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

In different arenas of society, people of common interests will assemble a unique body. This body of individuals can stand as one based upon a shared platform of beliefs. We understand this quite well during election years when different candidates are running for an office. Reporters will compare the candidates stand against the political party. Usually a political party will be united in their stands on certain subjects (i.e. abortion, capital punishment, unemployment, tax rates, etc.). This unity that exists allows harmony among its members. People of the world are able to recognize when there is unity or discord.
Continue Reading

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

At various points in our lives, a call for examination is demanded. We need to evaluate where we stand, and in what direction we are headed. Paul said, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5). To determine if one is in the faith, the examination must be done according to the standard of the faith. Without proper examination, we could easily drift away from God’s pattern as many individuals have in the past. One example of this is found in the book of Haggai. Haggai was chosen by God to relay a message of examination by the admonition “Consider your ways!” This admonition was designed to awake the Jews to get back to serving God as they ought. Consideration forces the honest individual to look at various aspects of the life being led.
Continue Reading

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

Recently I attended a National Society of Collegiate Scholars meeting, and we were designing club T-shirts. We broke into groups to come up with a good design that everyone would like. One of the guys in my group came up with the idea to use a Mastercard theme T-shirt. The shirt would list different items that have a cost associated with that item and conclude with something that was priceless. This item is something that is “of inestimable value,” as Webster defines priceless. The theme is to show that we can purchase and attain different items with a medium of exchange, but there are items that we cannot put a price tag on. This idea got me thinking about different things that are priceless.
Continue Reading

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

In the days of Jesus, there were sects within the Jewish religion. We frequently read of the scribes and Pharisees questioning Jesus. In Matthew 23, Jesus exposes the flaws that were prevalent within these sects. Among the flaws exposed, their hypocrisy is compared to white-washed tombs (Mt. 23:27-28). Though the Pharisees outwardly seemed to be religious and righteous, God knew their hearts were not truly religious and unrighteous. Their appearance and what was truth were two different things, thus being hypocritical. Hypocrisy is not a problem of the first century; but is a problem still prevalent today.
Continue Reading

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

We have sung the song “Sing to Me of Heaven” several times in our lifetimes. I feel that many individuals just sing the song without looking at the words and the message we need to be teaching one another as we sing (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16). The point of the song is to excite every Christian of the home that will await those who are faithful to the Lord. Just imagine what it will be like there to be reunited with other saints who have fallen asleep, to feel no more pain, and to never more have to face temptation. That is what we need to be thinking about when we sing such songs like “Sing to Me of Heaven.”
Continue Reading

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

I remember learning about the prophet Jonah as a young boy. The emphasis was usually on obedience to God when looking at Jonah trying to flee the presence of the Lord. Certainly this account is a good example to consider what happens as a result of obedience and disobedience. Yet there are other grand lessons that can be learned if we rewind the clock and consider what happens before the choice of obedience or disobedience is made. Let us consider the message that is given which requires the decision of an individual. We will not look at the message given to Jonah which caused him to make a decision, but rather the sermon Jonah presented that called for a city to repent.
Continue Reading

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

It becomes frustrating trying to study religion, especially the many denomination of the world. The source of my frustration is the changing attitudes and philosophies used by the religious world. Yet God is unchanging in nature, and so is the message He has revealed. Many groups claim to follow the Bible, but not only the Bible. Catholics, Mormons, Baptists, Home Churches, and certainly other groups have written their own creed books that are used in addition to the Bible as canon. These groups plainly show that the Bible is insufficient and that God was not able to deliver the whole gospel. However, the Bible teaches that “all things pertaining to life and godliness” has been “once for all delivered to the saints” in the days of the New Testament (2 Pet. 1:3, Jude 3). God has revealed what He desires and we can see how plain the message is in its nature.
Continue Reading