Tagged: bible RSS Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Richard Mansel 10:42 am on May 5, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    Daily Nudge: Books of the Bible 

    I thought I would ask a question to get some discussion started on the Fellowship Room. I don’t know if this has been asked before or not. I’m not sure where I heard it. Nevertheless, here is the question.

    If you were on a deserted island and could only have two individual books of the Bible, which ones would you want and why?

    Speak up and share your thoughts on this interesting questions. Maybe they are your favorite books of the Bible or maybe they would serve special purposes for your situation.

    What say you?

     

    • Eugene Adkins 4:56 pm on May 5, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      This question is almost unfair :) Only one is a part of my “regular favorites” but considering the “island scenario” I would pick one from the OT and one from the NT.

      #1 – The Psalms: Think about the lenghty reading material in one book!

      #2 – The Gospel according to John: Becuase John just won’t let you forget about who Jesus really is!

      Good question, Richard.

    • Ron Thomas 4:59 am on May 6, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I am not quite sure what two books i would have if only two were available to me to choose from; I suspect one would be the Gospel of John, perhaps the other would be Ecclesiastes.

    • Barbara Ann Oliver 9:44 pm on May 6, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I would choose Ecclesiastes to keep me focused mentally so I wouldn’t go bonkers, and the gospel according to Luke to keep me focused on Jesus.

  • Richard Mansel 1:08 pm on May 2, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, commentaries. bible study   

    Online Commentaries for Books of the Bible 

    Someone has provided a very helpful list of online commentaries on every book of the Bible. Read, study and enjoy.

    However, all Bible students must be wise and divide truth from error when they read Biblical materials written by human beings. Some of these commentaries are by brethren but most are not. However, of the latter group, some great scholars make the list. So, use wisdom and have a pen ready to take notes.

     

     

    • Weylan Deaver 3:25 pm on May 2, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I didn’t realize all that was available for the taking. Still, there’s something about reaching for a real book on the shelf, and blowing a small puff of dust off the top before opening–can’t do that with a digital version.

  • TFRStaff 6:48 am on April 24, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    Hugh Fulford: Biblical Illiteracy 

    A number of years ago I was teaching an adult Bible class and made the passing remark that many people think that the forbidden fruit of which Eve ate was an apple but that the Bible does not actually identify the fruit.An elderly lady from the back of the class spoke up and said that the Bible did say it was an apple.I kindly suggested that we turn to Genesis 3 and read the account.Of course, when we did so, it was easy to see that the kind of fruit of which Eve (and, later, Adam) ate is not identified.Not to be outdone, the good lady said, “Well, it could have been an apple!”We all had a good laugh, but the point was made that many people often think the Bible says a certain thing, teaches a certain doctrine, or authorizes a certain practice when, upon investigation, many of the things frequently attributed to the Bible are not actually found in the Scriptures.

    Tradition says that three wise men came to visit the child Jesus, yet when the biblical record is consulted one does not find the number of the wise men given (Matthew 2:1-12).The title “Reverend” is commonly applied to preachers, yet the word appears but once in our English translations (Psalms 111:9), and there it is applied to God.And while it is true that the root from which the word comes is found in many places in scripture to refer to holy and sacred things, Jesus forbade the wearing of religious titles of distinction (Matthew 23:8-9).

    When I was a very young preacher I was conducting a meeting in a southern state and staying in the home of one of the leaders of the church.He was a good man, loved the church, and had raised a good family of faithful Christian children.How shocked I was when one evening after the services he asked, “Hugh, how old was Jesus when He joined the church?”Since I thought he was being facetious, I came within a gnat’s whisker of laughing in his face.I caught myself just in time to realize that he was dead serious.Now, it is certainly true that Christ and the church enjoy an intimate relationship.The church is the body of which Christ is the head.For an understanding of Christ’s relationship to the church one needs to read and digest the first three chapters of Ephesians.But the church did not exist in historical reality during the earthly ministry of Christ, and Jesus never “joined” the church in the sense in which people today talk about “joining” the church.In fact, the whole concept of “joining” the church is deserving of deeper study, for the Bible speaks more in terms of a person being saved from his or her sins and being “added” to the church than it does of “joining” the church (Acts 2:41, 47).

    In a certain city where I once lived a preacher of a particular denomination conducted a daily radio program designed to spread the beliefs of his church.His knowledge of both the Scriptures and basic grammar was highly suspect.On one occasion he cited Paul’s admonition, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).He then observed, “Yes, the Bible says the devil is wild, and he is getting wilder ever’ day!”While his observation likely was true, there is a vast difference between the “wiles” of the devil and the fact that the devil may also be “wild.”

    We need to be diligent students of the Bible.People sometimes show their ignorance of the Bible by speaking against things the Bible clearly endorses.Desiring to appear to know more than they do, they oppose things the Bible commends.At the same time, not everything that is said to be taught in the Scriptures is actually taught in the Scriptures.Of the Bereans it is said: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).Paul exhorted: “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (I Thessalonians 5:21).We need to be diligently engaged in such today.

    Hugh Fulford

    Hugh’s news and Views

    April 24, 2012

     

    • Russ McCullough 7:31 am on April 24, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      We have a brother here that very ably points our that Saul was not saved “on the road to Damascus” (rather only after he heard the Word from Ananias) and he was not “thrown from his beast of burden.” The Bible never says whether Saul was walking or riding. “IF” he was riding, the Bible never indicates what it was he was riding. Good observations, Hugh.

  • Richard Mansel 3:43 pm on April 12, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible,   

    A Great Question 

    A man I am studying with asked a profound question: Why can’t people just open the Bible and do what it says?

    I wonder the same thing (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 4:6).

     

    • Eugene Adkins 6:11 am on April 13, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I was studying with a young couple who are friends about what the Bible simply teaches when it comes to becoming a Christian. The young woman also said something profound about a person’s willingness to obey the gospel (or the lack thereof, actually) after the study was over.She said, “We make it hard don’t we?” To which I replied, “Yes, we do. We don’t like to tell ourselves no because we don’t always like to change the way we’re living.” (Acts 24:25) Her comment reminded me about what it’s like to make that intial step of repentance that Jesus calls for through the Bible.

    • Stephen R. Bradd 3:30 pm on April 15, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Some do. May we be of that number!

      Within the past month, a woman I know from the area has left her “husband” & is living on her own. Though they both have strong feelings for each other, she has finally admitted to herself that she has no Biblical right to be with this man. I didn’t need to persuade her (though she appreciated being reassured–particularly when other “preachers” have advised her that there is nothing wrong with her current adulterous situation!)

      “Peace, peace!” where there is no peace–the shameful theme of many modern-day “preachers”!

  • Richard Mansel 9:00 am on March 30, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible,   

    Listening to the Bible 

    A few months ago, I downloaded a digital audio book of the complete NKJV on the laptop. I listen to it when I am at the office and not studying. I’m honored that I was able to listen to the entire Old Testament for the first time. It is 46 hours long which shows just how long the OT really is. I’ve listened to the NT dozens of times but every time is fresh and wonderful. I am enjoying Matthew right now.

    I hope to listen to the entire Bible two more times this year, which is a blessing. The entire book is 60 hours, so it takes awhile. :)

    We have so many tools to use in Bible Study. Yet, brethren may study less than at any time since the Restoration began. Few things are as sad as that.

    Study the Word!

     

    • Steve 9:09 pm on March 30, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Richard, would you mind sharing your source for the digital audio book? Do I understand the OT is 46 hours and the entire Bible recording is 60 hours? I have been in other folks outer buildings ( like a shop, garage or barn) and they make a point to leave on their religious music 24/7. However I would welcome the opportunity to offer God’s Word 24/7 in our greenhouse area.

      • Richard Mansel 9:21 pm on March 30, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        You can go to Amazon and put in the particular version you like and audio digital or CD and find your options. Here is the one I own:

        http://tinyurl.com/78mx9l7

        There is a negative review because the audio book is divided in 16 sections and you can’t go to specific passages. Yet, if you want continuous play, it will be great. You would just have to click the next track after a few hours.

        • Steve 9:25 pm on March 30, 2012 Permalink

          Thank you so much!

  • John Henson 11:12 am on March 22, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    Don’t Forget Your Bible 

    People going on vacation this summer will remember sun block, appropriate clothing, money for the trip, hotels, gasoline, and food.

    The most important thing to remember (and, perhaps, the one most left behind) is a Bible.

    Going on a vacation doesn’t mean one should abandon the study of the Bible. Feeding the soul is just as important as feeding oneself food. But isn’t it curious that people will seldom miss a meal, but they will leave home without their main source of spiritual food?

    Oh, and don’t forget your spiritual family. No one going on a summer trip would forget the husband, wife or children (unless you’re making a movie about leaving one of them home), but there are people who leave town forgetting the church still needs financial support. The church also needs to plan for its worship and work, so it would be a good thing if you let the elders know you’ll be away, wouldn’t it?

    Do some planning, too, before launching out. Find out where you’re going to worship God before you leave. Make sure you know the worship and Bible study times and make sure your children understand these things are as important to you as where the best surfing is (Matthew 6:33).

    Remember God in prayer, too, for you want a safe and happy journey. Remember to ask for one!

     

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 5:25 am on March 10, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    A shame to waste the “Word” YahooGroup 

    What an amazing discovery, some months ago, that the name “Word” had not been taken already to create a group on YahooGroups. So we did. But the email discussion group has not taken off. Would you help make this group a go and take advantage of such a great name?

    See the group page here, or join up right now by email.

    We’d like to find someone to manage the group, to take it and run with it. If you know of a good candidate, let us know.

     

    • Ron Thomas 4:56 am on March 11, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I made a post to WORD yesterday, but I am wondering if the post even made it to its proper location for consideration.

    • J. Randal Matheny 5:49 am on March 11, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I saw two posts of yours on WORD list yesterday. The latter I’m still pondering. May be a bit of a job resurrecting the participation of the list members.

      • Ron Thomas 6:01 am on March 11, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Well, at least I know it made it. I think you’re right with regard to the difficulty of resurrecting it. I can’t monitor it because of time and ability; you probably have more on your plate already. Your encouragement, however, is worth the effort because surely there is a “timothy” out there that might be interested in doing such.

  • Ed Boggess 8:45 am on March 9, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, eclipse,   

    A letter was sent to the church and when I opened it, I saw it was hand printed. Then, scanning, I saw the words in bold caps: “solar eclipse and blood moons”. It was only a page and though it had no signature, I decided to read it. Its author warned of a major event in 2014 and 2015 and spoke of coming eclipses and the moon turning to blood. Of course, I recognized immediately the biblical allusion. Such terminology was prophetically used for the downfall of Babylon, Egypt and Jerusalem. But don’t get too excited. There have been plenty of eclipses and blood moons with no consequences. What makes a natural event significant is not its normal occurrence, but that it is used by a prophet to declare God’s judgment against a people or city. Even then, the prophecy must be fulfilled. This is Just-a-Minute with Ed Boggess

     

  • John T. Polk II 11:53 pm on February 13, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , Snowmen   

    Snowmen In The Bible 

    Power Point Sermon at

    http://doverchurchofchrist.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/SnowmenInTheBible.swf

     

  • Richard Mansel 4:51 pm on February 8, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , bible, ,   

    Completely Missing the Point [Updated] 

    Teaching Revelation is fascinating. Reading the bizarre comments from commentaries is both mystifying and amusing. I saw one today that I wanted to share. I shall withhold the name of the commentary to protect the guilty. :)

    Revelation 17:6 says: I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

    The commentator came to this grisly, powerful verse and spent his entire entry on the dangers of drinking alcohol. I kid you not.

    Here we have faithful Christians, godly people walking in the light, being massacred for being in Christ and all he can muster is don’t drink alcohol? This verse should provoke tears rather than a temperance lesson.

    It is actually offensive to think that someone could ignore the sacrifice of the martyrs while riding a hobby horse. Have some respect for those who died for their faith!

    Sometimes you don’t understand what runs through people’s minds.

     

  • John Henson 12:02 pm on January 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    The Bible IS Inspired by God 

    Writers and commentators in the world often see the Bible very differently than faithful members of the Lord’s church.

    Members of the body of Christ know the Bible is inspired. They know this because the New Testament says it is inspired. The Apostle Peter said “but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” (2 Peter 1:21). The Apostle Paul wrote, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” (2 Timothy 3:16). As far as the apostles of Christ were concerned, the Bible was (and is) the inspired word of Almighty God.

    But many do not share the inspired apostles’ claims. J.B. Phillips, the translator of the “New Testament in Modern English” said in the foreword of his book, “For the most part, I am convinced they (the writers of the New Testament) had no idea they were writing Holy Scriptures.” Phillips also said he was an interpreter rather than a translator, saying that, at times, “he is bound, after careful consideration, to set down the most likely meaning” of a passage.

    Such an attitude reflects the view of the Bible as uninspired, for if the Bible is the inspired word of God, no one would dare tamper with its words. If the Bible is the inspired word of the Almighty Father, then all would have to honor it and obey it as it is written, instead of paraphrasing it to sound like a bedtime story.

    There is a reason, of course, why the world denies the inspiration of the Bible. If the Bible is not inspired, then it may be ignored and the individual may continue his or her life deaf to its message. To them, the Bible is just an ordinary human document, like any other book; there is no requirement to obey it or hold ones’ life accountable to it.

    But the Lord Christ promised divine inspiration while he was on earth (Matthew 10:18-20; John 16:13-14). The Lord kept his promise in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit inspired these same men to speak his word before that large crowd in Jerusalem.

    People, however, deny the inspiration of the scriptures because they deny the scriptures’ authority on how to conduct themselves. They deny the scriptures’ authority so they can commit adultery, allow themselves to be drunken with alcohol, engage in sexual immorality and allow hundreds of other sins in which they wish to engage. They wish to degrade the scriptures because they want to put God in other than first place. (Matthew 6:33).

    But the Bible is the inspired word of God. It does have the authority to regulate conduct of people on the earth, and it has that ability because it is God’s word! The Bible is the inspired word of God no matter what man may say against it.

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 4:58 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible,   

    Eternal vs. ephemeral 

    More is found in a single page of the Bible than in all the books of man. The eternal remains, the ephemeral soon passes.

     

  • Ron Thomas 4:45 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, Lincoln, , , votes   

    Abraham Lincoln, the clergy, elections, and reading Bible aright 

    Some things are worth repeating.

    During the time Abraham Lincoln was running for President of the United States he stayed in Springfield IL (it was not the norm for the presidential candidate to canvass the country for votes; this was done by his supporters). One day in October of that year (1860) Lincoln desired to survey all the voters (all males) in Springfield. He was particularly interested in the votes of the clergy. A book was given him, he looked at it, closed the book, and turned to his friend.

    “Here are twenty-three ministers of different denominations, and all of them are against me but three; and here are a great many prominent members of the churches, a very large majority of whom are against me. Mr. Bateman, I am not a Christian – God knows I would be one – but I have carefully read the Bible, and I do not understand this book.”  Taking a copy of his New Testament out of his pocket, he continued.

    “These men well know that I am for freedom in the territories, freedom everywhere as far as the Constitution and laws will permit, and my opponents are for slavery. They know this; and yet, with this book in their hands, in the light of which human bondage cannot live a moment, they are going to vote against me. I do not understand it at all.”

    Mr. Lincoln paused, rose to his feet, and walked up and down the room with his head bowed. When he raised his face it was wet with tears.

    “I know there is a God,” he said, “and that He hates injustice and slavery. I see a storm coming, and I know that His hand is in it. If He has a place and work for me – and I think He has – I believe I am ready. I am nothing, but the truth is everything. I know I am right because I know liberty is right, for Christ teaches it and Christ is God … with God’s help I shall not fail. I may not see the end, but it will come, and I will be vindicated; and these men will find that they have not read their Bibles aright.”

    (The Humorous Mr. Lincoln, Keith Johnson, The Country Press, 1988, p. 66)

     

    • Mike Riley 6:41 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      What an insight Mr. Lincoln had! We sorely need another Abraham Lincoln in the White House today.

      • Ron Thomas 9:11 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        Thanks, Mike. Reading the book I mentioned at the end of the post, I have found, is a most pleasant one.

    • Don Ruhl 10:41 pm on December 2, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks, Ron. I enjoy reading about Lincoln. He had his faults like all of us, but he was also a great American.

      • Ron Thomas 4:56 am on December 3, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        It’s interesting, Don, how most think this. Unfavorable remarks – or remarks that are nothing greater in value than being neutral have come from the South. It is too bad that some in the South have failed to see the same.

  • J. Randal Matheny 5:29 am on November 24, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    John's open door 

    God opens the door to John to show what he is doing in the world. http://wp.me/pbYlo-19K Today’s devotional thought over on my blog.

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 11:23 am on November 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , Bible exposition   

    300 words per Bible chapter 

    Could you write "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" using about 300 words for each Bible chapter? G. Campbell Morgan did it, in 542 pages (Revel, 1959). Would be a fascinating and daunting challenge to do a similar project today.

     

    • Weylan Deaver 1:19 pm on November 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      1189 chapters x 300 words = 356,700 words. A big undertaking, but it would provide you with nearly 23 years’ worth of bulletin articles.

    • Mike Riley 1:50 pm on November 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Bro. Frank J. Dunn has an analysis of every book in the Bible in his book entitled, “Know Your Bible.”

    • J. Randal Matheny 5:16 am on November 23, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      A number of people, even in the brotherhood, have done some sort of treatment book by book. I have yet to see anything chapter by chapter, a synopsis-type work.

      Weylan, Campbell published these in a British paper. But it must have been a book at a time.

  • J. Randal Matheny 5:31 am on November 16, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , , QuickBibleTruths   

    Knowledge of God 

    "The way to knowledge of God is through knowledge of Christ, and the way to knowledge of Christ is by faith in his promises as revealed in the Bible." —Donald Bloesch, Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord, pp. 15-16

    "No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known." John 1:18 NET

    Quick Bible Truths

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 10:00 am on November 14, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    Just Bible 

    Earlier, we’d asked about sites that offered only the Biblical text, with no other content. Three so far have been found, that offer four versions. The rules set down are stringent, and if no more sites are found, they might get relaxed later. But let’s work with these rules.

    Please suggest more sites that follow the criteria. I’ve put the list, for now, here.

    Somebody, somewhere, might want to make this a project of putting the Bible online, just the Bible, with no further content or links. Don’t we teach that the Bible only makes Christians only?

     

  • TFRStaff 7:50 am on October 20, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , ,   

    Loving the law of God 

    Good morning everyone. Our text today is found in Ps. 119:97-104. Of course, as we said in an earlier lesson, all of this psalm is excellent reading for an attitude toward knowledge of the Word. Each of these eight verses has a lesson for us.

    • 97: O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
      • Have you thought about what it means to love the law. Sometimes the law of God is our strongest rebuke. Do we love it then? Sometimes it requires us to forego what we may consider a sweet pleasure. Do we love it then? Sometimes it may require of us activities that we strongly resist. Do we love it then? Our love for the word must go beyond our wants to our welfare. We must love it because of the pure character it creates in us. We must love it because of the disciplined person it causes us to become. We must love it because it has the only instruction that can save us and those we love and know. Our fleshly feelings about what we want or do not want must be subjugated to our love for God and therefore for the word he gives us.
    • 98: Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
      • Wisdom, the commodity more precious than gold, can only be ours through the understanding knowledge of God’s word. We need not mistake worldly wisdom for getting rich or getting ahead or gaining prestige as the most valuable wisdom. Solomon had all of this freely given to him by God, but the wisdom he needed to gain for himself through the knowledge of the word was lost to him as he squandered his time on earth in pursuits that would not help him in judgment.
    • 99: I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
      • We spend a lot of time studying about a lot of things. If at home, our parents have reverently taught us the Word and impressed upon us, by word and action, it’s precepts, then we are more educated than our teachers. They may know math, science, grammar (or whatever), but we know the mind of the creator through his revealed will. May we do as much for our own children.
    • 100: I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
      • Once again we see that understanding comes with knowledge. You see, with the correct knowledge, we are able to put things in the proper perspective. We learn that if we love God and His word more than our family, then we have loved our family in the highest way we can upon this earth. We learn that if we love spiritual life more than physical life, then we are ready for death while others are still preparing for retirement. We learn that it is more important to save a soul than save a dollar. It is more important to die than to live, to serve than to be served. With knowledge, we are prepared for life and for death. Most of the multitudes that have come before us and that surround us do know this.
    • 101: I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
      • It is knowledge that leads us from evil so that we can be prepared for death. Restraint that we exercise because of God’s word does not limit our life, it make it rich. Trust, safety, security, certainty, love, health, family are all results from following principles of God. Crime, lawsuits, fear, divided families, broken bodies, insecurities are the result of evil. The more we keep the Word, the more we escape these evils. The more we refrain from practicing these evils, the more we appreciate the Word.
    • 102: I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
      • We must keep the word continuously, not just occasionally. “If we walk in the light…” (1 Jn. 1:7) denotes continuous action on our part. Not only has God taught us that, He is helping us do that (1 Cor. 10:13; Heb. 4:16).
    • 103: How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
      • When we realize all that God’s word does for us, we will naturally love it. We must, however, continue to partake of it in order to keep a taste for it. We must not mix it with the ingredients of sin or our taste will change ever so subtly till we no longer have a taste for the word of God. Protect yourself and your children from this doom.
    • 104: Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
      • I pray that I am constantly working on my mind to “…Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good” (Rom. 12:9). It is hard for me to have the mind of God toward evil if I do not constantly fill my mind with what he says. This is why the Bible is full of admonitions to God more knowledge. To walk with God we must be in agreement with Him (Amos 3:3).

    Mike Glenn

     

  • Richard Mansel 11:43 am on October 1, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible,   

    The Joy of Bible Study 

    Will you share your thoughts on the joy of Bible Study? Why do you enjoy it? What does it do for you besides give you the Word of God?

     

    • Mike Riley 7:03 pm on October 1, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Why do I enjoy Bible study?

      1) Because I receive insight into the mind of God through the inspired words provided by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11-12).
      2) Because I receive spiritual edification and renewal from the inspired words that I read and ingest into my mind (2 Corinthians 12:19; Romans 12:2).
      3) Because God’s word helps me not to sin (Psalm 37:31; Psalm 119:11).
      4) Because God’s word is a light (Psalm 119:105), illuminating the right path for me to take in my walk here on earth (Proverbs 3:5-6), that I might be pleasing to Him (John 4:34; John 5:30; John 6:38; John 8:29)
      5) Because through daily Bible study, I learn to put on the characteristics of my Lord (loving, merciful, forgiving, compassionate, humble, etc.) to become more like Him (Gal. 2:20).
      6) Because I can look at the history of God’s people and learn from their examples (Romans 15:4; cf. Hebrews 3:5-13; Hebrews 11; Hebrews 12:14-17; Jude 1).
      7) Because I love God and desire to keep His commandments (John 14:15; John 15:14; 1 John 2:3), Bible study being one of those commandments (2 Timothy 2:15).
      8) Because I love sharing the Word of God with others and interacting with them (2 Timothy 2:1-2), and you can’t teach what you don’t know (Hebrews 5:12-13).

      There are many other reasons why I enjoy Bible study, but the above reasons will suffice for now.

  • J. Randal Matheny 1:13 pm on August 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, Christian Scriptures, , ,   

    What the Iranians understand better than denominationalists 

    The title of the news article reads, “Troubled by Growth of Christianity, Iranian Regime Destroys Bibles.” Want to stop the growth of Christianity? Then get rid of the power behind the movement, the Bible. This is something that the Iranian mullahs seem to understand.

    Would that people who claim to be Christians had such insight!

    There is no limit to the liberal denials about the inspiration and infallibility of Scripture. Central doctrines, such as the incarnation, the miracles, and resurrection of Christ, are commonly and frequently denied. Liberals consider the Word of God as myths and stories stitched together that interpret, by no small stretch of the imagination, Jesus as the Son of God who died for the sins of the world.

    One Episcopal bishop denies all these doctrines, a not atypical approach to sweeping away the Bible while pretending to hang on to some vestige of religion:

    • God as the creator distinct from the creation
    • Adam as a special creation and historical figure
    • The Devil as an actual entity
    • The historical fall of humanity from innocence into sin
    • Israel as ever having been God’s chosen people
    • The doctrine of the Trinity
    • Christ as preexisting in heaven before his human life
    • Christ as the incarnation of God, as the God-man
    • The virgin birth of Christ
    • Christ performed miracles
    • The bodily resurrection of Christ
    • The ascension of Christ
    • The Atonement — Christ’s death as delivering human beings from sin
    • Salvation through faith in Christ alone
    • Eternal punishment for the unbelieving or the wicked (cited by K. Boa)

    With such a list, there’s nothing left to defend as distinctive about the Christian faith. The Christ-less bishop obviously doesn’t believe that the Bible is essential to Christianity.

    Evangelicals today, however, are little better. While mouthing allegiance, they give the Bible less and less space as music and theater crowd out the sacred oracles. As well, their moral positions (not to mention doctrinal denials of biblical teaching) are little better than the liberals. Adultery, just to mention one, is rife among them.

    Those outside of Christ know better than those who claim some allegiance to the Lord that the Bible is the heart and soul of the Way. Would to God that we know it, too.

     

  • Ron Thomas 12:29 pm on August 25, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    Divine Pattern 

    The church in the New Testament, though, does not allow us to accept or reject issues and doctrines as we like. In fact, it calls upon us to accept the Lord and His way since He is the Author of eternal salvation. “Think of it – a DIVINE church. To many people, especially those who have been disappointed by a church member, the church is anything but a divine institution. However, let us pause for reflection. When we talk about the church in the Bible we are talking about a pattern or an ideal – yea, a pattern or an ideal for our reproduction. This is almost axiomatic for since the Bible is a DIVINE book anything within would be of divine origin. But, wait just a minute! IF THERE IS A DIVINE PATTERN FOR ME TO FOLLOW, AM I NOT MORE THAN PRESUMPTUOUS TO FOLLOW ANYTHING ELSE? What would it mean for me to fabricate my own pattern and call men to follow it when all the while there is a divine pattern awaiting my use?” (Don Dewelt, The Church in the Bible, p. 18).

     

    • Mike Riley 3:26 pm on August 25, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Good thoughts, Ron! Fabricating one’s own pattern, wouldn’t be a good idea (Gal. 1:6-10).

      • Ron 4:59 am on August 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        Thank you, Mike. Don DeWelt (deceased) was a Christian Church preacher, professor. When some in the brotherhood want to speak against a NT pattern and be aligned with the Christian Church, it’s worth noting that even some there understand the NT concept.

  • J. Randal Matheny 10:34 am on August 16, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , ,   

    No divine truth fails to apply to man’s need and service. All doctrine finds usefulness in daily faith. What God says always makes a difference to his creatures. “Every Scripture is … useful.” As well, no faith can be exercised apart from truth. Every spiritual movement springs from an oracle of the Lord. We are God’s evangelists, all of us, and his words, all of them, bring life, create meaning, provide strength, establish purpose, and issue forth in fellowship with his glorious presence.

     

  • Larry Miles 9:36 pm on August 10, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible,   

    Why We Teach God’s Word 

    Why do we teach the Word of God? We are instructed to be good Bible students. 2nd Tim. 2:15 tells us that we must “…rightly divide the Word of truth.” We are to study God’s Word to learn His will for us and to learn how we can apply it to our daily walk for the Lord Jesus.

    We have an obligation, yea, privilege, to not only study the Bible for our own spiritual growth, we study it to help others learn more about God’s Word. Paul told Timothy, in 2 Tim. 2:1-2 “You then, my child, be strengthened by he grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have learned from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

    One reason to study God’s Word is so that we can help future generations to remain faithful to the Word! We must teach the Bible in a way that will encourage our students to want to share it with their students, thus keeping on making disciples and teaching them what the Lord has taught personally and through His apostles. By doing this we will ensure that we, along with the ones we teach have a firm foundation in God’s Word. We will instill a desire in our students to regard the Bible as God’s Word and to base their faith upon that standard. We must know what we believe and why. If we put the proper emphasis on the Bible we will not be led astray by false teachers.

    Let’s faithfully teach the Bible! Someone taught the Word of God to whoever taught us, so let’s praise God for that and tell someone about Jesus ad His Word!

     

  • Ed Boggess 8:17 am on July 5, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , , Linkletter   

    Biblical respect – JAM 

    In his book “Kid’s Say The Darndest Things” Art Linkletter relates asking one boy: “What are you learning in school?” They boy replied: “Not to fight with friends.” “How do they do that?” “They read from the Bible: ‘thou shalt not kill’.” Art said: “I’m glad they’ve stopped killing at school play grounds. But have you been punished lately?” “Yes.” “For what?”, Art asked. “Hitting a kid in the face with a cupcake.” “Why did you do that?” The boy replied: “It’s not in the Bible.” Now that was one young man who had the right answer. We live in a world with shifting morals and changing ethics. The cultural pundits declare there are no absolute truths. But don’t you believe them. They speak according to the direction of the wind. But God’s word never changes and declares both right and wrong; good and evil. This is Just-A-Minute with Ed Boggess

     

  • joyjensen 9:20 am on June 17, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , new converts, ,   

    From a Babe You’ve Known the Sacred Writings 

    One thing that I’ve been working on lately is a list of suggested Old Testament Lessons with References .  Ignorance of Bible content is not a problem limited to third world countries, such as where we currently live.  It is an increasingly world-wide challenge, as worldly pleasures compete more and more for our time.  This isn’t just a challenge for children and youth, but it affects all ages.  So, I would like to challenge you to make Bible knowledge a priority in your family.  Help your children become students of the Word.

    Knowledge alone is not the same thing
    as a tender heart that desires to please God.
    However, our family members, 
    both young and old, 
     need to see that within the pages of His Word
    there are men and women who were real,
    who had the same basic struggles as we have.
    They  need to see that some people made good choices 
    and some made bad choices,
    and they need to see what God’s response was,
    based on the choices made.
    Our families need to be amazed
    at God’s power and providence throughout the ages.

    If there is one thing I’d like to stress, it is that we should not underestimate the minds of little children! They are FAR MORE capable than we often realize.  Most two and three year old children are capable of learning all of the books of the Bible, from memory!  You may find that you have some catching up to do, and that’s okay, as long as you recognize the need and you are willing to do something about it.  Learn together with your children.

    So far I have the list finished for the Old Testament.  Please know that this list is just a starting place!  It is in no way a complete list of all relevant events in the Old Testament. Keep in mind that one of the reasons I am compiling these lists is so that I can have them translated into Swahili so that they can be shared with parents who absolutely do not know how to go about teaching their children, as well as people who are “starting from scratch” in their Bible knowledge, such as new converts.

    I’m still working on one for the New Testament and it is proving to be much more difficult for me to decide what to list, but hopefully I will be done with my N.T. list soon.
     

  • Richard Hill 1:39 pm on June 14, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , bible,   

    What’s Your Source? 

    Every weekday for years at about 11:30 a.m. the telephone operator in a small town received a call from a man asking for the exact time. One day she got up the nerve to ask him why he called so often.

    “I’m foreman of the local saw mill,” the man explained, “every day I have to blow the whistle exactly at noon, so I call you for the correct time.”

    “That’s funny,” the operator giggled, “All these years we’ve been setting our clock by your whistle!”

    This is a funny story and as long as every is on the same page regarding time what does it really matter?   However regarding things truly transcendent it is vital we go to the right source.

    When humans use other humans as authority in spiritual matters it might sound appealing, it might feel good and it might seem right. Using these criteria will not make it right. There is only one source for spiritual matters. God is that source. It is found in his revelation. That revelation is called the Bible. There is none other.

    Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 5:37 am on May 10, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, Reliability of the Bible   

    Hugh Fulford: Is the Bible reliable? 

    Bible is reliableCritics of the Bible often claim that it has been translated and re-translated so many times that we cannot be sure that what we have today is the original and pure word of God. They think that the text has been corrupted over the years and that there is no way we can know for sure that the Bible we now have is reliable.

    From where or whom did such notions arise? Have those who entertain them ever read and studied about how the various documents of the Bible originated and how those documents were preserved and handed down?

    Have they ever compared the reliability of the Biblical text with the reliability of other ancient writings—for example, such Greek philosophers and writers as Sophocles, Euripides, Plato, Aristotle, et. al.—and for which the evidence of the reliability of their writings is not nearly as strong as the evidence for the reliability of the text of the Bible?

    If one does not question the reliability of the texts of Plato, Aristotle, et. al., why question the text of the Bible which has far greater supporting evidence?

    There are over 5300 Greek manuscripts of our New Testament. Some of these are quite old, going back to very near the time of the originals.

    • Codex Vaticanus, dating back to A.D. 325-350, contains most of the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) and most of the New Testament through Hebrews.
    • Codex Sinaiticus, dates back to A.D. 350, and contains the entire New Testament and a large part of the Greek Old Testament.
    • Codex Alexandrinus goes back to around A.D. 400 and contains the Greek Old Testament and most of the New Testament. (Note: A codex was an early form of a book.)

    The early Christians wrote extensively of their religion and frequently quoted from the writings of the apostles of Christ and others they considered inspired. Of these, Neil Lightfoot has written:

    “Not a few of their quotations give us the exact words of their Biblical texts. These quotations not only supply many of the words of their Scriptures, but they also reveal what kind of text was in existence in the second and third centuries” (How We Got The Bible, page 45).

    Some 32,000 citations from the New Testament existed prior to the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325.

    The text of our Bible rests on a firm foundation. Committees of Hebrew scholars (for the Old Testament) and Greek scholars (for the New Testament), representing various religious traditions, were responsible for our best and most cherished English translations such as the King James, the New King James, the American Standard, the New American Standard, the Revised Standard, the New Revised Standard, the as well as a number of other good English translations.

    Sir Frederic Kenyon, a British Bible scholar, wrote:

    “The Christian can take the whole Bible in his hand and say without fear or hesitation that he holds in it the true word of God, handed down without essential loss from generation to generation throughout the centuries” (as quoted by Lightfoot, page 191).

    Jesus promised, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words will be no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

    Did the Son of God speak the truth when He made that statement? Has God seen to it that His word has been preserved for mankind down through the ages? Is it not rather foolish for a person to ignore the Bible and its teaching on the unwarranted assumption that “we can’t be sure that the Bible we have today is the word of God as it was originally given”? Is this wishful thinking on the part of some, an “escape hatch,” a way of excusing themselves from taking the Bible seriously? What are they going to do when they face that word on the Day of Judgment?

    Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

    Better to trust and obey and be safe than to doubt and disobey and be forever sorry.

    Hugh Fulford
    May 3, 2011
    hugh’s news & Views

     

    • John Henson 9:56 am on May 10, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Bro. Fulford is exactly right.

    • Mike Riley 5:34 pm on May 10, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Yes, the Bible is indeed the most reliable book that’s ever been written: http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/840-from-gods-mind-to-man-the-bible

    • telson 12:17 am on June 28, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Often, many researchers who doubt the history of the Bible may say things like: “In the real world, miracles have never occurred.” These statements may influence people’s minds. They may say that the issues described in the Bible are unreliable.
      However, it is good to note that such statements are nothing new: They have been presented over the course of the past two hundred years. Actually, it is interesting to note that as Darwin’s theory of evolution, and the theory of the Ice Age became well-known, criticism of the Bible simultaneously began to gain ground. Researchers began to spring up who questioned the writings about the life of Jesus and other Biblical events. They may have thought that if the Creation and the Flood are not true in light of these theories, we would then have no reason to believe information about Jesus. So it is certainly not by chance that all three issues were raised almost simultaneously.
      In any case, it is good for us to study this. The purpose is, especially, to help those people who want to know more about the reliability of Biblical information, and to show how reasonable it is to trust in the truth of described events. If you struggle with this issue, it is worth your while to read further.

      More info; http://www.jariiivanainen.net/canwetrustcriticismoftheBible.html

  • Ron Thomas 6:00 am on April 14, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , bible,   

    Atheism’s New Bible 

    Not long ago an atheist published his “secular Bible,” a “bible” that focuses attention on “the non-religious teachings of civilization’s greatest thinkers.” This sort of “bible” is called the “Humanist Bible” (http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/leading-atheist-publishes-secular-bible/?hpt=T2).

    The author of this new book said: “The Bible would have been ‘a very different book and may have produced a very different history for mankind,’ had it drawn on the work of philosophers and writers as opposed to prophets and apostles, says Grayling, a philosopher and professor at Birkbeck College, University of London, who is an atheist.”

    Yes, there is no doubt this would be correct. But, isn’t that what we need – a “bible” authored by philosophers and writers of a varied sort! In this book, there would be no uniformity of message that transcends man; no purpose to a life currently lived that is not associated with subjectivity; and neither would we have any ultimate hope in (or from) the life we live. Yes, we could use a book like that, couldn’t we?!

    One of atheism’s great difficulties arises in the area of morality; they can give no reason for an objective standard of morality’s existence. According to the ideology of atheism all morality stays in the area of subjectivity. This is by necessity, though it is not something that positive atheists are particularly pleased about. Recognizing this, the author says, “[Humanistic ethics] tended to start from a sympathetic understanding of human nature and accept that there’s a responsibility that each individual has to work out the values they live by and especially to recognize that the best of our good lives revolve around having good relationships with people.”

    While this sounds pleasant, it is full of destructive ideologies. For instance: what if a person wanted to “work out” their particular values and those “worked out” values did not correspond to the community’s values; would there be any necessary, objective reason to change them? Furthermore, who determines what is “responsible” that is to be placed in another’s possession? What if those so-called “community values” had their authority in Moscow (communism), Berlin (nationalist socialists), or in some other atrocious community (government) of the past? This is the pure course of atheism. Atheism gives us no good reason to accept its tenets.

    However, atheism is not alone in tragedy purported in its name. History has declared much in the way of unseemly characters that have attempted to move aggressively in God’s name. It is prudent that we reject those individuals and ideologies that pervert God’s righteousness.

    Still, there is a foundation in place from which to spring forward, and that foundation is in God’s righteous standard as recorded in Scripture, a message that is greater than any individual man. Now, the options before man are simple: either the foundation for life has its existence in God, or not. If not, then the foundation of atheism plants the feet of people where, and on what? They assert that they give “rational” reasons for their ideology, but an ideology that that promotes, ultimately, hopelessness and human subjectivity is an ideology that is meaningless and to be discarded. Not much of a rational reason found in this! The foundation of atheism encourages us to reach for nothing, but survival of the fittest. Atheism has no solid foundation upon which to stand, and it has no meaningful hope in life that will pull one through the greatest of afflictions. Atheism is empty!

     

     

     

  • Richard Mansel 1:01 pm on April 10, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible,   

    Someone’s Confused 

    Someone tells me on Twitter that the Holy Spirit needs my help reviewing a new version of the New Testament. I’m quite certain the Holy Spirit doesn’t need my help with anything. God is quite capable of handling things without me. :)

    It is ridiculous that people borrow the names of the Godhead whenever they need Them.  We need to pray for those who are deceived by false teachers in this world (Galatians 1:6-9).

    We are to fear God (Proverbs 14:27) and that would certainly include His name! (Exodus 20:7). Stay strong by staying in the book. (John 14:15).

     

  • Richard Mansel 9:15 am on March 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , translations   

    Robbing the Bible Again 

    Peter once said to Jewish leaders about preaching the Gospel, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). God told Jeremiah, when he called him to be a prophet, “Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you” (Jeremiah 1:8).

    We trust God and fear Him above anything man has to say or offer to the discussion. Culture must never be allowed to override what God says. Yet, that never stops the vanity of humanity when it comes to the Word of God.

    Once again, mankind is more frightened of being criticized by humans than they are of the Divine God and His wrath to come. Dictionary.com is discussing how translations of God’s Word are changed and whether that will have an impact on the meaning of Scripture. Of course, many publishers don’t care as long as money rolls in.

    What are your thoughts about the article entitled, What Words Will be Changed in Two New Editions to the Bible?

     

    • J. Randal Matheny 11:54 am on March 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Seems replacing “booty” for “spoils of war” was a good option. Languages change over time, so translations need to communicate accurately in terms that people understand, not a foreign tongue from years past that no one speaks any more.

      Many of the comments show much ignorance. I wanted to ask this lady how she knew what she affirmed: “The KJV is the ONLY version that I believe is the closest to the way God wanted us to read his word. Changing ‘words’ is man’s attempt to change what shouldn’t be changed. God knew a long time ago what today’s language would be like and He chose to have it HIS way.”

      Maybe she had a direct revelation. And I bet it was in KJV language.

  • TFRStaff 10:39 am on March 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , ,   

    Hugh Fulford: Another Look at CENI – commands, examples, and necessary inferences 

    It has often been pointed out that God communicates in Scripture through commands, examples, and necessary inferences. This tripartite formula has been reduced to an acronym — CENI. By many in churches of Christ it has been viewed as a hermeneutic (a way of interpreting the Scriptures). While there is hermeneutical value to be derived from recognizing commands, examples, and implications from which we draw certain necessary inferences, it is my contention that CENI are not themselves a hermeneutic, but ways, means, or avenues by which God has set forth His will in Scripture and to which a valid hermeneutic must be applied. (More …)

     

    • Mike Carter 8:34 pm on March 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      This is a great article. I very much agree with the statement that CENI is not a hermeneutic but..”ways, means, or avenues by which God has set forth His will in Scripture and to which a valid hermeneutic must be applied” and these are to be accepted as the oracles of God.

  • Richard Mansel 8:12 am on March 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , ,   

    Lessons From the Garden of Eden 

    My Forthright article today uses the story of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1-3) as a backdrop to teach some valuable lessons about  Biblical authority. The failures of Adam and Eve are cautionary tales for us as we move through our own lives.  I hope you will read, Biblical Authority and the Garden of Eden and gain a deeper appreciation for God’s will and our relationship to His divine utterances.

     

  • Richard Mansel 10:53 am on March 16, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    Teaching Revelation 

    I am teaching the Sermon on the Mount and we are starting chapter seven tonight. Soon, we will be through with this study and ready to begin Revelation. This will be my third time to teach the book through the years. I am by no means an expert on all the intricacies of the book.

    With great trepidation,  I first began to teach it as a young preacher. Yet, when I got into the study and saw the cycles of thought, the book became less imposing.

    When I teach Revelation, I don’t get bogged down with the symbolism.  The book has a message from  God and teaches many valuable lessons. It is not a labyrinth to wander in forever. The points are made without digging in that deeply. Whether the Roman ruler is Domitian or Nero, the main points are still the same.

    The real problem with teaching the book is with materials that you use. Everyone has such wildly divergent beliefs about the book that it makes it difficult to know what to use. Clearly, I will not use anyone who teaches premillinalism. In that vein, it is hard for me to teach Revelation without pointing out the obvious errors that people teach about the book.

    It interests me that Revelation works at two levels simultaneously. You have what it meant to the persecuted saints of John’s day and you have the overall battle of God and Satan in our own day. Lose track of either of these paths and you miss a wealth of material.

    What are your thoughts about teaching the book?

     

    • Kevin W. Rhodes 11:19 am on March 16, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      One thing where I disagree with most is on the nature of the persecution referred to in the book. Apocalyptic literature appeared during times of cultural conflict without reference to typical persecution as we usually think of it. As a result, I regularly see preachers treat the book anachronistically and unhistorically. Therefore, I would suggest that the book presents two different layers of spiritual conflict: the conflict that exists between God and Satan, as you mentioned, and the conflict that exists spiritually between God’s people and those that would pressure God’s people to become unfaithful, regardless of the means employed.

      Of course, the correct historical background of the book is essential to properly understand various specific elements of the book, but these two main principles are clear regardless, as you also mentioned. God wins; Satan loses. If we are faithful to God, we can win too.

  • Mike Riley 10:25 am on March 11, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , , , , meeting, , , , , , , , vogue,   

    Name An Item Or Habit 

    From a spiritual perspective, the following are some of my observations regarding items or habits no longer in use today (comparatively speaking) as they were three to four generations ago:

    1) The Bible is no longer habitually read, studied and used by members of the Lord’s church like it was in the 1940′s and 1950′s (we used to be called “walking Bibles” by those outside the church – http://cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/cpcofc/index.php?n=Articles.2010DailyBibleStudy).

    2) Looking at all of the immorality in our society today, we can plainly see that Interest in spiritual values and principles are no longer “in vogue.” If they were, children would be taught these values at home and our society today would be less immoral as a result.

    3) Hell fire and damnation sermons are today rarely heard from the pulpit (I grew up hearing these type of sermons on a regular basis back in the 1940′s). And guess what? The Lord’s church grew dramatically.

    4) Home Bible studies with others are virtually non-existent today (no time to study, folks say).

    5) Personal bible study at home is virtually non-existent today. Too many worldly influences (too many digital “toys”), thus, no time to study.

    6) In the 1940′s and 50′s, folks habitually assembled to worship the Lord – so much so, that two to three week gospel meetings were not uncommon (I attended some of them). Today, they are unheard of. If we can get members to come to a three-day gospel meeting, we count ourselves successful.

    7) Pews are not being filled today as they were three to four generations ago. The testimony of the “empty pew” is a testimony to our lack of focus on spiritual things (Colossians 3:1-2): http://mbriley.preachersfiles.com/2008/08/09/lessons-from-an-empty-pew/

    I could go on and on and on (like the energizer battery bunny), but the above are enough samples to let folks see the fact that spirituality has greatly waned in our country and in the Lord’s church.

    What’s the solution to all of the above? Open the Book! (read it and do what it says do – James 1:22-25): http://mbriley.preachersfiles.com/2008/01/08/lets-open-the-book/

     

    • Sid Williams 11:42 am on March 11, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      The “Second Dark Ages” was “Satan Loosed A Little” (Rev 20.3; A|D 1959-2004). But that is gone, and still, we see no one with the former good traits that you have merntioned. What is needed to make men seek God is the Fulfillment of Prophecy. It is in the secular news but not in the churches. The 2nd Dark Ages wass ushered in by denial of prophecy and Revelation.

  • John Henson 9:59 am on February 25, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, , sentence   

    In One Sentence 

    “The Bible is about how man fell by transgression, and how God worked through the ages to restore eternal life for him.”

     

  • Mike Riley 7:10 am on February 25, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: attain, bible, coming, , , , , ,   

    Summing Up The Bible In One Sentence 

    The Bible is about the coming of Jesus as our Savior, His teachings, & our necessary obedience to those teachings in order to attain heaven.

     

  • Richard Mansel 8:32 pm on February 24, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible,   

    Letting God Speak 

    In a discussion on Facebook, I posted the following and I want to share it with you. I said, “I have no reason to accept man’s ignorant knowledge when I can accept God’s infinite knowledge.”

    We cannot conceive of any idea too bizarre that it does not already have defenders. Their theories will be banded about and given validity by someone. However, in the field of ideas on God’s Word, man can have his own views, but they will amount to nothing. In fact, in terms of these ideas, it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong, it only matters that God is right (Psalm 119:89).

    Let us always stand firm with Him, because we have no choice if we wish to be right in the end (Revelation 20:11-15). “Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).

     

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 4:31 am on February 18, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible,   

    Daily Nudge: a verse and comment 

    Share a Bible verse from your reading or study and make a short comment on it.

     

  • John Henson 3:58 pm on February 16, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, ,   

    Distinctions by Contrast 

    The Bible often makes distinctions by teaching in contrast. A good example of this is the lesson of the prodigal son in Luke 15.

    There is the contrast of the prodigal’s attitude when he left home and when he returned. Leaving his father was an act of rebellion and dishonor. To the son, living in his father’s house was like years of hard labor, instead of loving service. When he returns to his father, what motivates him is a willingness to serve. He says to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son,” (Luke 15:21 NET). What a change there is!

    Then, there is the response of the loving father contrasted with the older brother’s anger and contempt. The father immediately ordered a celebration for his son. The father’s reaction is explained in his statement, “because this son of mine was dead and is alive again,” (Luke 15:24).

    Lifted up in hateful indignation over his brother’s repentance, however, the elder brother is disappointed with his father’s explanation. The older son said, “But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!” (Luke 15:30 NET). This son of yours? What difference could be clearer?

    The Bible teaches often drawing distinctions using contrast. Light and dark, love and hate, selflessness and selfishness are just some of the uses. God be glorified and praised for his wonderful gift of his word!

     

  • TFRStaff 4:36 am on February 8, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bible, Decision Points, George W. Bush,   

    The purpose of the Bible 

    hugh’s news & Views

    THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE

    For my birthday, my son and daughter-in-law gave me a copy of George W. Bush’s Decision Points. I am thoroughly enjoying the book. I have long been a fan of both George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. (I often distinguish between them by identifying them as "Big" George and "Little" George). My admiration of them however does not mean that they were right about everything or that I agree with them on everything, only that I respect them and appreciate their values.

    On pages 30-31 of Decision Points, W. writes as follows: "I went to church at Andover [prep school] because it was mandatory. I never went at Yale [undergrad years]. I did go when I visited my parents, but my primary mission was to avoid irritating Mother. Laura and I were married at First United Methodist Church in Midland. We started going regularly after the girls were born, because we felt a responsibility to expose them to faith. I liked spending time with friends in the congregation. I enjoyed the opportunity for reflection. Once in a while, I heard a sermon that inspired me. I read the Bible occasionally and saw it as a kind of self-improvement course. I knew I could use some self-improvement."

    George’s view of the Bible’s purpose is rather common—that it is "a kind of self-improvement course." But with all due respect, that view is perhaps the ultimate expression of "me-itis." It reflects the notion that the Bible’s primary purpose is to tell me how to find the right person to marry, how to be a good husband or wife, how to be a better parent, how to be a good neighbor, how to find the right job (or a better job), how to be financially successful, what I can do to make myself a happy and fulfilled and good person, etc., etc. (More …)

     

    • John Henson 7:55 am on February 8, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Interesting. I remember George H. W. Bush as being an unabashed pragmatist. It is within pragmatism that people delight in “whatever works,” and is the home of relativism and subjectivity. As I watched W’s presidency, it occurred to me the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree. “Once in a while I heard a sermon that inspired me.” Yeah. That’s pretty me-ish, isn’t it? That Bible really worked, didn’t it, George?

← Older posts

c
compose new post
j
next post/next comment
k
previous post/previous comment
r
reply
e
edit
o
show/hide comments
t
go to top
l
go to login
h
show/hide help
shift + esc
cancel
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 3,603 other followers