The Bible Message

An Ancient Book With a Relevant Message

The Bible message is relevant to all ages.

The Bible message is relevant to all ages.

Far too many people have the attitude that asks, “How can a book more than 1,900 years old have any relevance in my life?” It is true that parts of the Bible are more than 3,000 years old, but it is equally true that the nature of man has not changed. Our God is eternal, and the truth that His holiness is the standard for our holiness is found in both the Old and New Testaments (Lev. 11:44: 1 Pet. 1:16).

Jesus certainly did not see the message of the Old Testament as having nothing to do with the people of the first century. They could so easily have asked, “How could words spoken to men who lived 1,500 years ago have anything to do with our lives?” In Matthew chapter twenty-two, Jesus talked about the events at the burning bush. Read His words carefully.  “Have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’”

Jesus looked at these words spoken at the burning bush and said that people who lived 1,500 years later and read these words would hear God speaking to them! It is foolish to think that because the words of the Bible are thousands of years old, they have nothing to do with us. The truth is that when we read these words spoken 3,500 years ago, God is still speaking to us!

This same truth is seen in Paul’s sermon at Antioch. Paul described how the Jews had heard Jesus speak to them, but they “did not know Him.” He then added, “…nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath” (Acts 13:27). When they read the ancient words of those prophets in the synagogues, they were reading words just as relevant as the words they actually heard when Jesus spoke them. All those things written have relevance today (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11).

The writer of Hebrews shows this same truth and affirms this in an amazing way. He quotes the words of Jeremiah about the new covenant God was planning to make with the Jews. It was not to be the same ten commandment covenant He made with the Jews when they departed from Egypt (Deut. 4:13; Jer. 31:31-34). Those words from Jeremiah had been written at least 600 years prior to the writing of Hebrews. Look carefully at how God speaks of the relevancy of ancient words. “The Holy Spirit witnesses to us” (Heb. 10:15). One might think that reading Jeremiah was to hear what an ancient prophet spoke to others. Such could not be further from truth. To read the words of Jeremiah was to listen to the Holy Spirit of God speaking to us! They were written to the Jews, but they speak to us!

So, when you read the Bible, remember that God designed the book so that it speaks to all men—it speaks to us! Read it; listen to it; obey it! Eternity demands we do this.

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Are You a Wise Man?

Are You a Wise Man?

Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 7:24

Are you a wise man who hears the word of God and then follows them?

Are you a wise man who hears the word of God and then follows them?

The Psalmist said something similar in Ps. 1:1-3:  “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.”

As did James in James 1:21-25:  “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  for he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

As did Paul in Romans 6:17-18:  “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

In Luke’s account of Jesus’ telling of the parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock, he precluded it by asking, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46-49).  That’s a very good question.  We so want Jesus to be our Savior, and we have no problem calling him “Lord”…but do we allow our foolish, stubborn, selfish pride and rebelliousness to keep us from obeying him and thus receiving our salvation?  (Heb. 5:9; Matt. 7:21-27)

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Reverence in Man’s Eyes

“Barely Saved?”

Are both your body and mind working to reverence your God?

Are both your body and mind working to reverence your God?

As my wife and I were recently walking into our local Wal-Mart, we were suddenly somewhat stunned, appalled, amazed – and quite frankly, even a bit embarrassed for – the two young ladies in their mid-teens who had just hurriedly made their way around us on some vital shopping mission or another. It wasn’t the fact that they hurried by us – as we’ve gotten a bit older and slower we’ve become used to that. But it was what they were – or better yet, what they were very definitely NOT – wearing that was embarrassing. Both had on pretty much micro-mini shorty-shorts; shorts that had only slightly more material than the beach volleyball bikini bottoms worn by the women at the recent Rio Olympics; shorts that only barely therefore covered their behinds – and one with a very provocative white lace fringe that suggestively bounced with every step. It was enough to make any mature Christian man immediately turn his eyes away towards anything else in the store, and to make any mature Christian woman want to quickly grab a couple of beach towels from the house wares department, hurriedly run up to and wrap the towels around them, and then tell them point-blank to go back home and put some clothes on because they had apparently forgotten to get dressed before they came out of the house being still only in their underwear!

But what was even sadder about those two girls walking around in public, semi-clad in such scanty attire as would have made most Victoria’s Secret models feel right at home (and such as our two daughters growing up wouldn’t have even dared to try to lounge around the house during a lazy Saturday morning in), was the fact that one of them had on a T-shirt, loudly, proudly, and boldly proclaiming and advertising that she was part of a somewhat local Baptist Church’s youth group – and even gave the name! No wonder some of the denominations around us seem to attract so many more young men than we do to their ranks. And this is the second time in as many weeks that my wife and I have sadly seen the same sort of scenario played out before us. The previous time was in a different location, at a different store, and with a different message on the T-shirt, but with a somewhat similar sort of scantily-clad  but at the same time slightly older young woman (maybe in her early to mid twenties?) with her completely immodest and sexually suggestive attire and her T-shirt message that sadly but boldly read: “I love my church.”

I guess that Acts 2:38, 22:16, Romans 6, Galatians 3:26-27, Colossians 2:1-14, as well as 1 Peter 3:21 are not the only Scripture verses missing from many major denominations’ bibles. Apparently so are passages and verses like 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Timothy 2:8-15, and 1 Peter 1:13-16, 2:9-12, 3:1-6, and 4:1-5.

But what about us? What verses are maybe, in much the same way, “missing” from our bibles? When we show up for the worship assembly – and especially those men who are set apart to serve God from the front – in the same sort of ordinary, everyday, casual clothes which one would wear to school, or to the store, or to work (and especially when we know we have something far less casual and leisurely and far more formal and reverent in our closets which we would and/or even have worn to any number of events of the “more important” (?!?) nature) – might not it be questioned as to whether or not Malachi One is still in our bibles?

And should one feel the need to bring coffee, candy, pop, popcorn, chips or chocolate into bible class and the worship assembly in a manner not all that much different from what one might take into a movie theater – even though we diligently disavow and defend against drama skits and instrumental music and aggressively claim (paying lip-service at least) to be against making the worship assembly over into just another entertainment event and venue – are we really all that far from irreverently treating worship like worldly entertainment when we feel the need to ingest and indulge in those sorts of things during the worship assembly in our Father’s house (1 Timothy 3:14-15)? And might it not be wondered by others if and when we do such things, where such chapters and verses as Leviticus 10:1-11, Isaiah 5:20-21, and Ezekiel 22:23-26 have gone from our bibles?

Godly-fearing holiness, reverence, and respect, both in and out of the worship assembly, is the personal and individual responsibility of each and every single saint’s soul who wants to go to heaven to be with a holy God for all eternity. Here and now, is where holiness, reverence, and respect for who God is and what God wants His children to be, begins. This is our calling (Matthew 5:13-16; Ephesians 4:1-24; Colossians 3:15-17; plus 1 Corinthians and 1 Peter as referenced above). This is our duty. This is our responsibility. This is our calling.

So… What exactly does your bible say in those passages?

And… How are you going to answer God’s call to holiness, reverence, and respect next Lord’s Day?

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The Laws of Thermodynamics

God’s Unchanging Hand

“Time is filled with swift transition…” These are words to a well-known song many have sung in worship since childhood. This phrase is all too true. Time is filled with transitions and changes. No one lives very long without noticing some type of change in life. Change has been seen dramatically in the realm of technology. People living 100 years ago couldn’t dream of talking into a palm-sized device and being heard by someone thousands of miles away.

Laws are not theories. Theories should not be treated as truth.

Laws are not theories. Theories should not be treated as truth.

This month marks the 150th anniversary of the release of Charles Darwin’s book Origin of Species [Editors Note: 2009]. Consider for a moment the amount of change that has been witnessed since the ink dried on that book. Considered by many as the father of the evolutionary theory, Darwin opened the floodgates for a godless theory of origins and change.

What affects change? One factor that evolutionists and creationists both recognize is that time results in things running down or wearing out (2nd Law of Thermodynamics). Time affects everything for better or worse. Given enough time, anything God created will change. Since the 6 days of creation less than 10,000 years ago, God’s creation has changed. All of the change, however, is subject to God’s laws of nature He set in place when time began.

This month we want to spend a few minutes looking at humankind. Where did human beings come from and why does it matter? What about the soul—what does being made in the image and likeness of God really mean? The evolutionary theory demands that human beings evolved from some common ancestor, whereas God’s Word indicates humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation. Evolution presupposes that death brought mankind into the world. The creation model indicates that through man death came into the world. Both cannot be correct.

Because of the over-abundance of propaganda supporting creatures like Neanderthal man, Lucy, Homo habilis, and Homo erectus, many assume that there is no question regarding the origin of mankind. Having viewed images in textbooks, popular magazines, and news accounts, many individuals—including Christians—assume there is no debate. As such, many Christians have tried to mesh the evolution of man into God’s Word, never realizing that their compromise is incompatible with the text found in the Bible (e.g., In Mark 10:6 Jesus said: “But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.” The indication being that man was around from the beginning of creation.) We hope this issue helps firm up the footings for many who are searching for the Truth regarding origins.

God, in His infinite wisdom, created laws that have allowed science to discover many things that have been helpful to humankind. These are laws upon which we depend and are used to our benefit. Two laws that come to mind are the First and Second Law of Thermodynamics.

The First Law of Thermodynamics, simply put, is that matter/energy cannot be created or destroyed but is constant. When God created the heavens and the earth, He created a specific amount of matter. This matter is His creation, which reflects His glory on a daily basis (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:20). The Second Law of Thermodynamics, simply put, states that this matter/energy deteriorates over time. Change does occur over time!

Some of the changes we may see or be subjected to are not necessarily to our liking. But we continue to follow the guidance of the old song, “Hold to God’s unchanging hand.” This song has as its basis Hebrews 13:8, which says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” No matter what scientists, evolutionists, and atheists may say, we should be able to take comfort in the fact that God will not change. God is steady. God is constant (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17).

A great deal of knowledge has been obtained since Darwin penned his book. Entire new branches of science have been formed as molecular complexity began to reveal incredible design and purpose in cellular organelles. While the heart of man may have changed since Darwin released his book, there is no doubt that the “missing link” evolutionists so strongly need is still missing. Rather than changing their hearts, too many men try to make changes to what God has said and written based on what they believe or want to believe. But we can count on God acting, thinking, and doing as He always has. We can accept the scientific facts taught in the Bible as absolute truth. By accepting these facts as truth (i.e. the worldwide Flood), we will be able to see a clearer, simpler, and more beautiful creation. This in turn will allow us to have a better understanding of our divine maker, God. As always, we hope you will think on these things.

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Opinion as Bible Doctrine?

Is it right for a preacher to preach his opinion as Bible doctrine?

No. I have included this question because I want to go on record as stating that I have no right to teach my opinion as Bible doctrine and neither does any other person have the right to so do. The Bible says in Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Everything that I say as a preacher must be authorized by God. Everything that I do in my life must be authorized by God. In 1 Peter 4:11 Peter writes, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Everything that I say must 1) be authorized by God, 2) be as the oracles of God, and 3) be to the glory of God. So no, I have no right to preach my opinion as doctrine. This is not to say that when I get in the pulpit to preach the gospel that I have no right to preach the truth of God’s word as I believe it is the truth. It is incumbent upon me, therefore, to make sure that everything that I say whether in Bible class or from the pulpit is the truth of God’s word and that my words have a “thus saith the Lord” behind them.

Now, this does not mean or imply that everything that I say must be inspired of God. That is, it does not mean that all I do is get up in the pulpit and read the Bible. That would not be preaching the gospel at all–that would simply be reading the scriptures. We read in Ezra 7:10 the following words, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Then we read in Nehemiah 8:5, 6, and 8 “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground�. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” I want you to notice the connection between these two verses. 1) Ezra prepared to teach. 2) Ezra read in the book of the law. 3) Ezra gave the sense. 4) Ezra caused them to understand the reading. I would be no preacher at all if I did not prepare the things that I preached. I would be no preacher at all if I did not explain what the scriptures mean. I would be no preacher at all if I made no direct and personal applications from God’s word. I would be no preacher at all if I didn’t help others to understand the meaning of the words of God. That, according to the Bible, is part of what the preacher’s job is to do. Now, wherein lies the rub?

There have been on more than one occasion situations where individuals disagree as to what God’s word means. There have been on more than one occasion situations where individuals disagreed on how to apply God’s word to their life. There are some who have studied the scriptures less than others. There are some who do not have a complete understanding about what the Bible says is sin and is not sin. Different people have different levels of understanding and different attitudes toward God’s word. What does one do when two people disagree about how to apply God’s word; that is, what does the Bible teach that we ought to do when one brother believes that something is a sin whereas another brother merely believes that something is opinion? You study the word of God to see if there are any areas of the scripture in which you have overlooked (Acts 17:11). You pray to God for wisdom (James 1:5). If you believe that it is a matter of opinion, you do not act in any way so as to cause your brother to stumble. Romans 15:1, 2 says “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” If the conflict continues, then you take it to the eldership and let them resolve the dilemma. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” If the decision of the elders is unfavorable toward you and you cannot live with that decision, then you need to move on to another location where you can worship in peace. If, however, you choose to stay, you must stay with the knowledge that you have an obligation within God’s word to submit to the eldership. You have no authority within the scriptures to sow division within the local church. Everything that is given within the scriptures is given so that there will be peace and harmony within the local congregation. The person who willfully ignores all of the above scriptural passages sins against God in so doing, whether his understanding of the disagreement is right or wrong. There is a right way and a wrong way to handle these matters whether we ourselves are right or wrong. The eldership has the strongest say in these matters.

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