Posts from 2021

The new year has arrived; it has been ushered in with celebrations and greeted with resolutions, most of which will fail. Rather than the annual bulletin article to encourage “spiritual resolutions,” let us consider a series of questions, each framed with the idea of “will 2022 be the year.” Will 2022 be the year that you make my life right with God? Am I walking in the light with God? If not, how long have I been living with my…

The churches of Christ in America are on a steady decline. Over the past three years, we have lost 225 congregations and 55,334 members. Those who seek RATIONALIZATION minimize our losses by pointing to similar declines among our denominational friends. Those who seek EXPLANATION (should we dare say excuses) cite increased distractions, entertainment, secularization, busyness, and muchness. While all of these things may be true, it does not change the numbers. The only way to address this crisis is by…

He Came Down From The Mountain Of Honor To Become A Servant Prior to His descent to this world of woe, our Lord enjoyed honor and majesty alongside the Father. He basked in heavenly sunshine, and was worshiped by the angels (Heb. 1:6). He enjoyed the “power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12) deserving of the Godhead. Existing in the “form of God,” He “counted not the being on an equality with…

If the Sermon on the Mount were all that Matthew recorded, that small piece of inspired literature would declare the very majesty of the One Who spoke those words. The sermon now complete, our Lord leaves the mountain to enter His market place. The very first words we encounter as we enter the eighth chapter of Matthew capture our attention: “And when he was come down from the mountain” (8:1). Strictly speaking those half dozen English words describe His descent…

“Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.” (Ecclesiastes 7:10) Have you ever thought, “I miss the old days?” Or, “Remember them good ole days?” Sometimes we get caught thinking about how good our past was and forget to continue looking forward. This problem has been around for many years. For example, consider the nation Israel. They were in bondage under Egypt and were taken out by the powers…

One of the most well-known paintings of Leonardo da Vinci is “The Last Supper.” Though fraught with biblical contradictions, it stands as the classic representation of Jesus with His apostles on this momentous occasion. Legend says that when Leonardo first revealed the painting to friends, they noted the attention to detail the artist had given, particularly to the fringe of the table cloth. Disgusted, da Vinci wiped away the ornate border and demanded, “Look at the Christ.” If you could…

In his gospel account, Luke records a conversation Jesus had with two of His disciples (Luke 24:13-31). This conversation took place following Jesus’ death and resurrection. Overwhelmed with grief and disbelief, these two disciples, one named Cleopas, were amazed that Jesus (whose identity was hidden) was unaware of the recent turn of events in Jerusalem. “Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” was Cleopas’ reply…

There are incredible statements made about the life and character of various men and women in the Bible. Abraham is called “the Friend of God” (James 2:23). Moses was “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). Paul identified David as “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). And God himself said of the patriarch Job that “there is none like him in all the earth.” (Job 1:8) Of the many…

The church of Christ is so blessed to have faithful men and women to glean from in the word of God. It has been men and women of God who have given us powerful examples of courage, tenacity, and service to God and man. When considering being a faithful servant today, some questions arise, such as “what is a faithful servant?” “What is required to be a faithful servant of God?” “Who can be one?” “How can service be accomplished?”…

“How are you?” “Doing fine, how about you?” “All good here.” How many of these sorts of conversations have you had? Pleasantries exchanged, nothing real, nothing significant and nothing helpful. Look, I know we don’t want to run down the list of all of our issues in every conversation, with every person we encounter. That being said, there should be a different sort of communication that we can engage in with those brothers and sisters within our spiritual family. The…

Being children of God by faith in Christ Jesus is amazing to say the least. So many today, because of a lack of knowledge, have left the clear language of the Bible. Denominational jargon has not only infiltrated, but has overtaken the people of God in many locations. No longer is there a pure language among many in the church (Zeph. 3:9). Many have adopted the language of Ashdod, as the Israelites did when they left the Lord (Neh. 13:24).…

The struggle in our society to deal with changing roles in marriage should be lain squarely at the feet of husbands. The failure to live according to the Divine paradigm has produced a host of single moms, a generation of delinquent children, and a public willing to pass off every conceivable perversion as a “marriage.” If we are to reclaim a sense of godliness in design for a partnership that began in the Garden, men must step up to their…