February 28, 2007

“Return to Me”

[Article written by Matt Nevins. Originally published in his email newsletter “The Lamp.”]

A reoccurring theme found within the Bible connected to the salvation of man’s soul, is the desire for the return of God’s children. I was reminded recently of Zechariah 1:3 where the prophet was instructed to plea for the people to “Return to Me.” The forefathers had not heeded the repeated pleas made by God’s prophets in the past which resulted in the Babylonian captivity for the nation of Judah. Their example needed to resonate with the people of Zechariah’s day in order to receive the blessings God was willing to give. The call to return is an invitation to leave wickedness and to pursue righteousness.
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February 25, 2007

Crucified with Christ

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).

All Christians have been “baptized into Christ” and “baptized into His death” (Romans 6:3). It is in baptism that we become “united with Him in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5). This is when we, like Paul, are “crucified with Christ.”
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February 15, 2007

True Love

Love is a favorite topic for many in the religious world. While it is good for us to talk about love, John warned us not to stop there: “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). That is, we must display love in our actions, not just our words.
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February 5, 2007

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear

“The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps” (Proverbs 14:15).

When it comes to things that pertain to the Bible, many have a belief that is based upon what someone has told them, whether that is a parent, preacher, pastor, etc. But we are being naive if we believe everything someone might tell us, regardless of how much respect we have for that person.
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February 1, 2007

Nation’s Largest Church of Christ Adds Instrumental Music and Saturday Night Communion

[This article was written by Larry R. DeVore.]

Moses E. Lard wrote in April 1865 at the end of the Civil War these words: “He is a poor observer of men and things who does not see slowly growing up among us a class of men who can no longer be satisfied with the ancient gospel and the ancient order of things. These men must have changes; and silently they are preparing the mind of the brotherhood to receive changes. Do not be deceived, brethren, the Devil is not sleeping. If you refuse to see the danger till ruin is upon you, then it will be too late.” (Quoted in Churches of Christ During the Civil War, page 106, by Dayton Keesee). In the light of happenings today among Churches of Christ, he could have written these words in April 2006.
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February 1, 2007

Rebaptism

From time to time, the question arises as to whether or not one who has been baptized needs to be baptized again. This is an important question to answer given the emphasis the New Testament places upon baptism. Some may be quick to point out that we do not read of a second baptism, or “rebaptism” in Scripture. But the fact that a second baptism is not mentioned does not automatically mean that the practice is unauthorized. However, since it is not specifically mentioned, we must consider certain principles to help us answer the question.
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February 1, 2007

Reverend

[This article was written by Tim Haile.]

King David said of God, “He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: holy and reverend is His name” (Psalm 111:9). David exalted God’s name as being “holy and reverend.” David gave this description on the basis of God’s ability to send redemption and establish His eternal covenant. Obviously, these two things are utterly impossible for man to do, so man is not in this classification. “Holy” means “set apart,” and “reverend” means “to fear, to be afraid, to stand in awe of.” So, in this context David describes God’s name as “holy” because it is set far apart from any ordinary name, and God’s name is “reverend” because God is to be feared and honored for His greatness, glory and power.
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