Category: From the Preacher’s Pen

In the past several months we have had a number of things done to the building to maintain and improve it. Most of it was necessary work: Replacing the air conditioners due to theft, and the carpet in the auditorium due to water damage. Also, new lights, and the addition of ceiling fans to combat the mold problem we have had due to moisture.

The building is in great shape, and ready for our upcoming gospel meeting, but the work got me to thinking about the importance of maintaining the church. (Not the building … the people!)

That is what edification is, “soul maintenance.” Paul encouraged the Thessalonians, “Therefore comfort each other, and edify one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thess. 5;11). Our upcoming meeting is a good opportunity for such edification.

The practice of hospitality is emphasized as an important part of the Christian walk. Gaius was commended by the apostle John for his expressions of hospitality for “the brethren and for strangers” (3 John 4).

Gaius’ hospitality included the keeping and feeding of preachers of the gospel of Christ. Because of his help to them, John said that Gaius did “well”, and indicated that when we receive these men, “we may become fellow workers for the truth” (vs. 8).

We put up a meal list for brother Micky Galloway, who will be preaching for us in our meeting April 3-8. This is your opportunity to emulate Gaius, and receive the commendation of our Lord.

If you show hospitality to a preacher, he gets a meal, but you get a far greater blessing!

My family had a wonderful day yesterday (and the Davis family did as well, I trust). I am so proud for Josh and Rachel, and I sincerely believe that they will have a long and happy life together.

I am thankful for my children, and for my family, and for my brethren in Christ. Things were very hectic at the wedding, and the reception following, and I didn’t get an opportunity to thank those who were able to come.

The apostle Paul wrote, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

We certainly had cause to rejoice yesterday. And, we are so grateful that our brethren were there to rejoice with us!

I recently came across two quotes on the subject of Holiness, which I would like to share with you…

“A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.” – D. L. Moody

“How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets real thing, it is irresistible.” – C.S. Lewis

One quote expresses the true thought that actions speak louder than words. While we are told to preach the gospel, our words have a greater potency is God can be seen in us.

The second quote accurately portrays the fact that a Christian is a desirable and pleasant person to know. He is who we all aspire to be. Are you living a properly holy life?

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).

Paul here gives us a wonderful promise, though you note it is conditioned upon our walking according to the Spirit rather than the flesh. You can go to his epistle to the Galatians (5:16-26) for an extended discussion of the difference between walking according to the flesh and the Spirit. In verse 24 of that passage, the point is well made, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

It doesn’t make sense to claim to be a Christian unless you are willing to live the life you claim!

One interesting area of Bible Evidences is Archaeology. Archaeology helps to provide a background for the characters and events described in the Bible. It serves to corroborate the Bible as a dependable and inspired text. One caveat: The fact that archaeology has not corroborated a specific event, place or person is not evidence that it doesn’t exist. I came across this recently:

“The Hittites were unknown outside the Bible until late in the 19th century. Some critics had denied the existence of such a people. A.H. Sayce proposed that certain inscriptions in Syria were Hittite, then the Hittite capital at Boghazkoy was excavated by Hugo Winckler in 1906. About 10,000 Hittite and Akkadian texts were found. It is now possible to get a graduate degree in Hittite civilization at the University of Pennsylvania.” (Ferrell Jenkins, Introduction to Christian Evidences, pg. 60).

Our quarterly singings are a wonderful time for edification and encouragement. All who were at the singing last night were strengthened in faith by the worship offered to God.

We are given the command to sing in Ephesians 5:19, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” We are given a reason to sing in James 5:13, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”

It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt. Our singings have been going on now for some time. Were you there last night? Did you forget, or have something “better” to do? Please consider whether your time could be spent in doing anything better than offering praise to God!

Remember, our next singing is scheduled for April 17th. Hope to see you there!

I came across a quote recently about the reliability of the New Testament text. In other words, we can be sure that the original words have been preserved for us today.

“God has given us 5,656 manuscripts containing all or parts of the Greek NT. It is the most remarkably preserved book in the ancient world. Not only do we have a great number of manuscripts but they are very close in time to the originals they represent. Some partial manuscripts of the NT are from the second century A.D., and many are within four centuries of the originals. These facts are all the more amazing when they are compared with the preservation of other ancient literature” (Edward Glenny)

What we have preserved for us today is the true, complete and inspired word of God!

I have put on the back table in the foyer a very good daily Bible reading schedule that will help you read through the entire Bible in a year’s time. Best of all, you only read on the weekdays, so you aren’t behind! It starts tomorrow.

I do not know of a better habit to form than daily Bible reading. The commitment is no more than 30 minutes a day. Those who have a fast reading rate can finish the reading in 20 minutes or less each day.

Remember the words of the apostle Paul, written to his son in the faith, Timothy. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Read His word. God will bless you with wisdom in this New Year!

A new year is upon us, and it is a good time to resolve to do a better job of living for our Lord. Of course, any time is a good time to resolve to do a better job of living for our Lord, but none better than the present.

We are now a full decade into the 21st century. It is an amazing thing that despite the passing of time, God and His word remain just as relevant and significant today as He and it have ever been.

What do you want to do this next year to better serve Him? Study more? Pray more? Be more diligent in attending Bible class or worship? Share the gospel with more lost souls? Be more loving? More hospitable? More longsuffering? More patient? More diligent?

All are laudable goals, and are well worth considering. Surely we all have room for improvement!

Just about every year at this time I ask you to consider a systematic Bible Reading schedule for the New Year.

There are many such schedules available, both online and in printed form. If you are interested, let me know and I will hook you up.

Perhaps the best schedule is a bit more challenging. Read the New Testament, once a month, every month, for a year. The simplest way to do this is to divide the New Testament into 28 or 29 sections. Take the total number of pages, divide it by 28 or 29, and read that many pages (to the nearest chapter) each day. You can miss a day or two, and still finish on time each month using this method.

This is a bit challenging, but doable. Maybe you will want to try it in 2010?

It got cold outside this past week! I got an email from a preacher friend in Edna, TX (down south), who told me they got between 1” and 2” of snow a couple of days ago! Snow in south Texas?

The grass is going dormant, and the leaves have just about all given up the ghost, and it certainly is not my favorite time of the year! Oh well, knowing North Texas, it will probably be in the 70’s on Christmas day.

The cool weather reminded me of Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish that you were either cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.”

I’m not saying that our Lord likes the cold, but He at least prefers it to lukewarm Christians!

It got cold outside this past week! I got an email from a preacher friend in Edna, TX (down south), who told me they got between 1” and 2” of snow a couple of days ago! Snow in south Texas?

The grass is going dormant, and the leaves have just about all given up the ghost, and it certainly is not my favorite time of the year! Oh well, knowing North Texas, it will probably be in the 70’s on Christmas day.

The cool weather reminded me of Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish that you were either cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.”

I’m not saying that our Lord likes the cold, but He at least prefers it to lukewarm Christians!

The Large Hadron Collider is in the news again. The Collider is a large, underground tunnel built in the form of a ring. The equipment within it is designed to accelerate and collide photons to help scientists better understand the nature of matter.

Why is this such a big deal? I am sure that there are “hard science” benefits, but the main reason the Collider exists is to give scientific “proof” that the theory a “Big Bang” began the universe is valid.

Interestingly, a similar Collider, to be built in the United States about 15 years ago was scrapped because of cost overruns, and the fact that Congress could not be convinced of its “scientific value.”

So much ado about nothing! All they need to know about the origins of the universe, they can read in Genesis 1:1.

Brethren, let’s be considerate of one another!

In Hebrews 10, the writer states, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (24-25).

Not everyone took advantage of the opportunity we had last week to be edified during our meeting. If you didn’t come, you missed out on some fine lessons and encouragement.

If you chose not to come, rather than being hindered from coming, you also could be said to have been inconsiderate of your brethren. (Those are the Hebrew writer’s words, not mine!) So, let’s be better about considering others, and take advantage of our opportunities to edify one another.