Category: Subject Index

Where death had once occupied the place of an extreme, complete and frightening mystery, now it has been moderated. One is careful not to take his faith to the opposite extreme and embrace death to the point of cultic suicide, but death now has more answers and a sun shines where the blight of ignorance had created so much dread.

May we all be careful and honest in both reporting our work and seeking support. Let us concentrate on the blessings God has promised the faithful and let nothing deter us from living in such a way as to reach our heavenly home (Col. 3:2; 2 Tim. 4:7-8).

It’s that time of year again, when millions make New Year’s resolutions — with many breaking them within the first week of the New Year. Resolutions are not bad. Making goals is a helpful way to achieve the improvements we wish to make in our lives. They need to be realistic and possible.

Lest one think this whole exercise in speculation is wasted space, let me note that the above statements are merely modified forms of things being said today. Take away the reference to Asa’s opposition to ancient error and replace it with some brother’s opposition to modern error and you’ve got it. Substitute the ridicule or character assassination of some faithful teacher for that of Asa and the words are identical.

Does God have a pattern for carrying out His commands to care for the needy? Yes, indeed He does, and let us never forget what happens to those who ignore or reject His pattern and go about doing things in their own way. It will always bring the wrath of God upon them.

There is no pattern for gaining spiritual growth through recreational or social means. When works defined as “edifying” are related in scripture, they invariably are spiritual works. We are edified through worship to God, prayer, singing, the preaching of the gospel of Christ. As we are admonished to, “…see that you make all things according to the pattern…” (cf. Hebrews 8:5), such silence precludes our participating in such social activities as the church.

May we get back to respecting and observing God’s order or pattern in all things. If you are a preacher, does your support come to you direct from a contributing church? Or does it come from a church that has been used to collect funds from other churches and then send those funds on to you? Are you worshiping with a church that is involved in such a sponsoring church arrangement? If so, that church is not following the divine pattern. Think about it.

I am sure that Nadab and Abihu thought that fire is fire, and that it should not make any difference where they got it. But, in thinking and acting so, it cost them their lives. The lesson for us is this: We must follow the Lord exactly as He directs, whether we understand it or not, if we are to be pleasing to Him.

Because God is holy, his call for man to be holy is proper. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).

Many have said that division among God’s people has occurred more on what the Bible does not say rather than what it says. May we never be so guilty as to make such a mistake of making the Bible say what it does not. If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. Otherwise, we do not need to hear it.

Teach your children that an important thing “to believe about God” is that He deserves respect, submission, and our profound awe. Teach them that the assembly is one of the places reverence is most important. And it is most likely that once you have “trained up your child in the way he should go, that when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

We take no joy in recounting the death of yet another Pentecostal preacher, Dwayne Long, who died while handling a rattlesnake during Easter Sunday church services.

James wrote, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work” (1:2-4). God’s grace is sufficient to help us endure any trial, if we are willing.

May I suggest that there are enough critics of the Bible in the world who cast doubts on the integrity of God’s word without brethren raising questions about the text? Preachers of the gospel are to make a “certain sound” (1 Cor. 14:7-8), not an “uncertain” one.

Some conservative preachers have moved freely between conservative and liberal churches, even having institutional preachers in for gospel meetings because it’s “different” in Europe than in the U.S. Non-institutional churches in the U.S. have financially supported so-called “conservative” preachers who labor in Europe who practice such blurring of lines as we have described in the preceding sentence because ‘it is not the same over there; they have not divided over these issues.’

As long as we have “sound churches” with brethren in them “who don’t have a clue”, then we are going to lose ground to Satan on a daily basis! As long as we have preachers who, for whatever reason, are not joining the front line of battle against this encroaching enemy, then Satan’s forces will continue to surround and destroy one church after another because of their ignorance and complacency.

Should a Christian go to the night life scene in Ybor City? No, a Christian has no business going to places of evil repute. Let us rebuke such and teach others to avoid the ungodly surroundings, rather than compromising with sin by their presence. Failure to flee from the evil will lead one to acceptance of and participation in ungodliness with the world (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Are the Scriptures cited sufficient to show one that he must believe before he can be saved (Mk. 16:16)? If those verses are able to lead one to understand that he must believe and repent in order to be forgiven and saved, why are they not complete enough to teach him that he must be baptized, too?

All I am saying is that we as individual members of the church and followers of God through Jesus Christ should keep our perspective sharp and our faith wholly rooted within the word of God and the faith, love and awe that it alone can supply to our hearts and minds (James 1:17-21).

Back to the movie. I haven’t seen it, and do not plan to go. As a Bible believer, I have what I believe to be the inspired account of Jesus’ crucifixion, and it is sufficient for me and my family. My faith is not dependant upon Hollywood (a fact for which we can all be grateful!). I have a vivid enough imagination to picture the suffering of my Lord, and do not need my senses assaulted by special effect wizardry. Besides, it seems to me the physical suffering, (the primary focus of the movie) is secondary to the spiritual. The key, according to the apostle Peter, is the fact that Christ “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).