March 14, 2013

B.F. Hall: Choosing Truth Over an Education

B.F. Hall: Choosing Truth Over an Education

Benjamin Franklin Hall (1803-1873), at the age of 18 developed a desire to preach. But he felt that he needed an education in order to do it. His father was not a religious man and told him he could preach under one condition – that he leave home and never come back. So the young B.F. Hall left to pursue the education he thought would be necessary for him to preach.

Leaving home with nothing, Hall could not afford to pay for an education. But he had someone willing to pay for him – his brother-in-law. The only catch was that he join the Presbyterian Church. Hall was unwilling to do this, choosing to hold onto the truth rather than compromise to get something that he desired.
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January 15, 2013

Should Preaching About Homosexuality Be a Priority?

Louie Giglio, pastor of the Passion City Church in Atlanta, was invited to deliver the benediction during the President’s inauguration. He has since withdrawn from participating in the event after some “gay-rights” advocates protested. The following quote was included in the article linked above. It is from a sermon of Giglio’s from the 1990’s and was the cause of the opposition against his participation in the inauguration.

“If you look at the counsel of the word of God, Old Testament, New Testament, you come quickly to the conclusion that homosexuality is not an alternative lifestyle… homosexuality is not just a sexual preference, homosexuality is not gay, but homosexuality is sin. It is sin in the eyes of God, and it is sin according to the word of God. You come to only one conclusion: homosexuality is less than God’s best for his creation.”

I know nothing about anything else Giglio teaches or has taught, but his remarks above about homosexuality being a sin are exactly correct. In every dispensation, homosexuality has been an abomination in the eyes of God. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were utterly destroyed for this sin (Genesis 19:4-13; Jude 7). The Law of Moses clearly condemned the practice: “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22; cf. 20:13). Even in the New Testament, homosexuality is said to be “unnatural,” “indecent,” and “contrary to sound teaching” (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Timothy 1:10). Paul told the brethren in Corinth that the sin of homosexuality, if not repented of and abandoned, would prevent one from inheriting the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9).
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December 24, 2012

Soldiers, Athletes, and Farmers (12/24)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Timothy 1-4.

Paul used three analogies to describe the role of a preacher to the young evangelist Timothy. The examples that Paul used are common, even today, so that we might be able to easily see the points he was making.

“Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

“Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.

“The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops” (2 Timothy 2:3-6).

Let us briefly notice the three examples Paul used to describe the role of preachers:
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December 14, 2012

The Sect That Is Spoken Against Everywhere (12/14)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Acts 27-28.

When Paul came to Rome as a prisoner, he was able to meet with “the leading men of the Jews” (Acts 28:17) and talk to them about why he was there and to explain to them the truth about the gospel he taught. However, these men knew little about Paul but had heard of a certain “sect” about which they were curious.

“They said to him, ‘We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere’” (Acts 28:21-22).

All they knew about this “sect” was that it had a bad reputation. But their reasonable approach to learning about it was commendable. Notice what they did and did not do:
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December 13, 2012

Accusations Made Against Paul (12/13)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Acts 24-26.

When Paul stood before Felix, a lawyer named Tertullus brought accusations against him on behalf of the Jews. Notice the charges that were made:

“For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. And he even tried to desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him” (Acts 24:5-6).

Tertullus made four accusations against Paul. Similar ones may be made against those who teach the truth today. Notice what these accusations were:
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December 12, 2012

How to Reach Others with the Gospel

Two Men Studying the Bible

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).

The above passage is commonly referred to as the Great Commission. Though this commission was given exclusively to the apostles (there is no divine mandate for each Christian to “go into all the world” today), there certainly are principles that apply to us. God wants people to be saved and the gospel is the way to reach them. Therefore, we should be doing what we can to spread the gospel.

But how do we reach others with the gospel? There is more to be done in this regard than just standing up in the pulpit and preaching (though this is one of the ways which we will discuss). Not everyone can stand up in the pulpit and preach, but each one of us can do different things to help reach others with the gospel.

In this article, we will briefly notice some of the things that we can do as individuals to spread the gospel.
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December 6, 2012

Disguised as Servants of Righteousness (12/6)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Corinthians 10-13.

Paul warned the brethren in Corinth about the dangerous influence of false teachers. His warning is just as appropriate for us today.

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

False teachers will always exist, and we must be on the alert against them. But we should not think that false teachers will be immediately apparent as such. No false teacher is going to inform you that what he is teaching is not true. He will present his message as though it is the truth. He will disguise himself as a servant of righteousness.
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