When Peter confessed to Jesus He was the Son of God, our Lord made this interesting statement to Peter and to the rest of the apostles. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19 NASB). The phrases “shall have been bound” and “shall have been loosed” are a more literal translation of the Greek text. The apostles did not have the authority to decide doctrine, but they did have the authority to declare doctrine, what God had bound and loosed. When we read God’s commands in Scripture, then, it is not human interpretation or tradition, but God’s will for us. This concept is important for us to understand, as there are those today who would have us believe the clear commands of Scripture are merely human tradition. Baptism is one doctrine being interpreted this way. “You don’t have to be immersed to be saved; it’s just tradition.” It is tradition, in the sense it has been handed down to us, but Scripture makes clear that it is divine tradition, not of human origin. Was it not Jesus who said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16)? What about His words in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father …

Have you read the false claim that the Father created Jesus before the world? That would mean Jesus is not eternal, and thus He is not divine. However, the Bible teaches Jesus is of the same nature as the Father. A misunderstood passage is “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15 NKJV). Some mistakenly think “firstborn” refers to chronology; however, the Greek term prototokos reflects on quality or superiority. Jesus is superior to all creation. The next verse shows this: “For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through him [Jesus] and for him [Jesus]” (Colossians 1:16). Also, both the Father and the Son are said to be eternal. The Father: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; Besides Me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). The Son: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8; cf. 1:11; 21:6; 22:13). Paul wrote that Christ is divine, hence not created. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Paul also stated Jesus is God, “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and …

In recent days a document has come my way in which the circumstances of the birth of Jesus have been discussed, raising the point that Mary’s pregnancy was scandalous and an embarrassment and subject of whispers and rumors to the townsfolk of Nazareth. Here is a quote: An unwed mother… A fiancé who is not the father. Whispers, Handwringing. Innuendo. Scandal. Red faces. Just who was the father? Forty weeks of rumors; nine long months and finally a baby boy is born. But the usual congratulations are muted, reserved, cut short. A mother’s joy is mixed with pain… But it didn’t end there it continued into the adult years. Since illegitimate children in those days were identified by town instead of by father, He was called “Jesus of Nazareth” most of the time instead of “Jesus ben Joseph.” Is this a fair and accurate picture of the circumstances of Jesus’ birth? Was Mary the subject of scandal and shame as she carried Jesus in her womb? Was Jesus’ birth thrown into His face in his adult years during His public ministry? I deny these charges as being true, and it shows a serious lack of in-depth study of the Bible facts. It is my contention that there was never a question among the citizens of Nazareth regarding the birth of Jesus. First, let us study together Matthew 1:18-25. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise” [after this manner]; Joseph and Mary were “espoused” (betrothed). The betrothal of a man …

I find myself singing the words, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!” The greatest hope of a Christian is the hope of the resurrection unto life eternal. Paul was clear on this point in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” The word “therefore” draws our minds back to all that Paul had said in Chapter 15 about the resurrection. He told us that the hope we possess is a motivator to spiritual action for God’s glory. Thus, the resurrection produces the kind of hope that makes daily living abundant. Notice lessons from Paul’s words and Jesus’ life. Be steadfast in your faith. The word “steadfast” means “to be seated; settled and firmly situated.” It means we are to be grounded and rooted in the one faith (Ephesians 4:5; Jude 3). Biblical examples include Daniel 3:18, “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up”and Esther 4:16, “My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Steadfast refers to something that is firmly fixed in place, …

One of the little ones where I preach,Climbed up high to look aroundTo see as far as his sight could reach,To see each scene, to hear each sound. He felt so big, as he could seeWhat seemed to him to be so far,Amazed at how big the world could be,Nothing there his wonder could mar. But as he contemplated all he saw,A question formed in his young mind,His heart was filled with respectful awe,Hoping that an answer he could find. “When God looks down from up on highFrom His great home in heaven’s land,When He gazes here from over the sky,What does He see, is it what He planned?” Oh, from the mouth of this little oneComes wisdom that adults should learn,What really matters, when all’s said and done:“What does God see” should be our concern. I know that God sees a world gone astrayFilled with hatred and every evil thing,He sees mankind trying to make his own way,But leaving His will in most everything. But I am more interested, I must admit,In what He sees when He looks at me;Does He see someone for His kingdom fit?Someone who is ready for eternity? Does He read a heart full of faith and love?Does He see actions that serve Him well?Does He hear thoughts centered on Christ above,With a tongue His message prepared to tell? Good question, little one, I must say,What does God see when He looks down?Does He see the things in me each day,Which will earn for me …

It was common for Paul to pray for the spiritual well-being of the church of Christ and record the substance of his prayers in letters sent to various congregations (Ephesians 1:16; Philippians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:2, etc.). In Colossians 1:9-12, Paul earnestly prayed that the brethren would be “filled with the knowledge” of God’s will (1:9) to ensure they might “walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing” (1:10a). Paul was frequently concerned about the brethren “walking worthy of the Lord” (Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:12), but what does it really mean? In Colossians 1:10b-12, Paul describes the attributes of a Christian walking worthy of the Lord. A Christian who is walking worthy of the Lord is a productive Christian. Paul wrote that the brethren should continually be “fruitful in every God work” (1:10b). The majority of Christians bear fruit through good works knowing that they are God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), their actions will bring glorification to God (John 15:5), and they will be judged according to their work (2 Corinthians 5:10). Tragically, there are some among God’s people who provide no service to the church; they are bearing no fruit at all. They have discarded the Lord’s example of ministry and have become takers rather than makers of good fruit (Matthew 20:28). Those that behave in this manner have often convinced themselves that their present condition is “good enough,” though the Lord’s assessment will be much different (Revelation 3:15-17). Equally alarming are those in the Lord’s church that are continually bearing fruit, …

Our Lord made it very clear to the people who first followed Him: they were to ask God to meet their needs. Shouldn’t we? Genuine, heartfelt prayer can produce powerful changes in our lives and world. When we lift up our hearts to God, asking for His wisdom, we open ourselves up to a great source of wisdom and love. Do you have questions about today? Questions about your future that you can’t answer? Questions about choices or decisions you’ll soon have to make? Needs that you can’t satisfy by yourself? Have you sought God’s wisdom? Have you asked for direction? Protection? Strength? Courage? If you have, do you consistently ask for His wisdom? Our God is perfectly capable of answering your prayers, but first, you have to ask. Find some time today to read James 1:5. Think about it. Put it into practice.

In recent years, we have been hearing or reading an increasing number of statements to the effect that “we” think “we” are the only Christians. Yet, Alexander Campbell and most of the great leaders of the Restoration Movement expressly denied that, and taught rather that we should think of ourselves as “Christians only.” I am not sure who “we” is supposed to represent, but in some cases those writing have seemed to imply that there is a group in the “Church of Christ” denomination (whatever that is) that think they are the only Christians, but there are certainly Christians in the “other denominations” too! We have heard that kind of charge most of our lives from sectarians, and have come to expect it from those who have no concept of New Testament Christianity, but it is always disturbing when those who claim membership in the Lord’s church think and speak of it in denominational terms. We are saddened, but very sure, that there are those who think of themselves as having joined the “Church of Christ” church, because their opinion is that it is one of the best denominations in many respects – although very narrow minded and arrogant. It was expressed this way to me by a woman who said she had heard the idea from her pastor, the “Church of Christ preacher.” “If it is true that sprinkling is satisfactory, then immersion is certainly just as good – and maybe a little safer. Everyone admits that singing is …

There have been many predictions about when the Second Coming will be. Men seem to think they know. Mark 13:32 says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” All who have predicted the Second Coming have been proven to be false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:22). When Jesus comes, He will come in several ways. (1) His coming will be visible (Revelation 1:7). All people will see him. (2) He will be heard (1 Thessalonians 4:16). It is said there will be a shout and the trump of God will sound. Even people in their graves will be awakened. That is noisy! (3) He will be coming on the clouds (Matthew 26:64). (4) He will be coming with His angels (Matthew 16:27). Jude 14 calls the angels His “holy ones.” (5) He will also come in flaming fire (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). The fire represents the glory of divinity and God’s ability to scrutinize and judge. Jesus will be coming for many reasons. Three are very important. (1) He will be coming to raise the dead (John 5:22, 28-29). The dead in Christ shall rise first. What an awesome event that will be! (2) He is coming to judge all men (2 Corinthians 5:10). All men include Noah, Abraham, Rahab and Hitler. It means every single human being that lived or lives on this earth. (3) He will also be coming to bring an end (1 Corinthians 15:23-24). …

God is good (Mark 10:18). Because He is good, it naturally follows that He is found in all of history practicing what is good and right. No exception. Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world, and He did, in fact, “show us the Father” (John 14:8-9). The apostle Peter, a witness among many privileged to see such Light (John 1:9), declared in truth that He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). It is only natural that the Son of God would be caught up in the doing of good. After all, He is “the Son of His Father.” He was God in the flesh. Being begotten of Him and born of His seed, it follows that we, too, will be found busy in the practice of what is good on a daily basis. By God’s design, we have been redeemed (Titus 2:14), raised up (Ephesians 2:6) to pass “from death unto life” (John 5:24) and positioned within the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:18) in order to practice the doing of good works (Ephesians 2:10). Therefore, the contrast is set by God for His children. We are to be “a pattern of good works” (Titus 2:7), unlike those who are yet children of darkness and remain “unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:16 ESV). “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3:10). Christians are …

Most Americans love the sport of baseball. I played for the Police Athlete League (PAL) when I was a kid. The Brooklyn Dodgers were my favorite team. I spent many happy afternoons in the left field bleachers at ole Ebbets Field. Years ago, I attended Winter Bible School classes at Gloster Street church in Tupelo, Mississippi. My teacher, John L. Wheeler, was full of stories and illustrations to zero in on non-denominational Christianity. One illustration I remember was one about the game of baseball. Let’s imagine that the game of baseball started to lose its appeal. People just weren’t interested in the game any longer. After the passing of some years, people did not play baseball any longer. All ball field stadiums, baseball lots and the like were destroyed. One, two, three hundred years passed and the memory of baseball was completely forgotten. That reminds me of one of the saddest verses in the whole Bible. “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). You see, in the passing of time people and nations forget. One day, a man went to a large library to just browse around. He noticed, high on a shelf, a book that appeared very old. Removing this book from the bookshelf, he saw it was a complete rulebook on the game called baseball. “Never heard of such a game,” he exclaimed to himself. Fascinated, he checked the book out. Our friend pored over the book, rules and regulations …

Many of us remember the funny and clean TV sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” running from September 1964 to September 1967, with the Skipper and Gilligan as the crew of the charter boat S.S. Minnow and the five passengers. It was supposed to be a three-hour tour, but a storm shipwrecked all of them on an uncharted uninhabited island. They were lost somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The above reminds me of an illustration I heard years ago that helped me understand pre-denominational Christianity. Many of you that will read what follows and may chuckle as you remember also. Let’s say that several are shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. All survived the terrible storm. The type of people marooned are just average folks. They had one thing in common, however, and that was they had absolutely no interest in religion up to this point in their lives. They were totally ignorant, completely unaware of all religions of this world. As they recovered items from the wrecked ship, they found a Bible. No other literature, radio or the like was on the ship. As the days, weeks and months passed, they started to read the Bible as a group. The Word of God was totally new to them. They started with Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” They could grasp that this world and all creation did not come from a huge Big Bang explosion. Their common sense understood that from nothing comes nothing. Disorder never creates order. The …

“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10) Luke is the only writer who records this wonderful story that so many children have sung about in children’s classes and in VBS over the years. There are many wonderful lessons to be gleaned from this reading other than …

Luke, the inspired historian, records the conversion of Saul in Acts 9. In chapters 22 and 26, Paul reviewed his conversion while making a defense of his character and work. When someone is asked when Saul was saved, he usually responds, “When he saw the Lord on the road to Damascus.” A famous country singer released a song during his life entitled, “I Saw the Light.” No doubt, many have claimed to have ‘seen the light’ while asserting that they were saved at that moment in time. Yet, was Saul really saved when he saw a light on the road to Damascus? You are urged to read again these three chapters in the book of Acts to learn the truth of the matter. Please study carefully the following observations: 1. If Saul was saved on the road to Damascus, he did not know it because he asked, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:6). There is no denial that Saul, at this time, became a believer in Jesus Christ, but, was he saved? If so, what was the significance of the question, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” 2. If Saul was saved when he saw the Lord on the Damascus road, the Lord Himself did not know it because he told Saul to “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Certainly, this would have been the opportune time for the Lord to have informed Saul of …

Preachers get asked a lot of questions. Sometimes these questions are doctrinal; sometimes they are practical; sometimes they fall into the category of “just curious.” There is one question that always puzzles this preacher. I never really know how to answer it except just to give whatever information I have. A good brother or sister will know that somebody is in the hospital, is a “shut-in” or is suffering in some other way. The well-meaning brother or sister will walk up to a preacher and ask a question like, “Have you heard anything from ___________.” It may be worded a little differently. It may be asked in one of these ways: “How is ____________ doing?” “I haven’t seen __________ at church in a while. Do you know where they have been?” “Something seems to be bothering ________________. Do you have any idea what’s wrong?” While I appreciate the interest demonstrated in these and other similar questions, and while I don’t mind telling what I know (as long as it is not privileged information), I really believe that there is a better and more biblical approach to this. Those who know me know that I love the “body concept” of the church about which we read in 1 Corinthians 12. In this passage, we find that “…there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member …

The State of Idaho has discovered that it is easier to receive a mansion than it is to give it back, reports John Miller. The hilltop mansion was built by J.R. Simplot, potato magnate who became a billionaire by building a corporation that supplied McDonald’s with its golden French fries. Simplot, who died in 2008 at age 99, gave the mansion to the State of Idaho back in 2004. The mansion was given to the state to serve as a residence for the Governor of Idaho. However, the current governor does not want to live in it! A public hearing began this week to discuss what to do with the mansion. Thus far, the majority of people who have spoken recommend either selling the place or returning it to the Simplot family, but the family doesn’t want it! “The family’s position hasn’t changed,” said David Cuoio, a Simplot spokesman, on Wednesday, referring to an earlier statement. “J.R.’s home was given to the State with the understanding that it would be used as the governor’s house.” Meanwhile, the State of Idaho is spending thousands of dollars to maintain the empty mansion. Imagine that: an unwanted mansion! However, there is a “mansion” that is infinitely better than the Simplot mansion that everyone should want to inherit, not only because of its beauty, but also because of the One who has made it possible for each of us to inherit it. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, once comforted His troubled disciples with these words: “Let not your heart …

On January 13th 2012, the Costa Concordia capsized off the west coast of Italy. About 4,200 people were evacuated from the sinking ship within two hours of the wreck. Not all survived this tragedy as many were missing and several people lost their lives. We recently passed the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic (April 1912), notably the worst ship wreck in modern history. The apostle Paul said, “Thrice I suffered shipwreck” (2 Corinthians 12:25). He went on to say, “A night and a day I have been in the deep.” One cannot imagine what a single tragedy like these would do to the survivors! Perhaps most would have a fear of water or drowning; others would probably never board a ship again. The Lord’s servant Paul, however, did not allow such setbacks to keep him from traveling with the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). In this article, we will consider Paul’s shipwreck recorded in Acts 27 as a metaphor of your life. Please take a few minutes to open your Bible to Acts 27 and read that exhilarating account. We shall see from the text: (1) a bound prisoner, (2) a better possibility, (3) a biblical perspective and (4) a blessed person. In the first place, we notice that Paul was a bound prisoner (Acts 27:1). Paul had been in a Roman prison in Caesarea for two years. The Jews made accusations against him, and he made his defense before Felix, Festus and Agrippa. However, because he appealed unto …

To understand the New Testament teaching on the subject of the Holy Spirit, it is needful to know: (1) The New Testament was written initially to churches and individuals, many of whom possessed miraculous gifts (e.g., the Corinthians were behind none in possession of spiritual gifts, 1 Corinthians 1:7). First Corinthians 12-14 discuss proper use of gifts of the Spirit. So when Paul says in 3:16 that the Spirit dwelt in them, to what would they think he was referring? (2) The Holy Spirit’s connection to the scheme of redemption had to do with the revelation and confirmation of God’s will. The reason men had gifts of the Spirit was to prove that what they taught was true and from God. (3) It is imperative that we allow the Bible to be its own interpreter. Consider some New Testament passages where when it refers to people receiving the Holy Spirit, it is obvious that it is a reference to the miraculous (e.g., Acts 2:4; 8:14-18; 19:1-6). Other passages do not (so it seems in the immediate context) show a reference to the miraculous. Acts 2:38 is one such verse. Yet, this verse is in the midst of many references to the miraculous. Just a few verses prior (33), Peter referred to the miraculous. Acts 5:32 is a passage that teaches God gives the Holy Spirit to the obedient, but it does not tell us the manner that the Spirit dwells in the believer. However, if we consider the context, we …