words are Russian, meaning, “How are you?” By the same logic, if we want to know the meaning of a Greek

One of the requirements one must do to be saved and be added to the church/kingdom is that one must be baptized for the remission of sins. However, much of the religious world rejects this command of God as being essential to salvation. In this article, we shall “examine” the Scriptures to see what is actually said about the command. The first thing that we should make clear is that baptism is not a work of merit on man’s part. When man has obeyed this command of God, he has not earned the remission of sins. When man obeys any command of God, he has no reason to boast of such actions as though he now had merited something, or that he had indebted God in some way.     That baptism is a command to the alien sinner no one can rightly deny. Those on the day of Pentecost who asked Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37), were told to “repent and be baptized for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). When Saul of Tarsus asked the Lord, “What would you have me do?”, he was told to go into Damascus and there it would be told him what he must do (Acts 9:6). In Acts 22, Paul recounts his conversion. He tells of Ananias who came to him, being sent by the Lord, and who told him to “arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins” (verse 16). There are other accounts that can

When a person is saved, he is added by the Lord to the body of Christ—the church. What must one do to be saved, so that the Lord will add him to the church? The first thing that we should notice is that there is no one thing alone by which we are saved. We hear much today about being saved by “faith only” or “alone” and about being saved by “grace only.” Common sense would tell us that if we are saved by faith only, then the grace of God could not be involved in our salvation. Do this, if you will. If your preacher has a standard biblical concordance, or if you have one of your own, then look up the words save, saved and salvation. Jot down everything that you find in the passages listed in that concordance to which salvation is attributed, and you will be amazed at how many things are involved in one’s salvation. The most impressive thing that you will notice is that there is nothing “alone” to which it is attributed. This writer used Young’s concordance and has found at least twenty-three things, with a possibility of three other things. In the following list, please read each reference in its entirety. After you have done so, honestly ask yourself if there is any one of those things that can be eliminated as one seeks the salvation that God so freely gives. The list is divided into two parts, and begins with the

The 119th Psalm is a treasure trove to those who love God and want to do His will. In verses 9 and 11, there is timely advice to both young and old alike. Verse 9 reads, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” Verse 11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!”     What great teaching! When it seems that so many of our nation’s young people are giving themselves to sin and sensuality, these words are like a breath of fresh air, telling them how to really have a life worth living. What better advice can a parent give than to tell young people to truly respect God’s Word, and take heed to it?     When one has his heart full of God’s Word, he can resist the daily temptations that come. When Jesus was tempted, He responded to each temptation with “It is written.”     Do your young people know more about sensuality than salvation? Do they know more about the so-called rap and rock stars than they know about the “Star of Bethlehem?” If so, what a terrible, terrible shame.

Recently, someone sent me the following: Have you ever felt stupid? I’ve caught myself saying, after having done something stupid, “Man, that was stupid.” Forest Gump stated, “Stupid is as stupid does.” What makes a man stupid, or what makes a not-so-stupid person do stupid things. Solomon told us: “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid” (Proverbs 12:1 NKJV).     Sometimes, we do stupid things because we have not heeded proper instructions. You fellows know what I’m talking about. We open the box of some gadget that we think we can’t live without, lay the instructions aside and dive into connecting wires, putting this here and that there until we realize something is wrong; its not going to work.     A lot of people treat faith that way. They jump right into it, doing this or that, whatever seems reasonable to them, having taken the “instruction booklet”—the Bible and laid it aside somewhere out of the way so it will not get in the way.     The end result of such actions is that one has a faith built upon the opinions and feelings of men, and not on what God has commanded or authorized. However, faith that saves comes when one hears and heeds the Word of God. When one hates correction and instruction, the Book itself says that such a person is stupid. Do you love biblical knowledge, or are you stupid?

Sometimes people take for granted as true things that have no truth in them. Remember Jacob and Joseph. In some rather recent scandals in the Roman Catholic Church about priests molesting young boys, the media has taken for granted that the pope is the successor of the apostle Peter, and that the bishops and other members of that hierarchy are men appointed by God to direct His people. Nothing could be farther from the truth. History shows us that all of them, from the pope to all his underlings, are the result of the great apostasy that had its beginning in the second century A.D., being brought to full fruition by the seventh century. The Word of God knows nothing of this apostate religion.     Others take for granted that a man with a quivering voice who claims to be “Spirit filled” is actually being guided by the Holy Spirit. Again, a study of the Scriptures will show the falsity of such claims.     In earthly things, it may not matter too much about taking things for granted, but in spiritual matters, it can be the difference between eternal life and eternal damnation. Are you taking for granted things for which you should be demanding scriptural evidence?

The Book of Esther is an interesting account of the Jews under Persian rule. Through the evil influence of Haman, the king had signed a decree that all Jews were to die. The queen, who was herself a Jew, was encouraged to go before the king to plead their cause. When she hesitated, she was asked, “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”     Sometimes there are things that need doing, and we may be the only one at the time to do them. This has to do with responsibility.     We have responsibilities to our families; parents to teach their children the Word of God; to our nation to uphold and defend it; to ourselves to live in such a way that we will receive the crown—“I have fought the good fight.”     Are you fulfilling God’s purpose in life for you? Have you obeyed His will?

There are folks who like to “dicker.” In Mexico and other countries, when the tourist sees something he wishes to purchase, the seller expects to dicker the price. It can be fun as long as neither one is unfairly treated in the transaction.     It is my firm conviction that there are those even in our locality who have an idea in the back of their mind that they will be able to negotiate with God on the Day of Judgment. After all, in this life they can bribe politicians, judges and make “back street” deals to get what they want. “Why not with God?” seems to be the attitude. Let’s notice a couple of verses in the Bible that lets us know that there will be no negotiation with God.     “God in His divine mercy has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). God in His love and goodness has given us all that we need. In Matthew 7:22-23 some tried to plead their case. Their plea was rejected on the basis that they knew their responsibility but chose their own way instead. Then, this final verse says it all: “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). The word is settled, no negotiation or dickering. Don’t be deceived, God will not be mocked.

There are many verses of Scripture that deal with man’s necessity to be a good steward of his possessions, recognizing that all actually belongs to God. Paul stated, “Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). Solomon said, “Honor the Lord with your possessions” (Proverbs 3:9). The master in the parable of the talents condemned the man who was given one talent because he failed to be a good steward of what had been entrusted to him. God said to the rich farmer of Luke 12 who had hoarded what he had, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”     Let us be honest with ourselves. Are we being good stewards of the bountiful blessings God has given to each of us. What about your time? How much of it do you use in studying God’s Word, in worship to Him and in everyday service to Him? What talents have you dedicated to His service? How terrible on that day of accounting to hear the Master say, “…cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30).     What kind of steward are you?

It seems of late that about every week or so the news media reports about an earthquake, a flood, a violent storm (cyclone, tornado, hurricane, etc.), droughts, pestilence of some kind and a variety of other types of natural calamities. Add to this the different political and military skirmishes and wars, and one has the makings for those of the premillennial persuasion to get all gushy and excited and start proclaiming loud and long, “The Second Coming of the Lord is just around the corner.” They love this stuff. They delight in going to the Old Testament prophets and finding everything from fast sport cars to space shuttles, and a whole lot of other such stuff. Their special delight, though, is to find passages that refer to the first coming of the Messiah, the Christ, and then applying them to the Second Coming. They even invent a third coming.     However, didn’t Jesus warn in Matthew 24: 6-7, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” The premillennial “pastor” or “reverend” will, in mighty and forceful tones, with all of the sincerity that he or she can muster, proclaim that these verses apply to today and these passages teach that the Lord’s Second Coming is imminent. Completely ignoring the

There is in the study of logic something known as “the law of the excluded middle.” It describes an either/or situation. For instance, everything in your house is either human or nonhuman. Now, wives, although he may not act like it at times, your husband is human. However, your dog, your kitchen table and your couch are all nonhuman. The law of the excluded middle does not tell you what the “non” may be, but it does give you the either/or position. The point is that something is either/or, with no middle or neutral ground.     Jesus made use of this vehicle of logic on many occasions. For instance, in Matthew 12:30 He said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” Notice, one is either for Him, or against Him. There is no room here for “Well, he is not a Christian, but I believe the Lord will save him anyway” type of thinking. There is no middle ground, no neutrality allowed. It becomes our own individual responsibility to determine by a proper use of the Scriptures where we stand. Taking the totality of Jesus’ teaching on our relationship to Him, are you for Him, or are you against Him. Remember, the Bible is the only standard by which this can be determined.

In Isaiah 1:18 God states, “Come now, and let us reason together.” Here is an invitation to come and gain knowledge, resulting in salvation. Surely, such an invitation is open to all today.     Come, let us reason together about Christ. We will learn that He is Prophet, Priest and King. He is the builder and purchaser of the church.     Come, let us reason together about the church. It is the “called out,” and that by the Gospel. It is the house of God into which all nations can come. It is the kingdom into which those who have been forgiven of sin are translated.     Come, let us reason together about Calvary. It was here the blood of the Lamb was offered. It is here that we see the awfulness of sin. It is here that we see the dying of the just for the unjust.    Come, let us reason together about conversion. The world offers many plans, but God offers only one. The New Testament commands: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess Jesus as Christ and be Baptized. Have you done more? Have you done less?     Come, let us reason together about heaven. It is the wonderful city of God to which all who have obeyed the Gospel and have lived faithfully will go. Don’t you want to go there? Then, obey that you may.

Did you ever notice how in His Word God does not do anything on what we might call a scale of 1 to 10? With Him it is either/or. Jesus taught that one is either for Him or against Him. He stated that one is either on the road that leads to life, or the road that leads to destruction. One is either building on the Rock or he is building on the sand. To God, a thing is either good or evil, and He warns about calling evil good. In each of these, we notice that there is no neutral or middle ground.     There is yet another example. One is either in Christ or dead in his sins. Either he is in the place where God adds the saved or he is on the outside. In Revelation 22:14-15 it is written, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”     Where are you? Can you go the Scriptures and show by them that you are where they tell you that you should be?

The apostle Paul stated in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” A question: Are you ashamed of the Gospel or of any part of it. For instance, are you ashamed: Of the Christ whom the Gospel proclaims? Of His claims to be the Son of God? Of His virgin birth? Of any of His commands? Of the Gospel message? It is God’s power to save, yet many are ashamed to preach it, choosing rather to preach feelings, men’s doctrines, and some would rather tell deathbed stories than to preach the Gospel. Of the plan of salvation outlined in the Gospel? In that plan, God has ordained that if one desired to be saved from past sins with the hope of heaven, he must believe, repent of past sins, confess Christ as Lord and be baptized for the remissions of sins. Many are ashamed to preach and follow this simple plan. Of the hope which the Gospel offers. It nothing short of amazement that some people are actually ashamed to admit that they want to go to heaven when life is over.     Are you ashamed of ANY of these things? If so, shame on you!

If you went out to eat and ordered pancakes, how would you react if they were done on one side, but were uncooked on the other side? Doesn’t sound too tasty, does it? This is how God described Israel in the days of Hosea the prophet. In Hosea 7:8 the prophet says, “Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned.” The nation of Israel thought it could give lip service to God, while participating in all the things of the world. The Israelites offered sacrifice, but their hearts were not in it.     Jesus told His disciples that they were in the world, but were not to be of the world. Paul warned that those who practiced the works of the flesh would not inherit the kingdom of God.     If you are trying to hold on to the world while being a “little religious,” you need to make some changes. Today would be a good time to begin.     Are you a half-baked cake?

The apostle Paul noted in Athens that the people had erected a god to the “unknown god.” Let’s talk about some “well-known” gods.     There is the “BUT” god. Jesus talked about him. The supper was ready and the guests were invited, and they all began to make excuse. “I would come BUT I have bought a piece of land…I would come BUT I have some new oxen to be proven…I would come, BUT I have married a wife.    There is the “LATER ON” god. Felix worshiped him. “At a more convenient season…” Some say, “One of these days…”; others say, “Later on, when I have time…when the kids are gone…when I can find a church that suits me, where I can be made to feel good…”    Some worship at the altar of “IT SEEMS TO ME…” Naaman of old was his disciple. “I thought the prophet would do thus and so…” Today, there are those who say,” It seems to me that one church is as good as another…” among other things.    There is the god “CHEAP SERVICE.” Ananias and Sapphira, along with the Jews who didn’t want to be cast out of the synagogue, were his followers.     Last of all, there is the “LET ME THINK ABOUT IT” god. What is there to think about? One is lost in sin and can only be saved by obedience to Christ.     What god are you worshiping?

You are standing at the foot of the cross watching Jesus of Nazareth as He hangs there. As you stand there, you know within yourself that there are some things that would be absolutely unthinkable.     It would be unthinkable to argue that religious division is desirable. Yet, two thousand years after the cross, we hear religious spokesmen talk about “joining the church of your choice,” or thanking God for the many religious divisions that exist in the world today. Jesus, you remember Him, He’s the one hanging on the cross, said, “That they all may be one.” What is your attitude toward that prayer?

 “For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9). Do you ever do any daydreaming, wishing for something that you don’t have and may never get? I think all of us could agree that we have. Lots of times we wish for things that we really don’t need, or would not bring us the happiness we so earnestly desire.    In the Beatitudes Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 6:6). This is that satisfying the longing of the soul of which David spoke. The beauty of this area of longing is that even today it can be fulfilled. Peter said, “As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” The knowledge of this Word will produce faith, and Peter also stated, “Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls”     Friends, develop a longing for God’s Word. Study it, obey it, and be saved by it.

By: Ernest S. Underwood In a society where wicked and evil men and women are cowardly (through terrorism, killing others), where lawyers and judges support and promote that which is ungodly (where money apparently speaks louder and with much more force than does integrity, justice, and honesty) and where immorality has engulfed our nation and world, it is of great consolation to those who, unlike the fool, believe in God and His sovereignty. In Proverbs 15:3,  we have this assurance: “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.” Notice that He keeps watch on the evil, not that He condones it. Numerous passages tell us of His attitude toward those who practice evil, and what His ultimate judgment of them will be. In the same vein, He keeps watch on the good and those who practice it. In biblical history, we can note that at times He allowed, because of the free moral agency of man, the evil to persecute the good. He let the wicked Jewish leaders try His innocent Son and have Him put to death. However, His message to those who will be faithful “unto death” is that they, and only they, will receive the crown of life. The Lord is watching! What does He see in you?

By: Ernest S. Underwood A panel of judges in our state upheld a $108,800 fine against a man who poached 1088 turtle eggs from a state park. It was argued that 80 to 90 percent of marine turtle eggs are fertile; therefore, each egg must be considered a unit of marine life. The judges agreed.     Those who support abortion claim that a “fetus” is not a human “person” until birth has occurred. In 1973, the Supreme Court agreed with this insanity, ruling that it is perfectly acceptable to abort, also known as murder, the fetus. According to these judges, it would be unconstitutional to protect the unborn baby.     Isn’t it ironic that laws protecting unhatched turtle eggs are perfectly all right, but laws protecting unborn human beings are unconstitutional? Swipe a turtle egg and get sixty days in jail, plus a hundred dollar fine for each egg swiped. Murder a thousand unborn children and be rewarded with tax money to continue the practice, and be lauded as a champion of “reproductive freedom!”     May God avenge all those innocent lives that have been so callously and viciously snuffed out—and He will!

When you and the family go out to eat, do you go to the nearest garbage dump? A few years ago, I was in Africa doing some teaching. Near the school was a large garbage dump. The vultures came for their meals. There, also, young children dug through the filth of that place, looking for something to eat.     None of us would think of eating garbage when wholesome food is available, yet there were those who were doing just that. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns; broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13).     Peter stated that God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), yet many prefer to eat at the garbage dump of men’s doctrines, and of the world. Where are you feeding spiritually?

Did you ever see a person who was so angry that he was frothing at the mouth? The Bible tells us of at least one such person. His name is Naaman. In 2 Kings 5, we are told in verse 11 that he was furious, and in verse 12 that he turned and went away in a rage. Why was this man so angry? Had someone kidnapped one of his children or killed one of his friends? No! This man was furious and in a rage because a prophet of God had told him how he could be cured of his leprosy. He couldn’t cure himself, but wanted to tell God how it should be done. It should be noted that as he went away in a rage, he went away a leper.     As sad as this incident is, there is something that is even sadder. Man is lost in sin. God provides the way to be forgiven. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Preachers don’t like these words of Jesus. They want to be saved, but want to do it their way. They just want to say something they call “the sinner’s prayer.” “Baptism has nothing whatever to do with one’s salvation,” they say. They get angry with God. They are still in their sins. Do you get angry with God when through His Word He tells you what you must do to be saved, and how you must worship Him?

Does this sound like a strange title for an article? After all, doesn’t the Bible prohibit one human from murdering another human? We are not talking about the law of the land exercising capital punishment; we are talking about murder, the kind that is so much in the news now-a-days. High school students go loaded with guns into a school and deliberately murder as many as they can. A woman murders her husband. Out of apparent jealousy a teenager kills his friend and his friend’s parents, and on and on we could go. Why have these horrid and senseless murders increased in the last few years? Many of us are old enough to remember when such incidents were far from common. They were virtually unheard of. Again, why are they occurring in so many places today? I believe I know the answer, an answer that modern society will not accept.     Do you remember the approximate time when it became the rule that the silly philosophy of evolution began to be taught as scientific fact. Evolutionists are God-haters and God-denying infidels. One of the major tenets of this philosophy is the belief in the “survival of the fittest.” Our children are being taught that they are just a higher product of evolution, just a segment of the “survival of the fittest” existence. Connect this fact with the denial of the existence of God, and one comes to the irresistible conclusion that man is nothing more than an animal subject to

How would you feel if you had bought something that was supposed to be new and to find out that it was used and almost worn out? Or to buy an animal, thinking that it was healthy, later finding out it was diseased and sickly? I doubt if any of us would be pleased with such an arrangement.     One thing I do know—God is not pleased with such. Listen to His words in Malachi 1:18: “And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably? Says the LORD of hosts.”     Will the Lord today accept a “blemished” offering? If we deliberately defile our bodies with the poisons of tobacco, alcohol and drugs, will He accept such without genuine repentance on the part of the user? Will the Lord accept a “blemished” religion, one concocted in the councils of men? Will He accept “blemished” worship? Are we offering to Him a pure body, a pure doctrine and pure worship authorized by Him?

Solomon said that there is a time for every purpose under heaven, stating further there was a time to keep silent. In the text, he means that one should be silent rather than speak. Lets’ look at another thought that may be gleaned from this.   We live in a world and society of movement and noise. Teenagers drive by with their radio speakers blaring out such noise as to rattle the windows of the house. On their walk around our lake, there are those who have their ear-phones, listening to something. Have we lost the calmness and serenity of stillness and quietness? One of my favorite places is in the swing in my backyard. Here it is quiet, here it is peaceful. No radio, no noisemakers except the birds as they give forth their God-given song. It is here that more than eighty percent of these moments of reflection are written, this one included.   It is good for the heart, it is good for the emotions, and it is good for the soul to take time out of each day to be quiet, to be calm, to be still. While doing thus, take that time to quietly count the many wonderful blessings of God.

Some time back as I was driving down the road, I saw a sign that said, “Honk, if you love America.” All of us have seen the bumper sticker that urges, “Honk if you love Jesus.” I think I realize the patriotic and/or religious zeal that causes some to display such signs, but I am afraid that for far too many, this is the depth of their patriotism or religion.     Loving America involves service and sacrifice. If one doubts this, let him ask a veteran of any of our wars or conflicts. We weren’t “honking,” we were giving loyal service with a willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for our beloved country.     Loving Jesus is to give obedience from the heart, and giving loyal daily service for and to Him. To my mind, it borders on the sacrilegious to equate a honk of the horn to what it actually takes to express one’s love for Him.     Jesus didn’t say, “Honk if you love Me.” He did say, “If you love me, keep My commandments.” There is a world of difference between these two.

I love the western mountains. Many times in the mountains of northern Arizona, I would see an eagle soaring above the peaks. The sight always left me with a sense of awe. However, do you know that eagles don’t fly in flocks or bunches. They soar alone in the heights. On the other hand, when you see sparrows, they are usually in bunches and seldom fly above the treetops.     There are times in our lives that we like the eagle, must soar alone. The world, society, culture and peer pressure all say, “Pay no attention if it is right or wrong. Be politically correct and fly low like us.” One with a biblical sense of rightness or oughtness will refuse such chattering. He will listen to the voice of God as is found in His Word. Like Jesus he will say, “It is written,” and like Jesus, put to flight Satan’s ministers. He will soar like the eagle. Which are you—a sparrow or an eagle?

Acts 2 is a marvelous chapter in the Bible. Here is recorded the first Gospel sermon after the resurrection of Christ. Peter, one of the spokesmen, preached the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. So convincing were his Holy Spirit inspired words that the multitudes were compelled to cry out, “What shall we do?” Peter told them in plain, simple and understandable language what they must do. About three thousand believed and obeyed the commands that Peter gave. But, what about the rest of those in that great audience? What do you think of them? They heard the same message, but did not respond in a positive way. Why? Don’t you wish you knew what they were thinking? I do! However, the only thing that we are told, and that by implication, is that they did not gladly receive the Holy Spirit inspired words of Peter. Did they have other interests, another agenda? Whatever it was, they did not obey the commands stated by Peter, and thus, were not saved. Neither were they added to the Lord’s church.     That same message is there for all today. Have you gladly received and obeyed it, or are you like those others on that day, still in your sins? Do you really want to be like “them?”

In Psalm 122:1 David said, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” The house of the Lord in David’s day was the Tabernacle. It would be Solomon’s responsibility to build the Temple where God would put His presence. It is interesting to me that there was only one Tabernacle, and later on, one Temple. I know of no one who would claim that there were many tabernacles or many temples where one could go to the one of his choice.     In Isaiah chapter 2, the prophet speaks of a time when the Lord’s house would be established. In 1 Timothy 3:15, we learn that the house of God is “the church of the living God.” Isaiah did not speak of the “houses” of the Lord. Neither did Paul say that the “houses” of God are the “churches” of the living God. Jesus stated in Matthew 16:18, “…I will build my church…,” not “churches.”     Did any Israelite ever talk about “going to the temple of your choice?” Why then, since Jesus, Paul and others spoke of the one body, one church and one house, do we hear some today talk about “going to the church of your choice?” It is God who gives the choice, and He only gave one church, thus one choice. The attitude of “many churches” is of man, not of God.

Not long after I was discharged from the U.S. Army in 1954, I moved to New Mexico to work in the oil fields. Although I wasn’t involved in the drilling process, I became acquainted with some of the terminology of that phase of the industry.     After every means available to them to ascertain if oil was present in a certain area, they would bring in the big rigs. For several weeks they would drill—4,000, 5,000, 8,000 feet down. Then they would discover that they had been “dry hole” drilling—no oil there.     Isn’t this much like men today who want to find satisfaction of the soul, satisfaction that comes only from being saved by the blood of Christ? They “drill” in the area of men’s writing, feelings, opinions and doctrines only to learn that they are “dry hole” drilling.     The Word of God still says that the Gospel, and one’s obedience to it, is the only way to salvation of the soul (Romans 1:16; Matthew 7:21). Is this where you are drilling?

Some folks don’t want to be identified as Christians so they call themselves after some man or some doctrine. These show an unholy disrespect for Christ and his title. Some, however, refer to themselves as Christians when they haven’t met the biblical criterion for the name. For instance: One may be religious and not be a Christian. There are many religious people. In fact, one seldom meets a person who is not religious in some way, even if that religion is atheism. One may be a good moral person and not be a Christian. Cornelius is a good example, as was the rich young ruler who inquired of Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. One may believe the Gospel and not be a Christian. Agrippa is a case in point. One may even be baptized, according to some religion’s definition of the word, and not be saved. If one is not baptized for the right reason, the one given in the Scriptures, he is still in a lost condition. One may offer worship to the Lord and not be a Christian. Jesus stated on this point: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9). Last of all, one may have his name on some church roll, but not have his name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

In biblical terminology the heart and the mind or intellect are closely connected. If the heart is pure, the words, deeds and entire life will be pure. If we think on pure, honorable and lovely things, our life will become pure, honorable and lovely. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Each of us should emphasize the cleanliness of the inner life. This can be done as we meditate upon God’s Word.     The coarse, vulgar and profane life does not make one “cool,” “manly” or whatever the other descriptions that the media gives to such speech and actions. It simply makes one coarse, vulgar, profane and stupid. One who cannot express himself without using such speech and actions needs to go back to school to learn the basics.

In Proverbs 28:9 there is an interesting statement about God and man’s prayer: “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.” Does this mean there actually can come a time when God refuses to hear the prayer of man? He, himself, tells us that this is true. When, though, will he refuse to hear a prayer? When one turns away from hearing God’s law? “Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded…Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me” (Proverbs 1:24-28).     Today, we hear men urge others to “call upon the name of the Lord” by saying something they call “the sinners prayer.” Those who make those exhortations, and those who follow such pleas, have turned away from hearing God’s Word. Such a prayer will not be answered; it is an abomination to God. Listen to God through his Word; obey it from the heart. Then, he will hear your prayer.

Previous article in this series:https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2007/jun/page18.htm That the Holy Scriptures plainly teach that there is one, and only one church, cannot be successfully denied. Paul, in Ephesians 4:4 wrote: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.” In this same epistle, he wrote: “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23). By reading the writings of any standard church historian, one can follow the fortunes of this one church. Soon after the close of the first century, the apostasy began, culminating some five hundred years later in an organization with one man claiming to be the head of the church. Many centuries later, men arose with the idea of reforming that apostate organization. These actions resulted in the Reformation Movement. Conceived and born in this movement was the concept of denominationalism.     In our nation today, there are more than four hundred denominational organizations or churches. Since the admonition of the inspired apostle is to“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith,”it seems reasonable that each one should, yea must, question himself about the church of which he is a member. In other words, can I prove by the Scriptures that the church of which I am a member is that one body spoken of by Paul? Is the church of which I am a member

If you were to have an audience with the Queen of England or some world leader, would you wear a ball cap, jeans and flip-flops? Some might say, “Yes,” but most would show more dignity than to do so. Not long ago, I was driving by a church building where there was a sign that read, “Contemporary, Informal, Praise Services.” Here were a people who were announcing their lack of respect and reverence to God. Nowhere in the Holy Scriptures does one find anyone being “informal” in his worship to his Sovereign, Creator and Ruler of the universe—The Almighty God! There was always a formal dignity and respect.     The hymn writers of old recognized this. Read the words of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” written by Martin Luther and be favorably impressed with the respect and reverence the lyrics express to God.     Friends, God is not our buddy! He is our Creator, Our Sustainer and our Savior! Habakkuk said, “The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Those in the Revelation were singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” There was no “informal” praise there. How do you worship?

As our children were growing up, there was a hard and fast rule that applied as we were traveling. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was ever to be thrown from the car onto the roadway. Punishment would have been rather immediate and severe if there was disobedience.     When we moved back to the United States from our first missionary tour of three years in Russia, we brought a Russian lady with us for a two week visit, as a gift of appreciation for the many ways in which she had been helpful to us. She saw sights that astounded her. On one occasion she went into hyperventilation when we went into a supermarket. Now, in Russia when you go to buy something, you first point out to a clerk the item(s) you want. The clerk then gives you a handwritten slip of paper of the amount of the items. This then is taken to the cashier where you pay that amount. The cashier gives you a paid receipt with which you then go back to the line (yes, everything has a line, usually a long one) and when it comes your turn again the clerk gathers the items you have paid for, puts them on the counter, and you put them in a bag that you have brought with you. When this lady saw this supermarket with it aisles and aisles of products, and such a large variety of each product, she just couldn’t comprehend it. She became so weak that

In this series of articles, we shall address the subject given by Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:5, namely, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.” There are at least three things to be noted in the text that serves as the title of this series. First, there is that system that is known as “the faith.” Of course, this is the Gospel system. Second, the writer emphasizes the necessity of one being in this faith. Third, each one has the responsibility of making a self-examination to determine if he is in that system. Although not specifically stated, a fourth item is implied. In order for one to examine himself/herself, there must be an authoritative standard that can be used for such examination. Without doubt, that standard is the Word of God–the Holy Scriptures. Through the centuries, men 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…” (Catholic Dictionary). 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” (Emphasis mine, esu). In the so-called scriptures of another

Choices in life are inevitable. Many times, we are not conscious that we are making a choice because we have done the same thing for so long. God’s Word records the decisions of his great characters throughout biblical history. Adam chose to eat the forbidden fruit; Noah chose to obey and build an ark; Abraham chose to obey and leave his home country. The writer of Hebrews tells us of the choice of Moses. He chose to leave Egypt and to cast his lot with the people of God. Then there is the choice of Jesus as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” This choice gave you and me the hope of eternal life with God. Sometimes choices are not easy to make, and God never promised that they would be. He did promise, however, that if we will make the proper choices, the crown of life will be ours. Such a choice was given to, and by Joshua in the long ago. “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”(Joshua 24:15). Let us learn some things from his statement.

As I write this article [written several years ago], I am overlooking the beautiful harbor of Singapore. Lying at anchor in that harbor are more than one hundred and fifty ships of different sizes and shapes. As I have sat here from time to time and observed them, it is interesting to watch how each ship faces the tide. If the tide is coming in, they face the ocean; if it is going out, they face the mouth of the Singapore River. However, because they are securely anchored in the harbor they remain in their respective places. They are neither washed aground, nor out to sea by the moving tide. Why? Because their anchor holds them in their place. The writer of the Book of Hebrews had something to say about an anchor. He wrote, “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast…” (Hebrews 6:18-19). Let the storms of life come to tempt us, bringing in their sorrow and doubt, let the false prophet attempt to lead us astray with his great swelling words of false doctrines. Neither will be able to move us who have that anchor both sure and steadfast. It will keep us safely moored. Shall we cast off our moorings and be cast against the rocks

Perhaps there are no more sobering passages in all of the inspired Scriptures, when taken in their context, than the seventh and eighth verses of the sixth chapter of Galatians. These verses state: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” These verses give the summary of man’s attitude, his life and his destiny. We notice first of all that the warning against deception is given. No man likes to think that it is possible for him to be deceived. Yet, examples are too numerous of those who have been deceived by the various political figures or systems. Certainly, no one would be so simple or foolish as to argue that the various religious leaders have not been deceitful with the people. These leaders have convinced the masses that obedience to God’s Word is not necessary. Husbands, wives, parents and children sometimes deceive one another. As disappointing as it is to be deceived by others, the greatest deception of all is self-deception. How many times have we heard someone say, “I know that the Bible says it, but…” That person has deceived himself into believing that God really didn’t mean what he said. Several factors must be taken into consideration in contemplating the law of sowing and reaping. (1) All men are sowers. (2) What is

“Almost” is a sad word. In the different contexts where it is generally used, it denotes something that was expected, but that did not take place. It was almost a home run, but the outfielder caught it for the out. The pass receiver almost caught the pass for a touchdown, but now its fourth down and ten to go. The bullet almost missed its intended victim. By far, the saddest “almost” concerns one who is almost saved. In the Bible we find King Agrippa using this word when he said, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28). He had just had the privilege of hearing the apostle Paul preach the Gospel to him. Wouldn’t it have been a wonderful thing for any of us to have been in that audience? When one is “almost” saved, he or she is truly not far from the kingdom of God. All that friends and loved ones know to do has been done. Teaching has been done, prayers have ascended to the throne of God on behalf of such a one; even tears of strong crying have been shed, but still that person is not saved–has not obeyed the Gospel. Do you know that there are those who are earnestly praying for you to come to the knowledge of the truth of God, and obey that truth? We are told that many are reading these articles that come to you. We are told that you are learning the truth, and are

It seems that many times people feel that what they do today will have no bearing on what will happen to them tomorrow. Somewhere along the line, we have forgotten the principle of sowing and reaping. Even at this time of the year, we are reminded of a decision that was made in the political circles of the nation of Japan many years ago. As a result of that decision, the world was cast into a war of worldwide proportions. Many who read this article were vastly affected by that decision. When one makes a decision to get married, there is a great change in his or her life. When this person then decides to whom they will get married, even more change takes place. These decisions affect this person for the rest of his life, and can well affect his eternal destiny. Another vital decision each accountable person must make is whether to become a child of God or not. Of course, anyone familiar with the Word of God knows that in order to become that child of God the Gospel must be obeyed. This involves hearing the Word of God, believing that word (faith), repenting of one’s sins, making the “Good Confession,” and being baptized for the remission of sins. When one accomplishes all of these things, he is delivered “from the power of darkness, and translated…into the into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). He is now forgiven of all past sins, and as a member of

Not too long ago I read an article by a religious person wherein the writer was discussing God’s chosen and elected. It was sad to note that the writer evidently did not have a grasp of what the Scriptures teach on the subject, and therefore resorted to a timeworn and oft answered denominational concept. There are generally two views on the subjects of predestination and election. There is the Calvinist view that in one way or the other is found in two or three of the denominational “confessions of faith.” This view states that God, before the foundation of the world, chose or elected certain individuals to be saved, and certain individuals to be lost. It is further stated that the number of each group is so fixed that it can neither be added to, nor diminished from. In short, if God chose you to be saved, you can do nothing about it, nor do you have to do anything to be saved. On the other hand, if God chose you to be lost, there is nothing you can do to be saved even though you passionately desire to be saved. That this view is patently false is evident to any who believe the Scriptures when they tell us that, “He tasted death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9), and that “…the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of

Jesus dealt with this subject in Matthew 7. In verse 21 he concisely stated: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” There we have it! One is not denied entrance into the heavenly kingdom because of the pigment of his skin. He is not denied that entrance because he is either rich or poor, or because he is or isn’t kin to certain people in power. That entrance into the kingdom above will be denied simply because one did not do the will of God. Why did these to whom Jesus had reference fail to do the will of the Father? There are at least two factors involved in the general context. These two factors are: 1) They had been deceived by a false teacher. 2) They had used faulty building material. Let us notice each of these factors. After stating the verity that more are traveling the broad way than are traveling the narrow or straitened way, Jesus immediately warned against false teachers. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). What does a false teacher do? He speaks that which is false! Does he present himself to his audience as a vicious, ravenous beast who is about to pounce on his victim to destroy it? Not on you life! To the contrary, he presents himself as an innocent and

Reference to joy is frequently made in the Scriptures. David speaks of the fullness of joy. He said, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence in fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). In the parable of the hidden treasure Jesus stated that a man had found that treasure, and “for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field ” (Matthew 13:44). Fourteen times in the Book of Philippians Paul makes reference to joy or rejoicing. The life of a Christian is a life of joy. In Galatians 5:22 we are told that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” The Christian has joy and rejoicing because he knows he has been made alive spiritually by the blood of the precious Christ. The new disciples of Acts 2 had gladness of heart. The eunuch of Acts 8 went on his way rejoicing. The jailor of Acts 16 “rejoiced greatly having believed in God.” There is cause for rejoicing when one realizes that through his obedience to the Gospel the burden of sin is lifted. As a child of God grows toward maturity, great joy is derived from knowing that as one continues to walk in the light of God’s Word, God is well pleased. There is joy in knowing that one has been sanctified by that Word, and as long as he remains in and by that Word, he

Some say that there is no God. This is not a new fad or philosophy. More than three thousand years ago David wrote: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good’” (Psalm 14:1). It should be noted that the passage does not say,”Because there is no evidence available, some people fail to believe in God.” The fool of the passage knows the evidence. He may even have examined that evidence and realized that all reasoning and logic show such evidence to be true. Surely, like the Psalmist, he could see and say, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-3). The fool, however, is like those described in the first chapter of the book of Romans. Here we are told: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God,

Some questions: Do you believe in the Almighty God of the Bible? Do you believe in Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Son of God? Do you believe that the Bible is word for word and plenary (completely) inspired by the Holy Spirit of God? Do you believe that God ever lies, or that he ever inspired the writers of the Bible to lie? If you give a “Yes” answer to the first three questions and a “No” to the last two questions, then there is no way that you can believe in and accept the television advertisement of a rather popular religion that proclaims that their book is “Another Testament Of Jesus Christ.” First of all, this so-called testament did not come into existence until less than two hundred years ago, and it was written by a person with a less that desirable character. Before it was “streamlined” by later editors, it contained so many grammatical errors as to show that it was written by a person who had very little knowledge of the Word of God, but one with a lot of silly imagination. When its author wanted another wife, he conveniently had a “word from God” to his number one wife telling her in essence to keep her mouth shut and accept that other wife. However, aside from these and other ridiculous things that are found in the book, the book itself is an abomination to God. Read the following Scriptures from the King James Version of the