Church Blog (Page 6)

Suppose it were possible to bring a first-century Christian to the assemblies of the church today. Many physical things obviously would be different, but of greater concern would be those spiritual differences. Think for a moment about how different he might find the preaching today from the kind of preaching he heard in the infant church. The preaching in the first century can best be described as inspired prophecy. Because they had only the Old Testament, God gave the sermons…

Zacharias did not believe the words of Gabriel about the fact that he and Elizabeth were to be the parents of the forerunner of the Messiah. Instead of accepting the message from heaven, he thought what God had said just could not happen. How could two old people become parents? The answer from Gabriel gives us insight into the nature of prophecy. The angel said, “Behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things…

Fact: we will stand before Him accountable for our actions (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Revelation 20:12). Therefore, being a frequent, participating listener to the Apostles doctrine in the worship assembly and Bible classes, a Christian must be diligent. I do not mean to imply that we should be hyper-critical or nit-picky, however, in view of the fact that what is taught in our assemblies carries eternal consequence, we should be ever vigilant in filtering teachings through the Holy Writ. This failure is…

I once heard of a Christian having a Bible study with a friend about what one must do to be saved. He opened his Bible and urged the friend to read several passages which clearly revealed God’s plan of salvation. The friend’s reply was, “There are none of these verses in my Bible.” She went and got her Bible, and she was exactly right. She had literally cut out every one of the verses from her own Bible and thrown…

There are degrees of light. Long ago, the only light I had to hold gospel meetings was a pine knot (some city people do not know what that is; never saw one. It comes from a pine tree where the limb joins the trunk and is very rich. It burns like it was soaked with kerosene.) Then the gas jet was invented and gave more light. The electric light is still brighter, but nothing compares to the sun. Then there…

Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 5:14-16: “Ye are the light of the world … Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” He did not say, “shine your light,” but let it shine. There is a difference. (See Matt. 6:1.) This was a great declaration made by the Lord himself. The statement was addressed to lowly people, by the world’s standards. It should make all…

The imagery God uses to describe His nature and the way He works on this earth is so remarkable. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used the imagery of God’s careful attention to the lily of the field. His clothing of a lily whose “lifespan” is so brief is God’s assurance He will cloth us. In that sermon, He talked of God’s care for birds who make no provision like sowing and reaping, yet God is still so involved…

An agnostic is “a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality is unknown and probably unknowable” (MW). Generally, the concept is applied to the existence of God. But the current time, sadly, requires us to slightly extend the term to “a person who holds the view that any ultimate doctrinal reality is unknown and probably unknowable.” Second Timothy 1:13 commands, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me….” To “hold” is to keep…

The Bible clearly says, “Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father above” (Jas. 1:17). While we might sometimes misunderstand what is truly good, there is no doubt that there has never been a good and perfect gift which does not come from God. It is so wonderful to read the Bible and see where God reveals just how He often works in the background to bring blessings to His people. Think of the providence of God in…

Winston Churchill’s wife was named Clementine. He affectionately called her Clemmie. Churchill wasn’t generally considered handsome. He wasn’t athletic. He wasn’t rich. He wasn’t the young man that most moms were dreaming of for their daughters. Clementine’s mother, Lady Blanche Hozier, wasn’t overjoyed at the thought of her daughter marrying Winston. But, despite Winston’s many shortcomings, he possessed the one essential ingredient needed to make marriage work – love. He loved Clementine. At a banquet late in life, Churchill was…

Sometimes when you meet a person there is just something about them that sets them apart from others. There are those negative people who impact us in such a way that we find it difficult to see their souls and the potential they may have in Christ. On the other hand, there are those to whom we are immediately attracted, and we want to get to know them better. When God became man, He was like us in so many…

I looked at my newsfeed and saw a shocking headline. “Asteroid danger looms! 170-foot space rock heading for Earth today.” Immediately I wondered, “Why I am just now hearing about this? Shouldn’t we have a little bit more of a heads-up before we are obliterated by space debris? Something isn’t adding up.” Upon opening the article, I breathe a sigh of relief. The title is another example of “clickbait.” As opposed to what I was led to believe, the asteroid…