June 1, 2008

Instrumental Music in Worship to God

One of the things that sets the Lord’s church apart from most denominations has to do with the music used in worship. Most denominations use instruments in their music for worship. Faithful brethren have rightly opposed this for years. The practice, however, is certainly not going away. There seems to be more and more in the church who see nothing wrong with the use of instruments in worship. Every so often it is necessary to remind brethren why we do not use instruments. To stop teaching on a topic can eventually lead to apostasy. So let us briefly examine why we do not use instrumental music in worship to God.

Before we begin this study though, I believe a point needs to be made. The issue of instrumental music in worship is important, but there is a much larger issue that is at the heart of this. It has to do with Bible authority. What has God authorized us to do? It is important to understand the issue over instrumental music – not just for this one issue, but because the principles we use to determine God’s will on the topic are what we need to use to determine God’s will in so many of the things that we do. With that in mind, let us consider this subject.
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June 1, 2008

Predestination

[This article was written by Tim Haile.]

The question is sometimes asked, “Do you believe in predestination?” Some will say yes, and others no. However, all true Bible believers do believe in predestination, for the Bible teaches it. The question should not concern the reality of predestination, but its nature. The question should be, “What is predestination?”

Due to the widespread influence of Calvinism, many people automatically think of individual pre election when they think of predestination. They have the notion that God has arbitrarily chosen some people by name to eternal salvation and others to eternal damnation. This makes salvation wholly God’s doing. It is argued that if one has salvation there is nothing that he can do to lose it, and if one doesn’t have salvation there is nothing that he can do to obtain it. As we shall see, this concept is contrary to the nature of God, the nature of man and the nature of salvation.Continue Reading

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June 1, 2008

The Ancient Paths

Path in the Woods

When it comes to religion, many are like the ones that Paul encountered in Athens. They “spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new” (Acts 17:21). While it may seem interesting or exciting to follow after the next new thing, the pursuit of these new things keeps us from remaining on the path that leads to heaven. We are warned about being “carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). Instead of following every new thing that comes along, we must stay on the right path.

The Lord, through Jeremiah the prophet, instructed the people of Jerusalem about the path they ought to follow: “Stand by in the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). The “good way” was found in the “ancient paths,” not in the new paths of modern religion and culture. The “ancient paths” are the paths we must seek out today.
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May 26, 2008

Do Not Worry

Worried

Many of us find it easy to worry about things in our life. Matters that relate to our jobs, families, finances, and more can cause anxiety. But Jesus told his followers, “Do not be worried about your life” (Matthew 6:25). Sometimes this is easier said than done. But notice what Jesus said about this subject:

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:25-27).

In these verses, Jesus asked three questions. As the master teacher, He was able to ask questions in a way that was more instructive than inquisitive. Notice the three points Jesus made that will help us deal with anxiety.
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May 7, 2008

Liberty in Christ

2 Corinthians 3:17

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

This is a popular verse for those who like to pervert the gospel and try to condone or ignore sin. They say we have liberty in Christ; therefore, we do not have to concern ourselves with obedience or following the New Testament pattern.
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May 1, 2008

Doctrinal Purity

Open Bible

Doctrine, as many would define it, is not popular in religion today. Many believe that doctrine is what divides us. The denominations mostly leave matters of “doctrine” to the heads of their denomination. The preachers/pastors then can limit their message to topics like salvation, grace, love, social issues, etc. In the Lord’s church, some are de-emphasizing “doctrine” so they can focus more on the “gospel” (a faulty distinction that is not made in the New Testament). But doctrine simply means teaching. Many passages in the King James Version that use the word “doctrine” actually have the word “teaching” used instead in some of the newer translations. There is not a complicated definition of the word “doctrine.” That which is taught in the New Testament is doctrine.

The intent of this article is to show the importance of doctrinal purity. In the previous paragraph we noticed what doctrine is – the teaching contained in the New Testament. Purity means it is unchanged, uncorrupted, and complete. So when I speak of the need for doctrinal purity, I am referring to the desire to learn and believe all that is taught in the New Testament and only that which is taught in the New Testament. Many find this undesirable or impossible, but the word of God teaches that this must be our goal.
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May 1, 2008

Is One Church as Good as Another?

Church building

As we talk with people in the world, particularly those who are religious, one idea with which we are often confronted that one church is as good as another. Many people believe this. This can make it difficult in trying to lead someone to the truth. After all, if one is already part of a church, they can simply ignore what you say because their church is just as good as yours. So he has no reason to consider any discussion that might lead him to decide to leave his church. If one is not part of a church, and should he decide to attend one, it would not have to be where you attend. He could go anywhere, limited only by how far away from home he wants to drive. This concept that one church is as good as another must be eliminated if we want to have any success in leading souls to Christ. So it is good for us to consider the idea so we might be better prepared to handle various situations.
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