March 27, 2009

Wise Words About Government Bureaucracy

Government Center

The wise man who authored the book of Ecclesiastes wrote about what he learned as he observed and experienced life “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

One of the things he observed was the effect of government bureaucracy. Many in this country want bigger government. Those currently in office are pushing for this as well with increased spending, regulations, and powers. Notice what the wise man had to say about the benefits of bigger government:

“If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them” (Ecclesiastes 5:8).

Notice that he does not mention a benefit of bigger government. The poor were oppressed and justice and righteousness were denied despite – or perhaps because of – the bureaucracy.
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March 25, 2009

The Lectureship Issue

Over the past few years, there has been some discussion about a new form of institutionalism among brethren.

The traditional form of institutionalism involves local churches sending funds to an organization (orphan homes, colleges, etc.) to help them do their work.

The modern form of institutionalism has Christians forming or using human organizations to do spiritual works (evangelism/edification). An example of this that has drawn much scrutiny is the Guardian of Truth Foundation, which is in the business of publishing and selling books, hosting an annual lectureship (like a congregation would a gospel meeting). The problem with this arrangement is simply that God has already established an organization through which Christians can work collectively in these spiritual works. That divinely ordained organization is the local church.

There is a new website that has been set up with articles and audio sermons relating to this topic. This website has been put together by Aaron Erhardt and Tim Curry. I am grateful for their work in this and I encourage you to check out the material contained there.

Lectureship Issue

You can also visit Truth Magazine Lectures for material that I have collected, and some that I’ve written, on this issue.

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March 23, 2009

God Knows What We Need Before We Ask

Prayer

In teaching about prayer, Jesus taught to avoid using “meaningless repetitions.” He explained that using “many words” does not mean that God is going to hear us any better (Matthew 6:7).

Jesus went on to explain one reason why repeating the same words over and over is meaningless: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8).
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March 15, 2009

Start with the Right Foundation

Stone Wall

The Unitarian Universalist church is an interesting denomination. While it does share roots, historically, with Protestant churches, it is not really a “Christian” denomination. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that “Christianity” is only a part of its identity. This group welcomes and accepts various forms of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and even atheism. They simply ignore the things that most obviously divide these groups and focus on personal “spiritual” growth.

There is one of these churches that I pass on my way to and from work everyday. On their sign by the road, they have a message board they change once a week or so. They use this to provide concise messages to the public, reflecting their liberal religious (and even political) views. These messages sometimes say things that other churches/Christians do or believe, but will not admit. The most recent message is an example of this:
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March 11, 2009

Jesus on the Glorification of Mary

Mary and Jesus

Many people in the religious world – particularly among the Catholic Church – exalt Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, to a higher position than where she is placed in the Bible.

It is true that Mary does hold a special place in God’s scheme of redemption. The same is true for people like Abraham, David, or any of the others mentioned in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). But some have taken their perception of Mary too far and it has led them to deify her and make her an object of worship and a recipient of prayers.
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March 7, 2009

“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

Was Jesus actually forsaken on the cross? Did the Father turn His back on the Son? Maybe believe the answer to these questions is “yes” based on their interpretation of Matthew 27:46. When we look at the context, however, we see that Jesus was not separated from the Father while on the cross.

Tim Haile has pointed out several problems with the idea that Jesus was actually forsaken on the cross in a recent article posted on the website of the Parkway church of Christ. I encourage you to click on the link below and read that article.

“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?” (by Tim Haile)

Some time ago, I also wrote an article with the same title. If you are interested you may refer to that article as well – “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

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March 4, 2009

Twelve Legions of Angels

Arrest of Jesus

When Peter tried to defend Jesus from the mob that came to arrest Him, Jesus responded, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:52-53).

How big of a force did Jesus have at His disposal? Depending on which source you reference, a legion was made up of between 4,000 and 6,000+ men. Let us pick a number in the middle (5,000) as a point of reference. Jesus could have called twelve of these angelic companies of 5,000 to come to His aid.

We sometimes sing a song about how Jesus could have called 10,000 angels. Actually, according to the figures above, He could have called around 60,000 angels. How powerful would such a force be?
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