Dear Norm, I am glad you have been reading from our site and hope you will continue to do so. The names for the church that you have listed are certainly appropriate. “Church of God,” as you pointed out, is mentioned several times, and I have no problem with that name, except the connotation it has in association with the modern denomination bearing the same name. (Not that I speak disrespectfully of this group, as I am sure there are a number of sincere and morally upright people among them, but many of their practices from what I have observed are not in strict compliance and adherence with the old Jerusalem Gospel.) This name, used strictly as a specifying term, however, indicates that the church belongs to God. Also, the church at Corinth, or Thessalonica denotes the geographic position of a local congregation of the Lord’s church. As for the term “church of Christ,” have you not read Romans 16:16? Yes, it is in the plural, referring to the many different local congregations of the church, but this term IS most definitely used in the New Testament. We choose to wear this name because it defines us as the property of one Jesus Christ, the church (ekklesia) being the “called out” group. “Of” means possession. As for the church of Christ being in existence for only the last 150 years, there we must strongly disagree. If one chooses to follow the pattern of the New Testament that was written nearly

(March 6, 1927 September 4, 2004) Four times during my experience as a Gospel preacher I have preached the funeral services for elders in the Lord’s church under which I have served. Each time, there was a flurry of conflicting emotions. Intense sadness and grief were present as family and friends said goodbye to their precious loved one, and yet hopeful happiness and contentment was also present, no doubt attributable to the faithful example of the deceased. Such was the case with Samuel G. Spencer, known by all at Weirton Heights simply as “Sam.” Sam was not an elder when my family moved to Weirton Heights church of Christ (Weirton, WV) in 1994, but it was soon apparent shortly after we had been here that Sam was a special individual. I came to respect and appreciate his comments in my Adult Bible Class as well as his warm caring smile and his hearty handshake. Sam told me on many occasions that he had no trouble being humble, and he genuinely meant that. It was this attitude of the heart, and his love of God’s Word that compelled him to serve the congregation here as one of her elders. Being an elder in the Lord’s church is an awesome task that carries an equally awesome responsibility. Sam diligently met that challenge well, although in his mind he often felt inadequate to the task and expressed his concerns to me. Great men seem to always have a lower opinion of themselves and their abilities

[The following article is a response to a previous article bybrother Smithbauer. It is included in the pages of GGO for the benefitof all our readers who may have an interest in the same biblical subject.] Dear Bob, I maintain that the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit referred to the specific act of denying the power of God in the presence of a miracle. (Please re-read the article for the scripture references). I further maintain that there is no one time act of sin that can be committed today that is unforgivable by God if that person is willing to repent. The question is, have you gone so far as to be unwilling, and unable to repent? I think the answer to that question is no! First of all, you are definitely struggling with the choices you have made in life. Whatever part you left out, that much at least is obvious. Romans 3:23 tells us that “…all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” That’s why we need the Savior, and his sacrifice. Second, because you are concerned about this condition you have not reached the point of no return! If you had, you would not even care any more about it. That’s not to say your soul is not in danger, but you asked my opinion about whether you could come back or not. Well, let the Lord answer that one for you! “…a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17).  “…him that cometh to

Last week Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, began playing in theaters across the nation. Since the film has met with some intense controversy, it is perhaps appropriate to address some of the criticisms leveled against it. By no means is this an endorsement or a condemnation of the movie. This writer has not yet seen The Passion, but from previews, it appears to be a stunning visual account of the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus. Then too, if the reviews are correct, we expect there to be some scriptural inaccuracies contained in the story itself. This would not be completely unexpected since it is a manmade work of art, and directors and writers often take some liberties with their scripts, citing poetic license or artistic expression as their reasons for doing so. The title of the film suggests the content as well. From its Latin roots, the word “passion” originally meant “pain and suffering.” As is common with word usage, the meaning has changed somewhat over the passing centuries to also include the compassion or pity and love Jesus has for the human race. Many in the media have expressed concern with The Passion’s graphic, violent nature. Where were these people when The Terminator, Silence of the Lambs, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc. were released? Incidentally, there does not seem to be as much public outcry against modern video games either. Of course, if the film is to be visually accurate at all, it of necessity must be violent and bloody! The

(A Look at Acts 17) If there is one generalization we can make about the human race, it would have to be that mankind is incurably religious. He will be religiously devoted to something no matter who he is. The name of “man” in Greek, anthropos, is possibly derived from two words that mean to “look upward.” Even the atheist is dedicated to promoting the “cause of atheism,” whatever that might be! Such is the case with the Athenians in Acts 17: Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry…Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you (Verses 16, 22-23). There were two prominent groups present at Mars Hill when Paul preached this famous sermon. They were so corrupt that the truth seemed only to be a “babbling” to them (Verse 18). The first group, the Epicureans founded by Epicurus (341240 B.C.), believed the gods to be unconcerned with humans, and that pleasure should be the chief goal of life (also called Egoistic Hedonism). They believed man existed solely for his own self-gratification. The second group, the Stoics, was founded by Zeno in 294 B.C. They were fatalists who believed in self-righteousness

[The querist of the preceding question posed it to both the Editor and the Associate Editor. As it turned out, we both answered it, and since both responses provide complementary information with minimal overlap, we are pleased to print both replies.] It is good that you “agree totally” about baptism for, “baptism doth also now save us” (1 Peter 3:21), and “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). The word “baptism” has been anglicized, or simply brought into our English language from the Greek word, baptizo.  This word means to submerge. The Greek poet Homer wrote about ships being sunken in his epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, and the word he used to describe that was a form of baptizo. There is no doubt that this word means different things today to many people. Indeed one dictionary I have defines baptism as the “application of water in a religious rite.” Yet, even if words may change their meaning, and they do over time, we still must understand what the word meant to the people of New Testament times. If you read over Acts 8:36-39, (the account of the Ethiopian Nobleman), you will see that both Phillip, (the baptizer), AND the Eunuch, (the baptized) went down into the water.  Such would hardly have been necessary had Phillip seen fit to simply apply some water to the Ethiopian’s forehead. Read also Romans 6:1-11 and you will also see words like “buried” and “planted” in reference to baptism. Baptism is also

It is a well-established fact that children take on the characteristics of their parents. This is explained in the Bible by what we call the seed principle, namely that everything, plant and animal, produces, “After his kind,” (Genesis1: 11, 12, 21, et al.) Farmers who plant corn expect to harvest, of all things, CORN! Contrary to the infamous theory of organic evolution, dogs do not produce cats; lizards do not produce birds; and monkeys do not produce people. This is true of human beings as well. Examining this subject in the negative, many times children have been disowned and disinherited because they offended their parents who felt that in some way, due to perhaps rash actions or decisions, their offspring no longer resembled them. The cutting phrase, “He’s no son of mine,” is sometimes heard because the child has done differently than his parents expected and is somewhat of a disappointment to them. This is, of course, tragic, but it is an occurrence that happens all too frequently. Jesus pointed this out in John 8:31-33: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? To the first century Jew, just simply being born of Israel meant being in a covenant relationship with God,

Jesus warned his disciples, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits… Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 7:15-16 & 10:16). The world has intolerance for the truth; therefore, the scenario is used of Christians being sheep, a prey animal, sent forth into the middle of the worldly, the wolves. When Jesus says to be “wise as serpents,” he is not referring to the manifestation of Satan in the Garden. For all their fearfulness, snakes are really very fragile creatures and are usually cautious in avoiding dangerous situations. Christians could here learn a valuable lesson from the snake. Rather than subjecting one’s self to danger, we should “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). The Gospel is the “power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). It is important that we do not follow false teaching primarily because it is void of the power to save. Jesus said, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). It is a useless waste of time and life to worship God by manmade creeds and such teaching is prevalent. Yet, Jesus also promised a reward seven times in Revelation 2-3 to each of the seven churches in Asia Minor to “him that overcometh”. So, it can be done! We can overcome

It has been said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” This is a way of saying that the power of words, for good or evil, is staggering. This being true, the tongue must be mightier than a cannon! Proverbs 6:16-18 outlines what God hates. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Of these seven abominations, at least three of them deal with sins of the tongue. Someone has also said, “No matter which screw is loose in a man, it is always his tongue that rattles.” A loose tongue is symptomatic of a deeper-seated problem. Decades ago old time doctors would check a patient’s tongue, and if it were coated, would prescribe castor oil for an ailing liver. They believed a connection existed between the two organs. This, of course, is doubtful today, but spiritually speaking, when we have a problem with the tongue, the heart is always the problem. How does one check for heart problems? Medically, we look for symptoms — shortness of breath, chest pain, etc. Spiritually speaking we also need to look for the symptoms of heart problems, and they almost always show up in the tongue! Of this connection between the heart and tongue Jesus spoke in Matthew

Every day of our lives we are called upon to distinguish what is real and what is not. Advertisements make bold claims, but in reality, we always need to read the fine print, do we not? Many times things appear to be one way but in reality, they are opposite. In Christianity, often times the hypocrite passes himself off as a legitimate Christian, but he is really only play-acting. How then can one ascertain whether or not one is a Christian? The Jewish perception was that they were in covenant relationship with God simply because they were the seed of Abraham, but this was only partially true. In reality, they needed the Savior to be “free indeed.” Read John 8 31-36: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Have we deceived ourselves today, like the Jews of old? Is it possible that we could be displeasing to God, even though we believe we are following

Acts 3:22-23 The events leading up to our text are described in Acts 3. The lame man at the Beautiful Gate was healed by Peter and entered into the temple court “walking and leaping and praising God” (verse 8). This got the attention of the worshippers who were amazed at the miracle, and began to regard Peter and John to be something they most definitely were not. It is then that Peter replies in verse 12, “Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk.” As was always the case with the miraculous, this miracle was used to produce faith. John 20:30-31 reads, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” So, it was only fitting that Peter use the opportunity to preach the Gospel. In verse 23, he proclaims, “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.” This was a prophecy quoted from Deuteronomy 18:15 concerning the coming of Christ, and Peter ably applies it here. This is

This time of year, Spring, is often associated with the time of Christ’s resurrection. Rightfully so, for it was about this time of year when the Jewish Passover was observed, and it was during the time of Passover Jesus became our sacrificial “Lamb,” as John the Baptist noted, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). By being crucified, the Creator of mankind (John 1:1-3), was now demonstrating his tremendous love for mankind and becoming the Savior of his church. He hung on the Cross, arguably the cruelest means of torture ever devised by man, for the space of about six hours before finally succumbing to death. He was buried in a borrowed tomb belonging to one Joseph of Arimathaea, but Jesus did not stay in the grave. It has been said that every major world religion can point to a grave, but only Christianity’s grave is empty! In modern times, there are those who attack the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No wonder! The resurrection is foundational to our Christianity. Without it, faith in him is void and meaningless. With it, we have hope! Consider Paul’s instruction to the those of Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus

There is no more unpopular subject to teach than that of, yet it is a Bible doctrine. Yet, like Paul, we feel compelled “to declare all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), even the unpleasant. Preachers of old were known for preaching hellfire and brimstone, so that people often could imagine the stench of the smoke as they left the church building after services. Some have suggested this to be too extreme, but we must ask, how extreme is? Is it not extreme enough that we should go to any length to warn the lost and erring of their impending doom? The Scriptures mention  some 54 times in the Old and New Testaments, but a cautionary word is advisable here. There are different original words used in different places throughout the Scriptures that have been translated “,” and sometimes the word would have been better translated, “grave” or “Hades.” Let us consider some scriptural facts about this important Bible doctrine. To begin, one must come to the realization that “” and “Hades” are not the same place. Sheol in Hebrew Old Testament corresponds to Hades in the Greek New Testament. Both terms refer to the place departed spirits go after death. These have been rendered “grave” (31 times), “” (31 times) and “pit” (3 times) in the KJV. These are unfortunate translations. There is a place within Hades called “torment,” (basanos) and also a place referred to alternately as “Abraham’s bosom” or “paradise.” Luke 16:23 reads, “And in he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar

Most have probably heard the term “the good confession” as it applies to confessing one’s faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God before one is baptized into Christ. Certainly we can find authority for making such a confession in Acts 8:37-38 where we read of the Ethiopian Eunuch’s conversion. “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” What does it mean to confess Christ? Is it a one-time act, or is it perpetual? Paul builds upon the theme of “justification by faith” throughout the Book of Romans rather than by the good works of keeping the Old Testament Law. Faith is our response to grace, which is God’s initiative. We are not saved by works of merit, or because we figured out a way to be saved on our own, but we are saved by grace, (God’s initiative), through faith, (our response). (See Ephesians 2:8.) Part of our response to God is the confession we make. What are we doing when we confess faith in Jesus as God’s Son? First of all, we are admitting that

Human beings are worriers! We fret and stew about nearly every situation in life that involves some difficulty. The famous Serenity Prayer, though not a Scripture itself, nonetheless contains much wisdom. God grant me the serenityTo Accept the things I cannot change,To Change the things I can change,And the Wisdom to know the difference. Also, it is not without scriptural precedent! We should in the face of difficulty heed the advice of Psalm 46:10 — “Be still and know that I am God…” Romans 8:28 reads, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” There is a master plan and God is in control. When the situation warrants, God has always provided what was needed to get through a difficult time. And, he has usually specifically chosen one to accomplish his task. Such is the case with men in the Bible, all of them named Joseph. Let us study about… The Joseph who savedhis family from starvation Joseph told his brothers in Genesis 50:19, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Remember, Joseph’s older brothers, being jealous of the coat their father had given him and the favoritism shown to their younger sibling, treated him poorly. Eventually they cast him into a pit and sold him into slavery in Egypt. But, all of this was necessary to get Joseph in

Most of us like to think of ourselves as bold and courageous. Many times, we prove it to ourselves by how fast we drive, or when we confront someone about a wrong that has been done. Why is it, then, when it comes to teaching someone about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the “Power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16), all of our vaunted courage vanishes like a puff of smoke? As a preacher of the Gospel for the last twenty years, this writer has heard many excuses offered for this phenomenon — “I can’t do that” or “I just don’t know enough Scripture” and the list goes on. Why does our bold, lion-like approach to life fade away and turn into timidity when the topic of discussion is the salvation of one’s soul? We certainly agree that all of us need to be encouraged at times. A pat on the back is effective when applied in the proper circumstances. However, there are times when a good, swift kick in the backside is also needed! Too long have Christians cowered under the pressures of the worldly-minded. We have forgotten who is on our side and that none can stand against him! “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Consider, for a moment, the gentle but firm rebuke of young Timothy by the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:6-8: “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of

When dealing with moral issues, emotions can often overcharge the situation and cloud our better judgment. The subject of euthenasia is one such issue. Although opposed to it, one can sympathize with those who struggle with a loved one who is non-recuperative and suffering.There is no reference in the Bible, Old or New Testament, that directly deals with euthanasia, so we cannot give a “Thou shalt not…” here. But, in principle, the Scriptures do teach that euthanasia is wrong. But, that means little if we don’t first define some terms. According to International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force, “[euthanasia] formerly called mercy killing, means intentionally making someone die, rather than allowing that person to die naturally. Put bluntly, [it is]killing in the name of compassion.” The question is, do we have the right to make such a decision? People are divided on this. One Scripture that serves as a guideline on this issue is Job 1:21-22, where Job states, “…Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” Only God has the right to take human life away. Some related terms that need to be discussed are: Murder: The taking of one’s life. Most concede this is morally wrong. Exodus 20 reveals, “Thou shalt not kill.” This means literally, to do no murder. It is not a prohibition against capital punishment for the same God commanded

One of the worst experiences one can have with a computer is a Fatal Error message. It is often called “the blue screen of death” by many in the computer science field, because it means whatever you are doing has just come to a halt and the best you can hope for is to reset the machine, and maybe it will reboot the way it was before the error occurred. Sometimes, the error is so severe it requires new hardware or software to fix the problem. We are reminded of some “Fatal Errors” that are recorded in the Bible. These are sins that people committed and resulted in their deaths because of their disobedience. Yet, there is no new software to install or hardware to replace that could restore life to them. Unlike computers that can be turned off and on, human beings only have one life, and when it is gone, physical existence is over for that person! Hebrews 9:27 states, “…it is appointed unto a man once to die, and after this the judgment…” (Emphasis mine, SPS.) Consider Nadab and Abihu, the first priests to serve in the tabernacle in the wilderness. One can read the full account in Leviticus 10. God had commanded the priests to use coals from the brazen altar of sacrifice to start burning incense, but actually, the sins of Nadab and Abihu were many. Coffman writes: All that they did here was SINFUL. Their taking of censers, unbidden, their putting incense upon censers carried by themselves,

Mark 3:28-30, “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.“ This last verse makes plain what Jesus calls blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. In verse 22, we read that the scribes were trying to convince the people “by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.” Attributing the power of the Holy Spirit and the miracles Jesus performed to the devil was a sin most reprehensible and would not be forgiven. Consider that God, the Almighty Creator of the universe, was displaying just a small fraction of his power in the presence of man, the lowly creature, and man in all of his arrogance had concluded that this was not a manifestation of God’s power but that of the devil. Parallel passages occur in Matthew 12:31ff and in Luke 12:10ff. Luke’s account seems to have occurred at a different point in time, but as Robertson points out in his Word Pictures in the New Testament: There is no sound reason for saying that Jesus only spoke his memorable sayings once. Luke apparently finds a different environment here. The question of import for modern Christians is of course, “Can I commit this same sin today, whereby I would never be forgiven?” In the strict sense of our text, it is the opinion

In modern times the book of Zechariah is not the most read, nor studied book of the Old Testament prophets, but the Jews of old certainly poured over its contents. Most preachers today would confess that we have preached very little from this grand book, and yet it contains profound prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah and the church. Both Zechariah and Haggai were contemporaries who prophesied some seventy years before the completion of the new temple, (around 520 B.C.), during the return from captivity in Babylon. Both they and Malachi make up the group known as the post-exilic prophets. Zechariah was a priest as well as a prophet and he is mentioned by Ezra in Ezra 5:1 and 6:14. The book of Zechariah may be divided into two sections, the first dealing with eight specific visions describing the return from Babylon and the re-establishment of the temple worship. The second deals with then future events, such as the coming of Messiah and the establishment of an everlasting kingdom. Zechariah Chapter 12 contains such a prophecy that may have been misinterpreted by first-century Jews, and gives readers today some insight perhaps as to why the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were expecting a military leader. If this passage which describes the restoration and return of glory to Jerusalem were understood literally, the Jews would have believed themselves to be all but invincible, even against the Roman legions. Sadly, this interpretation has a fatal flaw. In the preceding chapter, the Lord cut

It is certainly no secret that we live in a permissive society. The “anything goes” mentality seems to be the rule. The word “fornication” is rarely, if ever, spoken, let alone understood. And yet the Bible is clear. “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). The American Standard Version words it, “Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” The term fornication is defined by Webster’s dictionary as “Consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other.” This modern definition does nothing to connote the unlawful nature of such an action. Vines Expository Dictionary renders its definition, “Illicit sexual intercourse.” From Bible times, the original language conveyed the meaning of the word as being all encompassing sexual sin. In other words, fornication is anything of a sexual nature that is practiced without God’s sanction or blessing, and God’s Word has plenty to say on this subject. Yet, it is still a delicate topic due to the deeply personal nature of the male/female relationship. One needs to strike a balance as he teaches or preaches on this touchy issue. As Tom Holland put it, “I don’t want to be crudely frank, nor naively evasive.” With this statement, we concur. However, whether we should preach on this subject is not an option if we desire to do the work of the Lord. Paul told Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort” in

Those who know me best know that I love science fiction. I was a Star Trek fan long before I ever heard the word “Trekkie.” I suppose I enjoy reading and watching science fiction because it is highly imaginative and stimulating, not that I agree with every conclusion the characters in a science fiction story reach. I remember a particular Star Trek episode in which an android (or artificial life form, appropriately named “Data“), was called upon to prove he was a sentient being, or else be returned to a lab for study against his wishes. Yes, the plot was far fetched, but one memorable line in the episode was uttered by one in supposed authority, an Admiral, wanting the mechanical man to be returned for examination. She said, “Data is a toaster. Have it report to me.” With that, the ranking officer ordered the crew and captain of the Enterprise to send their android friend back to Starfleet because he was really nothing more than a machine and had no real rights as an individual. It occurs to me, that many in our society today are saying essentially the same thing about human beings. To the organic evolutionist, we are merely the product of chance — the result of millions or billions of years of mindless evolution. (This is the theory that espouses what some call the “particles to people” or “goo to you” concept!) According to this model of origins, we came, supposedly, from less complex forms and the entire human race is just

Ask anyone you meet if he or she believes in God, and the response will usually be an emphatic “Yes!” Ask further if they expect to be in heaven, and the answer will almost invariably be “Yes!” Now ask, “What steps have you taken to secure your place in heaven?” The response now may be a confused look, or words to this effect: “I am a good person …” For practically every person we know, something good can be said — they are terrific singers or good managers or kind-hearted, etc. But, are these the criteria for which we will be either accepted or rejected at heaven’s gate? Is this all we have to do to gain eternal life, just regard ourselves or be regarded by others as “good people“? What Does the Bible Say? “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one … For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:9-11, 23, Emphasis mine, sps) Compared to God’s righteousness, we are all lacking. That’s not to say there is no good in anyone. It’s all a matter of perspective. The story is told of a young girl

A recent news editorial I read suggested that religion and evolution should be placed on a shelf side by side. It was argued that one can accept both, creation and evolution, as explanations of our origins. Is this possible? Can we mix the two together? Apparently not, for the writer seemed to want to choose, cafeteria style, just what he wanted and did not want from the Bible. It is always amazing when an opponent of the Bible criticizes the Scriptures, just how ill-informed he usually is about the Word of God. Additionally, in this article the author gave his reasons for preferring the evolution model to creation, but they were anything but scientific. His beliefs, in a nutshell, are that evolution teaches the human race sprang up in Africa, and therefore, the dark skinned peoples are the “father of mankind.” He further states that the Bible teaches that the blacks are a result of Noah’s curse placed upon his youngest son, Ham, in Genesis 9:18-27. Preferring the “father role” to the supposed “forever servant unto mankind” scenario, He states, “Any white who believes in the Hamitic curse as Jefferson did, is not only a racist midget, (I assume he means bigot here), but an insufferable a**.” (His words. Actually, we find this language “insufferable” for one claiming proclivity toward intellectualism.) Further, he states, “Any black who believes such rubbish is a disingenuous fool to a fault.” We realize that many are passionately devoted to their beliefs, particularly on this subject;

The basic problem with gambling is that it involves the sin of covetousness, which is the desire to possess something that rightfully belongs to another. Dr. Stafford North, of the Oklahoma University of Science and Arts, defines gambling as “The act of risking what is yours in order to get what belongs to another with nothing given in return.” It has come to our attention that some are under the impression investing in the stock market falls into the same category as gambling because it involves risk. Many things in life involve risk, i.e. surgery, driving an automobile, etc. However, these do not constitute gambling according to the definition given, nor does it necessarily follow that an activity is a form of gambling just because risk is an element. Let us examine this in light of the Scriptures. First of all, from the beginning of time God has desired that man earn his living through honest labor. “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). This “work ethic” is a tried and proven means to prosperity, as witnessed in our nation today. Yet many do not realize it has its roots in the divinely inspired Word of God! In the New Testament we also read, “if any would not work, neither should he eat” and “the laborer is worthy of his hire” and “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he

Many devoted subscribers to the Readers’ Digest will recall the section entitled, “Laughter is the Best Medicine.” If laughter is the “oil of life” it is certainly beneficial to have a sense of humor to keep one “lubricated” throughout the more trying times. As a preacher, I have always been amused at some of the thoughts expressed in prayer. One elderly Christian gentleman used to pray to God in the “humble altitude of prayer.” Most everyone knew what he meant and would never correct him for fear of hurting his feelings. Or, was it intentional? If you think about it, it is certainly a lofty concept when we are accessing the God of heaven! I have always appreciated prayers on my behalf as I am about to step into the pulpit to preach. I know that those comments are well intentioned, but many times it is hard to keep one’s mind on the prayer when some comments are made. One brother recently prayed for me to be able to recall what I had studied by asking the Lord to “Clear his mind of those things he wishes to present.” I envisioned God’s finger upon a “delete” button that would have made people happy to go home early that day! Brethren are great to support the local preacher in prayer, as well as his family. I am still trying to figure out the meaning of one member’s prayer for my family and myself, who “Works among us from time to time.”

Laban was the brother of Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, and also the nephew of Abraham. He came from that branch of Terah’s family that stayed in the land of Haran after Abraham and Lot left for Canaan. He is the son of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Most of what we know about Laban is during his twenty year encounter with Jacob, Isaac and Rebekah’s son (Genesis 29-31). Jacob, having tricked Isaac his father into giving him Esau’s rightful blessing (Genesis 27:22), had to flee for his life. So, Isaac and Rebekah decided to send him to Laban in Haran until Esau’s anger cooled. While he was there, Jacob took two wives, both Laban’s daughters, Rachel and Leah. He worked seven years for each of them, and six additional years for his own livestock–a total of twenty years. During this time, both Jacob and Laban seem intent on besting the other in their dealings with each other. But no matter what else happens, God is with Jacob and continues to bless him, a fact to which even Laban concedes (Genesis 30:30). But after the deal with the “spotted, speckled, and ringstraked” cattle (Genesis 30:31-34), Laban and his sons feel that Jacob is cheating them, and stealing what is rightfully theirs. Jacob takes his wives and children and all the livestock rightfully his as per the agreement and slips away quietly and is gone three days before Laban notices his absence and begins to pursue him. Laban is considered an undesirable character in the Bible. Why