Category: Truth
Subject: Truth
War and Making War in the Church
Webster defines the word polemic – “An aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another. The art or practice of disputation or controversy.” Describing the etymology of the word, “When polemic was borrowed into English from French polemique in the mid-17th century, it referred (as it still can) to a type of hostile attack on someone’s ideas. The word traces back to Greek polemikos, which means “warlike” or “hostile” and in turn comes from the Greek noun polemos, meaning “war.”
This Greek noun polemos is used in James 4. “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:1-2).
Sermon: What God Values in Man
What Does God Value in Man? Eyes of humility. A tongue of truth. Hands that do honest work. A good heart. Cautious feet. Those who advocate for justice and mercy, A maker of peace. That is what God values.
COVID-19 (23) I Guess God is Needed After All!
In my time on earth, I have been amazed and saddened by the increasingly secular bent of our world. I freely admit that there are many problems with the religion that has been historically practiced in America. Sectarianism has been the norm, leading to conflict, confusion and division. However, there always seemed to be an acknowledgment of God in our country, and a recognition of the importance of faith.
Continue reading “COVID-19 (23) I Guess God is Needed After All!”
Sermon: Walking in Truth
A discussion about the emphasis that John places upon obedience to the truth that abides in us, using the text of 2 John. Truth, commandments, doctrine, they all mean the same thing in the context of the epistle. This is necessary for fellowship with God.
Included in the lesson is this wonderful poem about God’s word, attributed to John Clifford.
The Anvil of God’s Word
“Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.
“‘How many anvils have you had,’ said I,
‘To wear and batter all these hammers so?’
‘Just one,’ said he, and then with twinkling eye,
‘The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.’
“And so, I thought, the Anvil of God’s Word
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
|The Anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.”
Sermon: In Everything Give Thanks
A discussion of things for which we should give thanks: Christ’s victory over sin and death, the revelation of truth, life’s physical provisions, our brethren, God’s grace, the authority of our Lord. All are established scripturally and discussed.
Sermon: The Clarity of Revelation
The lesson answers two questions using the scriptures:
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Is scripture sufficiently clear to be understood by man?
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Is our understanding relative? Does a lack of understanding on our part excuse false teaching or sinful action?
We must defend the truth of God’s word against those who teach error. False doctrine cannot be tolerated among the people of God.
Sermon: Hating the Prophet
The antagonism of man toward the proclamation of God’s will is amply illustrated by Ahab’s conflicts with the prophets Elijah and Micaiah. We must stand strong, and proclaim His word.
Sermon: “Who may abide in Your tabernacle?”
According to Psalm 15, only the upright, righteous, truthful, lover of good, obedient individual is welcomed by God into His presence. Those who backbite, do evil, gossip, mistreat and harm others are not welcome.
When Truth Doesn’t Match Conviction
This past week the Mueller report was submitted, and the Attorney General of the United States revealed that the report exonerates the President from the charge of criminal conspiracy to collude with Russia in the 2016 election. For the last two years many leaders in the opposition party were convinced that the President was guilty. Now that the report has been released, recommending no indictments, many continue to believe in his guilt.
The purpose of this article is not politics. I am aware that many want to see the report before making any final decisions, and that others will not be satisfied until they not only see the report, but the mountain of documents upon which it is based. My point is that many will stubbornly hold to their personal conviction regardless of what is actually so. And this tendency is not limited to a particular political party, or even politics itself.
Sermon: Remember!
Memories help us to avoid mistakes of the past, appreciate the present, and hope in the future!
The Thessalonian Example
The apostle Paul obviously considered the church in Thessalonica to be a faithful congregation. “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4). They had received the gospel of the Lord from Paul and others, and through their obedience to it had become “examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe” (1:7).
The concept of faithfulness is married to an acceptance of truth, coupled with an effort to conform to it. Consider Paul’s description of the Christians in Thessalonica, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus” (1:13-14).
Sermon: Mercy and Truth Meet
The terms Mercy and Truth are coupled often in scripture. One without the other leads to extremes that are indefensible. When they meet together, they save the lost and preserve the faithful!
Sermon: Healing on the Sabbath Day
Jesus’ questions to the Pharisees in our text reveal two important points. We must always handle the word of truth with honesty, and our appeal to God’s word must never be an excuse to ignore the suffering of men.
Sermon: God Breathed
Most are ignorant of God’s word, and its great importance. The concept of inspiration demands a knowledge of, and respect for God’s law.
Sermon: Those Noble Bereans
The Bereans were noble because they kept OPEN minds, OPEN Bibles and OPEN Schedules. We need to emulate them.
