Category: Subject Index

God told Noah, “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch” (Genesis 6:14).

I don’t know exactly what gopher wood is, but Noah did, and he did what God required. He made the ark 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high (whatever a cubit is).

The point is, he did what God told him to do. Why? He respected God, and feared Him. He knew that to escape the “end of all flesh” (cf. vs. 13), he had to follow God’s directions.

This is a good lesson for us today. Judgment is coming, and the only way for us to escape condemnation is to follow directions. The Jews who responded to Peter’s preaching on Pentecost asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:38). Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. Three thousand souls that day followed God’s directions. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (vs. 47).

So, are you willing to follow God’s directions? Your soul depends upon it!

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

Wisdom begins with a “fear of the Lord.” That means that if one does not fear God, he can not be wise. Perhaps that is why Paul wrote so dismissively of the wisdom of men, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

“Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1:21). If you truly desire to be wise, fearing and knowing God is the place to begin.

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How often have you seen articles with titles like the one above shared on Facebook feeds? It is a common tactic, as authors and websites vie for the attention of readers. A catchy title or provocative picture will lead to clicks. Often the article itself has little to offer, but internet traffic leads to advertisers and revenue, so the trend will not soon change. Unfortunately, the trend is prevalent in material offered with the intent of aiding in spiritual growth.

Which leads me to note the first bad habit that leads to a superficial faith. Taking a Facebook mentality into matters of spiritual importance! I confess that I click on such titles myself, because they are attention getting. Too often the article is as much pop psychology as Biblical teaching. The quality of writing on spiritual matters is suffering as authors try to adapt to the short attention spans and novel cravings of a culture unduly influenced by social media. This is sad.

Continue reading “7 Bad Habits of Superficial Christians” →

Note: Audio distorted, but understandable.

Genesis 7:5-16 a number of truths are revealed about God’s judgment of the world at the flood, and his treatment of righteous Noah.

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Divinely revealed characteristics of what a true Christian is.

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In Ezekiel 14, the prophet shared with the elders of Israel God’s displeasure at the idolatry practiced by the nation. “I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols” (4b-5).

God called upon them to “Repent, burn away form your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations” (vs. 6). If they would not, He warned, “I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord” (vs. 8).

This prophecy has been fulfilled. The Jews who were unfaithful to God were judged by Him. The judgment they suffered is a proverb to us. We learn from their unfortunate example! “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

But, many of us refuse to learn the lesson. We erect our own idols (things to which we give primacy rather than God). We don’t consider the fact that we may be as guilty as the Israelites: “these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity” (Ezekiel 14:3). Always put God first in your life, and avoid being a sign and a proverb to future generations.

Invitation delivered by: Stan Cox

In 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 Paul states that he has nothing to offer except for Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. While the religious world offers so many other things, the only thing we have the right to offer is the gospel of our Lord!

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The text of 2 Corinthians 3:4-11 is examined, noting the differences between the two covenants.

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In the 101st Psalm, the singer makes five promises to the Lord that we would do well to emulate ourselves.

* Sing praises
* Behave wisely
* Set nothing wicked before my eyes
* Not endure slander and pride
* Bless the faithful

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Some are critical of preachers spending too much time preaching doctrine, and not enough time on more practical matters.

Paul told Titus in Titus 2:1, “But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine…” But, the “doctrine” of which of Paul speaks consisted of practical matters regarding the behavior of younger women, older women, younger men, older men and bondservants.

The fact is, all Biblical teaching is doctrine. And, who is to say which aspect of that doctrine is most important? Rather than looking for someone who will tell you what you want to hear, find a preacher who has determined to “declare to you the whole counsel of God”! (cf. Acts 20:27)

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Our culture can color our view of what God does and does not allow for mankind. The culture of the first century differed greatly from our own. In fact, there were numerous different cultures in the first century, and cultural views caused problems in the early church. It shouldn’t surprise us that those same influences would cause problems today.

The scriptures stand in stark contrast with changing cultural mores. Here is an example. American culture in the 21st century demands that women be given the exact same consideration regarding positions of leadership in the local church. In contrast, the scriptures teach that leadership positions such as elder and deacon are limited to men (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) and that women are to be in submission (cf. 1 Timothy 2:11-14).

The thing to remember is that the words of Paul in these verses are the product of the Holy Spirit inspiration (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17). They are not, as commonly claimed, a function of Paul’s cultural biases.

In fact, the Holy Spirit reveals that the limitation on women is a function of creation, not culture. “For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (1 Timothy 2:13).

Let us not be so arrogant to assume that our culture knows best. While men may trumpet present day sophistication and evolved morals, we place our trust in the words of God.

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In Luke 10:38-42, Luke narrates an occasion in Jesus’ ministry when he went to the house of Martha. At that time, Mary was commended for sitting at Jesus’ feet to hear His teaching.

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Yesterday evening I had an opportunity to join in worship with the saints at the Elm Street congregation in El Reno, Oklahoma. This fine congregation met in the final night of our gospel meeting, singing beautiful songs of praise to God, offering up sincere petitions in prayer, and kindly listening to my final effort to share a message from God’s word as our week together concluded.

My final plea was based on the text of Philippians 2:

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vs. 9-11).

I noted that God has given all authority to Jesus Christ, and that at the judgment all will bow down before Him. I further pled with those present to ensure that they acknowledge His Lordship now, before it is too late.

Continue reading “A Criticism of Our Worship” →

Invitation delivered by: Josh Cox

In Romans 5:12 the apostle Paul affirms that death has spread to all men. The only way to escape death is through God’s gift to man (cf. Romans 6:23). As such, we are Debtors (Romans 8:12).

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In 2 Thessalonians 1:3, the apostle Paul expressed thanks to God for the Christians there, “because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.”

Faith and love are two of the identifying characteristics of the child of God. The love of God abounds toward man, as is evident from His scheme for our redemption. The faithful Christian’s love should be the same, especially toward their brethren.

The faith of the diligent Christian is a faith that grows daily. As the Hebrew writer noted, (Hebrews 5:12 – 6:6), if you are not progressing in your faith, you will regress, potentially to the point of apostasy.

Do you have a growing faith and abundant love?

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