Articles

The Lure of Sin

by Kent E. Heaton, Sr.

    The fishies swims peacefully along, enjoying the pleasures of his underwater world when suddenly he catches out of the corner of his eye the most beautiful sight he has ever seen. It is the biggest and most delicious worm he has ever imagined. There it is, floating along by itself and fit for the taking. The fish lunges toward his prize and imagines the joy of swallowing whole the succulent prize. Mouth opened wide, he engulfs his bounty of pleasure and begins to swim away, overjoyed at his accomplishment.

    Suddenly, the joy of the moment’s pleasure turns into a horrible realization that something else was awaiting him. A steel shaft of death has been implanted inside his throat and he lunges to free himself of the deadly hook. It is too late however and the hook sets deep and all the thrashing about that he does can never free him. He begins an upward journey to the bright sunlight and as the net surrounds him and he explodes above water, he realizes what has happened. The joy he thought was his turned out to be the joy of the fisherman. Caught on a lure, the fish will now become a meal.

    Sin is a lure that attracts men to hooks of death. Life is a journey of seeking and gaining. The decisions of life are trying to find out which of those things sought and gained are worth it all. Some men go about seeking everything they can find and will fall victim to what seems real but is not. A lure is a representation of the real thing but with deadly consequences. It is made to look like, act like and sometimes smell like the real thing but it is not. Hidden away and unobserved are hooks that will maim and kill those who accept the invitation.

    The wise man spoke of those simple minded men who seek the pleasures of life and ignore the deadly hooks (Proverbs 7:5-27). Jesus Himself asked the question: “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

    For a moment’s reckless folly, a soul is lost. Is it worth it all?

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1/7/07

The Temple of God’s Revelation

Author Unknown

   Many years ago I entered the wonderful temple of God’s revelation. I entered the portico of Genesis and walked down through the Old Testament Art Gallery, where the pictures of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, and Daniel hung on the wall.

    I entered the music room of the Psalms where the Spirit of God swept the keyboard of nature, and brought forth the dirge-like wail of the weeping prophet Jeremiah, and the grand, impassioned strains of Isaiah, until it seemed that everything responded to the tuneful touch of David, the sweet singer of Israel.

    I entered the chapel of Ecclesiastes where the voice of the preacher was heard, and passed into the conservatory of Sharon where the lily of the valley’s sweet-scented spices filled and perfumed my life.

    I entered the business room of the Proverbs, and passed into the observatory room of the prophets, where I saw many telescopes of various sizes, some pointing to far off events, but all concentrated upon the bright, morning Star, which was soon to rise over the moonlit hills of Judea, for our salvation.

    I entered the audience room of the King of kings, and caught a vision from the standpoint of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I entered the Acts of the Apostles where the Holy Spirit was doing His office work in forming the early church. I passed into the correspondence room where sat Paul, Peter, James, Jude, and John penning their epistles. I stepped into the throne room of Revelation, where all towered into glittering peaks, and I saw the King seated upon His throne in all His glory, and I cried, “All hail the power of Jesus’ name; Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all!”

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Judging the Word of God

 by Mark Roberts

    One of the fundamental struggles of developing a better walk with God is coming to terms with the reality that God doesn’t do as we might do, and that as humans we are not in position to judge God. Notice how this works out from a recent email question I received. The writer spoke of trying to help one who had questions about the inspiration of the Bible. To resolve those questions his friend had compiled a list of qualities that she believed a book from God must possess. She asked “If God were to write a book for people to live by what would it look like and what would be in it?” and then set up a list of such qualifications. Now she was trying to measure the Bible by her criteria.

    Understand first that my point here is not to condemn questioning, seeking or asking hard questions about the inspiration of the Scriptures. Faith must be built on evidence (Hebrews 11:1) and every disciple has a personal obligation to see that evidence and construct his or her own faith.

    Yet that process cannot begin with my own personal ideas about what the Bible should look like, or what should be in it, or how God ought to have done it in my own brilliant human estimation. Instead of beginning with my assumptions about what I think the Bible should be, the text of Scripture must be worked with as it is. By looking at what we have, can the case be made that this Book is inspired of God, that it cannot be of human origin? I believe the answer to that is a resounding “yes.” Once the fact of biblical inspiration is established, then the Bible must be treated as inspired, whether it ever meets any set of human criteria.

    How deeply flawed this “draw up my criteria” approach really is can be well illustrated by Jesus. If anyone were to make a list of “If God were to come to earth as a human how would He appear?” would anyone get anything remotely approaching an impoverished Jewish carpenter living in a backwater country in the first century? To make the point even sharper, remember that the Pharisees had very definite ideas and criteria for the Messiah. Jesus didn’t fit the bill, so they absolutely rejected Him.

    The truth is God rarely does things like we would do them. In fact, God can even do the exact opposite of what we’ve expected just to show that He can do as He pleases because He is God (Paul’s precise argument in Romans 9:9ff).

    The Bible may not meet your criteria or mine. It is still the Bible, God’s inspired Word. Human reasonings and “think so’s” do not change God’s work, God’s actions, or God’s word.

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1/14/07

Why Four Gospels

1/21/07

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ake your child to work day.”

    What a great idea! How many young people see Dad as a father, yard-mower, car-washer, and neighbor, but never see him in his role as employee? Truthfully, we all take on different jobs that say many things about who we are. Just viewing one facet of Dad’s life (husband, for example) tells only part of the story. The same is true of Jesus.

    Why are there four gospel accounts? Why not just one? We may struggle to completely answer this question, but each of the accounts emphasize a different facet of Jesus, giving us a more complete picture. Jesus is King, the perfect Man of action, the greatest Teacher who ever lived, and God.

    Matthew’s Account. He wrote primarily to Jews, for he quotes many Old Testament prophecies Jesus fulfilled which declare Him King. The terms “king” and “kingdom” appear more in this account than the others. In the end, Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus is truly Leader, King, and Messiah. Matthew’s gospel was written to Jews, showing the Kingly nature of Jesus, because He fulfilled these Old Testament prophecies.

    Mark’s Account. He wrote considering Gentiles, because he explained Jewish culture (see Mark 7:3-4). Mark also emphasizes the actions of Jesus, recording more about what Jesus did than what He said. One of the key words—“immediately” or “straightway”—emphasizes the action, which moves swiftly from one event to another. Jesus was not just King, but he was also a Man of the people. He demonstrated the servant spirit all true disciples will display.

“Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43b-45). Mark emphasizes Jesus’ actions and servant spirit.

    Luke’s Account. Luke emphasizes Jesus as the Son of man. For example, while other gospel writers speak of Jesus’ prayer life, Luke seems to show more of the frequency with which Jesus prayed. Jesus leaned on the Father in prayer and models how we should lean on God. Luke also emphasizes Jesus’ teachings. While he records many miracles, there is more emphasis on what Jesus said than did. Here we see Jesus as the Master Teacher.

    John’s Account. The primary scope of John’s account is to declare Jesus the Son of God. Jesus was a Man, yes, but John also declares Him divine. For example, this gospel begins, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1), followed by, “and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus was and is God. Also, Jewish leaders correctly understood what Jesus meant when He called God His Father: “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He ... also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). Jesus was and is the Son of God in a way no other has or ever can be. Jesus is the Son of God by nature; that is, the Father and Son both possess the qualities of being God. As Christians we are adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:14-17), but Jesus has always been divine like the Father of heaven. We possess the nature of being humans, and Jesus took “on the form of a bondservant … coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7), but He was simultaneously God. His miracles, recorded by John, were evidence of this (John 20:30‑31). The focus of John’s account is Jesus’ divine nature.

    Conclusion. Why four portraits of Jesus? Jews needed to know Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of Messiah and King. Gentiles needed some Jewish cultural concepts explained. More importantly: we need a full picture of Jesus. Your Dad is more than just a car-washer; viewing his many roles helps you better understand him. Similarly, Jesus’ many facets — His heart, words, life, and mission — are all necessary to appreciating His true nature. We must see Jesus as King (Matthew), the perfect Man of action (Mark), the Master Teacher (Luke), and God (John). Let’s honor Him for His every facet.

“Almost Persuaded”

Beth Ellen Rowland

    Have you never publicly confessed your faith in Christ and had your sins washed away? Do you want to but don’t feel you’re quite ready to accept the responsibility? Are you afraid your “friends” will secretly laugh at you and you won’t fit in the group anymore? What excuse are you using to put off the most precious gift you can receive—eternal life. Do you realize we are not promised the next 15 minutes so how can you choose to wait, not having the certainty of another opportunity? Age has nothing to do with death but younger people often feel they have time.

    There is another group of “almost persuaded” people. Those who have taken the first steps and became a Christian but are lukewarm. They have failed to feed themselves with spiritual food and their growth is stunted. They are the seed planted among the tares and they allow the cares of the world to hold them back.

    In this group, we have those who have slid into indifference and don’t realize they are not fully committed. They have good intentions but not the time. They plan to do better—one day. They are like the frog in a pan of cold water. Set it on the fire and he will not move because the change from cold to hot is so gradual. Others who are lukewarm are afraid they will fail if they try to do anything, so they don’t. They are not as talented as Brother or Sister _______ so they don’t use the talent God gave them. All of us have different strengths and weaknesses. But God has given us a Helper if we will use it. In the Bible, we have examples of how God chastised people to get them to change. He doesn’t want any of us to be cast into Hell but if we are lukewarm, he will spew us out.

    A long time ago, a little girl was blessed with a Christian mother who taught her about God and took her regularly to worship. At the age of 14, the young girl couldn’t bear to listen any longer to the invitation song which ended “almost—but lost.” She went forward and confessed her faith and love for Jesus Christ. Her zeal was strong and she talked to her friends about God.

    After she graduated and moved to another city, she became like the frog in the pan. She overslept on Sundays and missed worship. This was pretty easy as she no longer had the support of her family near and her friends were not Christians. And, being young, she felt she had time. Soon she met and married a nice young man who was not a Christian. They attended worship occasionally but more often, their weekends were for entertainment and rest.

    In the course of time, they had two little babies. One little baby struggled to live for four weeks. This woman realized how far from God she had drifted. The frog had nearly boiled to death. She knew in her spiritual condition, God would not hear her prayers and prayer was all she had to give her child. She asked others to pray for her child, but the baby died. I am not saying God took her child as punishment for her neglect but I am saying it took this tragic event to make her understand how much she needed God. How much she needed to know when she prayed, he listened and answered. It took the death of her child to make her not almost but fully persuaded. In Acts 26:28, King Agrippa told Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Paul answered that he wished that all who heard his voice would become both almost and altogether such as he. I wish everyone would become fully persuaded.

            Are you almost persuaded? Are you nervous about making a full commitment to our Lord? Do you think he was nervous when they stripped him, beat him, spat upon him, nailed his hands and feet to a wooden beam and hung him between heaven and earth for all to see? He did that for you and me so we could escape Hell. He wants us to acknowledge Him as our Savior. Whether you’ve never accepted Christ as your Savior or you’re a lukewarm Christian, now is the time to change. Remember, almost is lost.

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1/28/07

See How Many You Can Answer

 by Bryan Gibson

he following questions were asked by different people in the Bible. See how many you can answer, and how many of your answers you can prove from the Bible. The best place to begin looking for answers is in the surrounding verses, and then on to other passages.

  1. What does God require of me? (Micah 6:8).

  2. Which is the first commandment of all? (Mark 12:28).

  3. What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? (Psalm 116:12).

  4. What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? (Matthew 16:26).

  5. What must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:31).

  6. How shall we escape if we neglect this great salvation? (Hebrews 2:3).

  7. How can a man be born when he is old? (John 3:4).

  8. What will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel? (1 Peter 4:17).

  9. Where can I flee from the presence of God? (Psalms 139:7).

10.  Who will harm us if we become followers of what is good? (1 Peter 3:13).

11.  If a man dies, shall he live again? (Job 14:14).

12.  Am I my brother’s keeper? (Genesis 4:9).

13.  What does it profit if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can faith save him? (James 2:14).

14.  How can a young man cleanse his way? (Psalms 119:9).

15.  Where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? (Job 28:12).

16.  From whence comes my help? (Psalms 121:1).

17.  What then shall I do with Jesus? (Matthew 27:22).

18.  Would you lay down your life for My (Jesus’) sake? (John 13:38).

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2/4/07

Epaphras, Prayer and You

 by Dalton Key

    Inspiration mentions Epaphras as Paul’s “dear fellow servant” and a “faithful minister of Christ” unto the Colossian brethren (Col. 1:7). Epaphras is recognized by heaven for his “great zeal” for the church at Colossae, and for the neighboring congregations in Laodicea and Hierapolis (Col. 4:13). Moreover, “this servant of Christ” is described as “always laboring fervently” for the church’s growth and maturity (Col. 4:12).

    But how did Epaphras direct his great zeal? In what way did he labor fervently? Read Col. 4:12 closely: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” He revealed his zeal for the church and he worked for the church by praying for the church.

    It is true that, as health and opportunity permit, we must do more than merely pray for the Lord’s cause. We are admonished to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2; cf. Acts 8:4), to exhort and edify one another (Heb. 3:13; Eph. 4:29), and “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).

    And yet we often place too much emphasis upon our efforts and too little upon the tremendous power of prayer. The apostles encouraged the Jerusalem brethren to select “seven men of honest report” to “serve tables”—thus allowing the apostles to give themselves “continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:3‑4). Jesus taught “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). Paul frequently asked for the prayers of his brethren and promised his readers that he was praying for them (Col. 1:3). More can be accomplished through an hour of ardent prayer, than by a week of self-reliant work, or a year of needless worry. “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of,” wrote Tennyson. Or in the more worthy words of Holy Writ,         “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

    The church desperately needs godly leaders, evangelists, servants, teachers, and willing workers who will give themselves to a ministry of prayer. Our world is on a collision course with the second death. The saints of God shine as beacons of light in a darkened world, pointing lost humanity to the life-giving Savior (Phil. 2:14‑16). But we can’t possibly do it, alone by our own strength. We must rely heavily upon the power of prayer.

    Brother or sister in Christ, you can be engaged in a mighty work for the Lord, regardless of age, infirmity, handicap, or hindering circumstances! Like Epaphras, you can harness a “great zeal” for the church and labor “fervently” for your Master despite any and all physical limitations. You can pray!

            Could it be that we have not because we ask not? (James 4:2).

P2=483 (11pt type)

2/11/07

Is Truth the Basis?

 by Don Hooton

    The Anglican denomination has given the U. S. Episcopal Church the ultimatum: Continue with the full acceptance of homosexuals and lose their place in the global Anglican family or stop it and remain Anglican. The AP reports one Episcopal leader to have said, “We made our ‘yes’ to gays and lesbians,” wrote the Rev. Ann Fontaine of the Diocese of Wyoming, in an examination of the Anglican demands. “Let it stand.”

    In Zoll’s article she also wrote, “Whatever the Episcopal House of Bishops decides over the next seven months, the church can easily survive without the communion. The 2.3 million-member U. S. denomination may be relatively small, but it is affluent—and well situated to continue its missions with other Christians overseas. In fact, the Anglican Communion itself may suffer more from any broken ties. A significant chunk of its budget comes from the U. S. church.”

    The Bible says that bishops, pastors and elders should be “husbands of one wife” (cf. 1 Timothy 3:2, literally, a “one-woman man”—so there is no question what kind of relationship this is). There is further evidence that Christian morality precluded from fellowship impenitent homosexuals just as certainly as it demanded repentance from adulterers, murderers, thieves and extortionists (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Penitent homosexuals are welcome to Christ. But faith without repentance is no faith at all. Church members and leaders cannot practice righteousness when they persist in sin.

    Churches who ordain to lead in the Kingdom those people who the Holy Spirit says “will not inherit the kingdom of God” are clearly following another authority other than God. It should not matter to Christians whether we keep Anglican communion or not—it should be the communion with God for which we act. For, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God” (2 John 9). That is the fellowship that matters most.

    Furthermore, this power play illustrates why denominational structure is not Biblical. There was no board, no steering committee, no convention or any congregational alliance to sway compliance to doctrine. The only thing that ever was and should be the coercion of obedience is the Divine truth the Apostles delivered.

    If we will “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11), we must, as churches, follow the words of God in all we do. There is one solution to this rift. Follow the truth. The truth, as revealed by Spirit guided Apostles, must be the sole basis for every thing every church does. Ordain men as bishops who meet divine qualifications and dismantle the power structure that supplants the authority of Christ. Only in this way will we, and they, honor Christ (John 14:15).

P2=452 (11.2 pt)

3/11/07

The Apocrypha

 by Leon Mauldin

  Question:  I’ve heard it said that we don’t have all the Bible; is that true?

    Answer:  This question has reference to the apocrypha (a Greek term that means “hidden” or “secret things”), books that were written at various times from about 300 to 30 b.c. (The Bible Almanac, p. 582). These books are as follows—

     1)  I Esdras

     2)  II Esdras

     3)  Tobit

     4)  Judith

     5)  Additions to Esther

     6)  The Wisdom of Solomon

     7)  The Wisdom of Ecclesiasticus

     8)  Baruch

     9)  The Song of the Three Holy Children

   10)  The History of Susanna

   11)  Bel and the Dragon

   12)  The Prayer of Manasses

   13)  I Maccabees

   14)  II Maccabees

    Some of these books are valuable as history, particularly the books of Maccabees, but they are not inspired books. This can be seen from the fact that the New Testament quotes from the Old Testament hundreds of times, but never from the apocrypha.

    The 16th century reformer, Martin Luther, included the apocrypha in his German Bible (a.d. 1534), but printed them separately, asserting that they were not inspired, but profitable. There is no internal or external evidence which would include the apocrypha as scripture.

            The Council of Trent (1545-1563) proclaimed the books as Scripture and pronounced an anathema on those who disagree. But this attempt is 1½ millennia too late. We can be confident that we have all God intended for us to have in our Bible.

This is a sample question that Leon Mauldin answered on a live radio program he conducted. You can read this and other Bible question and answers via the website, www.goodfight.com.

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2/25/07

The Deceitfulness of Sin

 by Bryan Gibson

    Sin is deceitful, according to Hebrews 3:13.

    Sin can often appear to be the right thing to do, when actually it is very wrong. King Saul perhaps thought it was right to spare King Agag and the best of the flocks (1 Samuel 15), but it was very wrong. Paul thought he was right when he persecuted Christians (Acts 23:1; 26:9), but he was dead wrong. “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

    Sin promises freedom, but what it really brings is slavery. If you don’t believe it, ask the man who keeps carrying on an affair, even though it’s destroying him, his family, and his spouse’s family. He has become a slave to his passions. Or, ask the man who has sacrificed everything else in order to get rich. Looking for financial freedom, what he got instead were more worries than he ever dreamed of. “His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin” (Proverbs 5:22).

    Sin can seem very attractive, but it is actually very ugly. With sin, what you see is not what you get. The fruit of the tree looked very attractive to Eve (Genesis 3:6), but she didn’t stop to think of the ugly consequences (Genesis 2:17). A festering, oozing sore was how God described Judah’s sins (Isaiah 1:5-6). When the apostle Peter wrote about brethren returning to sin, he described it as a dog returning to its vomit and a sow to her wallowing in the mud (2 Peter 2:18-22). The advertising industry paints one picture of sin; God paints an entirely different one.

    Sin appears to be satisfying and fulfilling, but it winds up being very disappointing. Without a doubt, sin can bring us a certain kind of pleasure. But here’s the catch—it doesn’t last very long. It was said of Moses that he chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

    Sin can seem so insignificant, when actually it is very serious. Adam and Eve—all they did was eat a little fruit (Genesis 3). Lot’s wife—she turned around and looked at a burning city, what’s so bad about that? Uzzah—well, he was just trying to keep the ark from falling (2 Samuel 6:1-11). We try to classify our own sins as minor, but that’s not the way God looks at them. We should never trivialize any sin we commit.

            Sin appears to bring life, but what is really brings is death. In inviting others to sin, you might hear someone say, “If you really want to live, you should have an affair, get drunk, go to the casino, etc.” What they should really say is, “If you want to die, you should…”  Romans 6:23 is hard to misunderstand: “The wages of sin is death.”

P2=513 (11.2 pt)

3/11/07