March 13, 2019

Taking the Lord’s Supper Out of the Assembly

Communion Cup

Shortly before His death, Jesus instituted a memorial to help His disciples remember Him and the sacrifice He was about to make on the cross (Matthew 26:26-29). This memorial was later referred to as “the Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20).

In the first century, Christians “gathered together” to observe this memorial “on the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7). This memorial consisted of the bread which represented Jesus’ body and the cup (fruit of the vine) which represented His blood that was shed on the cross (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Paul also emphasized to the brethren in Corinth that when they would “come together to eat” (partake of the Lord’s Supper), they were to “wait for one another” (1 Corinthians 11:33).Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , ,
March 6, 2019

The New Birth

Baptism

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, “You must be born again”’” (John 3:3-7).

When Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He told him about the need to be “born again.” Peter also used this type of language in his first epistle – being “born again” (1 Peter 1:3, 23). There is a reason why Jesus and the inspired apostle used this analogy – this new birth parallels physical birth.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , , ,
February 27, 2019

The Christian and the World

Man in Forest

One of the more interesting books I have read was The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel. This book describes a man – Christopher Knight – who disappeared in 1986 and was not found until 2013. For twenty-seven years, he lived alone in the woods in central Maine without any contact with others. The way he was able to survive in the woods – not just for part of a brutally cold Maine winter, but for almost three decades – was fascinating, despite his unethical methods (stealing in order to acquire supplies).

One reason why a book like this was so popular – it was a national bestseller – is because we are intrigued by the idea of one who was able to disappear into the woods and continue his life without interference from the world around him. There may be times when we wish we could escape from the world, yet we know that this is not practical or realistic. We all live in a society and necessarily need to interact with others.

As Christians, there is a “relationship” that we have with the world. Jesus described it in the following verses:Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , ,
February 13, 2019

“Every Man Can’t Be a Great Preacher”

George Shidler: "Every man can't be a great preacher..."

George Shidler (1776-1828) – sometimes spelled “Shideler” – was converted to Christ in 1808 through the preaching of David Purviance. Two years later he was engaged in the work of preaching the gospel, doing most of his work in Ohio. He preached for eighteen years before he passed away at the age of fifty-two.

One of the aspects of Restoration History that I enjoy is learning about the lesser-known men who contributed to the work of preaching the gospel. I first learned about George Shidler when I read The Biography of Elder David Purviance. He was a “minor” figure in this book about one of the often forgotten men of the movement. In the anecdote quoted below, Shidler talked about his feeling of inadequacy for the work of preaching when he compared himself to one he considered to be great example of a preacher – a man named Brother Kincade.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Restoration History Tagged With: ,
February 6, 2019

Who Is to Blame for the Abortion Tragedy?

Ultrasound

Many who defend the practice of abortion attempt to classify it under the heading of “health care” or as “a woman’s right to choose.” The reality is that the practice of abortion is the act by which the life of a child in the womb is deliberately terminated. In other words, when an abortion is performed, an unborn child (a human being) is intentionally killed.

In our society, the issue about abortion has shifted away from the question about when life begins. If it does not matter when life begins, then it does not matter when an abortion occurs. This means one of two things:

  1. EITHER abortion is wrong at every stage of pregnancy (this is the pro-life position);
  2. OR abortion is acceptable at every stage of pregnancy, even up to the point of birth (this is now the pro-abortion position).

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , ,
January 30, 2019

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

James 2:13

“For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).

This passage contains an important lesson for us, yet it is often misused by those who twist this passage in order to defend their particular ideology. Like anything else in the Bible, context is important. So in this article, we are going to see what this verse – in its context – teaches us so we can properly apply it and not be guilty of misusing or misapplying it.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , ,
January 16, 2019

How to Discuss Contentious Topics

Argument

Most have noticed that the world in which we live has become more divided and contentious in the past few years. Many topics that come up for discussion – both in person and especially online – can elicit strong emotional responses from individuals. Because of this, we may be tempted to avoid any type of discussion on potentially controversial issues, especially if we know (or are reasonably certain) there will be disagreement.

However, for many controversial topics, there are Biblical principles that apply to them. Therefore, discussions on these sorts of issues can provide a way to direct others – especially those who are not Christians – to what the Bible teaches. So we should not avoid discussing such things altogether, but we do need to understand the proper way to discuss contentious topics.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , ,