What does the Bible say about marriage, divorce, and remarriage?

Jesus’ Law on Marriage

We continue our study of false doctrines concerning divorce and remarriage:
 
3} THE SIN OF ADULTERY IS WASHED AWAY AT BAPTISM, AND THE MARRIAGE IS SANCTIFIED.
 
Arguments are offered as follows:
 
A) All past sins are forgiven at baptism, and since sanctification occurs at that point, one may remain married regardless of previous unscriptural divorces.
B) Adultery is just a one-time act, and if it occurred before baptism, it is forgiven as is any other sin.
C) When we force people to separate in order to obey the gospel, it requires them to live a celibate life, which is more than can be expected. It inflicts hardship on children and, we are told, would be contrary to the loving nature of God.
 
THE TRUTH IS: (point by point)
 
A) At baptism all past sins are forgiven that we have repented of (Acts 2:38). If unscripturally divorced and remarried people may remain married after baptism, may the drunk continue his drinking, the idolater his false worship, etc. Study 1 Cor. 6:9-11 carefully.
B) In Matt. 19:9, "committeth adultery" is in the present tense in the original Greek, denoting continuing action.
C) When God requires unscripturally married people to separate, it is possible to do so (Matt. 19:12) and is the kind of sacrifice that Jesus said we may have to make (Luke 14:26). We wonder why folks who make this argument never consider these hardships when they divorce to fulfill their own desires, but are unwilling to do so to fulfill God’s will. God's love is seen in His own marriage law, and note that He has required separation in the past (Ezra 10:10,11).
 
Continue to study with us ...

- by Greg Gwin

 

Rorie Woods beehives Springfield, Massachusetts

"A Sting Operation"

With the Associated Press story of Rorie Woods being arrested is a photo of her wearing an unusual hat, one that covered her entire head and face. It's the garb typically worn by beekeepers who want to protect themselves while they tend to their hives. Woods put this on just before deliberately opening several hives to release swarms of honeybees.

Deputies had arrived at the Springfield, Massachusetts home of Woods on the morning of October 12 to serve eviction papers. Soon after their arrival, Woods drove up with a trailer loaded with beehives. She reportedly began shaking the hives and broke the cover off one, which led to swarms of bees. Several officers were stung, including three who are allergic to beestings.

Now Woods is facing multiple assault and battery charges for her misguided actions. Had any of the deputies suffered fatal reactions to their beestings, she would also be facing murder charges. Thankfully, nothing more than a few whelps resulted from her malicious deed.

I'm not allergic to beestings, but I know from experience how painful they can be. Honeybees are not the worst; that distinction probably should go to hornets (though yellowjacket wasps pack quite a wallop). No stings are pleasant, though, and we understandably go out of our way to avoid them.

Interestingly, God uses the pain of beestings to illustrate warnings that were issued to His people. In Isaiah 7:18 we find this warning of punishment to come: "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will whistle for the fly that is in the farthest parts of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria." God wasn't talking about actual flies and bees, but of the armies of Egypt and Assyria who would be agents of pain for His rebellious people. These powerful foes would not destroy Israel and Judah but would serve as warnings against continued sinfulness.

Years earlier the image of a hornet was used, but in a positive way for God's people: "I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow" (Joshua 24:12). How did Israel conquer the land of Canaan? Not by their own power, but by the "hornet" God sent before them. Again, a powerful sting was inflicted on God's enemies.

The most dreaded sting of all comes not from a flying insect, but from death. 1 Corinthians 15:54,55 shows how God has mastered man's greatest foe: "So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?'" Jesus has removed the powerful, painful punch that death carried.

A bee flew into a car as a father and his young son drove down the road. The son was allergic to bee stings, so the father reached out and trapped the bee in his hand – then let it loose. "Dad," the boy cried, "why did you let it go? You know how allergic I am to beestings!" The father opened his hand and showed his son the stinger in his hand. The bee was now powerless to hurt his son.

Jesus has taken the sting of death for us all. "… that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14,15).

Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss these ideas further.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright, 2022, Timothy D. Hall

Arizona firefighters rescue 25 people, including infant, during flooding in Bear Canyon

The Ladder

Usually Arizona is associated with dry, desert regions. But recent monsoon
rains have caused flashfloods in the area creating some emergency
situations.

Twenty-five people including three children and an infant were found
stranded at what was normally a low water crossing in Bear Canyon outside
Tucson. Authorities determined that a ladder rescue was the best option, so
Ladder 7 of the Tucson Fire Department was called out. The ladder was
lowered across the flooded creek and served as a bridge for crew members to
escort the stranded people to safety. *

Our sins leave us stranded with no hope and in deadly peril (Romans 6:23).
Our sins separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and we are lost unless someone
comes to our rescue.

God loves us and doesn't want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). So God sent
His one and only Son to rescue us (John 3:16). In order to save us and to
give us eternal life, Jesus had to give His life for our sins (1 Peter
2:24).

Jesus is the Bridge to bring us to God and to all of the spiritual blessings
that He wants to give to us.

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,
to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18 NIV).

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

To access the Bridge to God, we must place our faith and trust in Jesus
(Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus
before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the
forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Then as we continue to walk in the light
of His Word, the blood that Jesus shed in His death continues to cleanse us
from all sin (1 John 1:7-9).

The Son of God who descended from heaven became the Bridge to bring us to
God. You can be saved and have eternal life in heaven if you will access
the Bridge through your trusting obedience.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Arizona firefighters rescue 25 people, including
infant, during flooding in Bear Canyon" by Stephen Sorace, www.foxnews.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Submit your podcast to these sources!

Here are 8 great places to put your podcast:

1. Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes) Apple Podcasts is the biggest podcast directory in the world. ...
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8. Listen Notes (see below for one example on how powerful these podcasting resource tools are).

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Tai Chi is a series of gentle physical exercises and stretches

Unique

First impressions of this man would likely be that he was a kind man with a
friendly smile - and he was. He greeted everyone as they entered the doors
of the Creekwood Church of Christ building, offering a church bulletin, a
warm welcome, and a smile. He was known to be a rather quiet and
mild-mannered man, but there was so much more to Al Warsh. He was very
unique. Here are a few examples of his uniqueness:

Al was a skydiver in his younger years. He jumped out of an airplane and
parachuted to the ground some 1,250 times. No, he wasn't in the military;
he did it for fun.

Al practiced Tai Chi. "Tai Chi is a series of gentle physical exercises and
stretches. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that
your body is in constant motion. Tai Chi is sometimes described as
meditation in motion because it promotes serenity through gentle movements -
connecting the mind and body" (from www.mayoclinic.org). Al taught Tai Chi
to others so that they could receive the physical and mental benefits of the
exercises.

Al was a grade checker. "A grade checker works in the construction
industry, typically on roadways, to set grade stakes meant to guide
equipment operators on sloping highways and embankments. In this career, you
set these grade stakes using hand tools, measuring instruments, and using
specified ratios" (from www.ziprecruiter.com). A friend and fellow
engineer told Al's wife, Eunice, that Al was the best grade checker in
California.

Al was an alcoholic. By the grace of God and with the help of Alcoholics
Anonymous, he was sober for over 40 of the last years of his life. Al knew
what it was to battle the addiction and sought to help others in their
struggles. He worked as a volunteer with AA, beginning in the late 1980s.
He mentored many alcoholics. He ran the AA office in Mobile for many years.

Al was a Christian. He recognized that despite the mistakes of his past
that God loved him and desired to save him through the gift of His Son
Jesus. Al obeyed the Gospel and embraced the love and grace that are found
in Christ. He sought to follow in the steps of Jesus by serving God as he
served others. Countless lives have been blessed because of Al's kind and
compassionate care.

Like Al, every person is unique. You are unique. And each of us is
uniquely loved by God. God doesn't want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9) but
desires all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Our sins condemn us, but God loves
us and has made provision for our salvation through the death of His Son on
the cross (Romans 5:8).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Each of us is unique and uniquely loved by God. Like Al Warsh, may each of
us accept God's love, grace, and salvation by submitting our lives to Him
and living out our days in service to others.

-- David A. Sargent

* In Loving Memory of Alan James Warsh (June 14, 1947 - August 4, 2022).
Until we meet again.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Amy Nelson of Fox News story

CPR Saves Lives

His team won the game. But that was not the most important play that
involved basketball player, Myles Copeland.

During the game, one of the minor league referees fell to the floor. He was
suffering a heart attack. Copeland, who is also a firefighter, sprang into
action. He ran across the court and immediately started administering CPR
to the referee. He continued for 10 minutes until paramedics arrived.

"The basketball game just didn't matter anymore, it was about saving his
life," Copeland told "America's Newsroom" last Monday.

The referee's wife, a nurse, assisted Copeland in the care of her husband.
She thanked Copeland with a hug when their life-saving procedure was
completed.

Copeland said the referee was coherent and talking as the paramedics whisked
him away on a stretcher. Later, the referee had to undergo triple bypass
surgery but is now resting - with great gratitude for his rescuer.

"I'm very thankful I was there, and I'm sure he was thankful that I was
there as well," Copeland said. "It seemed that everyone was in a panic at
the time I was there, but from all our training I was cool, calm and
collected."

When we were dying because of our sins, Jesus came to our rescue. He
administered "CPR" - "Christ-Powered-Redemption" so that we might live. It
was "Christ-Powered" because only the sinless Son of God could provide the
means for our redemption. It is "Redemption" because we are "bought back"
from the cruel, fatal bondage to sin (John 8:34; Romans 6:23). It required
the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, for only His blood could pay the
price for our redemption.

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

The Apostle Peter reminded Christians of the price that was paid for their
redemption: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as
silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down
to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb
without blemish or defect" (1 Peter 1:18-19).

The need for Jesus' "CPR" is universal, "for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

The Good News is that Jesus' CPR is available to all who come to Christ for
salvation.

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Copeland's timely response with CPR saved a man's life. Jesus' CPR -
Christ-Powered-Redemption - saves lives for eternity. He will save YOUR
life if you will just submit your life to His care.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Hero basketball player saves referee's life with
CPR following heart attack: 'I went into firefighter mode'" by Amy Nelson of
Fox News, www.foxnews.com, published 6/20/2022.

"YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT ANYTHING!" (Part 1)

Sometimes when a person sets forth his religious convictions in a clear, positive, and unwavering way, he is told, “You do not believe that you are wrong about anything!”  Occasionally I have been told that by people who do not agree with my religious and spiritual views and convictions, or with what I have said about religious doctrines and practices that I believe to be wrong.  Perhaps a reasoned response to the statement is in order.

 

No, I do not believe that I am wrong about anything that I believe, teach, or practice religiously.  But, those who say that to me also believe that they are not wrong about anything that they believe and practice religiously.  If they did believe that they were wrong about something, and if they were honest, they would change from what is wrong to what they believed was right.  Tell me, you who say to me, “You do not believe that you are wrong about anything” – “What do YOU believe and practice that you know you are wrong about but you still believe and/or practice it anyway?”  The fact is that everybody thinks they are right in what they believe and practice religiously. Even when they believe that something is a matter of opinion and that there is room for a variety of views about a matter, they still think that they are right and not wrong in believing that it is a matter of opinion and of varying views!  Let me ask: Why would anyone continue to believe, teach, and/or practice that which he knows to be wrong?  That would be dishonest and hypocritical, and those things themselves are wrong!  So, I repeat: We all think that what we believe and practice is right and that we are not wrong about what we believe and practice religiously. 

 

On the other hand, if someone were to say to me, “Do you think that it is possible for you to be wrong about anything?” that would be a different matter entirely. Yes, it is very possible for me (and anyone else) to be wrong about many things! But, if I am honest, when I am shown that I am wrong about something I will change from what is wrong to what is right.  So will anyone else.  In the ordinary, everyday affairs of life, I (and all of us) have been wrong about many things.  When we were shown the error of our way, we changed.  This is honorable in all and the only right thing to do.

 

Suppose, for example, that I said, “I do not believe that God really exists, but I am wrong about that.” Yet I continued to teach and believe that God does not exist. Or, suppose I said, “I do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but I am wrong about that.” Yet I continued to teach and believe that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God. When a person is shown from the Scriptures that he/she is wrong about what they have believed, taught, or practiced religiously, then honesty demands that they change. To fail to do so is to be dishonest, and, I repeat, that itself is wrong!

 

Here are some things I believe, teach, and practice religiously.  Read the biblical texts cited, study them in their context, and see if I have misused them and am wrong in what I believe they teach.

 

* I believe that God is, that He exists (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20; Hebrews 11:6. 

* I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Matthew 16:13-17; Matthew 17:1-5; John 3:16; John 20:30-31). 

* I believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, a member of the sacred Godhead (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14). 

* I believe that God created the world and all things in it in six days (Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11; Acts 17:24-28).

* I believe that God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27).

* I believe the Bible is the divinely inspired and completely authoritative word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:3, 21).

* I believe the Scriptures, and particularly the New Testament, set forth a pattern of sound words/sound doctrine that is unchangeable, and that is binding on all mankind until the end of time (Matthew 28:18-20; Galatians 1:6-9; Colossians 2:8; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; Titus 1:10-14; 1 Peter 4:11).

* I believe that we must be governed by the authority of Christ as expressed in the New Testament in all that we teach, believe, and practice religiously (Matthew 17:5; Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 1:1-2; Hebrews 12:25; Colossians 3:17; 2 John 9).

* I believe that Christ died for the sins of all mankind (Matthew 26:28; John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 Timothy 2:5-6).

* I believe that Christ is the one and only way of salvation (John 8:24; John 14:6; Acts 4:11-12).

* I believe that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10).

* I believe that we must do the will of the Father in heaven in order to be saved (Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:8-9).

* I believe that faith in Christ is essential to salvation (John 8:24; Mark 16:15-16).

* I believe that all people must repent of their sins in order to be saved (Luke 13:3, 5; Luke 24:46-47; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30-31).

* I believe that we must confess our faith in Christ in order to be saved (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10).

* I believe that baptism is a condition necessary to being saved from sin (Mark 16:15-16; I Peter 3:21).

* I believe baptism is for the remission of sin and in order to have sins washed away in the blood of Christ (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16).

* I believe that baptism puts one into Christ where salvation and all spiritual blessings are found, and that until one is baptized into Christ he is not in Christ and has not been saved (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3-4; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:10).

* I believe that acceptable baptism is only by immersion in water (Matthew 3:16; Acts 8:35-40; Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12).

 

What we think, what we have always believed, what we were taught by our parents, what our ancestral church (denomination) or our religious “tradition” believes and practices about these matters will never override what God’s word says about these matters.  Let us not be as the lady who said, “I don’t know much about the Bible, but I know what I believe!”  Hmmmm.  In that case, she did not know if what she believed was what God wanted her to believe or not!  (See Acts 17:11).

 

 

Hugh Fulford

 

Should Christians Observe Easter?

Easter is a widely-observed annual celebration com-memorating the resurrection of Christ. You probably have noticed that Easter comes at a different time each year. “Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or next after the vernal equinox (March 21 in the Gregorian calendar); if the full moon happens on Sunday, Easter is celebrated one week later. Easter Sunday cannot be earlier than March 22 or later than April 25; dates of all other movable church feasts depend on that of Easter” (Webster).

The Origin of Easter
Some church historians assert that Easter observance began in the first century, but they must admit that their first evidence for the observance,,. comes from the second century (Schaff, History of the Christian Church II:207; Latourette,` A: History of Christianity, 1:137). There soon arose a bitter controversy over which day Easter was to be celebrated. Some were observing it on any day of the week, and others were celebrating it only on the nearest Sunday. This indicates that they had no instruction from the Lord on this matter. By A.D. 325 the council of Nicaea de-creed that it should be on Sunday, but did not fix the particular Sunday. The exact time of observance was deter-mined by later councils.

Is Easter in the Bible?
The word Easter is only found one time in the English translation of the Bible and there it is a mistranslation. The King James rendering of Acts 12:4 used the phrase “intending after Easter.” Albert Barnes, a noted Presbyterian commentator who wrote in the nineteenth century when the King James version was widely used, said, “There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover. The word Easter now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honor of the resurrection of the Saviour. But the original has no reference to that, nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this hook was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of the original, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the time of the apostles” (Barnes Notes on the New Testament, XI, 190). The word translated Pass-over, and the one used in Acts 12:4, is pascha. It means “a passing over” and is used with reference to the Jewish festival of Passover which was celebrated on the 14th of the month Nisan. This same word is used in Matthew 26:2; Mark 14:1; Luke 2:41; 22:1; John 2:13, 23 and other places, and in every instance is translated Passover in the King James Version except Acts 12:4. More recent versions correctly use the term Passover in Acts 12:4. It is absurd to think that Herod Agrippa I wanted to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The Scripture says that he “laid hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword .. he proceeded to arrest Peter also” (Acts 12:1-3).

New Testament Christians Did Not Observe Easter
The famous fourteenth edition of Encyclopedia Britannica says, “There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic Fathers. The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians” (VII: 859). The apostle Paul warned against the observance of feast days, new moons, etc. (Gal. 4:10-11; Col. 2:16-17). Another reliable source says, “In apostolic times the Christians commemorated their Lord’s resurrection every Sunday, by meeting on that day for worship. When Paul refers to Christ as our passover (1 Cor. 5:7) his language is metaphorical and cannot be regarded as containing any allusion to a church function” (A Dictionary of Religion and Ethics 140). For many people, Easter has become the one time of the year they attend church services. Concerning urging of Catholics to receive Holy Communion the question was asked, “They must go at least once a year if they would be regarded as Catholics?” “Father” Smith answers, “Yes, during Easter time” (Father Smith Instructs Jackson 159). Many forget the admonition of Hebrews 10:25: “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”

Importance of the Resurrection of Christ
Let no one imagine that we oppose the resurrection of Christ. It is the bedrock of Christianity and the deity of Jesus rests upon it (Rom. 1:4). Christians today meet every first day of the week, as did the early Christians, to observe the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7). The first day of the week is a memorial to the resurrection of Christ. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ serves as the form of an individual’s death to sin, burial in baptism, and resurrection to walk a new life as a new creature in Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom 6:3-11; Col. 2:12).

Conclusion
“Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God” (1 Pet. 4:11). The celebration of Easter began too late, and without the expressed authority of God!

- by Ferrell Jenkins

 

Famous people born in 1916

Nearly 106

What do Gregory Peck, Betty Grable, Kirk Douglas, Walter Cronkite, Jackie
Gleason and Cecil Wiggins all have in common?

They were all born in 1916.

Many of these became household names due to their appearances in movies and
on television. Cecil Wiggins was not as well known as the others, but she
outlived them all. She passed from this life on February 25, 2022, at the
age of 105, just one month shy of her 106th birthday on March 20.

She didn't live as flamboyantly as the others listed above who were born the
same year as she. She lived a quiet but profound life. She is worthy of
much honor.

Cecil's life was characterized by faith, love, and fortitude.

She grew up very poor. But she worked hard, saved money, and never wasted
anything. Shortly before World War II, she began employment at Brookley Air
Force Base as a secretary. After the base closed, she worked 10 more years
for the Mobile County (AL) Tax Collector.

She cared deeply. Much of her life was spent caring for others. She helped
care for her uncle, her grandmother, her mother, her two sisters-in-law who
both suffered with cancer, her husband, and her brother. She cared for
women who were staying in the YWCA and came to visit the Government St.
Church of Christ (where Cecil was a member) which met across the street.

She was a Christian. Her life and legacy are a part of the heritage of
churches of Christ in Mobile, AL. She was baptized into Christ in 1933 by
A.H. Maner, preacher for the Church St. Church of Christ. She remained
faithful to the Lord, to the church, and to her quest to serve the Lord for
the rest of her life.

Cecil was a member of the Government St. Church of Christ for many years.
She attended services there regularly and was very active in all church
functions, including teaching Bible classes and single-handedly writing,
mimeographing, sorting, and mailing the weekly church bulletin for several
years following her retirement. Due to declining numbers, the Government
St. church disbanded, and its remaining members assimilated into other
congregations in the area. That's when Cecil and her family became members
of the Creekwood Church of Christ. Cecil was present for the last worship
service of the Government St. church in December of 1990. The last hymn
that was sung was, "There Is a Habitation."

There is a habitation Built by the living God, For all of every nation Who
seek that grand abode O Zion, lovely Zion, I long they gates to see; O Zion,
lovely Zion, When shall I dwell in thee?
- J.H. Rosecrans

That habitation is prepared for those who place their faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31),
confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into
Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). The habitation awaits those
who continue to follow Jesus faithfully for the rest of their lives
(Revelation 2:10).

Cecil Wiggins lived nearly 106 years. Because of Jesus, 106 years are just
a few drops of water in an endless sea, for those who, like Cecil Wiggins,
love Jesus and follow Him all of their days.

-- David A. Sargent

* In loving memory of Cecil Toland Wiggins (March 20, 1916 - February 25,
2022), until we meet again in the habitation built by the living God.

How the churches of Christ grew so quickly

 

HOW DID WE GROW?

 

(Note: The following article is from the pen of Alan E. Highers, a close friend since our college days. Alan is a man of deep Bible knowledge who does not speak or write rashly or intemperately, but with due thought to what he says, backed up with decades of experience in preaching, teaching, writing, and combatting false religious teaching. For over 30 years he has been the editor of The Spiritual Sword and  the article is from the January 2022 issue of that publication.  I previously published it in four parts on my Facebook page, and now—by permission of The Spiritual Sword—I use it as this week's edition of Hugh's News & Views.  I believe the article deserves wide distribution and that its message needs to be thoroughly digested. Please give serious consideration to brother Highers' words below).

xxxxxxxxxx

 

About 1965 the United Press International (UPI) listed churches of Christ as the fastest growing religious body in America, based upon a fifteen year survey.  In our modern secularist society, of course, no religious body is growing as it once did.  We live in a time when people do not read the Bible as they once did, people generally are not as religious as they once were, and many people have lost their hunger for the truth.  The challenge for New Testament churches to excel and rise above our worldly atmosphere is greater than ever before.

 

Things We Did Not Have

 

There are several things we know that did *not* cause the phenomenal growth that churches of Christ once enjoyed.  Think of things we lacked during our greatest period of growth since the first century.

 

1. An educated ministry.  In our fifteen year history from 1950 to 1965, we did not have many highly educated ministers.  There were few doctoral degrees (such as Ph.D and Th.D.), yet our rate of growth was far greater than today when we have many such men.  This is in no wise a criticism of education or educated preachers.  It is simply an observation that this is not the cause of our growth.  We experienced great growth when we did not have men who were graduates of Harvard, University of Chicago, or Westminister Seminary.  Many men went out to preach who were self-taught, or who were trained by an older preacher, or who had two to four years at Freed-Hardeman, or Harding, or David Lipscomb (as it was then known).  Yet those men could meet the giants of error on the polemic platform and answer their arguments and give book, chapter, and verse for their positions.  Preachers knew the Book, and they preached the Book without theological sophistication.

 

2. Elaborate buildings and sanctuaries.  The Catholics had their cathedrals, the Mormons had their temples, but churches of Christ met in simple structures and emphasized the message.  They offered Bible classes, gospel meetings, and an informed pulpit.  The drawing power was in the gospel, not in comfortable surroundings and fashionable trappings.

 

3. Formal or liturgical worship.  The Catholics had their statues and images, their holy water and stations of the cross, others had their pipe organs and musical instruments, some had full bands and dramatic venues of entertainment, but churches of Christ grew without these artificial attractions.  Churches of Christ were content to duplicate the worship practices of the New Testament church—singing, praying, giving of our means, partaking of the Lord's Supper, and preaching the word.

 

4. No human creeds.  The Catholics had their catechism, the Baptists had their manual, the Methodists had their discipline, but churches of Christ had only the New Testament.  There was an emphasis on speaking where the Bible speaks and remaining silent where the Bible is silent.  Preachers cited book, chapter, and verse in their preaching.  They urged members of the audience not to accept their word, but to search the scriptures to see whether the things being taught were so (Acts 17:11).  Sermons were Bible-centered and doctrinal.  Warnings were issued against those who "cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned" (Rom. 16:17).  The men in the pulpit definitely were not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).

 

5. Faith only and "the sinner's prayer."  Some religious groups have grown because they offer cheap salvation and easy grace.  Many have been led astray by their empty promises.  "Just believe on the Lord," they tell their listeners; "that is all you have to do." They forget to tell their followers that they must repent and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).  They urge people to pray, "I am a sinner.  Lord save me from my sins."  Again, they forget to mention that Jesus said, "Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).  Some of the same religious bodies that offer cheap grace for salvation also teach an easy road to heaven; it is called "once saved, always saved."  They contend that  once a person is saved, he cannot do anything to lose his salvation.  So he can live in sin every day once he is saved by "just believing," and still go to heaven when he dies.  No wonder people have been drawn to these churches in large numbers.  It is a fact that churches of Christ do not teach this cheap salvation and freedom to sin.  Our growth was not based on cut-rate commitment to the Lord.

 

Scriptural Growth

 

If we did not grow because of an educated ministry, or elaborate sanctuaries, or liturgical worship, or human creeds, or ease and comfort in religion, what caused the substantial growth which churches of Christ once enjoyed?  The answer ought to be obvious.  In speaking of the work at Corinth, the apostle Paul stated: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" (1 Cor. 3:6).  If we will plant and water, God will give the increase!

 

Paul clearly declared how he planted at Corinth.  He stated: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:1-2).  Paul knew that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (1 Cor. 3:19).  The world has tried too long to understand God by human wisdom, but we must acknowledge that "the world by wisdom knew not God" (1 Cor. 1:21).  God has ordained preaching to save man—not proclaiming human wisdom, but the word of God pure and undefiled (Mark 16:15-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-4).  We are making a mistake if we are not preaching the doctrine of Christ (1 Tim. 4:16).  We grew because of the stand we took and the doctrine we declared.  Have we drifted away from that emphasis?  If we will plant and water with the word of God, God will give the increase.

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Words of true wisdom! 

Hugh Fulford                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

Love is compassion in action.

Be Of Good Cheer

Charles Schulz once created a Peanuts cartoon in which Snoopy is sitting
outside in a snowstorm and he is shivering in the cold. Linus and Charlie
Brown happen by and see Snoopy and his condition.

"Snoopy looks kind of cold, doesn't he?" asks Charlie Brown.

"I'll say he does," responds Linus. "Maybe we'd better go and comfort him."

Linus looks down upon shivering Snoopy and says, "Be of good cheer, Snoopy."

"Yes, be of good cheer," echoes Charlie Brown.

The last frame of the cartoon shows Linus and Charlie Brown walking away.
Snoopy, still shivering, is left wondering what good was accomplished with
their words.

James gives a similar scenario: "Suppose a brother or sister is without
clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well;
keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what
good is it?" (James 2:15-16 NIV). Here is James' application: "In the same
way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James
2:17 NIV).

Love, if it is not accompanied by action, is also dead.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no
pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not
love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:17-18
NIV).

Love is compassion in action. Love sees a need and seeks to help.

Do you want an example?

Jesus saw our greatest need and went to the cross to meet our need.

Our greatest need is salvation from sin, for sin separates us from God
(Isaiah 59:1-2) and puts us on the path to eternal destruction (Matthew
7:13-14).

But God loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son to die on the
cross for our sins (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). In Christ, "we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Let's put our compassion into action. When we see a person in need, let's
seek to help. Let's not just say, "I love you"; let's demonstrate love.

That's what Jesus did for us.

How will you respond?

-- David A. Sargent

Perpetuate the Pattern!

 Holmes Osborne said, “Tell the truth, even if they look at you funny.” Words from the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:13-14 get “funny looks” from some people when they are preached these days. In that Bible passage the apostle urged Timothy, "Hold fast the pattern of

sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.” To proclaim this Bible truth gets not only “funny looks” but howls of protest from some who insist there is no set pattern” for the church to follow as regards doctrines she teaches – including the plan of salvation, her forms and expressions of worship as well as her leadership organization, etc. Like the once popular green clay humanoid character, Gumby, some want a church that can be bent and shaped into any form and poured into any mold popular thinking and culture might want. But Paul reminds Timothy – and us – there is a pattern by which we must measure and cut and size our faith! The Greek word translated “pattern” in verse 13 is hupotuposis, and means an outline, a sketch (Vine’s Expository Dictionary).

My wife is a skilled seamstress. Before, and even after we married, she “made” some of her own dresses. To make the garment she would buy a “pattern” for a dress or blouse, etc. I was always fascinated at her ability to take the pattern and create beautiful clothing. Pieces of the garment were sketched out on the pattern which served as a guide and checkpoint. She was not free to cut and size the garment as she wished if she desired the garment under construction to be like the pattern. She cut individual pieces and kinds of material, measured, sized, sometimes temporarily pinned, and eventually sewed the pieces one to         another in a very precise and pre-determined way. And when she did – BOOM! – the new garment reflected the original pattern and in the end turned out as the original designer intended!

A few verses after Paul penned the words quoted above, in 2 Timothy 2:2 he issued a mandate to Timothy (and by extension to us). Timothy’s precise task is to “hold fast to the pattern of sound words” he heard from Paul (1:13), and also to “commit these things to faithful men who will be able to others also.” In other words, the apostle directs Timothy to perpetuate the divine pattern! Even if teaching these things makes people “look at you funny.” The first century church of Christ was distinctive from all other religious groups.

Her original designer was Jesus who said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Jesus and His apostles built the church the way God wanted her to be built. She was distinctive in both the Man and plan of salvation she preached to lost people (1 Colossians 1:28 * Mark 16:15-16 * Acts 4:12). She had a distinctive plan for organization (see 1 Timothy 3), a distinctive form of worship (John 4:24), and a distinctive kind of lifestyle (Romans 12:1-2). Christians in America have sought to hold fast to and perpetuate the New Testament’s distinctive pattern of sound words since the early 1800's. Will Christ’s church continue to be distinctive in a pluralistic religious world? Will she perpetuate the pattern? Or will her grip on the “pattern of sound words” prove too loose to hold fast to the original pattern the Lord revealed 2,000 years ago? Will she perpetuate the divine pattern of sound words? God help His church prove faithful to that divine trust. Think about it.

                Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN