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Aids versus Additions
by Perry Hall Years ago, it was common to hear arguments concerning the difference between aids and additions in worshiping God. This involved hermeneutics. Let’s presume we all agree that adding to the word is unscriptural. How do we know when we are simply using an aid? Where does the Bible authorize aids? If additions…
Read MoreWill Life Ever Be Good Again?
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, it may seem like nothing will ever be right in your life again. You might look back to happier times and wonder how things could so completely fall apart. Beaten down by circumstances, maybe even the consequences of your own bad decision, you become overwhelmed with despair. Will life ever be…
Read MoreThe Word of God and the Words of God
by Doy Moyer Jesus is identified as the Divine Word, the Logos, with all things made by Him and in whom is life and light (John 1:1-5). As the Word incarnate, Jesus is the ultimate communication of God to humanity. God has spoken through Him in these last days (Hebrews 1:1-3), and we need to…
Read MoreJesus’ and Daniel’s Amazing Prophecy
by Terry Wane Benton Consider one of the most amazing prophecies in all of Scripture. Jesus is leaving the temple when his disciples call his attention to its buildings. As they gaze upon the temple’s massive stone and magnificent buildings, Jesus utters the unthinkable: “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be…
Read MoreThe Clock Is Winding Down
by Terry Wane Benton With each second, minute, and hour that passes, our time is winding down, and we are that much closer to death and facing eternity. We have never been this close, yet we keep inching closer as we live. God commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day…
Read MoreFinding the Words to Say
by Ross Ward, Jr. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). Have you spent time meditating on how to address a difficult situation? If you are considerate of the things you say and…
Read MoreMollycoddling
by Chadwick Brewer “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matthew 10:24). Here in Matthew, Jesus is telling his disciples that persecution will come. Followers of Jesus will be dragged into court, flogged, and even put to death by their own families. In this context, Jesus states that a…
Read MoreLiving with the Consequences of Bad Decisions
by Zeke Flores How terrible it is to live with the consequences of terrible decisions. Israel was having to do just that. Though God warned them about their idolatry, they didn’t listen. Though God told them that their exploitation of the poor and needy was evil, they didn’t listen. Though God said to them that…
Read MoreClapping as an Accompaniment to Singing in Worship
by Wayne Jackson Recently, it has been argued that clapping as a rhythmic accompaniment to singing in Christian worship is not an addition to the singing (as it is a mechanical instrument). It is merely an aid comparable to a songbook. In this article, we’ll discuss the nature of handclapping as a function of worship…
Read MoreExamine the Scriptures
by Doy Moyer We are familiar with the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17:11: “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” The primacy of Scripture is key to the noble-mindedness of the Bereans.…
Read MoreThe God of Happiness
by Chadwick Brewer “‘Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke’… so I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded” (Ezekiel 24:16,18). It has become common…
Read MoreA God of Patterns
by Doy Moyer God is a God of patterns. This means there is order, method, and sequence to His expression and will. To deny patterns is to deny order, to accept that God’s will is disorderly and not subject to method, arrangement, and sequence. Is God’s will so chaotic? When people deny that there are…
Read MoreAre the Same Roles Needed to Have the Same Value?
by Kyle Ellison Fox News reported this week that women are now the largest demographic that is abandoning the church in The United States. Honestly, when it vaguely asked me to guess who was leaving at the highest rates, this wasn’t the answer that came to my mind, but then I began to question why…
Read MoreAcquiring Wisdom
by Doy Moyer Scripture shows that God’s concerns are not just for what is technically good or bad, right or wrong, allowed or disallowed. We could argue over what is technically sinful or not, but that’s essentially a legalistic approach that misses the essential element of wisdom, especially in matters that are not explicitly given.…
Read MoreWhy “Liberal” and “Conservative” Churches of Christ
by Robert Harkrider During the past two decades, many have asked this question. Some sincere brethren who have been caught up in one stream or the other never fully understood, and many who were too young before have now grown to adulthood wondering why. It is, therefore, a good question worthy of repeated investigation. Labels…
Read MoreAdvice to Younger Preachers
by Perry Hall It is OK to disagree with older preachers. Zeal is commendable, and the young possess it in abundance. Here are five ways to be successful: Know the Scriptures: The more specific the use of scripture, the better. The context of the scripture and the conversation must match. Too many drawn-out conclusions are…
Read MoreTampering with Sin
by Jefferson David Tant The story is told of a man in Rockwood, Tennessee, many years ago. Wilkie was a bricklayer, and one day, he caught a black snake and tamed it so that it would coil about his neck as he walked up and down the streets of his town. He then became bolder…
Read MoreThe Authority of Jesus
by Zeke Flores Authority is defined slightly differently depending on the definer, but it’s usually considered to be “the right one has, by virtue of office, position, or relationship, to command obedience.” OK, that makes sense. We see it everywhere around us. Authority is invested in military commanders and police officers, yet soldiers go AWOL,…
Read MoreWho’s Leading Whom?
by Perry Hall After WWII, a new family unit was created—the teenager. Before that, “teens” didn’t exist as a celebrated age. Before that, “teens” were young adults. Since then, the trauma of war-torn youth has led to the coddling of teens. That has led to a verse you might be very familiar with: Fathers, don’t…
Read MoreLearning How to Think
by Doy Moyer Scripture shows that God’s concerns are not just for what is technically good or bad, right or wrong, allowed or disallowed. We could argue over what is technically sinful or not, but that’s essentially a legalistic approach that misses the essential element of wisdom, especially in matters that are not explicitly given.…
Read MoreWhy Churches Split
by Perry Hall The Civil War had fascinated me since elementary school when I wrote an assignment on what I thought was the Silver War. I was wrong on two counts. I “knew” it couldn’t be the Civil War because it wasn’t “civil.” But neither was it silver. Probably the greatest summation of the effect…
Read MoreRevenge
by Zeke Flores Revenge. The word flows through the lips almost in a kind of hiss full of sinister thoughts and inappropriate payback. We might dress it up in the indignant clothing of “justice,” but our attempts to justify it don’t change what it is: retaliation, the required “pound of flesh.” When insult or injury…
Read MoreSuspicious Minds
by Zeke Flores ” We can’t go on together with suspicious minds.” So sang the once king of rock & roll. It’s not only true for lovers and friends but for God’s family as well. Suspicion and the plotting of revenge are the way of the world, but the King of Heaven and Earth reminds…
Read MoreA Pattern of Miracles
by Terry Wane Benton At Creation, we find miracles (instant everything), and natural law kept things going when they were completed. No more making man instantly from the dust, but letting things progress naturally. The Law of Moses was ushered in with signs and wonders, and the prophets were given signs to verify that God…
Read MoreMercy to Enemies
by Zeke Flores “Ah, sword of Yahweh, how long will you not be quiet? Withdraw into your sheath; be at rest and stay still. How can it be quiet? Yahweh has given it a command; against Ashkelon and against the seacoast — there He has assigned it” (Jeremiah 47:6-7 LSB). While God’s judgment is certain…
Read MoreOut of This World
by Zeke Flores Getting ourselves out of the world is hard. Getting the world out of us is harder. “O Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares Yahweh, “For I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but I will not make a full…
Read MoreThe Church that Does Not Have Elders
by Kyle Ellison Do you currently attend a church without elders? Are you an evangelist working within a church that does not have elders currently? It is quite common that this occurs at some point in the life of a local New Testament church. What should our view and response be? If you read this,…
Read MoreWhy Do Christians Assemble?
by Wayne S. Walker Question: “Why do members of the church of Christ assemble together, and why do they assemble at various times?” Answer: Members of the church of Christ assemble together because this is what is taught in the New Testament. And it is precisely what we find Christians doing in the first century.…
Read MoreWhen Is the 1000-Year Reign of Christ?
by Robert Harkrider via Timberland Church of Christ One of the most highly publicized teachings today in the religious world is the 1,000-year reign of Christ. Phrases such as “It’s a sign of the times,” “The rapture is coming,” and “The kingdom of God on earth is about to be established” are flung at people from…
Read MoreTrust in God
by Zeke Flores The Bible’s story boils down to one simple truth: Trust God, and He will save you. Throughout the Bible story, whether it was Abraham upending his life at God’s command, the Israelites crossing a harsh desert, prophets proclaiming an unpopular message, or scared citizens facing a brutal invader, the message is the…
Read MoreGrooming Hearts
by Bryant Bailles For whatever it may be worth: On the matter of grooming attitudes, unfairly generalizing brethren, and creating an imaginary group to despise… “And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way to the gate; and when any man had a case to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would…
Read MoreThankful for the No-Names
by Kyle Ellison I am thankful for the no-names. In many preacher circles some may be well known, who may have a name, who keep the calendar full with speaking engagements, who do great work among the brethren! This is not to take away from the great work brethren do, whether big or small, But…
Read MorePharisaical Works Salvation?
by Terry Wane Benton One fellow said the following: “Terry Wane Benton, why must you be so wrapped up in your salvation by works just like the Pharisees? Jesus despised the Pharisees for this very mentality that you are showing. Grace and grace alone allow you to enter into heaven.” Grace is the only thing…
Read MoreBaptism in History
by Ed Harrell via Christianity Magazine, December 1984 My reading of the New Testament makes very clear the meaning and intent of baptism — it was a “burial” that put one “into Christ” and resulted in the “remission of sins” (Romans 6:3–4; Acts 2:38). Of course, we should always be willing to examine our reading…
Read MoreWhy I Didn’t Leave the Church
by Matthew W. Bassford The posts appear pretty regularly on my Facebook feed. Some poor soul, simmering with hurt and anger, explains why they left the churches of Christ. The explanations are generally long and filled with accusations of bad behavior by brethren. I get it. Like many preachers, I have suffered at the hands…
Read MoreBy Grace Alone?
by Terry Wane Benton I pointed out that if God is “not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9), then salvation cannot be by grace alone. If God desires all to be saved, but salvation is by grace alone, then all will be saved. If all are not…
Read MoreLove Does Not Mean Automatic Acceptance
by Terry Wane Benton God loved us at our worst, but that never meant He accepted us all without repentance and change (Romans 5:8; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38). So, God’s love motivates us to change so that He can accept us into fellowship. Love does not mean automatic acceptance into fellowship. God loves us all,…
Read MoreThe Like Figure Whereunto …
by Terry Wane Benton The flood water is the figure, the type, and baptism is the antitype, the real thing prefigured (I Peter 3:20-21) by the flood water. So, how was the flood water the figure? It was the chosen means to wash away a sinful world and deliver Noah and his family to a…
Read MoreIf the Bible Was Human in Origin
by Terry Wane Benton If God was just made up, and the records of the Israelites that gave us the Old Testament were totally made up by them, then they were not very smart. They predicted their own demise and their rejection of their Messiah, making themselves look ridiculous. Who makes up a story about…
Read MoreNegative People
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, I see posts where someone may say that they’re “done” with negative people in their lives. I suppose they mean that they will avoid people they disagree with or are simply disagreeable. The problem is, that’s impossible. “Negative people” are all around us. What else would we expect in a broken…
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