March 27, 2024

Skeletons in the Closet

Skeleton in the Closet

The above phrase is an expression used to describe a secret from one’s past that, if discovered, would have a negative impact on that person. It might cause them shame, a loss of credibility, or even legal trouble. During a contentious political campaign season, it is not uncommon to hear reports and allegations about the secret past of the candidates as their opponents are looking for anything – even these “skeletons in the closet” – to discredit them.

When Jesus was on the earth teaching, many opposed Him – particularly the leaders of the people. The leaders were concerned that if Jesus continued to “go on like this, all men will believe in Him” (John 11:48). This was not what they wanted. It would be very convenient for them if they could find some “skeleton in the closet” in Jesus’ life. Then, they could discredit Him and turn people away from Him. Unfortunately for them, they could not do this. They could only produce false witnesses with inconsistent testimony (Mark 14:56).Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles
March 13, 2024

Why Do We Obey God?

Man sitting and thinking with the Bible

Sadly, most people in the world do not recognize God. Therefore, it is unsurprising that they do not obey Him. Yet for those who claim to be Christians, obedience ought to be a way of life. But why should we live a life of obedience? 

The New Testament clearly indicates that we do not obey God in order to earn our salvation. Because all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23), the only thing we have earned is eternal punishment (Romans 6:23). Jesus said, “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done’” (Luke 17:10). Even if we could perfectly carry out every command the Lord has given, we are still “unworthy slaves” who are dependent upon the grace of God.

At the same time, Jesus implied in the statement above that His people would obey Him (“when” – not IF – “you do all the things which are commanded…”). When He commissioned His apostles to go out and make disciples, they were to teach them “to observe all that I commanded” (Matthew 28:20). Obedience is expected of those who would be Jesus’ disciples.

That brings us back to our question: Why do we obey God? There are a few reasons presented to us in the Scriptures:Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , ,
March 6, 2024

The Church of the Chaldeans

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

When we study “church” history, we are limited to what has been recorded in the past and preserved until the present. Because of this, there are religious groups from various times and places that we know little or nothing about. I recently learned about one of these groups while browsing Barton W. Stone’s journal, The Christian Messenger. An excerpt titled, A Christian Church among the Arabs, Turks & Persians, described a “Christian Church” in the Middle East.

“On the shores of the River Tigris, there exists a Christian Church, the members of which call themselves Chaldeans, and trace their origin to the time of the Apostles. It is supposed that they number 500,000 souls. But little is known of these people. The Papists attempted to make an impression on them some years ago, but failed, and that because of the Bible, of which they had many manuscript copies. Since it has been discovered that these Bible Christians have no printing establishments among them, and no books, the British & Foreign Bible Society, are making arrangements to provide them with printed copies of the Bible.” (Excerpt from The Christian Messenger, Volume 2)

The quote above was published in 1827. This “Christian Church” in the area of the Tigris River called themselves Chaldeans, numbered half a million people, and claimed to trace their origin to the apostles in the first century.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Restoration History Tagged With: , ,
February 21, 2024

“The Spirit Is Willing, but the Flesh Is Weak”

Jesus in the Garden with His Disciples Sleeping

“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, ‘My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.’ And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’ And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’” (Matthew 26:36-41).

Jesus prayed to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane shortly before His arrest. As was recorded in the passage above, three of His disciples (Peter, James, and John) accompanied Him. They were told to pray and to keep watch, but they fell asleep.

It was at this point when Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). This statement applied directly to those three disciples. However, it also has applications for us today. Furthermore, the principle was illustrated in Jesus and the events that followed.

Let us see what we can learn from this statement.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , ,
February 7, 2024

You Are a Peculiar People

Crossroads

As the world around us grows more corrupt and people become more ungodly, faithful disciples of Christ will stand out. We may even become targets of ridicule, harassment, and persecution. This will make it tempting for us to try to hide our distinguishing characteristics as Christians in order to blend in with the world.

However, there are blessings that come from being different from the world as we strive to be what God wants us to be as His people. When the apostle Peter wrote his first epistle, he reminded Christians that they were “a peculiar people” (KJV) or “a people for God’s own possession” (NASB).

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession [a peculiar people, KJV], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Let us briefly notice how Christians are different from the world and why that is a blessing for us.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
February 5, 2024

The Seven Churches: Conclusion

The Seven Churches: Conclusion

In this series, we have studied the letters to the seven churches of Asia found at the beginning of the book of Revelation. Each of these churches faced different challenges, yet they were given the same basic message – to remember that they belonged to Christ and that He would reward them if they remained faithful.

While this basic message can be found in each of the seven letters, we noticed different lessons that are relevant for us today. No matter what the condition of the local church we are members of, there are admonitions and warnings that we must heed.

  • Like the church in Ephesus, we need to remember why we do what we do in service to God. It is not enough to simply “go through the motions” if our heart is not right. If we do the right thing with the wrong motivation, we will fail to please the Lord. Everything we do must be motivated by our love for Christ.
  • Like the church in Smyrna, we need to be willing to face whatever persecutions come against us, knowing that these tribulations are only temporary. Even if we must die for our faith, we have a “crown of life” awaiting us.
  • Like the church in Pergamum, we must not accept false teachers. As the world becomes increasingly hostile toward Christ and His church, it will be more tempting to ignore error that creeps in among us. Yet false teachers must be marked and avoided so they do not lead us into sin.
  • Like the church in Thyatira, we must not be tolerant of sin. It may help us avoid persecution if we live like the world, yet the Lord wants His people to be different. If our brethren are caught up in sin, we must try to restore them to repentance. However, if they refuse to repent, we cannot continue in fellowship with them, lest the sinful influence spreads like leaven through the church.
  • Like the church in Sardis, we need to maintain our reputation of faithfulness. It is good to have developed a reputation for the good works we have done and the stands we have made for the truth in the past. Yet we must not become complacent and rest upon what we have done before. We need to keep our good name by continuing to faithfully serve the Lord.
  • Like the church in Philadelphia, we need to use our opportunities for good. Even if we are part of a smaller congregation, we can still have a big impact for the Lord. Rather than focusing on our limitations, we need to use the time, resources, and opportunities we have been blessed with to the glory of God.
  • Like the church in Laodicea, we need to recognize our dependence upon the Lord. God has richly blessed us in this life. Yet Satan tries to use our prosperity against us by tempting us to put our trust in physical things rather than in God, who blesses us with all things (physical and spiritual). Instead of becoming “lukewarm” in our spiritual lives, we need to be zealous in the Lord’s service.

The Lord concluded each of the seven letters with this phrase: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). Though these letters were addressed to individual congregations, they were shared among them and with all who read these words today.

We need to pay attention to what the Lord said to these churches. We need to follow their example in the ways they were commended. We need to avoid doing those things for which they were condemned. We must never forget that we belong to Christ and have a responsibility to faithfully serve Him – individually and collectively – as we go through life, no matter what challenges come before us. 

As we close this study, let us briefly notice a few reminders from the end of the book of Revelation that relate to what we have discussed in these lessons:

  • Continue to obey the Lord – “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14, NKJV).
  • Do not change His word – “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).
  • Eagerly await His coming – “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

The Lord has given us His word to guide us in this life and show us how to please Him. Let us not change His word to suit our preferences; instead, let us humbly submit to His will as we look forward to His return, knowing that He will keep His promise to reward the faithful.

Filed Under: SERIES: The Seven Churches Tagged With:
January 29, 2024

The Seven Churches (Part 7): Laodicea

The Seven Churches (Part 7): Laodicea

The seventh and final church addressed in the book of Revelation was in Laodicea. They had the unfortunate distinction of being the only one of the seven churches to receive no positive comments from the Lord. They had reached the point where they believed they were fully self-sufficient and did not need the Lord. If we are not careful, we could easily follow their negative example.

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 3:14-22).

Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: The Seven Churches Tagged With: ,