This Issue...
POWERFUL PREACHING
Marlin Kilpatrick
One day all of the “tell them what they want
to hear” preachers will pay an awesome price,
along with all who encouraged the weak,
watered-down, don’t hurt anyone’s feelings
type of preaching.
God’s method of communicating His message to
people has always been through preaching. Men such as Noah, Moses,
the prophets, Stephen, and all the apostles in the New Testament,
were powerful preachers. The power was in the message they
preached. A preacher is powerful, not because he has great lung
capacity, but because of the nature of his message.
Powerful preaching is pointed preaching!
When the apostle Peter preached on Pentecost, he told the people
what they needed to hear; not necessarily what they wanted to hear.
He accused them of having (with wicked hands) crucified God’s
Son (Acts 2:23). It is evident that this kind of preaching is what
the Lord wanted, because Peter, having been baptized in the Holy
Spirit, was guided by that same Spirit in his preaching. Today,
faithful Gospel preachers are guided through the instruction of the
Word of the Holy Spirit (the Scriptures) to do no less.
Another case of powerful, pointed preaching is that
of Stephen’s preaching in Acts 7. When confronted by those who
eventually stoned him to death, Stephen pointedly said,
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do
always resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do ye”
(Acts 7:51). Powerful, pointed preaching has a way of getting
the audience’s attention. It certainly arrested the attention
of those to whom Stephen spoke, even though it cost him his life.
His reward awaits him in heaven.
Powerful preaching is passionate preaching!
The passion with which the preacher delivers his message is often
determined by his sincerity. If the preacher has doubts about his
message, it will come through loud and clear. How passionate was
the great prophet Elijah when he confronted the false prophets of
Baal (I Kings 18)? While the Scriptures do not reveal the tone of
his voice, it’s inconceivable that he spoke in an unconvincing
manner. Had he done so, likely, the false prophets of Baal would
have “laughed-him-to-shame.” When our preaching is done
passionately, the audience is more likely to respond in a positive
way.
Powerful preaching is personal! We are not
advocating a form of preaching that publicly humiliates the
individual. Preaching that is personal reaches the individual’s
heart and causes him to make a personal application of what he
hears. Not all who make a personal application of the message will
respond favorably, but all who do, appreciate the fact the preacher
had the courage to lovingly confront their sin and lead them to
repentance. We should always remember that powerful preaching is
not less powerful due to the audience’s rejection of the
message.
Today, one of the church’s greatest needs is
powerful preaching. Powerful preaching will produce numerical and
spiritual growth. It did in the 20th century, and it will do so
today. However, the sad fact is, most congregations will not accept
such preaching. In far too many places, the church wants a preacher
who will pat the members on their backs and in fifteen or twenty
minutes tell them all is well. And, many of our preachers love to
have it so.
If the Lord wanted powerful preaching in Bible times,
and assuredly He did, does He expect any less of the church today?
Where is the church that demands powerful preaching? Surely, there
must be one or two. Where are the preachers that powerfully
proclaim the Gospel truth? Surely, there must be some who do, but
for every one who does, there are hundreds who do not. One day all
of the “tell them what they want to hear” preachers will
pay an awesome price, along with all who encouraged the weak,
watered-down, don’t hurt anyone’s feelings type of
preaching.
Brethren, we must awake to the problem of a weak
pulpit and get back to powerful preaching. Think about it.
3440 Deer Lakes Dr.
Melbourne, FL 32940
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Editorial...
KNOWLEDGE & IGNORANCE #2
Garland M. Robinson
KNOWLEDGE
The greatest choice one could make in their entire life
is to learn the Will of God -- having the knowledge of God’s
Will. Such knowledge gives one the essential information to prepare
themselves to stand before the Lord in judgment.
The principle of one turning away from wickedness and
evil to serve the true and living God is shown throughout the
Bible. Ezekiel proclaimed, “But if the wicked will turn
from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all
my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right,
he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his
transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned
unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the
Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and
live” (Ezek. 18:20-23)?
One cannot keep the Lord’s statutes and do that
which is lawful and right if he does not have the knowledge of
God’s will. Therefore, one must choose to learn, assimilate,
digest, understand and know. This comes through study, study, study
as we’re commanded in II Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
The Psalmist said, “Teach me good judgment and
knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments” (Psa. 119:66).
By inspiration, the wise Solomon revealed many great
things regarding the subject of the knowledge of God’s will. He
wrote: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction”
(Prov. 1:7). Fools hate knowledge (Prov. 1:22; cf.
1:29). “Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and
find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom:
out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding
” (Prov. 2:5-6). “The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is
understanding” (Prov. 9:10). “Wise men lay up
knowledge : but the mouth of the foolish is near
destruction” (Prov. 10:14). “Whoso loveth instruction
loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is
brutish” (Prov. 12:1). “Bow down thine ear, and hear the
words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my
knowledge” (Prov. 22:17). “Apply thine heart unto
instruction, and thine ears to the words of
knowledge” (Prov. 23:12).
When there is no knowledge of God’s Word, dire
consequences result. “Therefore my people are gone into
captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their
honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with
thirst” (Isa. 5:13). “Hear the word of the LORD, ye
children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the
inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy,
nor knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1).
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because
thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,
that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the
law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6).
The New Testament also speaks about knowledge and
ignorance. In Romans 10:3 we read, “For they being ignorant of
God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness
of God.” Paul is speaking here of fleshly Israel. Though they
looked for the Messiah and His coming kingdom, they had no concept
of the true nature of the Messiah and His kingdom. They failed to
comprehend the prophecies that had been given for centuries and
their fulfillment by John, Jesus and the apostles. They were
ignorant of “God’s righteousness;” that is, they did
not know God’s plan which would bring about righteousness --
God’s plan of justifying men. They had ample opportunity to
know, as Romans 10:18-21 reveals. But, none the less, they remained
ignorant. They did not have the knowledge they should have had --
their ignorance was voluntary.
Hosea declared the word of the Lord saying, “My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou
hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt
be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God,
I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6).
God desires that men and women around the world know
His will. God wants all men to be saved, but in order for that to
happen, they must first “...come unto the knowledge
of the truth” (I Tim. 2:4), “...for by the law is the
knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). So many people are
religious and are zealous for God, “...but not according to
knowledge” (Rom. 10:2). People, therefore, must
“...be filled with the knowledge of his will in all
wisdom and spiritual under- standing” (Col. 1:9). But sadly,
there are many who are “ever learning, and never able to come
to the knowledge of the truth” (II Tim. 3:7). That
is why it’s so urgent that we grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter
3:18). One grows by adding the Christian graces to his life.
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith
virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge
temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness” (II Peter 1:5).
Wilful rejection of the Will (knowledge) of God brings
spiritual destruction. “For if we sin wilfully after that we
have received the knowledge of the truth, there
remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10:26). “For if
after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are
again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with
them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to
have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known
it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it
is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is
turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her
wallowing in the mire” (II Peter 2:20-22).
WE EACH HAVE A CHOICE
What will we choose? What choice will we make? We can
choose the KNOWLEDGE of God’s will that can make us free when
we obey it (John 8:32), OR we can choose to be IGNORANT of
God’s will which will cause us to remain in our sins and be
lost eternally in a devil’s hell.
Those who are saved are those who choose to learn and
know God’s Word and obey it. “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” (John 8:31-32).
How sad it is when so many choose to ignore God’s
word and believe a lie. If that is the choice one makes, God will
allow them to make it. Paul speaks of that wicked one “...whom
the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming
is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them
that perish; because they received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had
pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thess. 2:8-12).
God does not force anyone to choose good or evil,
right or wrong, one or the other. He simply allows men and women
the liberty to make up their own mind, at least for now.
There’s coming a day, however, when God will step in and make
the choice for us. But then it will be too late for those who have
made the wrong choice to do anything about it.
The rich man who fared sumptuously every day in this
world found himself in torments when he died (Luke 16:19-31). All
the crying, wailing, begging and gnashing of teeth could not change
his sad condition. He was in hell. He got what he deserved. He
reaped what he sowed. He received the reward for the choice that he
made. He’s crying out to all lost men and women today, saying,
“do not come to this terrible place.” “Look at your
soul’s condition.” “Think about the verdict you’ll
hear on the day of judgment.” “Consider the consequences of
your choices.” “Have you counted the cost if your soul
should be lost?” “Wake up, Wake Up, WAKE UP, before
it’s too late!”
There’s only two sentences that will be announced
on the judgment day: “...Depart from me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”
or “...Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world” (Matt. 25:41,34).
Do you want to hear the words depart or
come? Surely you want to hear the Saviour say come.
If that is what you want to hear, then you must make the
CHOICE NOW to Believe in Christ with all your heart (John
8:24; John 3:16; Mark 16:16), Repent of all your sins
(Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30), Confess faith in
Jesus as the Son of God and Saviour of the world (Matt. 10:32-33;
Rom. 19:9-10; Acts 8:37) and be Baptized for the
forgiveness of your sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-6,17-18;
I Peter 3:21). This will make you a child of God -- washed clean,
pure and white in the blood of the Lamb. You will be raised from
the watery grave of baptism to walk a new life in Christ Jesus our
Lord (Rom. 6:4). Being THEN made free from sins you will be a
servant of righteousness (Rom. 6:18). You will be a “new
creature” IN Christ where the old things are passed away and
all things are become new (II Cor. 5:17).
We beg you today to choose the way that leads to
salvation, not the choice that leads to damnation. For some day
you’ll stand at the bar on high. Some day you’ll see the
end result of the choices you’ve made. Some day you’ll
answer for what you’ve done in this life. What will your answer
be?
So, why do you wait dear sinner? Why do you tarry so
long? The Saviour is gently knocking on the door of your heart.
Won’t you let Him in?
Choose eternal life, not everlasting separation from
God in a devil’s hell.
See last month’s issue for the discussion on
IGNORANCE.
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SUPERFICIAL CHRISTIANITY
Tom Wacaster
There are churches out there that are
indeed sensational with their Broadway
style productions and glitter and
glamour that thrill men, but they do
not offer what it takes to save the
souls of men. In this, they have long
ago compromised.
Webster defines “superficial” as “(1) being
on the surface; not penetrating the substance of a thing; as a
superficial color; a superficial covering; (2) hallow; contrived to
cover something; and (3) not deep or profound; reaching or
comprehending only what is obvious or apparent; as a superficial
scholar; superficial knowledge.”
Superficial Christianity looks good on the surface,
but it is of no “value against the indulgences of the
flesh” (Col. 2:23). Our Lord calls for sacrificial, not
superficial faith. There is a marked difference between the two.
First, a superficial faith produces a comfortable
Christianity; one that does not interfere with one’s
predisposed life-style. It is a Christianity that places no
restrictions upon an individual, requires no repentance, exacts no
restrictions, and asks for no sacrifice. Unaccustomed to feeding
upon the word, superficial Christians are incapable of taking more
than short doses of the spiritual medicine that is needed to cure
their sin-sick soul. The meat of the word makes them gag. Moral
principles are rejected for mere platitudes that make them feel at
ease, and any sermon that runs more than fifteen minutes is viewed
as a waste of time and an imposition upon their busy schedule. Once
a week, or in some cases only once or twice a year, these nominal
believers make their appearance, pay their dues, and punch their
spiritual clock, and that, at the “church of their choice”
that meets their personal taste in style of worship and brand of
theology. Easter Sunday and Christmas are the apex of their
spiritual activity. Daily cross-bearing means nothing to them.
Second, superficial Christianity will produce a
church that is foreign to the blood-bought institution we read
about in the pages of the New Testament. The leaders are
quick to provide those things that will help increase the numbers,
but fall short of improving spiritual maturity. The denominations
have long sought to entertain rather than enlighten. The church is
viewed as some sort of organization designed to administer
spiritual anesthesia; something akin to a haven of rest where the
indolent and idle may congregate to escape their moral and
spiritual responsibilities in a world of darkness and doubt. Those
who have only superficial faith view the church as some sort of
safety zone in the midst of the highways of life into which people
can go to avoid the dangers they encounter every day. But once the
danger is past, the weak in faith abandon the church like the
proverbial rat that abandons a sinking ship. The church is nothing
more than an old folk’s home where the spiritually defective
might find shelter. Someone noted more than a century ago, the
church “is not a sort of spiritual Florida to which people can
migrate in order to escape the chilling blasts of a cold,
unfriendly world.” I wish that such misconceptions were limited
to those in the denominational world, but so much of this “give
me” mentality has infiltrated the Lord’s church today. Oh,
how I wish it were not so! Having had the opportunity to travel
about our country seeking funds for my mission work, I have come to
learn that we have spent so much on creature comforts and neglected
the Creator’s commission to go into all the world. I have
visited congregations willing to borrow millions to build an
elaborate building, and make long term commitments to mortgage
payments, but are willing to commit themselves to more than a year
at a time to mission endeavors. One wonders if we have not been the
victims of superficial Christianity.
Third, superficial Christianity will not save.
I am writing to an audience who knows (or at least should
know) the demands from our Father and His Son. “...If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For
what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his
soul” (Matt. 16:24-26)? “So likewise, whosoever
he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my
disciple” (Luke 14:33). “No man can serve two
masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).
Superficial Christianity is the antonym of genuine saving
faith. It is confined to the realm of convenience and comfort.
Seldom is there a call for real sacrifice. Suppers, sales and
entertainment are the means by which people are brought into the
church, and through more exciting and more numerous entertainment
and programs they are tricked into believing that they are making
sacrifices and living the kind of life God wants them to live. No
wonder the church has lost its influence in a world that seems to
be overrun with evil and ungodliness. The Gospel is no longer
considered the power unto salvation, but the power unto
sensationalism. There are churches out there that are indeed
sensational with their Broadway style productions and glitter and
glamour that thrill men, but they do not offer what it takes to
save the souls of men. In this, they have long ago compromised.
God help us to return to His great wisdom, and build
churches that seek and save the lost rather than seeking to serve
and satisfy the masses. Anything else is only superficial
Christianity.
PO Box 283
Talco, TX 75487
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A RESTORATION PLEA
Victor M. Eskew
The Restoration Movement of the 1800s grew out of disgust
for religious division and a love for the truth of the Gospel of
Christ. Men longed for the day when all would wear the name
“Christian” only and pledge allegiance to the New Testament
as the sole standard of faith and practice.
From this movement, many slogans came forth. The
slogans were designed to implant crucial truths into the hearts of
the listeners. “Speak where the Bible speaks, and remain silent
where the Bible is silent” was one of these slogans. This was
an amplification of Peter’s words found in I Peter 4:11.
“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.”
Another slogan of the Restoration Movement was: “In matters of
doctrine, unity. In matters of opinion, liberty. In all things,
love.”
The preachers of the Restoration Movement recognized
two major areas: doctrine and opinion. Doctrine involves the
teaching of the New Testament. Paul wrote: “All scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine...” (II Tim. 3:16-17). Doctrine cannot be
compromised. It must be adhered to at all times. If all would
commit to this teaching, unity would prevail. It is wrong to
transform the teaching of the Gospel into matters of opinion.
However, the leaders of the Restoration Movement
realized that matters of opinion exists as well. In these, they
asked for liberty. The practice of circumcision was a matter of
opinion (option) in the New Testament church. “For in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision, but a new creature” (Gal. 6:15). The
eating of meat was also a matter of opinion. “But meat
commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the
better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse” (I Cor.
8:8). Again, these matters were optional. In these things,
“liberty” needed to prevail. It was wrong to take matters
that were “optional” and make them matters of
“doctrine.” Some did this in the first century. Paul
declared that those who “bound” (made a law) where God has
not “bound,” had departed from the faith. “Now the
Spirit speaketh expressly, that in latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared
with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain
from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving
of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God
is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with
thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and
prayer” (I Tim. 4:13-5),
The last section of the slogan under consideration is:
“In all things, love.” This love is one that seeks the best
interest of another. I Corinthians 13:1-3 reveals the importance of
love. Without it, nothing else matters. “Though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am
become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have
the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and have all
knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow
all my good to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
In doctrine, unity. In option, liberty. In all things,
love. This plea is just as valid today as it was when it was first
penned. May every member of the body of Christ give diligence to
distinguish between doctrine and opinion. In doctrine, let us hold
fast thereunto with unity in mind. In option, let’s grant
liberty to our brethren. Then, let’s allow love to prevail in
all things.
PO Box 330421
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
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THE LORD’S CHURCH IS DIFFERENT
Marvin L. Weir
Not everyone is happy with the fact that the Lord’s
church is different! Those of denominational persuasion are quickly
upset when the difference is noted between the Lord’s church
and those churches built by men. Many do not know the Lord promised
to build His church (Matt. 16:18) and that it had its beginning in
Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (A.D. 33) as prophesied by godly
prophets (Isa. 2:2-3; Micah 4:1-2). The apostle Paul makes it
abundantly clear that Jesus Christ is the “head over all things
to the church, which is his body” (Eph. 1:22-23). Notice that
the Lord’s church is “his body” and not some man-made
body.
Sadder still is the truth that not all members of the
Lord’s church are happy that it is different from all other
religious institutions. The goal of many who profess to be
Christians is to extend open arms of fellowship to any one who
claims to believe in the deity of Christ. These who are eager to
loose where God has not loosed (cf. Matt. 16:19; 18:18) are not
impressed with the distinctiveness of the Lord’s church. Their
goal is to compromise and change to the point that churches of
Christ cannot be distinguished from any denomination. This blending
and mixing of religion is what they allege that the Lord had in
mind for His followers. An ever-growing number of folks are quick
to allege what they believe but they are arrogantly adamant at not
desiring to prove their allegations.
The Bible still teaches, “Beloved, believe
not every spirit, but try (prove) the spirits, whether
they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the
world” (I John 4:1). God’s Word is truth (John
17:17), and it is by that Word that one can prove truth from error.
Three Scriptures will suffice to prove (for those who believe the
Bible) that the Lord does not intend for His church to blend in and
be a part of all man-made churches. First, Jesus prayed that there
be unity and not division in religious convictions. The words of
the Master ring loud and clear in praying, “Neither pray
I for these alone, but for them also that believe on me through
their word; that they may all be one; as thou, Father, art in me,
and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20-21). Second,
the apostle Paul admonishes, [bi] “Now I beseech you, brethren,
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same
thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be
perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same
judgment” (I Cor. 1:10). This is one of those
“un-get-over-able” and “un-get-around-able” verses
of Scripture that so many prefer to ignore. Third, the Holy
Scriptures declare, “Be not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness with
unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness? Or
what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that
believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath a temple of God
with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath
said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their
God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among
them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you” (II Cor. 6:14-17). The
principle contained in these verses is eternal -- there can be no
fellowship between righteousness and unrighteousness, between light
and darkness, or the temple of God and idolatry. This is a call for
God’s people to be separate, to be unique, and to be distinct
from the world and all man-made religion that is in competition
with and in opposition to the Lord’s church!
The battle with Satan begins with the mind. This is
why the apostle Paul pleads, “If ye then be risen with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on
the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on
things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2). It is impossible for
one to succumb to “politically correct” thinking and live
like a Christian. The truth of the matter is that distinctive and
unique thinking is the only thing that will lead to distinctive and
unique living! It would be well for all to remember that if the
Gospel is veiled, it is because “...the god of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine unto them” (II Cor. 4:3-4).
One who so desires can know the truth and that truth
can free him from the bondage of sin (John 8:32). The Bible
unashamedly declares that there is only one body, one spirit, one
hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all
(Eph. 4:4-6). God’s will has always been distinctive because
His thoughts are not our thoughts and neither are His ways our ways
(Isa. 55:8-9).
A faithful child of God will always rejoice in the
truth that the Lord’s church is distinctive, different and
unique, and he will never compromise or apologize for the church of
Christ or the glorious truth she stands for.
815 42nd St. SW
Paris, TX 75460
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“LET BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUE”
Roger D. Campbell
Do we really demonstrate
genuine love toward our
brethren in the Christ? “Let
brotherly love continue.” It
pays huge dividends.
Hebrews 13:1 is made up of only four words -- the four
that serve as the title and theme of this article. Perhaps you have
heard someone jokingly misquote the verse to read, “Let
brotherly love begin.” It is true that brotherly love must
begin to exist before it can “continue,” but the absence of
such love is no joking matter.
Is it not a huge plus for the Lord’s Cause when
His people have a genuine brotherly love among them? Here are a few
pluses or positive things that take place when brotherly love
continues to abound among the members of God’s church.
Brotherly love sends a message. Jesus said,
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to another” (John 13:35).
Brotherly love hides a multitude of sins.
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves:
for charity shall cover the multitude of sins” (I Peter 4:8).
Brotherly love takes action, rather than
just sit on the sideline and just talk or simply offer suggestions.
“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother
have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how
dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not
love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (I
John 3:17,18).
Brotherly love helps provide a healthy atmosphere
because love “is kind,” “envieth not,”
“vaunteth not itself,” and “is not puffed up” (I
Cor. 13:4).
Brotherly love presents an attractive picture to
small kids and teens that observe it, including our own
children and grandchildren. How can brotherly love not make a good
impression on them when it can honestly be said that “the
charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth”
(II Thess. 1:3)?
Brotherly love binds Christians together.
Since we, as members of the church, have the same Father, we are
family (Gal. 3:26-27). That means because we are “kindly
affectioned one to another with brotherly love” (Rom. 12:10),
we hurt when our spiritual family members hurt. We share in their
joys. We seek to comfort one another (Rom. 12:15; I Thess. 4:18).
Brotherly love causes us to be determined to
handle personal conflicts properly (in the way the Lord
instructs us). Jesus says for us to “go and tell” the
brother that has offended us (Matt. 18:15-17).
Brotherly love reminds us of just how wonderful
heaven will be. “Night and day praying exceedingly that
we might see your face...” (I Thess. 3:10). Just as the apostle
Paul longed to see his brethren in this life, so we look forward to
being reunited with the saints of God in heaven, where we will
worship Him forever and never again be separated from our faithful
brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Surely every disciple of Jesus enjoys being on the
receiving end of brotherly love. But are you and I also on the
giving side of such love? Do we really demonstrate genuine love
toward our brethren in the Christ? “Let brotherly love
continue.” It pays huge dividends.
120 Will Lewis Dr. SE
Cleveland, TN 37323
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THE CHURCH CANNOT AUTHORIZE
Kevin Rutherford
Because the New Testament is
our final guide and religious
authority, we ought not accept
the doctrines of the pope,
priests, or preachers over the
doctrine of Christ.
The Roman Catholic Church arrogantly states that it gave
the Bible to the world. In reality, the Catholic Church has done
all that it can in the past to inhibit the availability of the
Scriptures. Roman Catholicism also believes that the church has the
right to authorize religious practice, and that the religious
practices authorized by the church take precedence over any
practices authorized by the New Testament, or, if the New Testament
does not authorize the practice, it doesn’t matter in the eyes
of Catholic leaders. The church can authorize whatever it wants to,
even if what it authorizes directly contradicts the Bible.
I have noticed within the past fifteen years a
dangerous trend within the church of Christ. That trend is for
people to ask questions such as, “What is church of Christ
doctrine on this matter?” Our standard of authority is not the
Roman Catholic Church; and, it is not the church of Christ. The
church of Christ is the one body established by Jesus (Eph. 4:4;
1:22-23), but, while it is the Lord’s true church, it does not
have the power to authorize religious practices.
Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the church, is the
only One with the authority to authorize religious practice for His
church (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). How does Jesus lead,
govern, and reign over His church? We might ask, “How does the
church determine what Christ has authorized?” The answer is
that Jesus rules through the New Covenant that became rule and law
at His death (Heb. 9:15-17; Col. 2:14-17).
Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ revealed His law
for the church (John 14:26; 16:13). Inspired men wrote down the
very words that Christ supplied through the Holy Spirit (I Cor.
2:13). Those words, which have been recorded and preserved for us,
make up the New Testament. The New Testament of Jesus Christ is the
law and authority for the church of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of Christ is the authority and standard for
man’s religious practice and devotion to God. It is the
standard that gives us all we need to make us spiritually complete
(II Tim. 3:15-17). We need no other standard. Accepting another
standard, including Roman Church tradition, will cause us to be
lost (Gal. 1:6-9). The New Testament is our final guide and
religious authority.
Because the New Testament is our final guide and
religious authority, we ought not accept the doctrines of the pope,
priests, or preachers over the doctrine of Christ. If we do so, we
shall be lost (II John 9-11). Jesus Christ has already given us all
the authority and instruction necessary for faithful service and
worship. He did so through His New Testament. To accept any other
standard is to be lost. Therefore, we need not be concerned about
what the church authorizes, because it has no power to authorize
religious practice. We simply ought to make sure the church is
following the standard of authority that the Lord set out for us.
Don’t ask, “What is church of Christ doctrine
on this matter?” Ask, “What does the New Testament say
concerning this matter?”
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Table of Contents
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