Author: Stan Cox

Craigslist is a free ad listing service on the internet. It is similar to the free Thrifty Nickle newspaper, but it costs nothing to list a sale item, and it has become a popular way to buy, sell and trade.

Craigslist also has what it calls the “Adult Services” section. Here people can advertise massages, escort services, and other euphemisms of what is sometimes a solicitation of prostitution. As such, the service has come under legal scrutiny, and after various threats, Craigslist has shut down that part of its site.

Continue reading “In the News: Adult Services?” →

Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 1 & 2. Those who deny God and His Son are extremely foolish. Paul contrasts such human wisdom with God’s “foolishness”, and finds the wisdom of men sorely lacking.

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1 Kings 18 records a conversation between two faithful servants of God, the prophet Elijah, and the servant Obadiah, from King Ahab’s house. Though different, they were both faithful, and teach us some important lessons.

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Paul’s introductory comments in Romans are typical. In them he identifies himself as a bondservant of the Lord, engaged in the task of preaching His gospel.

He affirms his apostleship, and that the gospel had its inception in the prophets. (Remember, Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian using the text of Isaiah 53).

He affirms Jesus to be the Son of Man “born of the seed of David according to the flesh”, and to be the Son of God, attested “by the resurrection from the dead.”

It is amazing how often the apostle repeats those two facts throughout his writings: 1) I am an apostle by God’s choosing; 2) I am bound by God to preach the gospel of the Lord.

Paul also revealed something about the Roman Christians. He wrote, “among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.” This calling is the process of sanctification. We are called out of the world, called to holiness. All of Paul’s instructions come from this fact concerning his brethren. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (6:2-3).

Exodus 3 & 4 Record God’s call to Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. Moses’ initial excuses to avoid the responsiblity are similar to excuses many Christians use today. God’s answers are instructive for us in application.

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In reading a debate from 1928 on the subject of Premillennialism, I came across the following from the pen of H. Leo Bole. This is found in his first negative of the proposition, “The Scriptures teach that Israel (fleshly descendant of Abraham through Jacob) shall be nationally restored.”

“… An important rule for the correct understanding of God’s word is this — namely, the Scripture must be its own interpreter. This rule requires that when there is a question concerning the meaning of any Scripture, that the true sense must be searched out and ascertained from other Scriptures that speak more clearly on that point. All Bible scholars recognize two classes of Scriptures–plain and simple Scriptures, and obscure or difficult Scriptures. The obscure and difficult Scriptures must be interpreted by the plain and simple Scriptures.”
(http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/rboll/up/UP01N.HTM)

For example, Revelation 20:1-10 should be interpreted with Mark 9:1 in mind. If that is done, the erroneous view that Jesus has yet to establish an earthly 1000 year kingdom will not be seriously considered. This example could be multiplied with the various false doctrines that have troubled religious people throughout the history of the Lord’s church.

The apostle Paul’s appeal to Philemon on behalf of the slave Onesimus serves as an object lesson in this textual study of that book.

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The sermon describes 8 different problems that could damage a local congregation of Christians. Things like: Cults of personality, false doctrine, unfaithful elders, hypocrisy and worldliness.

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A Study of Psalm 101. The Psalm reveals the resolution of the King of Israel to reign with justice and righteousness in the Kingdom. His resolve, and attitudes toward both the wicked and just serve as an object lesson for Christian’s today.

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Christ demands commitment from those who would lives their lives as His disciple. This is evident in His teaching on many occasions.

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Acts 1:1-5

The books of Acts is the second volume written by Luke to his friend Theophilus. Luke was a companion of Paul in his missionary journeys and a physician (cf. Colossians 4:14).

He describes himself in his first work (the gospel of Luke) as one who had a “perfect understanding of all things from the very first” regarding the teaching and actions of Jesus. He gave that as the motivation for his first missive to his friend.

Luke finished his gospel with an account of Jesus’ ascension, and takes up the narrative at that exact place in the book of Acts. He relates again the promise of Jesus that his disciples would be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and preach first the gospel of the kingdom in Jerusalem.
Later in the book we read of the fulfillment of this promise (cf. chapter 2), one of the most important events in the history of God’s dealings with mankind.

The book of Acts is a book of history. It recounts the first gospel sermon, the establishment of the Lord’s church, and the spread of the Christian faith in the first century. It is a message all men should read avidly.

A scenario arises where something objectionable is said or done. Some profanity, perhaps a dollop of gossip, maybe an unkind word. A Christian has the temerity to object, perhaps mildly, saying that such should not be said or done.

The response? A rolling of the eyes, and an invitation to just, “Get over it!” The world has no compunction about offending the Christian. Sometimes even other Christians may look askance at the one audacious enough to stand for what is right.

My answer? I will not “Get over it.” I am offended, and I refuse to go along to get along. Such raised objections are not an example of self-righteousness, (as the world believes), but the cry of those who are pilgrims in a land that is increasingly hostile to their faith, and that is leading more and more of God’s people to ungodly compromise. If someone doesn’t continue to speak up, all of us will “Get over it”, and the Devil will have won!

The Christian Chronicle is a newspaper that reports on events and activities among institutional churches of Christ. Though it claims not to be, it is also an instrument of digression, often reporting favorably or editorializing upon practices and doctrine without Biblical authority.

One example of this is the editorial in the September 2010 edition of the paper, titled “Church camp: An idea worth exploring” (page 30). The editorial relates the large number of letters that had come in, in response to a the Chronicle’s request that readers share their “favorite church camp memories.”

Continue reading “In the News: Church Camp?” →

The lesson uses passages from Proverbs to explain the importance of wisdom. The lesson is especially beneficial to the young.

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The Bible reveals the devil to be a personal and imposing adversary, with devices that need to be recognized and resisted.

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