Heritage Christian University

The Aged Saint

2012-02-06T08:23:00.001-06:00

Thoughts for the Aged Saint

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

Luke 2:25-38, God’s promise and kindness to aged Simeon and Anna.
Acts 2:16-21, quoting Joel 2:28-32. God foretold that old men as well as young men (and men as well as women) would have a part in His unfolding plan of salvation.
The fact that Moses was 80 before returning to Egypt to deliver the people. You don’t get too old to lead, serve, work for God.
1 Peter 5:5 with Leviticus 19:32 and Proverbs 16:31. The old deserve the respect of the young.
Isaiah 46:3-4. The God who carries us and protects us when we’re young, does the same for us in our old age. He doesn’t forget or forsake.
Genesis 24:2, which servant did Abraham choose to find a wife for Isaac? “The oldest, who ruled over all that he had.” Why? Job 12:12, when things are right, “Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days comes understanding.”

Christian Service

2012-01-23T09:26:00.001-06:00

2011 Christian Service

Heritage Christian University remains rooted in educating students for real-world ministry. Our faculty members not only hold academic credentials, but they are actively involved in ministry to the glory of God. Below, you will find the complete Christian service numbers for 2011.

Total Responses

Baptisms: 158
Restorations: 150
Prayer Requests: 1334

Total Activities

Sermons Preached: 1685
Classes Taught: 2351
Led Singing: 732
Personal Studies: 582
Correspondence Studies: 364
Visits Made: 2153
Benevolent Activities: 4670
Cards/Notes Sent: 2833
Youth Activities: 607
Articles Published: 488
Church/Community Service: 544
Counseling Others: 348

The Book of Hebrews

2012-01-12T08:13:00.000-06:00

Introduction to the Book of Hebrews

Written by George Goldman

The book of Hebrews is often classed with Romans and Revelation as one of the three most difficult books in the Bible. This book, the letters of John, the gospels, and Acts are the only books in the New Testament with no name attached.

Since it is an anonymous book almost everyone mentioned in the New Testament has been nominated as its author. Martin Luther suggested Apollos; Clement of Alexandria suggested Luke as the translator; Tertullian nominated Barnabus; and others suggest Paul. Harnack believed the letter is anonymous because a woman wrote it. He nominated Priscilla. Many agree with Origen who said, “God alone knows who wrote Hebrews.”

The date of the book seems to be after many of the eyewitnesses to Christ have died (Heb. 2:3-4). Readers are encouraged to remember the former days (Heb. 10:32). Their first leaders were dead (Heb. 13:7-9 ASV). New leaders had arisen to take their place and exercise oversight (Heb. 13:17, 24). The word used here means to lead or guide (Mt. 2:6; Lk. 22:26; Acts 7:10; 14:12; 15:22).

The book of Hebrews demands an accurate knowledge of the Old Testament, especially a knowledge of the Hebrew sacrificial system. It is addressed to people familiar with the Old Testament. One must first understand the five books of Moses in order to understand Hebrews.

The theme of the book is the supremacy of Christ. The first seven chapters deal with that theme. Christ is greater than the angels (Heb. 1:4-14). Christ is greater than Moses and Joshua (Heb. 3:1 – 4:13). Christ is greater than the Levitical priesthood (Heb. 4:14 – 7:28). Priests were to come from the tribe of Levi; Christ came from the tribe of the priesthood of Melchizedek (Heb. 7 cf. Gen. 14). Melchizedek appeared on the scene without “father or mother;” that is without the proper credentials for priestly service. So also Christ could be a priest without being of the Levitical priesthood.

The next three chapters emphasize the abolishment of the Mosaic law and its replacement with the New Covenant of Christ (Heb. 8 – 10).

The last three chapters give the practical and faithful living required of disciples of the Lord. This kind of living includes a life of suffering. The heroes of faith include Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and countless more “who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fires, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight” (Heb. 11:33f). Chapter 12 tells of the suffering of Christ and the final victory of his immovable kingdom. Chapter 13 deals with the present scene in the first century. They should be thankful to God, kind to their fellowman, and loyal to their leaders.

The Book of Philemon

2012-01-04T13:28:00.000-06:00

Introduction to the Book of Philemon

George Goldman

Along with Colossians, Philippians, the letter to Philemon is one of Paul’s letters from prison. it was written from Rome (59 - 61 A.D.) (Philemon 9, 10 – 13). Philemon was a member of the church and a master of slaves. Paul’s letter gives us inspired insight into the slavery system.

It is addressed to Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and the church in your house. The early Christian community was organized around the home. No doubt many churches were started in the homes of early Christians. There is no evidence of church buildings before the third century. The first traces of special houses for worship occur in Tertullian. He speaks of going to church. Clement of Alexandria uses the double meaningof the word church. About 230 A.D., the Emperor Alexander Severus granted Christians the right to a place in Rome to worship God. Around 250 A.D. Roman court records have a case involving a church building confiscated during the Decian persecution. The remains of the oldest church buildings is at Europas. Rome is supposed to have had forty church buildings by the 4th century.

The letter concerns Onesimus, a slave who, after robbing his master (Phile. 19) absconded to Rome, where he came into contact with Paul. We have no way of knowing how or why Onesimus visited Paul in prison. However, Paul converts him and sends him back to his master. Evidently actions taken before you become a Christian still count.

This letter brings the whole problem of slavery before us. There is no denunciation of Philemon’s right to hold slaves. Yet there is one significant phrase that transforms the master-slave relationship. Onesimus is returning no longer as a slave but as a beloved brother (Phile. 16). His emancipation is hinted at (Phile. 21).

In the Roman Empire there were about 60 million slaves. Papyrus letters offered rewards for the return of slaves or for information regarding their whereabouts. Plato in effect said that a slave was a motorized hoe that could reproduce. Aristole held that certain men by nature were meant to be slaves to serve the higher class of men. During the American Civil War Paul’s letter to Philemon became an almost insurmountable obstacle to the abolitionists. Many religious groups, discounting their wise leaders advice, divided because they made slave-holding a test of fellowship.

Slipping Faith

2011-12-19T08:14:00.001-06:00

Signs that Faith Is Slipping

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away” (Hebrews 2:1).

Drifting isn’t just possible; it’s a major, constant, and common danger. I recently read a list on the internet, “10 Signs Your Christianity Has become too Comfortable.” It made me think, and it invited me to work on the items below. Perhaps you can add to and “improve” this list of frightening signs.

The truth of Romans 5:6-8, especially “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us,” no longer moves me to humility, gratitude, and commitment.
Prayer is cold or robotic rather than robust and intimate (Luke 22:44).
The Bible, if I read it, tells me what others ought to be and do.
Worshiping with the saints is increasingly optional (John 4:23-24).
Giving is a good idea if I feel like it, but it’s not part of who I am.
My language has been more “earthy,” and my conscience is OK with that (Ephesians 5:1-7).
I see people in terms of their function (what they can do for me or how they complicate my life) rather than as souls made in God’s image.
I want what I want, and I don’t really care how that affects others.
Before acting, I no longer ask, “Is this right? Will it honor God?”
I don’t want to be challenged to grow, think, or serve (2 Peter 1:5-11).

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-13T08:31:00.000-06:00

Happier Holidays

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

“A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3 and 27:12).

We have long been taught to pay attention to the truth of Scripture and to pay double attention when God’s word tells us something twice. We can’t foresee every trap, snare, and temptation. But when we do foresee, we need to act with wisdom.

As blessed as the holiday season is, it’s also known for significant temptations. Some of us have been around long enough that we ought to see the tempter coming from miles away.

For happier holidays, avoid the trap of over-booking. It’s still impossible to be two places at once. For happier holidays, choose to do what’s reasonable. Don’t over-commit. Take turns with visits. Visit by phone, text, or Skype. Go old school and write a card or letter.

For happier holidays, avoid the trap of over-eating. Trust the modern proverb, “It’s not what you eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas; it’s what you eat between Christmas and Thanksgiving.” Still, self-control is a major virtue (Proverbs 25:28, Galatians 5:22-23).

For happier holidays, avoid poison. We remain amazed that so many people harm their bodies with nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs. Proverbs 20:1 tells the truth: “Wine is a mocker…” Proverbs 23:29-35 is stunningly blunt and accurate. So is Proverbs 23:20-21.

For happier holidays, avoid grudging giving and grudging givers. Proverbs 23:6-8 speaks graphically. The grudging giver’s “heart is not with you.” He can’t enjoy giving the gift, and he won’t let you enjoy receiving it. That’s a lose/lose proposition.

For happier holidays, avoid loving things more than people. “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted calf with hatred” ((Proverbs 15:16-17). Proverbs 23:4-5 warns against overworking to be rich. “For riches certainly make themselves wings. They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” Things don’t last, but love does.

For happier holidays, avoid closing your heart to those who need. “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given” (Proverbs 19:17). What an offer of grace! God promises, “The generous soul will be made rich…” (Proverbs 11:25).

For happier holidays, avoid saying everything that you think. “He who guards his mouth preserves life…” (Proverbs 13:3). “A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back” (Proverbs 29:11). “He who has knowledge spares his words…” (Proverbs 17:27-28).

And you know these aren’t just holiday truths. They’ll work every day of the year.

The Book of Titus

2011-12-07T10:35:00.000-06:00

Introduction to the Book of Titus

Written by George Goldman

“The Preacher’s Work”

Titus was a convert, friend, and helper of Paul. He is mentioned only in Paul’s letters, especially 2 Corinthians. He was a Greek son of Gentile parents (Gal. 2:3).

Titus was a very capable man of God. He was assigned to solve some of the most vexing problems at Corinth (1 Cor. 1 – 6; 2 Cor. 2:13; 7:5-16). He also was called upon to encourage the Gentile contributions for the needy saints in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8). Later, Titus was missionary to Crete (Titus 1:4f) and Dalmatia (2 Tim. 4:10).

The New Testament letter Paul wrote to Titus explains some of the most challenging work of an evangelist. In congregational life he was to appoint well-qualified elders in every town (Titus 1:5-9). There are usually two extremes taken when these requirements are discussed today. One is to make the mistake of demanding perfection so that no local church member can oversee and lead the congregation. The other mistake is to discount the requirements so that only the most popular and prestigious men can serve in the eldership.

The evangelist works also to make known the Lord’s requirements in Christian behavior (Titus 2:1-10). The older Christian is to be serious and reverent in behavior (Titus 2:1-3). The younger women are to be domestic and to love and submit to their husbands (Titus 2:4-5). The younger men are to exercise self-control. Titus himself must be an example (Titus 2:6-8).

The evangelist works to put Christ in his community (Titus 3:1f). Christian behavior must be marked by loyal citizenship, honest toil, and a courteous approach to others. Nations, families, churches, preachers, and citizens cannot be truly great in the sight of God until these things become a reality. Surely, no one could dedicate himself to a more challenging life than to do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:1-5).

Watching Our Speech

2011-12-05T08:19:00.001-06:00

Did He Really Say That?

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

“For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2).

I was listening to a basketball game as I worked. The commentator captured my attention most negatively when he said of a player, “And when he catches the ball in the paint with his hands . . .” How else would he catch the ball? With his feet? In his mouth?

I cringe every time I hear a college football announcer utter the worthless phrase “young freshman.” Virtually all freshmen are young. It’s noteworthy only when a freshman isn’t young. Same goes for “young rookie” in professional ball.

With apologies to bikers, I was part of a conversation with a gentleman who fit the stereotype. From the scars to the “body art,” he was on the well-worn side of life. The subject of drug abuse came up. He denied any involvement. To reinforce the denial, he said of himself, “You can’t look like this and do drugs.” I was (and still am) thinking just the opposite.

Some counseling friends and I were in a training session in Atlanta. Regrettably, our presenter used salty language. But she began an even saltier quote on one of her clients with, “I don’t curse.” To make it even more ironic, she was wearing a cross on a chain around her neck.

I recently heard of a man who used a quintessential racist word in a text. When challenged by a friend, his reply was the classic, “I’m not racist. I have black friends.” The very use of the word is racist. Having 10,000 friends wouldn’t change that.

I read from 3 John 2 in a recent sermon. Not once or twice, but three times, I caught myself saying, “As the Apostle Paul wrote . . .” I know Paul didn’t write the book of 3 John. I have no clue why I wanted to credit the book to him.

What a challenge to get our language right! Factually right. Compassionately right. Non-redundantly right. Graciously right.

We know that it’s a battle worth fighting. Redundancies and little slips of the tongue might merely be annoying. Untruth, hateful speech, and all unrighteous words aren’t merely annoying. Such words deny the faith, obscure the gospel, dishonor the Lord, and endanger our souls.

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). We have God’s word on that!

2011-11-30T08:58:00.001-06:00

Child-like or Childish?

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

I greatly appreciated a recent Bible class discussion of Mark 10:13-16. Obviously, there are ways that we need to be like little children. Just as obviously, 1 Corinthians 13:11 reminds us that there are ways we must NOT be childish. The following contrasts help us hold these vital truths in biblical balance.

Positive Child-like Qualities	Negative Childish Qualities
Trusting. Innocent. Pure in heart.	Naïve. Uncritically believing every assertion.
Freely, honestly loving	Possessive, jealous.
Always learning. Eager to learn. Finding joy in learning.	Resistant to the labor of learning. Preferring play.
Joyous, stress free, happy.	Happy only when I get my way.
Dependent, knowing we need help. Grateful.	Overly, unhealthily dependent. Too needy, too high maintenance.
Affectionate. Willing to express affection.	Failing to or wrongly expressing affection.
Sharing. Generous.	Selfish
Accepting, quick to make friends.	Fearful of others, too cautious, too closed.
Filled with a sense of wonder. Still amazed by the beauty and complexity of God’s creation.	No sense of wonder. Afraid of the unknown. Fearful of everything new. Bored.
Pliable. Flexible. Able to grow.	Overly rigid. Unwilling to make needed changes.

1 and 2 Timothy

2011-11-28T09:25:00.000-06:00

Introduction to the Books of 1 and 2 Timothy

Written by George Goldman

Paul met Timothy in Lystra. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage: a Greek father and a Jewish mother, Eunice (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5). Racial descent was determined by the mother; therefore, Paul had Timothy circumcised upon his conversion. (Acts 16:3). None of Paul’s companions is mentioned as often as Timothy.

It is true that Paul’s travels as described in these books (2 Tim. 4:13, 20) do not fit into the Acts account. Yet there is ample evidence for a second Roman imprisonment. Acts has Paul in a Roman prison around 60 A.D. Luke’s detailed account of the trip is found in the latter chapters (Acts 27 – 28). Acts leaves the question of Paul’s release unanswered, but there is strong evidence that he was released after the two years (Acts 28:30). The attitude of the Roman government in the book of Acts favors it; the Prison Letters expect it (Phil. 1:19-26), the Pastorals demand it (2 Tim. 4:16); and tradition asserts it.

After his release, probably in the spring of 63 A.D., Paul went east (Rom. 15:22ff) and also planned to visit Timothy and Titus (1 Tim. 3:14f; 4:13; Titus 3:12). First Timothy and Titus were evidently written before Nero blamed the burning of Rome on the Christians (July, 64 A.D.). During this persecution Paul was imprisoned a second time in Rome and there met his death in 66 or 67 A.D. (2 Tim. 4:6-8, 16-18). Tradition says he was beheaded.

These two letters to Timothy contain much rich and valuable material. All teachers of the gospel should be familiar with them. The minister of God is to see that his teaching is true to the gospel (1 Tim. 1:3); he is to be a man of prayer (1 Tim. 2:1f, 8); he is to instruct the women as to their place in the church (1 Tim. 2:9ff). This is unpopular in ERA circles today but it is still in the Bible (cf. 1 Pet. 3:1-7; Eph. 5:22ff; 1 Cor. 11:1-3); he is to influence both old and young, men and women (1 Tim. 5:1-2); he is to see that the widow is cared for (1 Tim. 5:3-16); he is to rebuke elders who sin (1 Tim. 5:20); and he is to be an example in personal conduct, purity, and holiness (1 Tim. 4:12; 5:21f; 6:11-14). Thus, what the minister says is only part of his job; what he does in the rest of it.

Planning for Success

2011-11-21T09:29:00.001-06:00

A Simple Strategy for Success

Written by Cory Collins

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” Jn 4:35

Being “shrewd as serpents” (Matt 10:16) involves both prayerful and careful effort in doing the work of the Lord’s church. In order to “grow up into our Head” with the “proper working of each individual part” (Eph 4:15f), we must plan the work and then work the plan.

Our friend Michael Jackson, the Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Heritage Christian University, superbly assists every department head in the planning and assessment of its work. Using a six-step paradigm, he helps leaders draw a map and then follow it. Eureka! This system, at least in principle, could be adapted to benefit the work of the local church.

The first step is to define the “Purpose.” Here we would state the function of the church, “to save the lost and secure the saved,” or “to evangelize, educate, and edify.” We could then add the specific mission of any ministry, such as our educational program: “To teach the Word of God clearly and accurately, so that all may know Him and do His will.”

The second step is to list the “Strategic Goals.” These might include biblical concepts, texts, classes, opportunities, and applications which the Bible school aims to provide.

The third step notes “Objectives – Means of Assessment and Criteria for Success.” These are specific, measurable, achievable, time-bound benchmarks that will mark progress. They could include grade-level review quizzes, service projects, student essays, etc.

The fourth step lists the “Assessment Results.” What did the tests, activities, or other instruments indicate? Did the students make the intended score, or exhibit the desired mastery of the concept, or accomplish the pre-selected level of success?

The fifth step states the “Use of Results.” Based on the outcomes in step four, we reevaluate and reconstruct our objectives. If we reached them, we move on to new horizons. If not, we stick with them, diagnose the failure, and devise a better way to proceed.

The sixth step identifies the persons responsible, the due date, and the budget impact. Who are the “go-to” leaders that will implement the updated aims? By what date will they have completed the task? What resources will be required and set aside?

This same, simple strategy can be applied to local evangelism, benevolence, youth, the training of new elders, deacons, and teachers, etc. This six-step cycle can be repeated over and over and over again until the job is done. The Lord’s work is not complicated, but it does require big-picture thinking and nuts-and-bolts participation.

The gospel has the power, but we have the tools. Let’s put them to work.

The Best Policy

2011-11-16T08:04:00.000-06:00

Honesty Remains the Best Policy

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

If free is unavailable, I like cheap. Target had the cheapest prices on colas last week. As we checked out, I asked Laura to check the receipt for accuracy. We were charged the advertised price on the colas, but there was a mistake. The scanner failed to record her shampoo. I waited in the truck as she returned to pay.

There was no temptation to steal the shampoo. Our consciences are too well trained. We’d have felt guilty because we would have been guilty. From Exodus 20 to Ephesians 4:28, it’s clear that stealing is wrong. Doing wrong always damages the soul.

As we paid the first time with a debit card, Laura asked for $40 cash back. The clerk handed her two twenties. When she paid for the shampoo, Laura used one of those twenties. To her amusement, the clerk authenticated the bill with his “bill checker” pen. Laura told him, “I noticed you didn’t check that twenty when you gave it me, but now you’re checking it as I give it back.” The irony zipped right over his head. Besides, he was just following store policy. I’m fine with following good policy.

Any time we refuse to steal, we’ve followed many sound policies. You could add notably to the following list:

Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”
Matthew 7:12, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Ephesians 5:17, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
1 Peter 1:15, “…But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…”

I’d hate to suffer spiritual defeat over a $6 bottle of shampoo. Doing right pays.

1 and 2 Thessalonians

2011-11-14T08:41:00.001-06:00

Introduction to the Books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians

Written by George Goldman

You can read the background of these two letters in the book of Acts (Acts 17). With the possible exception of Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians are the earliest surviving letters of the Apostle Paul. They were written during Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:36 – 18:21) about 49 – 52 A.D. They were likely written within a few months of each other since Silas and Timothy were still with Paul (1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1).

Thessalonica was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. Its inhabitants were Roman citizens who were ruled by officials know as “politarchs” (Acts 17:6-8). This term which is used in the Greek New Testament and is translated “city authorities” was once thought to be a historically inaccurate statement. It occurred only in the Bible and not in any historical documents. Therefore many concluded that Luke, God’s writer of Acts, was mistaken. Today in modern Thessalonica, Salonica, sixteen inscriptions of this Macedonian term have been uncovered. One is now in a British museum.

The basic doctrine in these earliest letters of Paul concerns the second coming of Christ. The first letter tells of the resurrection of the righteous dead and the “changing” of those alive when Christ comes again (1 Thes. 4:13ff). Paul did not talk about the “soonness” of Christ’s return but its suddenness. Christ would come as a “thief in the night” (1 Thes. 5:2) but no one knew when (Mt. 24:36; 25:13).

The second letter was written to explain some previous oral teaching of Paul’s. “Now concerning” (2 Thes. 2:1) could refer to some correspondence between Paul and the Thessalonians as it does in Corinthians. Here Paul describes the imminent apostasy or “falling away” (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1ff). This apostasy was already under way, the restraint, inspired preaching, would soon be taken away (2 Thes. 2:7). Then the man of sin, the lawless one, would be revealed (2 Thes. 2:8-10). This activity of the “lawless one” could be the protagonists in the Jewish war against the Romans when the Temple was destroyed (66 – 70 A.D.). It perhaps could refer to the Roman emperors in general or Nero (54 – 64 A.D.) and Domitian (96 A.D.) in particular. The miraculous activity the “man of sin” proves that neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament affirms that only God’s people can work miracles.

The “day of the Lord” (2 Thes. 2:2) is an Old Testament expression first met in Amos (Amos 5:18-20). It is a day of darkness and not of light, in other words a day of calamity; a day in which Jesus is said to appear and come (2 Thes. 2:8). There have been many days of the Lord in history and one need not apply this expression only to the second coming of Christ. Thus, the great tribulation may have taken place in the destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.), rather than being an event occurring before the end of the world (cf. Mt. 24:15-35).

The “rapture” is a current religious doctrine. It comes to us from the Latin translation of the Greek word harpazo or “caught up” (1 Thes. 4:17). The rapture is neither a biblical word nor a biblical doctrine. Second Thessalonians clearly teaches that the wicked are being punished at the same time the righteous are being rewarded (2 Thes. 1:4-10). There is but one resurrection for both good and bad (Acts 24:15). There is no time lapse of seven years. The parable of the tares states the good and bad must grow together until the last day (Mt. 13:24-30). How could we preach the gospel “even to the end of the world” (Mt. 28:18-20), if all the righteous are removed seven years prior to the end of the world?

Forgiveness, Part Four

2011-11-10T13:36:00.000-06:00

Adequate Forgiveness

Adequate forgiveness involves God, God’s people, and oneself. If any one of these is omitted, then serious problems will result. Every sinner needs to find at least one person who is willing to listen and, while knowing the very worst, will still love and respect the sinner. Such a person is God and the church is such a society.

Every person needs a social context in which he can openly admit how far s/he has fallen. Yet s/he must still feel loved and accepted in spite of her or his shortcomings. S/he must be supported in developing the kind of God-approved behavior s/he really desires. God’s people believe that sinners are worth saving. They do more than support; they motivate each other to self-control and will power. The church is to help people rise above their failures.

Saul of Tarsus was adequately forgiven because he dealt adequately with his guilt. In Acts 24:16 Paul said, “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward God and toward man.” Paul dealt with his guilt by confessing it to God, to God’s people, and to himself.

Forgiveness, Part 3

2011-11-09T08:41:00.000-06:00

Inadequate Forgiveness

Inadequate forgiveness occurs because we deal inadequately with our guilt. Guilt is a part of every human’s make-up. Personal guilt occurs when people fail to live up to their own moral ideas. They violate what they believe is true and are thus self-indicted. Guilt is the sense of wrongdoing. It is the difference between what we are and what we know we should be. A person who lives with his guilt lives in a self-created prison.

There are three kinds of guilt.

Appropriate Guilt

Appropriate guilt occurs when we actually transgress God’s commandments, harm our fellow human beings, or violate our own consciences. Appropriate guilt must be dealt with by confrontation, confession, forgiveness, restitution, and reconciliation.

Neurotic Guilt

Neurotic guilt occurs when we do not involve God, God’s people, and ourselves in the forgiveness process. God showed His willingness to forgive on the cross. The church we read about in the Bible shows that God’s people openly admitted sin and yet were accepted and loved (Gal 6:1f. Read; Jas. 5:19f.). But to enjoy the blessing of forgiveness, one must be able to forgive oneself. Neurotic guilt is cured by accepting God and His forgiveness, God’s people and their forgiveness, and finally by self-acceptance and self-forgiveness.
There are several examples in the Bible of remorseful people who refused to forgive themselves. Judas Iscariot is the prime example (Matt. 27:1-5). The Bible explicitly teaches that Judas repented and confessed. He could have been forgiven. But he would not forgive himself.
There is such a thing as psychosomatic or functional illness - illness that has no physical basis. Headache, upset stomach, and heart palpitation are just as real as if the physical organs were damaged or diseased. Yet these illnesses clear up almost overnight when adequate forgiveness is attained. So sometimes even our bodies condemn us!

Complete Lack of Guilt

A lack of guilt occurs when we do not respond to the forgiveness process. Many people endeavor to conceal their guilt by denying it. They will never know the blessing of forgiveness. They live lives of hypocrisy and lies. They soothe themselves by saying, “We all sin from time to time.” But when a person is unable to admit his guilt, he is also unable to find forgiveness. The more he denies his need for forgiveness, the more unforgiving he becomes. Isaiah prayed, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins” (Is. 58:1).
The parable of the unmerciful servant illustrates a person with a complete lack of guilt (Matt. 18:23ff). A debt of ten thousand talents represents a billion dollars. One talent was more than fifteen years’ wages. A man would have to work 150,000 years to pay off such a debt and even then the interest on the money could not ever be paid back. It would take 8,600 men each carrying sixty pounds to equal such a debt. With this enormous debt forgiven, the same man would not forgive a small three-month debt of his fellowman. He lacked a complete sense of his guilt. The point of the parable is that if God can forgive our enormous burden of guilt surely we can forgive each other our everyday mistakes. When we need forgiveness we expect God to generously and freely grant it. We must learn to care more for each other and care less about each other’s mistakes.

Forgiveness, Part Two

2011-11-08T08:12:00.000-06:00

The Conditions of Forgiveness

What a wonderful blessing complete and absolute forgiveness really is. Forgiveness is beautiful (Ps. 32:1f). But as with all of God’s blessings there are conditions for forgiveness. What are God’s conditions for forgiveness?

God’s forgiveness is conditioned on our ability to forgive others (Matt. 6:14f). The unforgiving heart is of necessity a heavy heart. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” That is, the forgiving will be forgiven.

Another condition for forgiveness is that men may preach forgiveness only through the name of Christ; that is, by His authority.

The apostle Peter said to Cornelius, “To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name” (Acts 10:43). The apostle John wrote, “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for His sake” (I John 2:12). The apostle Paul preached, “Let it be known to you therefore, brethren, that through this man the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you” (Acts 13:38). “In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:14).

The forgiveness of sins is conditioned upon the blood of the covenant. “For this is My blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28). The conditions of forgiveness are emphatically and repeatedly discussed in the Book of Acts. The various accounts of conversion teach that faith, repentance, confession, and baptism are all prerequisites to forgiveness. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us” (Eph. 1:7f).

Forgiveness is conditioned upon repentance. Complete and absolute forgiveness is conditioned on complete and absolute repentance. Notice how closely repentance and forgiveness are tied together in the New Testament: “John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4); “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47; cf. Acts 2:38); “God highly exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31). God’s forgiveness is unalterably tied to man’s repentance.

Forgiveness is also conditioned upon confession. For adequate forgiveness to take place, there must be adequate confession. Confession is not complaining. It is not blaming other people. Confession is not substitution. It is not replacing a bad deed with a good one. Confession is not plea-bargaining. It is not pleading guilty to a lesser charge. Confession is not camouflage. It is not exhibitionism or boasting. Real confession is cleansing for the soul. It is catharsis. It cleanses the emotions. Confession is not the cure for the problem; it is only the admission that the problem exists. The goal of confession is to receive forgiveness and not to develop the details of the sin. Forgiveness requires humility but not humiliation.

Genuine confession has a sound Biblical basis: “They were baptized in the Jordan confessing their sins” (Matt. 3:6); “Many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices” (Acts 19:18; cf. I John 1:9f; Jas. 5:16).

Finally, forgiveness is conditional upon reconciliation (Matt. 18:15-17). If a private meeting fails to bring about forgiveness, then arbitrators are to be consulted. Arbitrators are not to take sides. They are not to prove a point, but they are to help in the process of reconciliation. Reconciliation means to bring back harmony, to end alienation, and to begin a brand-new relationship. If this meeting also fails, the personal matter is to be brought before the church. And if this third meeting does not succeed, then the effort is to be abandoned as hopeless until there is an attitude change. This then becomes a condition for forgiveness.

Forgiveness, Part One

2011-11-07T08:40:00.000-06:00

Forgiveness

While Jesus was on earth He preached in many places: a crowed street in Jericho, a boat by the seashore, a mountainside in Galilee, a well near Samaria, and the temple at Jerusalem. But Jesus’ last sermon was preached on a cross outside of Jerusalem. There was never a pulpit like the cross, never an audience like the one assembled there, and never a preacher like the dying Savior.

The Bible records the dying words of only four men: Jacob, the first Israelite; Moses, the first lawgiver; Stephen, the first Christian martyr; and Christ, the only Savior. After being raised on the cross, Jesus opened His eyes and probability in the back of the crowd He could see the curiosity seekers. As He looked closer, He could see a little group of His disciples, made up mostly of the women from Galilee. Closer still were the priests who were ridiculing Him and the Roman soldiers who were crucifying Him.

Christ’s dying words are the foundation of Christianity. Perhaps everyone expected Him to say something, but no one expected Him to say, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The Greek verb here is in the imperfect tense which indicates continuance of action. Each time an insult was hurled, a snide remark was made, a tongue-lashing was given, Jesus repeated His prayer. These dying words have become the standard of Christian forgiveness. Jesus wanted Pilate forgiven for his failure to enforce justice. Jesus wanted the house of Caiaphas forgiven for hitting and spitting on Him. Jesus wanted the soldiers forgiven for ridiculing and finally crucifying Him. Jesus wanted both Judas and Peter forgiven.

Jesus never withheld forgiveness from anyone who sincerely asked for it. Jesus came to teach about forgiveness. He came both to forgive and to tell us we are forgiven. Human nature has not changed through the centuries. We have the same needs, the same drives, and the same capacity for good or evil. The sins of Jerusalem, Corinth, and Rome are the sins of New York, Chicago, and __________, U.S.A. So when one preaches on forgiveness he is preaching an all-important phase of the gospel.

The Meaning of Forgiveness

There are four words in the original language translated forgiveness in the New Testament. The first is a legal term, the second is a gracious term, the third and fourth are synonymous with the removal of guilt. Let’s look at each one of these:

The legal term for forgiveness, apoluo, means to set free, to dismiss, to release, or even to divorce. It is the term used in Matthew 5:32. In John 19:10, Pilate said to Jesus, “Do you not know that I have power to release (legally forgive) you, and power to crucify you?” Paul said in Acts 28:18, “When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case.”

The gracious term for forgiveness is charizomai. It means to freely grant as a favor, to remit, to forgive, and to pardon. Jesus graciously restored sight to the blind (Luke 7:21). God freely gave His Son and will He not freely give us all things (Rom. 8:32). The disfellowshipped man was graciously forgiven when he repented (2 Cor. 2:7, 10). Christians are to have this attitude. In Ephesians 4:32, “and be ye kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” And in Colossians 3:13, “forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” In Colossians 2:13, “And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. . .”

The third and fourth words for forgiveness are the most common in the New Testament: aphiemi and the noun form aphesis. These words have to do with the removal of guilt. “Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4). Peter’s question about forgiveness involved these words (Matt. 18:21, 35). This is the word Jesus used on the cross (Luke 23:34). Every Christian needs and receives this kind of forgiveness (I John 1:9; 2:12). The Jews began to question Christ’s authority because He so easily and graciously forgave sin and removed guilt (Luke 7:47ff; Mark 2:5-12). Jesus repeatedly told His apostles, disciples, and all Christians to forgive. This means to remove the guilt and refuse to hold it against one another (Mark 11:25).

How wonderful it is to be released, divorced from sin, and unconditionally forgiven,removed from all guilt.

New Testament Textual Criticism

2011-11-04T10:18:00.000-05:00

New Testament Textual Criticism

Why should members of churches of Christ care about New Testament textual criticism? How do textual critics go about reconstructing the text of the New Testament? What is next for New Testament textual criticism?

These are a few of the questions Doug Burleson answered in the inaugural Graduate Research Lectures at Heritage Christian University. Burleson, Assistant Professor in Bible at Freed-Hardeman University, will graduate in May 2012 with a PhD in the area of New Testament Textual Criticism from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. His dissertation, titled “Case Studies in Closely Related Manuscripts for Determining Scribal Traits,” is directed by Dr. William Warren.

Audio from Burleson's Lectures

New Testament Textual Criticism Since 1881

New Testament Textual Criticism Today

Book of Colossians

2011-11-02T08:37:00.000-05:00

Introduction to the Book of Colossians

Written by George Goldman

Colossae was an ancient city of about 500 years when Paul wrote this letter. It was known for a peculiar purple wool (colossinus). The city stood on a trade route from Ephesus to the Euphrates. However, the trade route changed and the neighboring cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis became the greater cities. Colossae was the last prominent city to which Paul wrote. Archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of an ancient church there.

The church of Colossae was probably established on Paul’s third missionary journey during his ministry in Ephesus. The congregation was not started by Paul himself (Col. 2:1) but by Epaphras (Col. 1:7, 12f). Archippus was a minister there (Col. 4:17). Members included Philemon and Onesimus (Phile. 1; Col. 4:9).

Paul wrote to the Colossians while a prisoner (Col. 4:3, 10, 18), probably during the first Roman imprisonment (62 A.D.). He wrote this insignificant out-of-the-way place where he had never been because of the erroneous doctrine beginning there. The exact origin of this false teaching is unknown. Some say it was Essenism; or Gnosticism; or even contemporary Judaism with a syncretism of local Phrygian ideas.

Paul met these errors by presenting the all-sufficient Christ. Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom, knowledge, and divine perfections (Col. 1:15-23). On the cross, Jesus Christ revealed his importance and freedom from corruptions and newness of life is found in His death and resurrection (Col. 2:8-15).

The letter has four parts:

Salutation and thanksgiving (1:1-8);
Doctrinal section (1:9 – 2:5);
Ethical section (2:6 – 4:6); and
Concluding salutations (4:7-18).

Towards the end of the epistle (Col. 4:16), Paul asks this congregation at Leodicea to which he had also written. This gives the most accurate picture of how the twenty-seven books of the New Testament were collected. Paul’s letter to the Laodiceans has perished (cf. 1 Cor. 5:9).

Directing Your Paths

2011-10-31T08:11:00.000-05:00

“And He Shall Direct Your Paths”

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Does God still direct our paths? In this non-miraculous age, does God still guide His people? If He does, how does He guide us?

Some believers disavow any form of divine guidance. In their view, divine guidance is an illogical concept. In the first place, they ask, “If God guides, then what about free will? How can we consistently affirm the personal responsibility and accountability of each individual?” Others add, “If God guides, then why do bad things happen to good people? Why doesn’t God keep them out of harm’s way?” Others query, “If God guides, how does He guide? If you can’t tell me how, then I can’t believe it.”

If God guides, how does He guide? He guides through His word (Psalm 119:105-106). He guides through the advice or assistance of others (Acts 9:23-25 and 23:11-22). He guides through providence, opening and closing “doors” that may not even be visible to us (Romans 1:13). Only by looking back through the eyes of faith do we come to see that God must have had a hand in directing events. Admittedly, this is an attribution made in faith, and it is certainly not a claim that we know all the mechanisms that God uses to bless and protect us.

If God guides, then why do bad things happen to good people? Why doesn’t God keep them out of harm’s way? We have no idea why God allowed James to be executed, but rescued Peter (Acts 12). We have no idea why God allowed righteous Uriah to be killed while adulterous David was spared. We don’t know why their first child died, but David and Bathsheba lived. We have no idea why God allowed a lie to kill his servant in 1 Kings 13, while the prophet who told the lie was allowed to live. We don’t know because God did not choose to reveal that information. He doesn’t owe us an explanation. Some mysteries are beyond us. Perhaps they serve to remind us of our limitations. Dwelling on the mysteries rather than the facts of revelation seems futile.

If God guides, then what about free will? How can we consistently affirm the personal responsibility and accountability of each individual? The fact that God guides those who are willing to be guided does not imply that His guidance is overwhelming or irresistible. Obviously, it is possible to reject the will of God (Luke 7:30). It is possible to “quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). It is possible to reject the gospel and to fail to love the truth (2 Thessalonians 1:8 and 2:11). It’s possible, but it’s deadly. God wants to direct our paths, but He does so only with our consent and cooperation.

For the Asking . . . .

2011-10-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

QUESTIONS

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

Are good people happier when they see me coming or see me going?

Do I make life more complicated or more interesting for those who love me?

Have I learned to enjoy listening more than talking and serving more than being served?

Does God’s word speak to me, or do I try to tell it what I want to hear?

When I learn that I’ve been wrong, do I work to save face or do I work to get right?

When I find myself angry, do I pause to pray or proceed to punish?

When I find myself sad, do I first look upward or inward?

When things go right, is my first action a prayer of gratitude to God?

When things go wrong, do I remember that it might be my doing?

Have I learned to let going last be OK? Do I trust God to keep count of whatever needs to be counted?

When slighted, do I remember that God will exalt the humble in due time?

When rescued, do I remember to see God’s gracious hand?

When others are honored, do I choose to feel great joy? Do I show them that joy?

When others hurt, do I choose to share in their pain? If so, how will they know that?

The Book of Philippians

2011-10-26T08:29:00.000-05:00

Introduction to the
Book of Philippians

“Rejoice!”

Written by George Goldman

The background for this letter is found in the book of Acts (Acts 16). Paul received a vision of a Macedonian man saying, “Come over and help us.” (Acts 16:9). Three households became the nucleus of a new congregation. There was the aristocratic family of Lydis (Acts 16:11-15), the middle-class family of the jailor (Acts 16:25-34), and the lower class slave girl (Acts 16:16-18). In about a ten-year period this nucleus had become a full-fledged congregation with “bishops and deacons” (Phil. 1:1).

This ten-year period (53 – 63 A.D.) between Paul’s first visit and the writing of this letter shows quite a change in Paul’s ministry. While in Philippi Paul was performing miraculous feats such as casting out demons, but ten years later he simply trusts in God for the recovery of the sick (Phil. 2:25-27 cf. 2 Tim. 4:20). This should tell us something about the purpose and duration of miracles in the first Christian century.

If I could have been a member of one of the New Testament congregations, I would have chosen Philippi. This group seemed to embody more of the spirit of Christ than any other group. Paul has only praise for them. The terms “joy” and “rejoice” appear sixteen times in this letter. In it he evaluated his life (Phil. 3:12-16) and tells his secret of contentment (Phil. 4:10-13). Paul had not been perfect, but he did not retire to live on his reputation. His Christian life had not been free from problems, but he was a man who could turn things over to God (Phil. 2:1-11).

Campaign in Texas

2011-10-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

Observations in Texas

Written by Hannah Burleson
Student at Heritage Christian University

Editor’s Note: Students at Heritage Christian University participate in evangelistic campaigns every semester. Hannah, having just returned from such an endeavor in Texas, gives her observations

When we arrived in Texas, I began to notice some of the differences there are compared to Alabama. After making a mental note of several, I thought I better start jotting them down before I started to forget them.

The traffic lights in Texas are all horizontal. What's the deal? Do they have something against the vertical traffic lights everywhere else?
The Mexican food we had in Texas was good. But given the choice, I'd still go with Buena Vista in Cullman, Alabama :)
Texans are serious about getting where they are going. Some of the roads in Texas are 70 MPH. In Alabama, the same roads would be 55 MPH, at best. Additionally, their medians are really wide. And if someone is driving slower than you, they kindly get in the median long enough for you to pass them. It's a great system.
People in Texas are amazing cooks. I daresay, better than cooks in Alabama. The food these wonderful brothers and sisters made for us was phenomenal.
Apparently, the favorite fast food places were Jack in the Box and Whataburger. They were everywhere. Neither of which I have seen around here.
You know you're an HCU student when you hear someone mention Waco, Texas and your mind automatically thinks, "I've cited a publisher there in some of my research papers."
Don't worry. The vehicles are not all driving in reverse. It's just that in Texas, you are required to have a tag on both the front AND the back of the vehicle.
"Hard" water is a blessing which shouldn't be taken for granted. After trying to rinse my hands for double the time it normally takes and they still felt soapy, I realized that they won't. And neither will my hair when I wash it. Because the water here feels soapy in and of itself--that's how "soft" it is.
Never trust a GPS in Texas. It confused Fairfield church of Christ with a ranch in the middle of nowhere.
I've had plenty of sawmill gravy and my fair share of chocolate gravy. But did you know that tomato gravy existed? It does. And it's pretty good.

These are just a few of the surface observations that I took the time to write down on our trip to Texas.

On a more serious note, it was, as it always is, such a joy and a blessing to be able to meet, know, and love more brothers and sisters in Christ. It is always an encouragement to know more of our family members in the Lord.

This trip was a blessing to us for several reasons. First, it was a blessing to meet, love, and know the church in Fairfield. Second, it was a blessing to get to know our fellow students on a deeper level. Finally, it was a blessing to be able to meet lost people and to be able to show them Christ and the salvation that He offers.

First, the church at Fairfield blew me away. They welcomed us like no church I've ever met before. This was my fifth campaign with HCU and I've never seen a church so willing to work. I've never seen a church that steps up in every way and that truly wraps her arms around us in the way that this one did. Jason and Jill and their beautiful family are a clear blessing to the church there and it was such a privilege to be able to work with and know them. I will never forget the church in Fairfield and the wonderful family that I know and love there. I pray that the Lord will bless them and keep them, til we meet again.

Second, I've realized just how blessed Heritage Christian University is to have such amazing students. There are some real men of God at HCU and I have no doubt that great things will come as a result. These men are willing to be used in whatever way God chooses. After the meetings each night, Matt and I had the privilege of hanging out together and getting to know each other better. We were able to have some really great discussions about Christianity and about the Lord's church. We got a glimpse into the hearts of these guys and we were truly amazed at the things we saw in each one.

Finally, it was a blessing to meet lost people who are searching and to be able to show them Christ. After knocking several hundred doors and getting less than desirable responses (just ask Kyle--he knocked a door and the response was, "Well you can just gospel yourselves on down the road) it is nice to finally come to that door where you meet the soul that may be the very reason that the campaign took place. We met a young lady named Tiffany who was searching for a church to become involved with. She took a great interest in Fairfield and Jason and Jill are going to follow up. The Lord willing, she will learn about salvation and be able to experience the many blessings that come with it. Out of 800 doors, 1 door that results in a saved soul makes the entire campaign worth it all.

I think I've made it abundantly clear how blessed I've been by this campaign on several levels. I am thankful to be a part of a school who tries to live out its mission on a practical level. Thank you to the school for making these kinds of experiences and blessings possible. And thank you to churches like the one in Fairfield who are willing to partner with HCU and live out what they preach on a regular basis.

Thinking About Preaching

2011-10-21T08:24:00.000-05:00

Thinking Soberly About Teaching and Preaching

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).

Sometimes preachers and teachers are blessed to present a homerun sermon or class. Everything clicks. Hearers visibly engage. The illustrations energize. Memory functions perfectly. The hearers connect, the lesson flows, and it feels great.

When that happens, we’re blessed to enjoy the moment. And we’re blessed to remember that this moment was a blessing from God. If the sermon was faithful, it flowed from His life-changing word (Romans 10:14-17, 2 Timothy 3:14-17). If the class was powerful, the power flowed from the gospel (Romans 1:16-17). If the lesson was beneficial, God was the true source of the blessing (James 1:17). And we were blessed by God to be an instrument of His grace.

If we’re not careful, the devil will rob us of such moments. He will tempt us to pride. He will ask us to think, “I did well. I thought well. I created something special. I made this work.” He will help us avoid thinking of Luke 12:16-21 and Romans 12:3). He will insist that we forget Acts 12:20-24. He will invite us to put ourselves ahead of God.

If that doesn’t work, the devil will try the opposite. He will tempt us to fear or to false humility. He will ask us to think, “I can’t enjoy this moment. If I enjoy it, then I’m claiming to be something special. If I enjoy it, I’m thinking too highly of myself.” He will help us avoid thinking of Acts 18:27-28 and 1 Thessalonians 1:13. He will insist that we forget 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14. He will invite us to declare ourselves unfit to serve the Lord.

I love homerun lessons whenever they come. But I want to remember the following:

What I think to be a homerun may not be. While we want to do our best for God, God often does much with little. I should be grateful for the opportunity to try.
No one does homerun lessons every time. There’s virtually no limit to human frailty. We need to pray for God’s wisdom, strength, and guidance.
What’s a homerun sermon to some hearers may be of far less benefit to others. It’s not that the word is weak, but our hearing—like our teaching—is far from perfect. No lesson connects equally well for every hearer.
We’re blessed to learn from failures and successes. If a lesson didn’t work, why not? How could it be improved? Was it a failure of prayer? Of study? Of attitude? If it worked, how can that lead us to even more effective service to the Lord?

Spite

2011-10-20T14:24:00.000-05:00

To Hurt You, I’ll Hurt Me. So There!

Written by Cory Collins

To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom 12:20-21

How strange it was to learn recently that Terry Thompson, the owner of the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, Ohio, had released 56 exotic, wild beasts from their cages, and that he had then taken his own life. Sheriff's deputies, armed with high-powered rifles, shot nearly 50 of them — including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions — in a big-game hunt across the state's countryside, as homeowners nervously hid indoors.

After an all-night effort that extended into Wednesday afternoon, 48 animals were killed. Six others — three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys — were captured and taken to the Columbus Zoo. A wolf was later found dead, leaving a monkey as the only animal still on the loose. Those destroyed included six black bears, two grizzlies, a wolf, a baboon and three mountain lions. Dead animals were being buried on Thompson's farm.

The 62-year-old Thompson had reportedly had repeated run-ins with neighbors and with the police. In fact, just three weeks earlier, he had been freed from jail for possessing unregistered guns. Apparently he thought he had a score to settle. The Associated Press report said that Thompson threw the cages open and shot himself to death “in what may have been one last act of spite against his neighbors and police.”

Spite is defined as, “A desire to hurt, annoy, or offend someone; malicious ill will prompting an urge to hurt or humiliate.” Like the word “despite,” It is derived from the Old French despit, from the Latin dēspectus for contempt. Whoever Thompson thought he was spiting, whether the authorities or his neighbors, it was he who suffered most. He’s dead.

When I decide that I will strike back at someone who has wronged me by feeding myself anger, hatred, and vengeance, I am the one who suffers. I’m doing it to myself. He or she may be happy, peaceful, and even unaware of the pain I am trying to inflict.

When I cut back my church involvement, worship, or giving, because of what someone said or did to me, I am cheating myself of opportunities to grow and serve. I’m hurting my own faith. I’m depriving myself of joy. The only one truly happy as a result is the devil.

I can hurt my boss by complaining, gossiping, and wasting time on the job. I can hurt my spouse by bickering, leaving a mess on the floor, or yelling at the kids. I can hurt people that do not like me by being rude, arrogant, and mean. I can hurt drivers who cut me off by honking, screaming, and tailgating. When I do I inflict scars and wounds on my own soul.

The flip side is just as true. When I help others, I actually help myself. I’ll try it!

The Book of Ephesians

2011-10-19T08:42:00.000-05:00

Introduction to the Book of Ephesians

Written by George Goldman

To many, Ephesians is one of Paul’s most moving letters and yet to others it is only a reproduction of Pauline themes by another mind. Ephesians explicitly claims that Paul wrote it (Eph. 1:1; 3:1). The early church unanimously accepted it as from Paul.

In modern times liberal critics have raised doubts as to the authorship of Ephesians. These doubts are based on subjective arguments drawn from are inconclusive when compared to objective statements of the text itself (Eph. 1:1; 3:1). If Paul’s authorship is rejected the letter was written by someone equal to Paul.

Concerning the audience being address there is legitimate differences in scholarly opinion. Objective textual evidence is lacking concerning to whom Paul was writing. The words “in Ephesus” (Eph. 1:1) are missing in our three oldest existing copies of this letter (Chester Beatty papyrus, Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Vaticanus). This accounts for the different ways the first verse is translated (cf. KJV and RSV). This omission allows scholars to speculate on “to whom” the letter was written. The title, “to the Ephesians” was not part of the original letter, as is true to of all titles of New Testament books. These titles simply represent the uninspired thinking of the early Christians.

No book in the Bible exalts Christ and the church more than the book of Ephesians (Eph. 3:21). There is a close connection between Ephesians and Colossians. The same themes are dealt with though the exact words are different. Any good reference Bible will show the close relationship between these two books.

God’s seven-fold plan for unity is found in this book (Eph. 4:1-7). In view of the 300 denominations in America and 800 world religions, it would be well to memorize this plan. There is but one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God.

The King James Version

2011-10-17T08:43:00.000-05:00

Four Hundred Years of the King James Version

The King James Version has had a profound impact on the English language since that translation was first published in 1611. Heritage Christian University recently commemorated the KJV’s four hundredth anniversary. In today’s blog post, we offer several resources from our weeklong celebration.

The King James Version as Literature by Dr. Larry Adams

Audio

King James Version as Literature

View more presentations from Heritage Christian University

The History of the English Bible Up to 1611

Restoration Leaders on Bible Translation by Dr. Jack P. Lewis

Real-World Ministry

2011-10-14T14:01:00.000-05:00

Real-World Ministry: October Campaigns

Written by Brad McKinnon,
Director of Christian Service

Historian and educator Henry Adams once suggested, “An education may be the wider and the richer for a large experience of the world.” Real-World Ministry. At Heritage Christian University, real-world ministry is more than a slogan; it is a fundamental component of the University’s mission to prepare effective communicators of the gospel. The Christian Service Department provides practical field experience for our students, including regular weekly service to the church and community, as well as targeted evangelistic activities each semester in various locations. During the week of October 16-22, our students will serve the communities of Fairfield, Texas and Florence, Alabama.

Jason Schick, HCU alumnus and the preaching minister with the Fairfield Church of Christ, has designed an organized and professional experience by which our students can grow spiritually, as they share the gospel with others. HCU’s Director of University Advancement, Philip Goad, has been invited to present a series of lessons focused on the grace and mercy offered by the Lord to all. In coordination with the gospel meeting, our students will meet with local residents, setting up and leading personal Bible studies. Recognizing Jesus’ command to “go and do likewise” in response to the needs of others, Thursday will be dedicated to various service projects throughout Fairfield. Brandon Beard, one of our most experienced student campaigners, will provide exceptional leadership for the students during this campaign.

The Florence campaign will focus on doing simple things in service to others that we believe will have a lasting impact. Work will consist of mowing yards, raking leaves, and making minor repairs for those who are not able to do these things for themselves. Senior HCU student, Derrick Sumerel, has planned and organized this effort in an outstanding way.

In both campaigns, our students will be guided by the principle of responsibility outlined by Paul in Galatians 6:10 – “So then, whenever we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith” (NRSV).

May God be glorified through our efforts!

Does Your Life Matter?

2011-10-13T10:33:00.000-05:00

Will My Life Matter?

Satan’s cruelty is stunning! Even though he knows that selfishness destroys, he tempted even Jesus to act selfishly (Matthew 4:3). Even though he knows that God is utterly good, he tempted even Jesus to presume upon the goodness of the Father (Matthew 4:5-7). Even though he knows that “the law of the Lord is perfect...the testimony of the Lord is sure, the statutes of the Lord are right, and the commandment of the Lord is pure,” he tempted even Jesus to misunderstand and misapply God’s law (Psalm 19:7-11). Even though he knows that “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up,” he tempted even Jesus to choose fame and fortune over loyalty to God (2 Peter 3:10, Matthew 4:8-9).

The devil loves to offer shortcuts to significance. He loves to offer substitutes that have the appearance of value, but hold no worth at all. He offers hollow dreams to hurting people, hoping that they’ll trust their wishes more than they trust God’s truth.

The devil loves to whisper lies. Through one means or another, he says to God’s people, “You don’t count. What’s one among six billion? Does anybody who matters even know who you are? Are you so arrogant as to think that your life really matters?”

The Lord loves to shout truth. We matter enough that He sent His Son to redeem us (John 3:16). We matter enough that Jesus Christ lets us wear His name (Acts 11:26). We matter enough that no power, whether physical, social, economic, political, or spiritual, “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39). Unless we rebel, we stand secure in Christ. We matter enough that God has entrusted the gospel to our care, as “God’s fellow workers” (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Corinthians 3:9). We matter enough that God Himself intends to dwell with us forever (Revelation 21:1-3).

Will my life matter? It will if it is lived in Christ. Not a single deed done to the glory of God will be forgotten (Matthew 10:42, Hebrews 6:10). God will be glorified by every good work that we do in His name (Matthew 5:16). God will be pleased by both our good deeds and our worship (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Will my life matter? It will if I help even one other person obey the gospel of Christ or return to truth (James 5:19-20). To seek and save the lost is to step into the very mission of Jesus (Luke 19:10). Nothing, not even the whole material world, matters more than a soul (Matthew 16:25-27).

Galatians

2011-10-11T08:29:00.000-05:00

Introduction to the Book of Galatians

Written by George Goldman

The term Galatia in the New Testament designates both a territory in north-central Turkey and a Roman province in the south. In 25 B.C. this Celtic territory was converted into a Roman province called Galatia. This province included parts of Phrygia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia. Therefore the term Galatia can geographically describe the territory inhabited by the Celtic tribes from Gaul, or politically describe the entire Roman province.

Around A.D. 200 the Roman province was reduced to include only the ethnic Galatians (Celtics) and the double use of the term disappeared. The traditional view became that Paul, on the second missionary journey, established churches in northern Galatia (Acts 16:6) and wrote the letter to the Galatians from Ephesus on the third missionary journey about A.D. 56.

In the nineteenth century Sir Williams Ramsey popularized the “South-Galatian theory.” This view is almost universally accepted today. This theory maintains that while Luke uses ethnic-geographic designations (Acts 16:6; 18:23), Paul’s general practice was to use political designations (Gal. 1:1; 1 Cor. 16:1). Therefore, the letter to the Galatians was addressed to Christians in southern Galatia, or churches established on the first missionary journey (Acts 13 – 14).

Galatians is the only Pauline letter addressed to a group of congregations. They were all established by Paul (Gal. 1:8, 11; 4:19f), and were affected by the same disturbance (Gal. 1:6, 9; 5:7-9). This disturbance was the age-old problem of prejudice. Jewish teachers were trying to convince Gentile converts that they had to become Jews before they could become Christians. That is, they had to pass through the channel of Judaism, circumcision, before they could obey the gospel. This makes up the doctrinal section of the letter (Gal. 1 – 4).

The gospel has always been hindered by prejudice and bias. Peter and Barnabas were even affected when it came to eating with Gentiles (Gal. 2). Today we hinder the gospel when we prejudice ourselves against rich or poor, educated or uneducated, black or brown, yellow or white. Souls will be lost on Judgment Day because of prejudice. The gospel is for all (Heb. 2:9). We sing it, why do we not practice it?

In the ethical section of his letter (Gal. 5 – 6), Paul points out the vast difference between Christianity and worldliness. There is a tremendous difference following fleshly appetites (Gal. 5:19-21) and spiritual guidelines (Gal. 5:22-26). Therefore, let us bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Realizing that we reap what we sow, let us not grow weary in well doing but as we have opportunity, let us to good to all men, especially members of the church (Gal. 6:2, 7-10).

Biblical Leadership

2011-10-10T09:12:00.000-05:00

Leadership Lessons from Joshua 1

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

Wise men don’t readily choose to succeed great leaders. Beloved leaders earn tremendous trust and respect. They engender tremendous loyalty. And when they die, their stature elevates astronomically! Some suggest that this is the reason God buried Moses in a secret place. He knew people’s tendency to enshrine dead leaders.

Joshua didn’t ask to succeed Moses. He effectively led God’s army (Exodus 17). He served as Moses’ assistant (Exodus 24:13). He fulfilled his duties with faithfulness and zeal (Numbers 14:6-10). God Himself elevated Joshua and chose him to step into Moses’ shoes (Numbers 27:15-23). God blessed Joshua with many opportunities to learn and with a gradual transition into leadership.

God blessed Joshua in another crucial way. In Joshua 1, God spoke His personal word of encouragement to Israel’s new leader. That encouragement contains so many lessons for us today.

Joshua 1:2, “Moses My servant is dead.” Human leaders don’t live forever. There is a time to lament and mourn losses, but life must go on.
Joshua 1:2-4, “I am giving” you and the nation this land. Faithful leaders and faithful followers are part of God’s ongoing work. We step up to that challenge.
Joshua 1:5, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” There is no greater assurance than knowing that God is with us. Whether Matthew 28:20 or Romans 8, no promise is more precious than the assurance of God’s abiding presence.
Joshua 1:6-9, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law...” God’s abiding presence is conditional. He links His presence to our faithfulness. His will is to be our meditation and our guide. We don’t pick and choose; we respect God by respecting all His law.
Joshua 1:16-18, “Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you.” Leaders who trust and obey God should be respected and followed. Following the leadership that God ordains shows respect for God. We all need to show that respect.

A Bad Check

2011-10-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

The Check’s in the Mail, but You Dare Not Cash It!

Written by Cory Collins

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Matt 4:8-9

Early one September morning my cell phone rang. I took the call, from the 202 area code (Washington, DC). The man said he was a Postal Service agent, and he asked, “Is this Cory Collins?” “Yes.” “Did you use your Discover Card ending in xxxx to open a Click-N-Ship account this morning?” I was suspicious. I said, “No!” and ended the conversation. The fact is, I don’t even have a Discover Card. What was going on?

I phoned the USPS fraud office later and confirmed that the agent was legitimate. I called Discover to be sure no one had opened an account there in my name. I checked my credit report for the same reason. All was clear. Whew! I let it go. I hoped it was over. I knew, however, that someone had obtained my name, cell number, and (likely) home address.

Then, about ten days later, a large Priority Mail envelope arrived at the house. It was “returned to sender,” and it came to me as if I had sent it! Someone had used my name and address, pretending to be me, and had mailed this envelope to a “Bill Roach” in Ventura, CA. The crook (the real sender) had entered Mr. Roach’s address incorrectly. The envelope could not be delivered, so it was sent back to the designated sender – me.

Inside was a cashier’s check, drawn on the Mountain West Bank in Coeur d’Alene, ID, in the amount of $2,850. The remitter was named as Mathew Anderson, and the payee was Bill Roach (as above). It looked perfect, even including the watermark and other top security features. I phoned that bank and described the story and the check. The officer asked for the remitter’s name and then said, “We know about other checks just like this one, with this same fake remitter’s name. They are bogus.”

Some scam artists will offer such fake cashier’s checks in large amounts. They only ask you to send them a genuine check from your account to cover “taxes” or “shipping and handling fees.” They then cash your check and pocket your money. When you cash their bad check it costs them nothing. You may have to pay an additional “bad check” bank fee.

Satan is the ultimate con man. Whatever he promises is appealing, pleasurable, and apparently free. It’s only after you agree to do business with him that you realize you have lost everything. You’re broke. Bankrupt. And he’s laughing all the way to the bank.

Ask Eve (Gen 3:1ff). The serpent’s deal sounded too good to be true. And it was. Lost souls in hell would tell you the same. Scripture says, “Don’t give the devil a foothold” (Eph 4:26-27). Don’t cash Satan’s check. He’ll rob you blind.

Sexual Harassment and the Preacher

2011-10-05T11:13:00.000-05:00

Sexual Harassment in Ministry

Written by Dr. Justin Imel

Introduction

Sexual misconduct in ministry is a constant problem.
1. In a 1984 survey, 38.6 percent of ministers reported sexual contact with a church member, and 76 percent knew of another minister who had had sexual intercourse with a member of the congregation.
2. In 1992, Leadership magazine conducted a survey and found that 37 percent of ministers engaged in "inappropriate sexual behavior" with a church member.
Today, I have the difficult assignment of speaking concerning "Sexual Harassment in Ministry."
1. I say it's a "difficult assignment" because sexual harassment in ministry isn't something we typically discuss.
  1. I can't help but wonder if that isn't a large part of the problem.
  2. If we were to discuss the real problems of ministry - as we're trying to do with the "Spiritual Formation" chapels - I firmly believe some of the pitfalls would disappear.
2. Sexual harassment: "Any unwanted sexual comment, advance or demand, either verbal or physical, that is reasonably perceived by the recipient as demeaning, intimidating, or coercive."

SCRIPTURE

Sexuality drastically changed with the Fall.
1. Before the Fall: "The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed" (Gen 2:25, ESV).
2. After the Fall: "They knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Gen 3:7, ESV).
3. It's essential to understand:
  1. God made sexuality.
    1. Nothing inherently evil about our sexuality.
    2. Instead, when sexuality remains where God properly placed it, sexuality is a beautiful expression of love between two connected individuals.
  2. But, the misuse of sexuality belongs to our fallenness. Because we are fallen individuals, we need to think about the misuse of sexuality.
Many think of sexual harassment as something only women suffer.
1. In most cases, it is women who are victims of sexual harassment.
  1. But, because of the intimate nature of ministry, many ministers face sexual harassment.
  2. We are the ones who are with people at the most vulnerable times of their lives: births, baptism, marriage, death.
    1. We are the ones to whom people turn when life turns upside down. People often come to us when they need counseling.
    2. Therefore, it's not terribly uncommon for us to become the object of some people's sexual fantasies.
2. In Scripture we see that some men were the object of women's sexual desire:
  1. Gen 39:6b-12.
  2. Lot and his daughters could be another example:
    1. Gen 19:30-38.
    2. You'd be right to point out that it's not sexual desire that drove Lot's daughters to do what they did, but Lot's daughters abused him sexually.
Scripture would also speak to us about keeping relationships healthy.
1. I've always liked Job's statement:
  1. "I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?" (Job 31:1).
  2. While he isn't talking about sexual harassment, Job is making a declaration about the intent of his heart.
2. Matt 5:27-30.
  1. Important thing about what Jesus says is that he goes directly to intent.
  2. Much of sexual harassment begins with intent, and we'll be talking a good bit about intent.
3. Timothy was to encourage "younger women as sisters, in all purity" (1 Tim 5:2).

APPLICATION

How do we handle sexual harassment in ministry?
These suggestions are largely taken from Preventing Sexual Abuse in Congregations by Karen A. McClintock.
When someone makes an unwanted sexual advance toward you:
1. Keep silent.
  1. Breathe deeply and keep silent for a while - This gives you time to formulate your response.
  2. Picture God sitting in the room with you.
2. Accept the other person's feelings.
  1. This does not mean that you approve.
  2. It took courage for the individual to express his/her feelings.
  3. "Thank you for telling me that. I'm sure it wasn't easy to do."
  4. Validate the relationship: "I'm honored to be your preacher."
  5. Clarify the professional/moral boundary: "I'm honored to be your preacher, but we're not going where that thought would lead."
3. Pause for a response.
  1. Ask how the person is responding to what you have said.
  2. Listen for clues that he or she really understands what you have said.
4. Sometimes, it's important to get out of the situation immediately just like Joseph did - the person removes clothing, attempts physical contact, or uses overt sexual language.
  1. Tell the person directly the behavior has to stop and leave the room.
  2. Tell the individual that for all parties involved, you must break the confidentiality of what's transpiring.
  3. Bring back in secretary or spouse to witness a clarification of what's just occurred.
  4. Refuse to see the person again in any type of personal, private setting.
Yet, it's not always that people make advances toward the preacher - Sometimes the preacher makes unwanted advances toward others.
1. Pay attention to your intuitive discomfort.
  1. If you doing something that makes you uncomfortable, STOP!
  2. That is a very biblical response.
    1. Our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you" (2 Cor 1:12).
    2. "Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things" (Heb 13:18).
2. Stay tuned to your body.
  1. Notice your physiological responses and determine the source of them.
  2. Were you flirting, or was someone flirting with you?
3. Notice whom you touch and why.
  1. Do you touch one gender more than another?
  2. Do your hugs linger for a longer time with some people?
4. Avoid commenting on appearance.
5. Ask before you hug.
6. Ask yourself, "Who needs this hug?"
  1. Is the hug really for the recipient?
  2. Is the hug really for your own benefit?
7. Notice the feedback.
  1. Pay close attention to the verbal and nonverbal feedback you receive.
  2. Does the person respond in kind?
  3. Does he/she attempt to get out of the situation?
8. Take the risk of being called a "cold fish."
  1. Reduce the amount of touching in which you engage.
  2. We can minister effectively without a constant need to touch.
9. Learn and practice safer alternatives.
  1. Men can learn to listen more empathetically and reduce the need to touch.
  2. Give lots of empathetic head nods and verbal comments like "uh huh."

Divine Blessings

2011-10-04T09:02:00.000-05:00

"Ordinary" Blessings

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

I can’t remember where I read the quote. I’m not sure that I remember the exact words, but I love the message. “God is always speaking. How often do we listen? God is always teaching. How often do we learn?” There’s so much to learn from the ordinary events of life.

The cell phone rang so I answered. No one was there. After the third hello, I was preparing to be ill. Finally, Laura responded. She hadn’t called me—her back pocket had. We enjoyed a pleasant four-minute conversation. What I almost found to be a bother was really a blessing. That happens more often than we might think.

A friend whom I’ve never met in person calls from California. Our conversations are stunningly diverse. Recently he began with questions about faith and how we help faith grow. I offered suggestions from Luke 17:5 (pray, ask God to help), Romans 10:17 (listen to the word), and Hebrews 5:14 with Luke 17:5-10 (use what you have, do what you know to do). I suggested that God is for us and will help us. Then my friend responded, “That’s grace, and grace is too good to be true.” He wasn’t expressing doubt. Rather, he was emphasizing the stunningly amazing nature of grace.

Wondrous grace. Marvelous grace. Matchless grace. Too good to be true, but God has made it true through Jesus Christ. And we won’t grasp the full power of grace until we see our Lord in all His holiness and majesty (Titus 2:11-14, Ephesians 2:1-10, Revelation 1:12-18). We need to think of that often. Such thoughts will always bless. They’ll pull us toward heaven. They’ll cause us to hate sin. They’ll pull us toward God.

I picked up Laura for lunch. At the restaurant we saw one of the sweetest, most pleasant ladies we know. Every time we see her, we’re reminded of how much she has blessed our family. Seeing her made the meal better. Seeing her made the day better. I hope we had something of the same effect on her. God means for us to be and to bring blessings to others. It’s one of the ways that we are made in His image. It’s one of the ways that we preach the gospel (Matthew 5:13-16, 1 Peter 2:11-12 and 3:1-3). It’s one of the ways that we “stir up love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24).

The Corinthian Epistles

2011-10-03T10:28:00.001-05:00

Introduction to 1 and 2 Corinthians

Written by George Goldman

“The Corinthian Correspondence,
A Church with Problems”

Paul visited Corinth for the first time on his second missionary journey (Acts 18). He remained there eighteen months and made his home with two exiled Jews from Rome, Priscilla and Aquilla. After being forbidden to preach in the synagogue, Paul made use of the house of Titus Justus. Many of the Corinthians, Jew and Gentile, believed and were baptized. Paul himself baptized Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue; Gaius; and the household of Stephanus (1 Cor. 1:14-16).

Often a city influences the church more than the church influences the city. This was certainly the case in Corinth. Corinth was about the size of Memphis, Tennessee, in population. It had a very bad reputation. In the stage plays people from Corinth were always depicted as drunkards. To live like a Corinthian was to live a life of fornication and drunkenness. The Corinthians worshiped Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In Aphrodite’s temple there were more than a thousand priestesses of vice. Paul spoke out against this sin again and again (1 Cor. 5:10; 6:9; 10:7, 8; 2 Cor. 6:14; 7:1; 12:21). He wrote the book of Romans from this city that probably contributed to his terrible description of heathenism (Rom. 1:21-32).

First Corinthians was written to a church with problems. In the first four chapters the problem of divisiveness is discussed. In 97 A.D. Clement of Rome wrote another letter, which still survives today, and shows that divisions still existed at Corinth. In 1 Corinthians (5 – 6) Paul deals with the problem of moral lapses. Chapter 7 begins with “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote.” This formula denotes the questions the Corinthians had written to Paul. These questions concerned: marriage (1 Cor. 7), meats sacrificed to idols (1 Cor. 8 – 10); disorders in public worship (1 Cor. 11); spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12 – 14); the resurrection (1 Cor. 15); and the contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16).

In 2 Corinthians Paul elaborates further on the collection scheme (2 Cor. 8 – 9) and defends his apostleship.

Today if you visited ancient Corinth you could see the ruins of the ancient market place (1 Cor. 10:25) with its refrigeration system of cold water. Also you could touch the starting marks for the runners in the Isthmain games, which consisted of melted copper poured into stone. Among the ruins of the temple of Apollo you could drink from a foundation of running water. You could climb the 2,000-foot Arco-Corinthies where the temple of Aphrodite once stood. You could also visit the ruins of two ancient Greek theaters. At the entrance of one was found in inscription, “Erastus, city treasurer” (Acts 18:22; 2 Tim. 4:20).

The Sentence of Death

2011-09-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

Dying to Self

Written by Dr. Justin Imel

Death. That’s the sentence Youcef Nadarkhani has received from an Iranian court for refusing to recant his faith in Christ.

According to news reports, the court asked Nadarkhani to repent. He replied, “Repent means to turn. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?”

“To the religion of your ancestors, Islam,” declared the judge.

Nadarkhani simply said, “I cannot.”

Nadarkhani clearly stands as an example for all who profess faith in Christ. In former days, many gave their lives for Christ – Stephen, James, Peter, Paul, Justin Martyr, and the list could be made much longer.

Yet, Jesus intends every disciple to lay down his life. Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23, ESV). We view the cross as a symbol of our redemption, but Jesus’ original hearers would have understood the cross as an instrument of death. Jesus says that his disciples must daily die for him – die to their own will and live for him. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24, ESV).

Have you died to self today? Have you taken off the old self to be clothed with Christ? Why not die to self today that you might live for Jesus? After all, he has already died for you. “He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor 5:15, ESV).

Lives of Holiness

2011-09-28T12:26:00.000-05:00

Holy Living

1 Peter 1:1-25

When one thinks of Peter, generally the first thoughts are of a disciple who was impulsive, impetuous, and maybe at times impossible. He is the one who waswilling to fight and die with his Lord one minute and yet willing to deny him the next. You might wonder how could this impossible, impulsive, impetuous disciple ever write to encourage anyone? It is the result of a changed heart and spiritual growth. He is the disciple to whom Jesus gave the keys to the kingdom (Mat. 16:28). Peter understood what it meant to stand up with great courage for the cause of Christ, Acts 2:14-47; Acts 5:40-42.

Peter therefore could write to those who were either suffering persecution or about to suffer persecution with all the confidence one needs to reassure. He could write brethren who were about to experience persecution, trials and tribulations and exhort them toward “holy living” because he had already experienced what they were going to experience.

“First Clement 5:4-7 names Peter and Paul as victims of persecution” (Gaebelein p. 212). The persecution is most likely that given out by Nero. On July 19, 64 AD the city of Rome suffered a disastrous fire that destroyed nearly a fourth of the city. It was rumored that the fires were started by Nero (it is said that he was charmed by the flames). He supposedly needed space for buildings he wanted built. He sought a scapegoat for the fires and chose the Christians. They were already under suspicion according to Tactius in ancient history. (Tac. Ann. XV44).

They were considered by the Romans to be a sect of the Jews and there was no love lost by the Romans for the Jews. Nero increased the persecution in order to throw suspicion off him. Christians were persecuted in horrible ways. Therefore, imagine the words that Peter is writing are to encourage Christians to remain holy in an unholy world and he attempts to encourage them in this process.

Blessings Afforded Those Living a Holy Life: (1:3-12)
1. New Birth: Jn. 3:5 (born again) Our new birth, gives hope and joy not only in this life, but in the life hear after, or eternal life. No matter what may happen to the body, they cannot kill the soul.
2. Living hope through the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
  1. Life without hope: Eph. 2:11-12 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”
  2. Christ is the source of all hope and blessings (Eph. 1:3)
3. A precious inheritance:
  1. Incorruptible
  2. Undefiled-implies purity not corrupted
  3. Will not fade away
  4. Reserved in Heaven
4. Faith Value (1:5-8)
  1. Kept by power of God 1:5
  2. More precious than gold 1:7
  3. Will be found unto the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1:7
  4. Joy unspeakable 1:8
5. Salvation of soul: (1:9-12)
Living the Holy Life (1:13-15)
1. Be Sober
2. Hope
3. Living Obedient lives
4. Holy in Conduct and Character
The Purpose of Living the Holy Life: (1:16-25)
1. Living Holy (1:13-16)
2. Living Reverently (1:17-21)
3. Living a life of Love (1:22-25)

The Letter to the Romans

2011-09-26T09:07:00.001-05:00

Introduction to the Book of Romans

Written by George Goldman

The Roman letter is more formal and less personal than any other letter of Paul; nevertheless it is still a letter. It is not a thesis or a treatise (Rom. 16:22).

Paul wrote the letter because he was “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13; 15:16). Rome was the capital of the Gentile world. Paul, the Roman citizen, was free to travel throughout the Empire. He established Gentile churches in strategic centers. He worked in major cities. He worked in major cities. However, the church in Rome already existed, but it is not known who founded the church in Rome.

The heart of the Roman letter is justification by faith (Rom. 3:21 – 8:39). In the Greek New Testament the word justification means “to set right.” It is a reversal of God’s attitude toward the sinner. The sinner is declared righteous. This declaration and change of attitude are made possible because of what Jesus Christ has done and not because of what the sinner has done. The sinner has to obey the Lord, (Rom. 1:5, 16:26), but this obedience gives no room for boasting. The foundation of justification is built on Christ’s merit and not man’s merit.

The problem addressed in the roman letter is why the prepared people, the Jews, rejected the Savior (Rom. 9 – 11). Paul offers himself as “exhibit A.” God did not reject the Jews but vice versa. Yet any Jew now desiring salvation in Christ would be accepted. The term “fitted for destruction” (Rom. 9:22) can be taken as middle voice in Greek. The middle voice represents the subject as acting in some way that concerns itself. Thus the translation would be, “God . . . has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath which have fitted themselves for destruction” (Rom. 9:22). The expression “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26) is best interpreted in light of other scripture referring to spiritual Israel (Rom. 2:28f; Gal. 6:16).

Parenting Resources

2011-09-22T10:45:00.000-05:00

Resources for Parents

Without any doubt, parenting is no easy task in this sinful world. Today, we offer resources to assist Christian parents as they train their children to walk in paths of righteousness.

Dobson, James. Bringing Up Boys: Practicel Advice and Encouragement for Those Shaping the Next Generation of Men. Tyndale, 2001.

___________. Dare to Discipline. Tyndale, 1996.

Gottman, John. The Heart of Parenting: Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child. Simon & Schuster, 1997.

Murokoff, Heidi, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway. What To Expect When You’re Expecting. New York: Workman, 2002.

Sears, Bill. The Baby Book. Little Brown, 2003.

Wilson, Douglas and Nancy Wilson. Standing on the Promises: A Handbook on Biblical Childrearing. Moscow, ID: CanonPress, 1997.

Resources for Married Couples

2011-09-21T08:59:00.000-05:00

Resources for the Married Couple

Yesterday, we offered selected resources to help the engaged couple aptly prepare for marriage. Yet, no matter how well couples lay the groundwork for their union, they will find new challenges confronting them after the honeymoon. Satan, after all, loves to destroy families, for God hates divorce (Mal 2:16). Today, therefore, we offer these resources to strengthen Chrisitan marriages.

Gottman, John. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. NY: Three Rivers Press, 1999. ISBN: 0609805797

________ Ten Lessons to Transform Your Marriage. Crown 2006.

________ Why Marriages Succeed or Fail: And How You Can Make Yours Last. NY: Fireside, 1994.

Pearl, Michael and Debbie. Created to be His Helpmeet. Available from nogreaterjoy.org).

Smalley, Gary. Making Love Last Forever. W Publishing Group, 1996. ISBN: 0849940869.

Stanley, Scott M. The Power of Commitment: A Guide to Active, Lifelong Love. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005. ISBN: 0-7879-7928-7.

Wilson, Douglas. Reforming Marriage. Moscow, ID: Canon, 1995. ISBN: 1885767455.

Helping Engaged Couples

2011-09-20T10:46:00.001-05:00

Resources for Engaged Couples

Below is a list of resources available in the Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center to strengthen engaged couples. The Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center is an area in the Overton Memorial Library that houses materials to promote healthy marriage and family relationships.

Parrott, Les and Leslie Parrott. Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Rainey, Dennis. Preparing for Marriage. Ventura, CA: Gospel Light, 1997.

Rainey, Dennis and Barbara Rainey. Starting Your Marriage Right: What You Need to Know in the Early Years to Make It Last a Lifetime. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000.

Stahmann, Robert F. and William J. Hiebert. Premarital & Remarital Counseling: The Professional’s Handbook. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997.

Taylor, Charles W. Premarital Guide (Creative Pastoral Care & Counseling Series). Fortress, 1999.

Wicker, Les. Preparing Couples for Marriage: A Guide for Pastors to Premarital Counseling. Lima, OH: CSS Publishing, 2003.

Wright, Norman. Before You Say I Do. Rev. ed. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1997.

The Book of Acts

2011-09-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

An Introduction to Acts of Apostles

Written by George Goldman

The book of Acts of the Apostles is the main source of the history of the first generation of Christians. It is the only account we have of the rise of Christianity from a Christian standpoint. The title of the book suggests that it is a record of deeds or events of the apostles. However, besides the list of the twelve in Acts 1:13-26 the only Apostles mentioned are Peter, James, John, and Paul. The focus seems to be on Peter and Paul. The book covers little more than three decades from the ascension of the Lord to the end of Paul’s two-year imprisonment at Rome (33 A.D. – 63 A.D.) It would be good for you to know the reasons behind its production. First, there are over seventy references to the Holy Spirit in Acts. Most of these occur in the first eleven chapters. It is important for you to recognize that this emphasis on the Holy Spirit indicates divine activity behind the scenes.

Also the author of the book of Acts wishes to show that Christianity was politically harmless in order that the Roman authorities might extend to it the same toleration as they gave to Judaism. In every case the author brings out the impartiality of the Roman officials. The attitude of Gallio was typical (Acts 18:12-17). Another proconsul, Sergius Paulus, is seen to be the most favorable towards the gospel (Acts 13:7-12). The city secretary at Ephesus was conciliatory and the Asiarchs are as helpful to Paul (Acts 19:30-41). On the other hand it was always the Jews who were the instigators but the Roman authorities never take the charges seriously.

Thirdly the writer of Acts seems to emphasize that Paul is as much of an apostle as Peter. Two-fifths of the book deals with the acts of Peter, while three-fifths records the acts of Paul. In chapters 1 – 12 the narrative moves from Jerusalem to Antioch to Rome (Gentile Christianity) and in this section it is Paul who has the limelight. Several features re-occur in the story of Peter and Paul: both heal cripples (3:28 cf. 14:8-12); both have encounters with sorcerers and work miracles of injury (8:18 cf. 13:6); both raise the dead (9:36ff. cf. 20:9ff); both are miraculously released from prison (12:7 cf. 16:26); both become the objects of worship (10:25 cf. 14:11ff); both are beaten for the name of Jesus (5:40f cf. 16:22f).

You have read of three reasons why the book of Acts was written. Please remember that it is our only source of the history of the first century Christians that iswritten from a Christian standpoint. As you read it ask yourself, “Am I like the first century Christians?” “Do I believe as they did?” “Do I live and worship as they did?” It is my prayer that you become a first century Christian – nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.

Parenting

2011-09-16T10:49:00.000-05:00

Four F Parenting

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

Many believe that it’s harder than ever to be a good parent. I’m one of those. I knew everything about children until May 15, 1984. Then, John William Bagents was born and I forgot everything I ever thought I knew. I spent almost a decade as a youth minister. I knew everything – at least everything that mattered – about teens until May 15, 1997 when that kid turned 13. If you think that’s bad, I had to unlearn about half of what I thought I learned with John in order to deal with his brother, Allen. They’re not true polar opposites, but it’s still hard to believe those two boys came from the same gene pool. In so many ways, they’re as different as night and day.

Parenting is not a lost cause. It’s not a hopeless venture. We get a lot of help. It’s good to have Dr. Glen Wittig, head librarian at Criswell College, with us today. It wouldn’t do to have a man of his standing here without mentioning a few books that help parents. I like Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families. I like that excellent Boundaries Series by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. I like John MacArthur’s Successful Christian Parenting and that older volume, Parenting With Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay. Jay Kesler’s Emotionally Healthy Teenagers is such a solid work. But, if I had to choose only one book on parenting, you know which one I’d choose.

I will rely on that good book, the good book, this morning as we talk about 4 F Parenting.

Fast. Start Fast. Start early. Start before you marry. Men, godly women like the one described in Proverbs 31 aren’t real common. “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Ladies, men who truly honor the teaching of Ephesians 6:4 are rare as well. “And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” You start parenting before you marry because your choice of a mate has so much impact on the rest of your life.
First. Keep first things first. Matthew 22:34-40 is one of the strongest parenting passages in all of Scripture. A lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” We don’t have a closer neighbor than our spouse. And, the children come next. Before work. Before school. Before others. If you doubt that there’s a vital link between loving God and training our children to love Him, just remember Deuteronomy 6. Remember Genesis 18:19, “For I have known him, in order that he cam command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” Abraham had a role in helping the Lord God fulfill his promises to him. Part of that role was parenting well.
Fun. If you’re going to last as a parent, you better find and keep a sense of humor. Being the first book in Scripture Genesis is foundational is so many ways. Genesis 4:1, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.” This one verse reminds us how babies are supposed to be born; they’re supposed to be born to parents who are married to one another. It also tells us the attitude in which they are to be received: as blessings from the Lord. Perhaps Psalm 127:3-5 is the more familiar statement. I know that “happy” there carries the fundamental meaning of blessed, favored by God. But, who’s happier than the person who’s blessed by God?
Faithful. There are no perfect parents. Even if you were perfect today and had it all together, it wouldn’t last. Kids change every day. They’re a constantly moving target. Some days they seem perfect. Some days they almost make you believe in modern day demon possession. The story of Legion from Luke 8. If it were demon possession, it would surely take more than one to account for all that they do. I know that even Proverbs 22:6 is not an absolute, iron-clad guarantee of how children will turn out. But, I do know how they tend to turn out if we don’t apply that verse. You know how it begins, “Train up a child in the way that he should go...” I can’t train my children if God in God’s way if I’m not letting God train me. Like most of us, children see better than they hear. They don’t just notice what we want them to notice. They don’t just learn when we want them to learn. They know faithful when they see it. And you can count on this, they also know fake.

True Riches

2011-09-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

Are We Rich?

A little boy asked his father, “Dad, are we rich people?” As you might guess, the father proceeded with the standard answer. How rich is a relative term. How we have more than some people, but less than others. How that as much as we seem to have, we don’t think of ourselves as rich. Like 99% of the people I know, we think of ourselves as “somewhere in the middle.”

I want us to think about the question, “Are we rich?” I want us to look beyond the standard answer. By way of getting started, I need to tell you the truth. All of us who are Christians are rich people.

We are rich people because we have been reborn/redeemed. Romans 5:6-9. 1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds us that we have been “bought at a price.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 reminds us that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from our aimless conduct. We have been redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

We are rich people because we have an inheritance. I’m 45 years old, still young enough that I’ve never received an earthly inheritance. My parents are worth a nice chunk of change. They insist that part of that will be mine one day. To tell you the truth, I don’t want it. I’d rather keep them around. I have a brother who’s running the family farm, and I’d like to see him keep doing that. But, as a Christian, I have another inheritance, a greater inheritance. That one, I want with all my heart. Colossians 1:9-12. 1 Peter 1:3-5.

We are rich people because we know Christ/contentment. 1Timothy 6 says a lot about money and even more about true riches. It reminds us that we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out (v. 7). It warns us that those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition (v. 9). It urges us not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy (v. 17). And, it tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain (v. 6). It challenges us to be content with food and clothing (v. 8), because true riches aren’t material. The greatest of all riches is eternal life with God.

We are rich people because we have hope. 1 Peter 1:3. 1Timothy 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope…” Hebrews 6:19, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…”

Too Much Faith

2011-09-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

Some Things Require Too Much Faith to Believe

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

We all know that nothing comes from nothing. It takes way too much faith to believe that the universe is self-creating. It takes almost as much faith to believe that matter and energy are eternal. Everything we know tells us that energy dissipates, that or-dered systems tend to move toward disorder. Only an eternal, uncaused creator actu-ally explains the origin of the universe.

We all know that life doesn’t come from non-life. Modern biologists don’t believe in abiogenesis, that living organisms arise from non-living matter—except for what must have happened in the beginning. According to evolutionary theory, life began from non-life. There’s no other choice within the realm of science. [I know this isn’t really within the realm of science, but science still claims it. Science claims it because the only alternative is divine creation – God.] Thus, the argument regarding abiogenesis is, “It happened then, but it doesn’t happen now. It can’t happen now, because it’s impos-sible. But it must have happened then, because there’s no other scientific explanation for the origin of life.”

It takes way too much faith to believe that advanced forms of life are a series of acci-dents. Advanced forms of life are too intricate, too complex. From the endocrine sys-tem to the nervous system, so much is intertwined and interdependent. How could natural selection “select for” hormones that support structures which cannot function without them? Can random mutations, pure chance, explain this? Within the sphere of Darwinian evolution, it must be the explanation. That takes too much “faith” for me.

So many brethren seem to be retreating from the biblical account of creation. Genesis is being labeled as myth, metaphor, or “accommodation to the pre-scientific thinking of primitive man.” Jesus didn’t retreat from the biblical account of creation (Matthew 19:1-6). Paul didn’t retreat from that account. (Acts 17:24, Colossians 1:15-18). Neither should we. Some things are beyond scientific explanation. Some things belong to the realm of the spiritual. Some things make sense only through faith in the eternal, living God.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the uni-verse was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible … And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:1-3, 6)

The Gospel of John

2011-09-13T12:57:00.000-05:00

Introduction to the Gospel of John

Written by George Goldman

What was Jesus really like?

This was the question many people were asking in 90 A.D. The writer of the fourth gospel writes the answer. Never has a book paid a greater tribute to its “hero.” The very opening verse claims the “hero” is God, Himself.

Cerinthus, a man who lived in John’s lifetime, was teaching that Jesus was not really God and that Christ had not actually come into the flesh. According to Cerinthus, at Jesus’ baptism the “Christ” in the form of a dove descended on Jesus. This same “Christ” left him again just before Jesus’ suffering. Therefore, it was not really Christ who suffered, died, and rose again but Jesus.

John denies this teaching by saying, “The Word (God) became flesh (Jn. 1:1, 14). Jesus Christ was one person. “Now, Jesus, to be sure, in the presence of the disciples, also performed many other signs that are not written in this book. But these are written in order that you may continue to believe the Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and in order that believing you may continue to have life in His name” (Jn. 20:30f written showing the action of the Greek verb tenses).

This gospel of John was written after the other gospel of accounts. Much of what is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke is omitted by John: no virgin birth, no baptism of Jesus, no temptation, no transfiguration, no cure of any demoniacs or lepers, no parables, no Lord’s supper, no agony in the garden, and no ascension into heaven.

A Jew wrote this gospel. He quotes from the Hebrew rather than the Greek Bible. He is acquainted with the Jewish Feasts (Jn. 7:2; 10:22). He also knows Jewish customs (Jn. 18:28; 2:6; 11:44; 19:38-42). He knew that Jews did not leave bodies on crosses over the Sabbath (Jn. 19:31).

The author of this gospel had a geographical knowledge of Palestine. He was familiar with the five porches around the pool of Bethzatha (Jn. 5:2). He knew of the pool of Siloam and the Kidron Valley (Jn. 9:7; 18:1). He was aware of the paved area outside Pilate’s judgment hall (Jn. 19:13). He knew of the two Bethanys (Jn. 1:28; 12:1). He knew of an alternate name for the Sea of Galilee (Jn. 6:1). He knew that Sychar was near Jacob’s well (Jn. 4:5).

The author was also an eyewitness (Jn. 1:14; cf. 1 Jn. 1:1-4). He tells of how he first met Jesus and became his disciple. He still remembered that it was about fouro’clock in the afternoon (Jn. 1:35-39). He is the only writer to mention the spear wound (Jn. 19:34F). He knew there were six water pots at Cana (Jn. 6:19). He knew the number of fish they caught after the resurrection (Jn. 21:11).

In the last chapter of this gospel there is evidence that the author was an apostle. The “disciple whom Jesus loved” and who wrote these things must be identified in the context of this chapter. Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, the sons of Zebedee, and two others are mentioned (Jn. 21:2). The author must be in the unnamed group. The most likely candidate is John, the son of Zebedee. James, the other son of Zebedee, suffered an early death (Acts 12:1f), while this gospel’s author survived even Peter (who survived James). The author of the fourth gospel was alive and bearing witness though Peter had already attained the martyr’s crown (Jn. 21:19-24).

The oldest existing portion of the New Testament is a fragment of the gospel of John (Jn. 18:31-33, 37-38). It is written in a style suggesting a date of about 150 A.D. It was discovered in 1934 and is about three by four inches in size. It can be seen in the John Rylands Library, Manchester, England.

Picking Your Battles

2011-09-12T08:35:00.000-05:00

How Do I Know Which Fights to Fight and Which to "Pass On"?

Framing the question
1. Extreme 1: Never fight.
  1. Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
  2. 1 Timothy 2:24, “And the servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gently to all, apt to teach, patient.
2. “Leave ‘em alone won’t work. Won’t accord with Scripture. God never meant for children to run the home.
  1. Proverbs 29:15, “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.”
  2. Proverbs 29:17, “Correct your son and he will give you rest, yes, he will give delight to your soul.”
3. Extreme 2: Fight every battle to the death.
  1. Proverbs 22:15, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it from him.”
  2. Proverbs 23:13, “Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.”
4. Fight every battle to the death won’t work. Won’t accord with Scripture. God never meant for home to be a war zone.
  1. a. Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way that he should go (literally “according to his way”) and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
  2. Ephesians 6:4, “And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”
5. Definition of “fight.”
  1. “You should never fight. Families should never fight. Families love and respect one another. They don’t fight, they discuss.”
  2. Shorthand communication. Truth.
Guiding Principles
1. There are times to fight. Times to take a stand and hold it.
  1. Fight for truth and right. Fight when not fighting would dishonor or disobey God.
    1. Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
    2. Remember Eli and his sons?
      1. 1 Samuel 2:29-30 and 3:11-13.
      2. It wasn’t that Eli didn’t try. Read 2:22-25. It was that he didn’t try enough.
  2. Fight when not fighting shows apathy. Fight when not fighting shows lack of love.
    1. Remember the terrible incident with Amnon and Tamar, recorded in 2 Samuel 13?
    2. David knew what Amnon did. He knew how wrong it was.
    3. 2 Samuel 13:21, “But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.” That’s it. Angry, but inactive. Angry, but detached. And we know what it cost him.
    4. Fight when not fighting shows lack of love. But, don’t fight when you can’t fight in love. Without love, we make a mess of everything.
  3. Fight when not fighting shows lack of backbone.
    1. 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave be strong.”
    2. Wisdom of 2 parents, united in parenting. They support one another. When one wavers, the other bolsters them both.
    3. Fight when not fighting means abdicating your role as parents, when not fighting would diminish your character or destroy your credibility.
    4. Some say, “Fight only when you can win.” Because of the point that we’re discussing now, I disagree. Sometimes we fight even though we know we can’t win. We fight because of what we’d be if we didn’t.
2. There are times not to fight.
  1. Don’t fight just because others have or do.
    1. Tremendously strong tendency to reproduce or perpetuate our families of origin. To continue the same flaws and fights we grew up with. To bring battles and baggage from our youth into adulthood.
    2. It takes honest, insightful, wise people to avoid this trap.
    3. It may be that none of us avoid it perfectly.
  2. Don’t fight just because you always have.
    1. Key management principle, “If we keeping doing what we’ve always done, then we’ll keeping getting what we’ve always got.”
    2. Counseling version, “If what you’ve been trying isn’t working, try something else.”
    3. Some fights have gone on for so long or they’ve been so badly handled that they must be given up. There’s not resolution. There will be no winners. The only way to mitigate the damage is to just stop fighting.
  3. Don’t fight when the issue is just a matter of preference or opinion. IE, when its preference or opinion rather than right and truth.
    1. Pierced ears. Age of dating.
    2. Philippians 2:3-4, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others.”
  4. Don’t fight over things.
    1. Matthew 5:40, “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.” V. 41 = go the second mile.
    2. 1 Corinthians 6:7, regarding those who “go to law before the unrighteous,” “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept the wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”
  5. Don’t fight when natural consequences can do the teaching for you.
    1. True of homework. True of dirty laundry.
    2. Don’t rescue when that takes away their responsibility. Don’t do their worrying for them. Don’t fight when their real battle is with themselves.
  6. Don’t fight when you can’t keep your cool. IE, keep your temper and your perspective.
    1. Galatians 6:1-2. Excellent.
    2. Romans 12:17-21.
    3. Example of Christ. 1 Peter 2:22-23, “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth. Who when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…”
3. Times to stop fighting.
  1. Stop fighting once you’ve made your position clear.
    1. 1 Peter 3:1-2. Why? What?
    2. Don’t nag. Once you’ve gone on record and stated the needed truth, let you life do your talking.
    3. Why? Further words do more harm than good. They become nagging. They are reduced to the level of irritating background noise. They’re not heard any more. They’re not heard, they’re just resented. They grind away at your relationship.
  2. Stop fighting if you realize that fighting is all you are doing.
  3. Stop fighting if you realize that your main objective is to win. Christian objective = to love, to help, to protect, to serve

Reviving Your Marriage

2011-09-09T10:48:00.000-05:00

Soul Mates … OR Cell Mates?

Written by Cory Collins

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Gen 29:20

Though there are many degrees in between, and though marriages may be measured in any number of ways, we may consider it as fact that some husbands and wives are soul mates; others are cell mates. The former seem to have hearts that beat together; the latter may want to beat each other, physically and/or emotionally. Very happy couples sprint hand in hand. Sad couples drag on, feeling locked in handcuffs by the marriage “bond.”

Virtually every person that marries thinks he or she has found a soul mate. All is blissful, peaceful, and rewarding. Yet, ironically, months or years later, the joys have turned to chains. The husband (and/or the wife) feels imprisoned and yearns to breathe free! What happened? What can be done about it? If in your marriage you feel like a cell mate …

Remember and renew the earlier, happier days. When you were free, you chose not to stay that way. Why? Tell your spouse, “I chose you because …” “Some of my favorite memories with you are …” “God blessed us when …”
Admit the unkind ways you have helped to create the prison. “I have been impatient … unfair … selfish … arrogant.” “I have expected too much, and given too little.” Then, and only then, ask your spouse to take responsibility for his or her part as well.
Realize that your spouse may feel trapped as well. Give your cell mate some slack, some gratitude, some support. Decrease his or her misery, and you will ease your own. The more you pull on his or her handcuff, the more your own wrist will ache.
Let some fresh air into the cell. Stop arguing for a week, and talk about areas of agreement, especially basic values. Read the Bible together and pray. Talk about faith, hope, and love. Go for a walk. Share a new hobby and a new church ministry.
Invite a trusted friend into the cell. An elder or preacher, with his wife, can listen, pray, and offer confidential, godly counsel. So can a trained Christian therapist. Do not be ashamed. Do not deny your struggles. Do not let the devil win.
Act like a soul mate first. Be the person that you would want to share a cell with, before you ask your mate to be that person. Allow your spouse time to deal with the shock.
Become a closer soul mate of Jesus Christ. Let His beauty be seen and reflected in you. He forgives. He encourages. He affirms. His yoke is easy, because He shares and carries the load with you. The more you think, speak, and act like Jesus, the more your spouse will want to be bound to you for life.

Helping Other People

2011-09-08T13:41:00.001-05:00

People Helping Skills

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

Christian counseling is too important to be left to professionals. More people talk to family, friends, and brethren than will ever visit a professional counselor. That’s a good thing. Example of professional counselor and client with: my husband is mean, hateful, neglectful, and unappreciative. I’m thinking about leaving him.

Ann Landers, cost/benefit: “Are you better off with him or without him?”
Strong feminist: “Marriage is an evil institution invented by males in an attempt to subjugate females.”
Nutty: “What you need to do is to have a blazing hot affair and make him jealous.”
Nutty religious: “The devil is in your husband. Bring him for an exorcism.”
In any helping relationship, the personality, values, attitudes, and beliefs of the helper are vitally important. Galatians 5:22-26. Galatians 6:1-10. Proverbs 3:5-8.

Christian counseling is not getting degrees, learning theories, mastering techniques.

Christian counseling is rather:

John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this will …”
Matthew 22:34ff, One of the Pharisees who was a lawyer, posed a question to Jesus, “Teacher, which is the great commandment of the law?” V. 39, the Second = Leviticus 19:18.
Matthew 7:12, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” See example in Galatians 6:1ff.
Philippians 2:3-4, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
1 Thessalonians 5:14, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”

In any helping relationship, the personality, values, attitudes, beliefs, and MOTIVES of the helper are vitally important. It is also true that…

The helpee’s attitudes, motivation, and desire for help are vitally important.

The helping relationship between helper and helpee is vitally important. Trust. Relational. In counseling, we don’t fix people. We neither know enough nor have the power. We try to help people learn to help themselves. We care, listen, teach, encourage, challenge, and confront in an effort to help people move closer to God.

Helping must include attention to the helpee’s emotions, thoughts, and behavior – all three. There are many counseling theories/approaches which give attention to only one of these aspects.

Helping involves a variety of skills. Among these are:

Listening. Jeffrey Kottler has written, “Listening is the most crucial helping skill.” There are three types of listening:
1. Passive: formulating your response while the speaker is talking.
2. Active: mirroring what the speaker says
3. Attentive: validating the speaker’s feelings, entering the speaker’s world.
Encouraging. Encouraging honesty, openness, exploration, taking responsibility, and/or proper action.
Supporting. Particularly creating a supportive interpersonal environment.
Confronting. In the best case, we help the helpee confront his own bad thinking, inappropriate and/or disproportionate emotions, and/or destructive behavior.
Teaching. Through the counseling process, the helpee learns how to act, feel, and/or think differently.

The ultimate goal of Christian helping is to help others draw nearer to God. Ed Welch states it, “The biblical counselor’s purpose is to help persons discern if their lives fit with biblical patterns.” See Proverbs 3:5-8.

Working for the Devil

2011-09-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

If I Worked for the Devil

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

There’s a place for everyone in the devil’s work. He needs dedicated volunteers and bunches of them. Satan has a terrible job. He has to persuade people that they don’t want to live in heaven with God forever.

Heaven is a place of boundless joy. There’s the tree of life, a street of pure gold, and all the redeemed of the ages. There are no tears. There is no pain and no dying.

Hell is a place of total darkness. It’s a place of fire, brimstone, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. The pain is perpetual. Worst of all, hell is a place of no hope.

The devil has a terrible job. Despite the Bible, the influence and example of Christians, and the sense of right and wrong that’s built in to every person, he has to sell the idea that hell is a myth.

Naturally, he uses lies and deceit. That’s all he has to work with. John 8:44 records the words Jesus spoke to some religious leaders who opposed Him, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

What lies does Satan use to keep people out of heaven? In this article, we’ll consider five.

Lie Number One

If I worked for the devil, I’d tell you that the Bible is way too complicated for you to understand. It has all those unusual (and seemingly unpronounceable) names, like Ahasuerus (Esther 1:2) and Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah 8:1). There are people who keep changing names, like Abram (Abraham) and Jacob (Israel).

Besides, the Bible is confusing on other levels. We meet Moses and Elijah in the Old Testament. They die. Then, we find the alive in the New Testament (Luke 9). Good guys, people who are God’s servants, do terrible things. David committed adultery and murder. Solomon had all that wisdom, but left God for idolatry. Peter confessed Christ, but then denied Him three times. On top of this, there’s the book of Revelation where locusts shaped like horses come out of the smoke (Revelation 9).

Honestly, there are some things in the Bible that are difficult to understand. But, as a rule, the gospels aren’t. Acts isn’t. Much in Paul’s epistles is quite clear. The heart of the gospel can be understood in one sitting. Check out Romans 13, 1 Corinthians 13, Ephesians 4 and 5, or Psalm 100. You’ll find so much that is so clear.

Besides, wouldn’t you be a bit disappointed if everything in Scripture was elementary? Peter acknowledged that Paul’s letters contained “some things hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:14-18). But, isn’t God’s truth something worth digging for? Doesn’t it deserve our time and effort?

Lie Number Two

If I worked for the devil, I’d tell you that if you live as well as most people, you’re OK. After all, this works in many areas of life. The nursery school will keep your child if he’s no meaner than average. Most employers don’t fire their average workers. Policemen don’t usually stop cars that are traveling with the flow of traffic, even if they are speeding.

This lie of Satan works on the assumption that the majority of people are OK with God. Hell is only for “the truly bad.” After all, won’t most people be saved?

You know the words of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and the are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Exodus 23:2 warns against following a multitude to do evil.

Biblical examples help us here. In the days of Noah, was “average” good enough? Was the majority right in 1 Samuel 8 when they demanded a king? In the days of Jeremiah, who was correct, the one prophet predicting seventy years of captivity or the many prophets predicting peace and prosperity? Who were more numerous in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, disciples or crucifiers?

The Bible teaches individual judgment (Hebrews 9:27, 2 Corinthians 5:10), not salvation by group.

Lie Number Three

If I worked for the devil, I would tell you that people just aren’t interested in the gospel anymore. This one is really easy to believe. If you’ve ever tried to be evangelistic, you’ve met with some polite dismissals. Perhaps, you’ve even met with impolite dismissals.

Of course, this lie misses the point. We plant and water, but God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). In the famous parable of the sower (aka, the parable of the soils), only one of the four proved ultimately fruitful (Matthew 13). Of all the people in Jerusalem on the Pentecost of Acts 2, only about 3,000 gladly received the word and were baptized on that day. And, remember Paul’s missionary journeys. He and his companions often met fierce resistance, but they stayed true to God’s commission.

Certainly, some people are not interested in the gospel. Many will not agree to a “cold contact” Bible study. Often, however, people will agree to study the Bible with those whom they have seen living it. In evangelism, it is faithful effort, not results, which God commands.

Lie Number Four

If I worked for the devil, I would tell you that you deserve complete happiness now. I’d tell you that you have the right to wealth, health, a wonderful family, great friends, and a long life.

I’d tell you this lie for three key reasons. First, I’d hope that you would blame God when disappointments come. I’d hope that you would believe the lie and think that God had promised you a bed of roses just for being a Christian. I’d hope that you’d forget Isaiah’s description of the Messiah as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53). I’d hope that you’d forget the cross, the persecution of Acts 8, and all that 1 Peter says about suffering for Christ.

Second, I’d tell you this lie because it is one that people love to believe. People love to believe that they are immune from suffering and struggle. Job was right, “Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). Jesus told the truth when He warned His disciples, “In this world you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33).

Third, I’d tell you this lie because, if you believe it, you’ll work to make it true. If you believe that you deserve complete happiness now, you’ll live selfishly. You’ll use people and waste things. You’ll reject every difficult truth of God and every demand of discipleship. And you’ll be consumed by your own selfishness.

Lie Number Five

If I worked for the devil, I’d tell you that sin isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I wouldn’t deny that sin is bad, that’s too unbelievable. I wouldn’t deny that sin can destroy through separation from God. Romans 6:23 and 3:23 are too clear to deny. I’d just try to persuade you that sin has been handled.

After all, didn’t Jesus come because “God so loved the world”? Didn’t Jesus die to so that we wouldn’t have to be condemned? Isn’t God’s grace greater than sin? Read John 3, Romans 6, and Ephesians 2. God has handled sin.

Of course, I wouldn’t want to read those chapters carefully. I’d hope that you never notice Jesus’ words, “…Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). I’d hope that you never notice Jesus’ words, “…He who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:8). I’d hope that you never notice how Romans 6 demands that we stop letting sin reign in our lives and choose to “walk in newness of life.” I’d hope that focus so much on grace that you never notice the importance of faith in Ephesians 2.

Of course, I’d never remind you of the hardening that can come through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). Above all, I’d never want you to notice the terrifying truth of 2 Thessalonians 2:11. After all, who wants to believe that God could actually let a person reject Him and believe lies?

Conclusion

If I worked for the devil, I’d tell you these lies and more. I’d tell you whatever I could to hide God’s love. I’d tell you whatever you needed to hear to reject God’s offer of life in Christ. If I worked for the devil, I’d know how much misery loves company.

And, I’d hope that you never had the wisdom to search the Scripture and learn God’s truth for yourself.

Introduction to the Gospel of Luke

2011-09-06T09:15:00.000-05:00

An Introduction to the Book of Luke

Written by George Goldman

The Beloved Physician

Outside of the “we sections” in Acts, Luke is mentioned three times in the New Testament (Col. 4:14; Philemon 24; 2 Tim. 4:11). In each of these cases Luke is with Paul in prison. The context of the Colossian reference shows that Luke was a Gentile medical doctor (Col. 4:10ff).

The New Testament is not a book written mostly by or about Jews. Luke, a Gentile, wrote more of the New Testament than any other man. The book of Luke is the longest book in the New Testament. Luke and Acts combined are longer than the thirteen letter of Paul. Luke is the most polished writer of the New Testament with the possible exception of the writer of Hebrews. The writings of Luke have a wide vocabulary, 750 – 800 words peculiar to the New Testament appear. His writings are the least Jewish in the New Testament. Except for the first two chapters of his gospel he quotes exclusively from the Greek translation of the Old Testament (LXX). He presents to the Greeks the ideal man. Jesus, as the Son of Man, is presented as the apex in social, physical, mental, and spiritual attainments (Lk. 2:52). His genealogy is traced all the way back to Adam (Lk. 3:23 ff).

In the early church of gospel of Luke was between Matthew’s and Mark’s in popularity. From his writings it is apparent that Luke was a man of education and culture. He begins his gospel and Acts with an elaborate paragraph which shows the style of the Hellenistic historians of his day. From these paragraphs we learn that the same man wrote both books, which are addressed to Theophilus, and Acts refers to the first book (Lk. 1:1-4; Acts 1:1). Also, from the first words of his gospel it is apparent that he collected his material from eyewitnesses and other written documents. Luke is a careful historian dating the birth of Jesus from six contemporary rulers of his time (Lk. 3:1-2).

The writings of Luke have been called the most beautiful ever written (Renan). The Nativity scene and childhood of Jesus are fresh and different, and suggest the writer’s personal acquaintance with Mary. Beautiful poetry adorns the book: the Magnificat of Mary (Lk. 1:46-55), the Benedictus of Zechariah (Lk. 1:67-79), the Gloria in Excelsis of the angels (Lk. 2:14), and the Nunc Dimittis of Simeon (Lk. 2:29-32).

Luke exalts womanhood. He mentions thirteen women otherwise omitted by the other gospel writers; Elizabeth, the widow of Nain, Anna, Lot’s wife, the widow’s mite; the ladies who ministered to Jesus, etc. More details are given on the lives of Mary and Martha (Lk. 10:38-42), Mary Magdalene (Lk. 8:1-3), etc. (cf. Lk. 8:48; 13:16; 23:28).

Luke stresses the Lord’s attitude toward the poor. Quite a few of the money parables are unique to Luke: the two debtors (Lk. 7:41-43), the rich fool (Lk. 12:16-21), the unrighteous steward, and the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16), and the pounds (Lk. 19:13-37).

There is an interest in the outcast and underdog: the good Samaritan (Lk. 10), the word of praise for the grateful Samaritan leper (Lk. 9:46-56), the sinful woman, Zacchaeus, the thief on the cross, and the praying publican.

Luke also gives prominence to prayer. Luke records eleven of Jesus’ fifteen prayers. Jesus prayed at His baptism (Lk. 3:2), before His first conflict with the Pharisees (Lk. 5:16), before He chose the Twelve (Lk. 6:12), before He asked the disciples who they thought He was (Lk. 9:18), at His transfiguration (Lk. 9:29), on the cross (Lk.23:40), and only Luke tells of Jesus’ prayer for Peter at Peter’s hour of testing (Lk. 22:32).

Luke gently handles the faults of the apostles and early leaders of the church. He omits James and John’s ambitious request to sit beside Christ. He writes a milder version of Peter’s denial. Similarly, the disciples in the garden slept “for sorrow” (Lk. 22:45), and their desertion of the Lord in the hour of trial is not recorded.

The medical knowledge and interest in seafaring are apparent in Luke’s gospel. In the fourth century Jerome commented, “Luke is a physician as his writings indicate.” In 1882 W.K. Hobart in his book The Medical Language of Luke found over 400 medical terms in Luke-Acts. Adolf Harnack in Luke the Physician (1907) reduced the number but said that Hobart’s thesis was still true. H.J. Cadbury in the Style and Literary Method of Luke (1920) found many parallels between Luke’s vocabulary and other medical writers such as Hippocrates, Galen, and Dioscorides but also pointed out that other educated Greek writers who were not doctors used the same language such as Josephus, Lucian, Plutarch, and LXX.

In the first century there was no special medical language as there is today. A vocabulary of medical terms cannot be used as a main point in establishing who wrote Luke-Acts. Yet there are these interesting observations when comparing Luke to other writers. Peter’s mother-in-law had a “high” fever (Lk. 4:38 cf. Mt. 8:14). The man was “full of leprosy” (Lk. 5:12 cf. Mt. 8:2). Luke omits the statement “she had spent all she had on physicians and was no better” (Ml. 5:26 cf. Lk. 8:43 RSV). Luke refers to surgical needles (belowes) while Matthew and Mark use a sewing needle (rhaphis) (Lk. 18:25; Mt. 19:24; Mk. 10:25).

Sharing our Faith

2011-09-02T13:19:00.000-05:00

Leave it in the Sock Drawer

Written by Travis Harmon

From 1999 to 2004, I worked for a police department in northeast Arkansas as a patrol officer. The story I am about to tell is possibly the single most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me. If you are not a police officer, you may not think it so embarrassing. But I have rarely felt more like a complete and total failure than I did on this day. In fact, I have told only two or three people in my life about this incident.

I worked the second shift, so I got off work at about 10 p.m. On this particular day, I was asked to come back to work at 6 a.m. to help the short-handed first shift. My routine was completely thrown off. When I got home I made my gun “safe,” and I left all of my gear out because I had to put it back on and go to work so early.

I got to work the next morning and the first call I took was a vicious dog call. It is so rare to actually find a vicious dog that I rolled up to the house knowing that I would find a loveable little pup that was just annoying a neighbor. When I got to the back of the house, I was confronted with the most ferocious bulldog I have ever seen. We had about 90 feet of open grass between us. When he saw me, he immediately started to growl. As I was drawing my pistol and taking aim, he started to charge. I rapidly aimed and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. For some reason the dog stopped about 30 feet from me and I realized my gun was on safety. I felt so inadequate. I quickly moved the safety to fire, and the bulldog, fiercer than before, started toward me. I pulled the trigger and was again rewarded with nothing. I stood perfectly still, out of fear or bravery, I do not know. As the animal charged and ran by me, he tried to bite my arm. By only the grace of God, he missed, and his teeth only made a glancing blow at my hand, leaving an imprint. He ran by me and circled for a third charge. I knew instantly what had happened. The night before, in an attempt to make my gun “safe,” I had also taken the bullet out of the chamber. I quickly backed away to my car. In my retreat, I loaded my gun, having missed two opportunities to save myself. I then called the dog catcher and waited in my car until he arrived.

I cannot tell you what a miserable failure I felt like. Even now, years later feelings of embarrassment and inadequacy flood my heart over the incident. I almost lost an arm. If it had been a person with a gun or a knife instead of a dog, I would be a dead man. My two girls would have been fatherless. What if I had been sent to a bank robbery instead of a dog call? I was defenseless. I had the skill to save my life but it was a false sense of security because I had made the tool that could do it inoperable. If I had needed to use my weapon to protect a brother officer, he or she would have been dead because of me. It was all because I wanted this dangerous object to be “safe.” I never felt so unworthy to be an officer.

One day when discussing firearm safety with fellow officers, I heard one remark, “If you want the gun to be safe, leave it in your sock drawer at home.” I wonder if many Christians are not putting their Christianity in the sock drawer at home and leaving it there, or if they put in on safety and try to take the bullets out?

For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12

Christianity is not safe. We do not want to talk to our friends about it because we know it can pierce the joints and marrow. We live in fear that our friendships will be damaged if we discussed our beliefs. In reality, Christianity is a defensive weapon that is to save life. In the Great Commission Jesus says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mar 16:15 We are not to leave it at home. We are to take it with us. In fact, our friends should be furious with us if we do not try to talk to them about our Lord. They will be one day. Our Lord will also be furious with us if we try to make it safe. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire Mat 7:19-23

I have a hard time not taking Mark 4:8-9 personally; “And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. (9) And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” I have ears. I hear. How am I doing on my hundred yield increase? My sixty? Or even my 30? You know what? I have a neighbor that I have lived by for four years that I have never talked to about the Gospel because I wanted our relationship to be safe. How safe is that? I cannot tell you what a miserable failure that makes me feel like. I think I better go see him on the way home if I want to make it home. Rom 1:16

The Power of Song

2011-09-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

“Give ‘em Watts, Boys!”

Written by Cory Collins

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them … Ac 16:25

Believe it or not, a 17th-century British hymn writer indirectly helped American troops to withstand British forces almost one hundred years later, during the Revolutionary War.

Isaac Watts was born on July 7, 1674, in Southampton, England. His father was a religious dissenter who spent much time in jail as a result. Young Isaac learned Latin at the age of five, Greek at nine, French at eleven and Hebrew at thirteen. For twelve years, his mother taught him to write rhyme and verse. He devoted much of that learning to hymns.

Altogether he penned more than 600 hymns. Among the best known, still beloved today, are: “Joy to the World;” “O God Our Help in Ages Past;” “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross;” “I Sing the Mighty Power of God;” “When I Can Read My Title Clear;” “Alas and Did My Savior Bleed” (also known as, "At the Cross"); “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?” and, “Come We That Love the Lord” (also known as, “We’re Marching to Zion”).

English immigrants to the American colonies brought hymnals, filled with Watts’ songs, with them to the New World. They intended to use them just for singing, of course, but war changed their plans. On June 23, 1780, at the Battle of Springfield (New Jersey), British forces attacked with about 5000 men and almost 20 cannon. They seemed invincible. Gen. George Washington had left the area, leaving others to face the invading army.

During the battle the American colonists ran out of ‘wad’ for their muskets. A chaplain on the scene ran into the nearby church building and gathered up the hymn books, containing Watts’ songs. He then proceeded to tear out the pages and give them to the soldiers to be used to wad their muskets, as he yelled out, "Give 'em Watts, boys!" They did. The British forces retreated, never to attack New Jersey again. From the Battle of Springfield came the modern phrase used to express anger, "to give them 'watt' for."

Paul and Silas “wadded their muskets” with songs of praise in a Philippian jail. Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn after the Last Supper, before going to Gethsemane. David found God’s strength through song when persecuted by Saul, attacked by the Philistines, and defied by his son Absalom. Paul spoke of this “wadding:” “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Col 3:16

Christian, use that songbook! Fill your heart and your lips with victorious songs of God’s glory. Come into His presence with praise and thanks. Share those songs with your family. Live out the words you sing. Then watch the enemy run.

The Role of the Minister in the Church and the Community

2011-08-31T13:16:00.000-05:00

The Role of the Minister in the Community and the Congregation

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

The truth of God is solid and changeless.

Psalm 119:89, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.”
Jude 3 speaks of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Our application of God’s word must be both faithful and flexible.

We see that in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.
1. Paul could speak Greek to Greeks. He could speak Aramaic to Hebrews. He could speak philosophically to philosophers. He could speak the language of athletes, farmers, or soldiers as the situation demanded.
2. Paul could start a sermon in a synagogue with Genesis 1 or Genesis 12.
3. But in Athens (Acts 17), he could read and use the inscription from the nearest idol and quote the relevant poet.
As a minister of the gospel and an apostle of Christ, Paul could preach the word with power.
1. He could also write by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
2. And He could make tents to support himself and his companions when that was needed.
The same has to be true of us.
1. Like every other minister, that is every other Christian, those of us who are blessed be designated or recognized as preachers, wear many hats and fill many roles.
2. We marry and bury.
3. We preach and teach.
4. We counsel and care.
5. We serve and lead.
6. And if we do it right, we do it in balance to the glory of God.
The devil loves to get us out of balance. He will even use Scripture to do so.
1. For example, some read from Acts 6:2, “Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘ It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God to serve tables.’”
2. It’s backed up by Acts 6:3-4, “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
3. That settles it! Preachers ought to preach. Others ought to serve in the more ordinary ways.
4. It’s clear this was best in the time and situation of Acts 6.
5. But, this isn’t the only example in Scripture.
6. In John 6, the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus distributed the food to His disciples (apostles) and they distributed it to the seated crowd.
7. In Acts 28:3, the apostle Paul was gathering sticks to put on the fire when the viper bit him. He wasn’t too good or too important to work.
My assignment is to talk about the role of the minister in the congregation and the community.
1. The congregation is a subset of the community. If you’re involved with the congregation, you’re involved with the community.
2. The people of God aren’t selfish. The congregation should never want the preacher to serve only the congregation. That would be contrary to the example of Christ.
3. It’s next to impossible to influence and evangelize people who don’t know you. Working in and with the community is pro-evangelism. It offers opportunity to adorn the gospel with good works. It’s in keeping with Matthew 5:16 and 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
It’s not whether you have a role in both church and community. Rather, it’s what roles do we fill in church and community, and how do we keep those in balance.
1. We’ve already rejected one extreme. “My job is to preach, and that’s all I do.”
2. The other extreme is just as bad. It’s a misapplication of 1 Peter 3:1-2, “I won’t even need to preach if I live well enough before them.”
  1. Need both the word and the life that the word produces (1 Thes. 2:8).
  2. Ultimately, faith still comes by hearing the word (Romans 10:17).
OK, tell me how to keep these roles in balance. Can’t give a checklist, but I can offer some principles.
1. Since you can’t do everything, choices must be made. Make them wisely.
2. Acts 6:2-4 offers much wisdom. We can’t rightly neglect prayer and the ministry of the word.
3. We’re blessed to double-dip as much as is possible.
  1. Being involved with the community will give you sermon ideas and illustrations.
  2. Being involved with the community will give you all the more reason to pray. Joys, thanksgiving, supplication, prayer for patience and wisdom. “People are something.” “There ain’t nothing people won’t do.” Bad grammar, excellent theology.
  3. God built us so that we need variety. We can rest from study while we serve, play, and interact. And we may have different levels of need for variety and rest. RESIST judgmentalism. We’re not carbon copies.
  4. All of life is about relationships. John 13:34-34. 1st and 2nd commands. Loving people isn’t wasting time. Building relationships can be among our greatest works for God. Most of us aren’t blessed to have too much time with just ourselves.
  5. Find good, stout, brave, wise brethren who will watch your back. Tell me if you see me losing my balance. Wake me up! Ask me! Help me keep myself in the love of God.

Drug Talk

2011-08-30T08:15:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Reasons for Doing Drugs

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

About the only thing I like about Letterman are his top ten lists. It’s been my experience that most kids (and many adults) tend to turn us off as soon as they realize that our subject is drugs. They’ve already heard everything that we could possibly say. Maybe it would help us to repackage. Put it in a form that’s easier to hear. You heard our reading from 1 Corinthians 9. Paul worked at connecting with people. He talked to people in the language they could hear. I want to give you my Top Ten Reasons for Doing Drugs.

Ten: It’s only beer. It’s not grass. It’s not speed. It’s not coke. It’s certainly not heroin. It’s even legal. You can buy it at the grocery. Never mind Proverbs 20:1, “Wine is a mocker. Intoxicating drink arouses brawling. And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” Never mind Proverbs 23:29-35. Never mind how many of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5 are commonly associated with drinking. It’s only beer. It’s not really a gateway into the world of drugs. Never mind that alcohol is the most abused drug in the world.

Nine: No one will ever know. You know how easy it is to keep things secret. Your friends won’t tell anybody. Never mind that God sees everything. Never mind Numbers 32:23. I mean that’s obviously too strong. “Be sure your sin will find you out” sounds like some kind of threat. You’ve never been hurt by a secret that got out, have you?

Eight: Even if people do know, that won’t matter. After all, everybody’s doing it. You’ve seen the statistics. Even the religious conservatives admit that two-thirds of all teens have had a drink. At least a quarter of all teens have tried other drugs in one form or another, and that’s “everybody,” right? And Exodus 23:2 just asks too much when it says, “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil...” You wouldn’t want to be known as an independent thinker.

Seven: And speaking of evil, maybe drugs aren’t great. But, that’s where religion comes in. Even if it is a sin, you can always get forgiven. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 talks about people being forgiven for worse things and when you’re forgiven, that automatically erases all the consequences that you might have faced – whether physical, legal, and spiritual; right? Think of a friend who got high and wrecked his car. As soon as he was forgiven, the car fixed itself, the insurance rates went back down, and his family forgot all about the wreck -- right?

Six: If you never try drugs, you won’t know how they feel. You’ll never know how cool it is to get high. You’ll never know what it’s like to take a trip to an alternate reality. Sure, some trips are bad. Sure, some of the major drugs do flashbacks. But, it’s worth the risk. I mean all these people who talk about “natural highs” are just kidding, aren’t they? Everybody knows you have to have chemicals to really feel great.

Five: Just once won’t hurt. There are people who use and never get caught. There are people who use and never get addicted. Situations like that Len Bias thing are rare. You remember him, the Maryland basketball star who was drafted by the Celtics. Cocaine interrupted the electrical impulses to his heart and he died. But that only made the news because it was rare. It’s not like drugs ever have any unintended consequences.

Four: You gotta remember: it’s your body. What you do with it or put into it is your business. Never mind what you owe your parents. Never mind what you owe God. Never mind 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own. For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” After all, it’s not like you’re a Christian or anything.

Three: When it comes to trying drugs, I can promise you this: you’ll lose your friends if you don’t. You know how important friends are. You can’t have fun without them. They’re your best buds. They’ll never let you down. That stuff about “evil companions corrupting good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33) is probably something parents invented. Get real. You don’t really know anybody who ever got hurt by having the wrong friends, do you?

Two: It never hurts to try drugs. Everybody knows you can quit any time you want. Most top insurance companies will even pay for your first two trips through detox and treatment. After that, you’re on your own. But that’s OK. It’s only a few thousand dollars per program. And some of the very best programs claim five-year success rates of better than 50%. One out of two puts the odds in your favor. And, it’s a sure thing that you’ll want to keep changing.

One: You know you’ll never be an addict. Just keep telling yourself, “I can handle it.” Forget all those studies claiming that some people have a genetic propensity for addiction. Even if that’s true of some people, you’re unique. You’re individual. You’re special. It’ll take more than drugs to hurt you. We wouldn’t want to over-apply 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” That couldn’t happen to you. You’re indestructible. Drugs can’t hurt anybody who’s indestructible.

It’s only beer. No one will ever know. Everybody’s doing it. You can always get forgiven. If you never try, you’ll never know how it feels. Just once won’t hurt. It’s your body – what you put into it is your business. You’ll lose your friends if you don’t. You can quit any time you want. And, just keep telling yourself, “I can handle it.” If you believe these lies, you need to see me later. We need to talk about this swampland in Arizona that’s for sale.

The Gospel of Mark

2011-08-29T08:46:00.000-05:00

Introduction to the Gospel of Mark

Written by George Goldman

John Mark is mentioned ten times in the New Testament. John was his Jewish name, Marcus his Roman. His gospel is the shortest of the four and was the least popular in the early church. However, it was probably written first and used by Matthew and Luke. Ninety-five percent of Mark is found in Matthew and/or Luke. The language and details of Mark suggest it was written first. All four gospel writers record the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 (Mt. 14:13-21; Mk. 6:30-44; Lk. 9:10-17; Jn. 6:1-13). Mark is the only one to mention the details that the grass was green and the people sat down in ranks or literally looked liked flowerbeds on the green grass.

Mark wrote to the Roman mind. He uses ten Latin words, some of which do not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. He explains Jewish customs and omits the genealogy and infancy narratives.

Mark presents the military might of Jesus. We see power, splendor, and majesty on every page. Casting out demons was a new thing that only Jesus and the apostles could do. Demon possession is basically a New Testament phenomenon frequently occurring during the ministry of Christ. Demon possession produced harmful effects in their victims, deranging them mentally, morally, physically, and spiritually. They produced physical defects and deformities (Lk. 13:11-17; Mk. 3; Mt. 12:22; 9:23f). They also caused emotional disturbances such as insanity and suicidal mania (Lk. 8:26-36; Mk. 9:22). Jesus treated all the people as sick folk. The demons knew Him; bowed to Him; described Him as “the Son of the Most High God;” and entreated Him; and obeyed Him (Mk. 1:24; 5:6f; Lk. 8:31; Mt. 8:16). Demons comprehended their inevitable doom (Mt. 8:29). This picture is, of course, what the Biblical writers wanted us to see.

Divorce

2011-08-26T08:23:00.000-05:00

What Does the Bible Say About Divorce?

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

God never commanded every person to marry. He leaves that choice to us. But Holy Scripture takes a very high view of marriage.

Genesis 2:21-25. This is such a beautiful story. Woman created from man. Man and woman as comparable beings, both made in the image of God (Genesis 1:16-27). Just imagine Adam’s joy. A one-verse description of how a new home is created. And here we find the description of intimacy without shame.

Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.”

Proverbs 19:14, “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.”

Proverbs 31:10-31, “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies?”

There are many Old Testament passages which speak of Israel as God’s bride.

Ephesians 5 is a great description of Christ and the church as groom and bride.

Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

Jesus’ first miracle, John 2, performed at a wedding in Cana of Galilee.

Scripture takes a very high view of marriage. On the opposite end of the spectrum, it takes just as low a view of divorce. Disclaimer: Please note what I did NOT just say. I did NOT say that God hates the divorced. I did NOT say that those who have been through a divorce are without hope. I realize that while it takes two to get married, it only takes one to get a divorce. Sometimes fine people get “done wrong.” Please know that I have no desire to add to their burden.

At the same time, we’re here tonight to speak God’s truth. I’m simple. I need to do this step-wise. The first step is to document God’s attitude toward divorce.

At the very end of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi made a list of sins which were separating God’s people from Him. Malachi 2:13 begins item # 2 on his list. Malachi 2:13-16.

What was covering the altar with tears?
What was causing God to reject the worship of His people?

In a word, DIVORCE. Divorce, which God describes as dealing treacherously with the wife of your youth. And, did you notice verse 14? Divorce, which God says that He does not recognize. Despite the treacherous dealings, “Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.”

Why does God hate divorce? Malachi 3:16 tells us. Divorce is a horribly violent act. Because He loves people, it must break God’s heart to see two people who have pledged their faith before him go back on their word. Divorce tears a family apart. There is no way to describe the pain that a divorce can cause the couple who experiences it. And we know we can’t say enough about children who may be involved. There is a popular myth that divorce only hurts really young children. Popular wisdom says that it’s better to divorce than to live together in an unhappy marriage. I wish people would realize that there is another choice. Unhappy marriages can change.

This book bears a 2000 copyright. Its title is The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25 Year Landmark Study. Judith Wallerstein and associates surveyed adult children of divorce, people whom they had first interviewed 25 years ago. Their goal was to learn about the long-term effects of divorce. Popular wisdom says that divorce is hardest on young children, it’s less hard on teens, and its effects diminish as children of divorce move into young adulthood. Wallerstein’s study indicated that the effects of divorce are hard on young children, even harder on teens, and that the negative effects of divorce crescendo in young adulthood. How do you choose a spouse and make a lifelong commitment when you saw your parents’ marriage come apart?

Two cautions: (1) This study doesn’t make the Bible more true. The Bible doesn’t need scientific verification. (2) This study is neither prophetic nor prescriptive. It does NOT say that children of divorce are ruined for life. It does document that nearly all of life is more difficult for children whose parents divorce.

What does the Bible say about divorce? First, that God hates it. Second, don’t do it. Matthew 19:3. Background: ongoing debate between disciples of two prominent teachers. One: If you find your wife unpleasing in any way, divorce her and try again. The other: You can divorce your wife and marry again, only if you find some serious fault in her. Who was right? Neither.

In answer to this question, Jesus goes back to the beginning, back to God’s will and God’s plan. In a word, Jesus’ answer to the question of divorce is DON’T.

So the Pharisees ask their follow-up question (19:7). If you say divorce is not God’s will, they why did Moses command it? Jesus, again, gives the perfect answer. Moses did not command divorce. Rather, God permitted divorce and regulated divorce under the Mosaic covenant because of the hardness of their hearts. I can’t prove this, but it is my honest belief that some of those ruthless men would have killed their wives had that been the only way out of marriage.

You will note that Jesus, again, returns to God’s will and God’s purpose. “…But from the beginning it was not so.”

Then, Jesus gives clear, plain teaching on what God allows today (19:9). Implications of this passage?

Don’t divorce. What God has joined together, let not man separate.
If one party breaks a marriage through fornication, through any type of sexual relations outside the marriage, then that person loses the privilege of marrying any other person.
The party who did not break the marriage through fornication, may divorce the unfaithful spouse and marry another without sin.

That is stout! That is restrictive! That’s strong! That is just what the disciples thought (19:10). If this is the case, if this is God’s word concerning the permanence of marriage, then it is better not to marry! In verses 11 and 12 Jesus agrees in part. The apostles’ saying is, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” Jesus answer is, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given.” In other words, Jesus is reminding the apostles that that they have said too much. Yes, for some it is better not to marry. For others this is not the case.

What does the Bible say about divorce? (1) God hates it. (2) Don’t do it. (3) If you do divorce – unless you divorce your mate because of his or her fornication – do not remarry. Serial monogamy is not a biblical option.

Preventing Divorce

Strong teaching on the permanence of marriage.
Marriage preparation by parents, church, preachers, elders.
Proactive support of marriage. M-F classes. M-F workshops. M-F mentoring.
Active intervention at the first sign of trouble.

Caring for the Divorced

Don’t devalue, insult, and/or drive away.
Help with childcare
Single-parenting classes.
Prayer.

In the Twinkling of an Eye

2011-08-25T09:03:00.000-05:00

In the Twinkling of an Eye

Written by HCU Alumnus Colin R. Vine

There was hardly time for my right eye to twinkle. The pain was piercing, instant, and totally unexpected. Jennie and I had stopped for lunch and I was hurrying towards the restaurant, heading for the restroom. One of the diners told me later that he had seen the bee fly under my spectacles and into my eye. Fortunately, there is no lasting damage, but it got me thinking about the unexpected.

We had been visiting Alabama and had witnessed the devastation in the small town of Hackleburg, AL, which had been flattened by a tornado in April, with many people losing their lives. Later, on our way back south, we had to leave the Natchez Trace Parkway since a section of that highway had disappeared due to the same round of tornadoes. It was during that diversion that we arrived at that small restaurant in a small town in Mississippi, with me anxious to find the quickest route to the restroom, and a bee anxious to find the quickest route to my eye.

Someone once said that the unexpected rarely happens, but when it does, it usually happens when you least expect it. Hurricanes, tornadoes, even insects in the eye? We might survive any of those, but what if we do not?

Are you ready right now if the unexpected should happen to you? Paul describes the arrival of the end, thus, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye ...” (1 Cor 15:52 ESV). Just like my encounter with the bee, there is no time to prepare once it happens. Each one of us needs to be ready beforehand. The twinkling of an eye is just that, a twinkle -- no time at all.

The Gospel of Matthew

2011-08-24T10:32:00.000-05:00

Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew

Written by George Goldman

Matthew the son of Alphaeaus was a tax collector. He is also called Levi. Double names were common among the Jews; e.g., Simon called Peter (Jn. 1:42), Thomas called Didymus (Jn. 20:24), and Saul called Paul (Acts 13:9).

The Gospel according to Matthew is named first in most ancient lists of scripture. It was the most quoted gospel in Christian literature before 180 A.D.

This gospel emphasizes what Jesus taught. There are five great discourses in the book (Mt. 5 – 7, 10, 13, 18, 24 – 25). Each of these end with the phrase “when Jesus had ended these sayings” (Mt. 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). In between these five discourses are narrative sections leading up to each discourse.

Matthew makes things easy to memorize. There are 38 groups of three in his book; e.g., 3 divisions in the genealogy (Mt. 1:17), 3 messages to Joseph, 3 temptations, 3 illustrations of righteousness (giving, praying, fasting, Mt. 6:18), 3 prohibitions (Mt. 6:19, 25; 7:1), and 3 commands (Mt. 7:7, 13, 15). There is a grouping of three types of miracles with three examples of each (Mt. 8:1 – 9:34). There are miracles of healings: leprosy, paralysis, and fever (Mt. 8:1-17). There are miracles of power: storm, demons, and forgiveness (8:23 – 9:8). There are miracles of restoration: of life, of sight, of speech (Mt. 9:23-34). These groupings are not accidental. Matthew wanted the Jews to know that the evidence was established at the mouth of two or three witnesses (Deut. 17:6). There are also groups of fives and sevens; e.g., the five great discourses of Jesus, seven parables (Mt. 13), and seven woes (Mt. 23).

Matthew is a gospel of fulfillments. There are around fifty quotations from the Greek Old Testament (LXX) and sixteen from the Hebrew Old Testament. Those from the Hebrew Bible are introduced with the formula “that it might be fulfilled.” Some of these “fulfillments” seem forced (Mt. 2:15 cf., Hos. 11:1). Matthew’s point is that Jesus’ experience is similar to Israel’s. The Hosea passage was used just because of the wording. Matthew’s favorite prophet was Isaiah. His favorite Psalm was Psalm 22.

Matthew is a gospel of a king. Christ’s lineage is traced back to King David. The wise men come to worship a king (Mt. 2:2); Jesus is called “Son of David” eight times. Pilate asks, “Are you a king? (Mt. 27:10f). Over the cross the words were written, “This is Jesus the king of the Jews” (Mt. 27:37).

Matthew is the gospel of the church. He is the only writer to attribute the word “church” to the sayings of Jesus. However, the word “kingdom” is used many times by Jesus. The first occurrence of Jesus’ use of “church” is in Peter’s confession (Mt. 16:16-19). Here its use is clearly being spoken of as in the future. Church occurs again in the context of discipline and seems to indicate not only its existence but also problems within it (Mt. 18:15-20). Matthew was writing these sayings of Jesus after the church had been established.

The gospel writers do not identify themselves by name. Luke writes in the first person but gives not hint of who is the author (Lk. 1:1-4). The titles of the books are not to be considered as part of the text. Ancient tradition names Matthew as the writer.

No Good Deed . . . . Part Two

2011-08-23T08:38:00.001-05:00

No Good Deed Goes . . . Part 2

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown to-ward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end” (Hebrews 6:10-11).

No good deed done righteously to the glory of God goes unnoticed, unappreciated, or unrewarded. But that doesn’t mean that the reward will always be obvious, immediate, or earthly. And upon reflection, that’s amazingly encouraging.

God rewards better than we have any right to expect. Scripture offers many exam-ples.

In return for helping the spies escape, Rahab asked that her family be spared (Joshua 2:8-14). Not only was her family spared, but she became the great-grandmother of King David (Matthew 1:5-6). On top of that, she’s listed in the Honor Roll of Faith (Hebrews 11:31).
In return for great faithfulness, Caleb asked for the portion of Canaan where the giants lived (Joshua 15:6-15). Joshua 15:11 tells us that his strength and eyesight were unabated by age.
David wanted to build a house for God (2 Samuel 7). Though God didn’t allow that, He rewarded David with these words, “Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). What an acknowledgement of a good intention!
Solomon chose wisdom when offered opportunity to request a gift from God (1 Kings 3). Because his request pleased the Lord and showed humility, God also gave him wisdom, riches, and honor above everyone on earth (1 Kings 3:13).
An unnamed widow chose to give her all, two tiny coins, to God (Mark 12:41-44). For her act of faith, she lives forever as a shining example of trust and good will.
A woman anointed Jesus with costly fragrant oil (Mark 14:3-9). For her act of faith, “Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” What amazing return on an investment!
In the earliest days of the church, Barnabas sold land and brought the money to the apostles for the common good (Acts 4:36-37). God rewarded him with a role in helping Saul “plug into” the church in both Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 9:26-27, 11:25-26). The Holy Spirit chose Barnabas to lead the first divinely called mission team (Acts 13:1-3).

No Good Deed

2011-08-22T09:50:00.000-05:00

No Good Deed Goes . . .

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

You know how the devil completes that line. He and those deceived by him consis-tently repeat, “No good deed goes unpunished.” And sometimes it seems like the devil is right.

A godly wife does all she can to live the truth of 1 Peter 3:1-6, but her husband doesn’t respond with love. He intensifies his cruelty and rebellion to God.
Godly parents do all they can to live the truth of Proverbs 22:6 and Ephesians 6:4, but their children neither appreciate nor internalize godly training.
Godly elders attempt to live up to the truth of Hebrews 13:17, but some brethren see them as meddlesome and overbearing.
Godly Christians do their best to apply Matthew 18:15-17 and Galatians 6:1-2, but they are accused of being self-righteous and judgmental.
Faithful Christians take to heart the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20, but they are accused of trying to force their religion on others.

Sadly, all this happens. Even stouter examples could be added. And Satan gloats when he persuades some that righteousness costs far more than it pays.

Happily, Scripture countermands each of the devil’s lies. It’s just not true that “no good deed goes unpunished.” Rather, in this sin-damaged world, it’s more accurate to say that “few good deeds go unchallenged.” Satan opposes good, especially good that’s done in the name of Christ. Why? Because the devil knows the power of good deeds! Because the devil knows that good deeds honor God, help people, and mold Christian character.

What the devil opposes, God commends. In God’s divine grace and mercy, for the faithful we can say, “No good deed goes unnoticed,” “No good deed goes unappreciated,” and “No good deed goes unrewarded.” We have God’s word on these truths.

Remember Matthew 25:31-46? Those who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, took in the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited the prisoner heard these words from the King: “Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (25:40). Remember Titus 3:8, “…Those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.” Remember Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.”

We have God’s word on it. Love the Lord and no good deed goes unrewarded!

Sticks and Stones

2011-08-19T13:15:00.000-05:00

When Words Become Weapons

Written by Cory Collins

Death and life are in the power of the tongue … Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)

“Sticks and stones may break my bones,” but words can crush my spirit, devastate my sense of self-worth, and destroy my dignity. Verbal abuse, unlike physical abuse, leaves no outward scars. It cannot be proven by photographs or other evidence. No one but the victim will ever fully know the pain and distress that it causes. Jesus understands. He discussed verbal abuse in connection with murder and anger (Matt. 5:22). We must take it as seriously as He did.

What does verbal abuse involve? Dr. Jay Grady provides this partial list:

Yelling - Accusing - Using sarcasm - Threatening - Insulting - Treating another with scorn – Intimidating - Humiliating - Putting another down - Ridiculing - Blaming - Disparaging another’s ideas - Name-calling - Belittling - Rejecting another’s opinion - Criticizing - Mocking – Trivializing another’s desires.

You and I could use this checklist on ourselves. We could ask our spouses, children, and others, “Does my language or tone ever leave you feeling that I am accusing, using sarcasm, humiliating, etc.?” Regardless of our professed intentions, if our words have these perceived effects, we have no business using them! Parents, employers, church leaders, and others in leadership positions must be especially cautious, lest we appear to misuse our authority to take advantage of those under our direction. We must correct our children, for example, without derogatory, demeaning words that leave them emotionally crippled.

If my spouse, child, or another person answers, “Yes, I do feel that way (intimidated, etc.),” as a Christian I know I should say, “Please forgive me. I genuinely love and respect you. Tell me whenever you feel this way again.” According to Grady, “The underlying premise of verbal abuse is control, which is a means of holding power over another.” When I sincerely ask your forgiveness, I make it clear that I am not about control or manipulation. I set both of us free.

Because I am a sinner, I can so easily justify my words, insisting I have done no wrong. I can say, “I was just joking!” See Prov. 26:18-19. I can say, “You’re too sensitive!” I can say, “I didn’t mean that the way you heard it!” But, because I truly want you to be blessed, I’ll just say, “If it does not edify, help, and encourage you, I won’t say it or do it. Period.”

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV)

Information Literacy

2011-08-18T10:44:00.001-05:00

Information Literacy

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

God supports the concept of information literacy.
1. We could read about that from Deuteronomy 13, how that a prophet who gives a sign and the sign comes true, must be rejected if he tries to lead people away from God.
2. We could read about that from 1 Kings 13, where God gave a young prophet explicit instructions, but an older prophet lied to the young man. And the young man died for believing and acting on a lie.
3. We could read about that from 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
4. We could read about that from Acts 17:11, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the world with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
Don’t believe everything you hear. Don’t believe everything you read. Even if you hear it from a great, trusted, bright well-educated, passionate, and gifted speaker.
1. Have you ever seen that bulletin article telling us that NASA scientists discovered a missing day way back in history? Then, someone remembered the day that God made the sun stand still (Joshua 10:13) and the day the shadow on the sundial ran backwards 10 degrees for Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:10-11), thus proving that the Bible is true. The Bible is true, but NASA hasn’t proven that.
  1. Scientists and historians can’t even agree on the year that the Lord was born.
  2. They have no reference point from which to identify a missing day centuries before the birth of Christ.
  3. Hoax. Used by some to demonstrate the gullibility of believers.
2. Have you read the Internet article about the lesson behind the folded burial cloth in the tomb of Jesus? Claims that it was Jewish custom for the master to fold the napkin when he was done with his meal. That told servants he was done so they could clean up. Folded burial cloth tells us that Jesus was done with death.
  1. There was no such dinner custom with the Jews.
  2. Even if there was, it’s quite a leap from a dinner napkin to a burial cloth.
3. Have you ever heard a preacher speak from John 21 and tell us that Jesus twice used “agape/agapeo” when he asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter twice answered with, “Lord, You know I phileo/love you.” Peter wouldn’t dare use the word agape because it’s the highest form of love. Text says otherwise, “Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, Do you love Me?”
  1. In the NT there’s far more overlap between agape and phileo than some realize.
  2. 1 John 2:15, “Do not love (agapeo) the world or the things in the world…”
  3. 2 Timothy 4:10, “Demos has forsaken me, having loved this present world…”
4. The buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee email. Put buzzard in a 6x8 box with no top and he’ll be trapped because buzzards have to have a 10-12 step running start to fly. Wrong! Buzzards have not read the email.

Information literacy is the ability to know when there is a need for information and the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information.

No one is as ignorant as the one who does not know that he does not know. No one is as dishonest as the one who selectively sorts information and keeps only the parts that agrees with him.

Philosophically and practically, we can’t teach you all that you will need to know to serve and lead effectively for the rest of your life. We can’t give you that many facts. Even if we could, truth must be applied lovingly and faithfully every day that we live.

Rather than pretending that we can do more than is possible. We take a different approach. We teach God’s truth. We’re happy to teach facts. But we know that we must also teach you how to learn. God forbid that you complete your education here. We want you to enhance your education. We want you to learn how to learn more broadly and more effectively.

Visit the HCU website. Visit the library section. Read about information literacy. Great stuff there.

Definitions of terms.
“Hierarchy of Research Resources.” At the base, Broad, General info like Wikipedia. OK place to start for general ideas and an overview. Moves up to essays in popular publications, popular books, specialized dictionaries, scholarly books, referenced/peer reviewed journal articles, to Scripture.

All information sources are not created equal.

Some are purposefully biased and misleading.

Some think they telling the truth when they don’t have a clue.
Guidelines in researching, first steps in researching, tips for finding information.

No substitute for critical thinking. Critical thinking is not negative. It’s “lights on.” It’s evaluating, weighing and measuring. It’s testing and exploring. It’s identifying inconsistencies as well as strengths. It’s not being afraid to say, “Those dots don’t connect. This author just made a leap that makes no sense.”

I don’t mean to be rude, but you can read on the internet from people with major academic credentials that Jesus of Nazareth never lived, that he was John’s gay lover, that he was mentally ill, that his death was faked, that his resurrection was faked, that the gospels offer contradictory fictionalized accounts of his life, and more.

Maddog Adams story. “Half of what I’ll teach you in this course will one day be proven untrue. Trouble is, I don’t know which half.” I love the fundamental humility toward the human side of knowledge. As we learn better, we do better. We need to be correctable.

On the other hand, we have complete confidence in the divine side of knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10).

Helping Hurting Families

2011-08-17T14:59:00.000-05:00

Family Matters

A Cause for Concern

Our culture as a whole is no longer “pro-family.” Our culture loves self and money too much to give family the high standing that it once held. Our culture has chosen to distance itself from God and from Scripture. Our culture no longer thinks that marriage is the only way to create a new family. Even thinking that marriage is the best way to create a family is considered narrow, old-fashioned, and prejudicial.

Our culture is sick. The last days are here. The perilous times have come. Men are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, disobedient to parents, unloving, unforgiving, without self-control, headstrong, haughty, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. You recognize that limited paraphrase of 2 Timothy 3. That’s our world.

That’s the bad news. Our culture is sick. Here’s the good news. An ever-increasing number of people have hurt until they’re tired of hurting. Good people are sick of seeing families fall apart. God’s people are beginning to wake up to our tremendous opportunity. So many people want better families that they’re willing to let us help them. God has used the anti-family bias of our culture to open a great door of evangelism and healing.

QUESTION: HOW CAN GOD’S PEOPLE STEP UP THE CHALLENGE? HOW CAN WE HELP SAVE FAMILIES?

We can give our neighbors something to shoot for. We can model the love described in 1 Corinthians 13 and Ephesians 5. We can model the parental responsibility taught in the Proverbs and Ephesians 6. We can show them what healthy, happy homes look like.

We must do this first. Otherwise, they won’t care about our words. Hollow words fall to the ground with no effect.
We can restore the concept of the church as the household, as the family of God. We live in the most mobile society ever. Folks marry and move across the country. Extended flesh-and-blood family is left behind. But, children need grandparents and parents need the support and counsel of those who’ve been there before. Titus 2 gives older ladies permission to teach younger ladies to love their husbands and their children. 1 Timothy 4:12 calls on Timothy to be an example to the believers in every aspect of life. The Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12 and the command to love in Ephesians 5:1-2 gives every Christian permission to act like family. My kids have more adopted grandmothers than they can count.
Elders can get more involved in the daily lives of church members. The biblical model describes elders as shepherds. You remember that from 1 Peter 5:4. Elders shepherd under the authority of Christ the Chief Shepherd. When they do it right, they shepherd following the example of Christ the Chief Shepherd. You know John 10. Read John 10:1-3. Elders can’t shepherd people whom they don’t know. And they can’t know people whom they see only in the church building. “You can’t oversee what you never see.”

DISCLAIMER: Of course, we need to help elders in this vital role. We need to help them know us and welcome their guidance.
Preachers can preach from the heart about family. The Bible is a treasure of family values. The Bible knows family conflict. The first kid born killed his own brother. The Bible knows parental favoritism and sibling rivalry – remember Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau. The Bible knew dysfunctional families before that term was coined – remember Joseph and his brothers.

“Preach from the heart.” Not just telling folks what’s wrong with families, but focusing on solutions. Not just telling folks what’s wrong with families, but holding up God’s dream of happy, healthy, loving homes. Not presenting a façade of perfection, but letting people know us, letting people know that we struggle, too.
Churches can teach family skills in a way that connects to people’s hearts. Classes on Sunday and Wednesday are an example. Special teachers with special skills – put our money where our mouths are. Actually create classes where older women teach younger women. Offer premarital counseling, marriage enrichment, parenting classes, divorce recovery, single parenting classes and support groups.

We can back off the old myth that such classes encourage divorce. That’s the devil’s own lie. Divorced people know better than anyone how much divorce hurts.
We can start using our buildings on the other 5 days of the week.
1. Mother’s Day Out. Moms who make the sacrifice and stay home with their kids can use a break.
2. Christian Day Care. I’m the most anti-day care person you know. The greatest blessing in our children’s lives was their mother’s desire to be home with them during their preschool years. But, when mom must work outside the home, we need to help minimize the cost to children. It’s also a wonderful outreach to the un-churched.
3. After School Care. Tap our senior members for homework help.
4. Those seminars and support groups we mentioned above.
DISCLAIMER: It’s not about the building. It’s about doing God’s work. It’s about helping families. It’s about reaching out to others in love.
We can buy and share pro-family resources. Church library. Books. Videos. Create a family resource center. Better yet, do a marriage resource center and a parenting resource center.
We can educate ourselves in helping skills. I often say that most of counseling is “grandma stuff.” It’s stuff that good grandmas do by nature. Such as listening, not giving “pat answers” and quick cures, asking good questions, and speaking the occasional wise word. What statement would it make if an entire eldership told the congregation, “We’re all going back to school. Next semester, we’re all taking a course in people-helping skills so that we can better lead this church.” That course wouldn’t hurt most preachers, either.

Counseling is too important to be left to the “experts.” When it’s done biblically, counseling is just a one-word summary of Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
We can identify resources for families who have deeper needs than we’re able to address. Counseling centers like our own Alpha Center. Not the answer, but part of the answer.
We can pray. What if a congregation announced a special hour of family prayer every Monday morning at 8? Send your request by mail. Fax it. Call us. Email. You can use full names, first names, no names, or fake names (pseudonyms). Just give us the opportunity to pray for your family.
We can love. We can embrace the hurting, even those who’ve caused their own hurt. Love heals. Love is the environment of healing.
We can try. I often try without any visible positive result. I sometimes try and actually feel like I make things worse. I can live with that. I can also tell you what I can’t live with. I can’t live with not trying. Not trying is not Christian. Not trying is not caring. Nobody can go to heaven that way.

People are tired of the mess that most families are in. If we can show them a better way, many of them will take it. It won’t be clean, neat, and easy; dealing with hurting people never is. It won’t be clean, neat, and easy. But, it will be powerful, loving, and effective. “…The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). It’s time we stepped up to the challenge.

It's in Our DNA

2011-08-16T10:35:00.000-05:00

What is Heritage Christian University’s DNA

Prepared by Dennis Jones,
President of Heritage Christian University

HCU’s DNA is summarized by one word: Christlikeness

Romans 8:29
Philippians 2:5
1 Peter 2:21

We are COMMITTED to doing God’s will.

John 6:38

We are CONVINCED by the power of the Gospel.

Romans 1:16

We are DRIVEN to fulfill our purpose.

Mark 1:38

We are DEDICATED to authentic Christianity.

Acts 11:26

We are PERSUADED to be peacemakers.

Matthew 5:9

We are MOTIVATED to reach our potential.

Colossians 3:23

We are CHALLENGED by the need.

Matthew 9:37-38

Baptism: For the Saved or for the Lost?

2011-08-15T09:44:00.000-05:00

What Baptism Will and Will Not Do

Matthew 28:19-20

Written by George Goldman

INTRODUCTION

Why discuss it? Why harp on it so much?
1. Some prefer not to discuss it.
2. The religious world is divided on the subject.
  1. The majority regard it as non-essential. They say that baptism is not a definite part of one’s salvation from sin.
  2. If the religious world said prayer was non-essential I would preach sermon after sermon on prayer. The Bible encourages us to be both fruit inspectors and wolf detectors (Mt. 7:15-20).
3. Baptism is a Biblical word, therefore I’m obligated to preach on it and to explain it to anyone who will listen.
  1. The Lord has given us enough information on this subject to remove all doubts from our minds.
  2. Today we’ll search the Bible and find what baptism will not do, what it will do, and is it for saved people or lost people.

MAIN DIVISIONS

The Bible does not teach that baptism will do everything. Nor does it teach it will do nothing. It is not a matter of all or nothing. There are some things that baptism will not do and there are some things it definitely will do. First, six things that baptism will not do:
1. Baptism will not give you a license to sin.
  1. To the contrary the Bible teaches that baptized people are not to serve sin. Rom. 6:1-6; 12, 17-18
  2. God endeavors to keep man from sin, but not give him a license to sin.
2. Baptism will not make you immune to sin.
  1. A baptized believer needs to be continually on guard.
  2. The Bible teaches that one can fall from grace.
    1. Gal. 5:4 --You are severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
    2. 1 Cor. 10:12--Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
    3. The Bible gives both warnings and examples about falling away (Heb. 6:4-6).
    4. The Bible says we can fail to inherit (Gal. 5:19-21 read).
    5. That weak brothers can perish (1 Cor. 8:11).
    6. That we can fail to bear fruit (Jn. 15:1-6).
    7. So baptism will not make you immune to sin.
  3. We are not only told that we can fall but also how to keep from falling.
    1. 2 Pet. 1:5-10
    2. Jude 24--Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing.
  4. In fact the Bible tells us how to come back when we fall (Acts 8:22-24).
    1. James 5:16--Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.
    2. 1 Jn. 1:7-10
3. Baptism will not remove the scar of sin.
  1. Sin often leaves a scar even though its guilt has been forgiven.
  2. A person through sinning can ruin his body and destroy his health. He must bear the brunt of his sin even though its guilt has been forgiven.
  3. The Bible promises the remission of sins but it does not promise the removal of the bad consequences of sin.
4. Baptism will not keep you from being tempted.
  1. 2 Tim. 3:12--Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
  2. Mt. 11:28-30--This passage teaches us that Christ can make our burdens easier to bear.
5. Baptism will not relieve you from further responsibility.
  1. Baptism is the beginning of one’s Christian responsibility.
  2. A person arises from the watery grave of baptism to walk in newness of
    life (Rom. 6:4).
  3. Eph. 2:10--For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
    works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
  4. Baptism will not cover up one’s lack of faith or repentance.
  5. Baptism will not save the man who does not believe (Jn. 8:24).
  6. Baptism will not save the man who will not repent (Lk. 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38).
  7. Baptism will not save a man without his consent. Every act of obedience must be from the heart (Rom. 6:17f; Acts 2:41).
Now these six points do not rule out baptism altogether. Just because there are some things baptism will not do does not mean that baptism is non-essential to salvation. Baptism may not do everything, but it will do some things.
1. The Bible mentions baptism (a N.T. word not an O.T. one).
  1. There are over 100 references to the root word baptiso in the New Testament.
  2. It would be valuable for you to underscore every place where the New Testament mentions baptism.
2. The Bible defines baptism in at least two places.
  1. Rom. 6:3-4
  2. Col. 2:12--You were buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him for the dead.
  3. Literally the Greek word baptiso means to immerse.
3. The Bible gives examples of baptism.
  1. About 3,000 were baptized on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2)
  2. The Samaritans were baptized (Acts 8)
  3. There is the example of Simon the magician and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8)
  4. Saul of Tarsus is another example (Acts 9)
  5. People at the house of Cornelius (Acts 10)
  6. Lydia and her household (Acts 16)
  7. The Corinthians (Acts 18)
  8. About 12 men from Ephesus (Acts 19)
4. Baptism will do something. It has some purpose; it is mentioned, defined, and exemplified in God’s word. What will baptism do? Baptism will remit sin (Acts 2:38) "because of" or "in order to."
  1. Our English word "for" has two opposite meanings. We might say a man went to town for a loaf of bread or in order to get a loaf of bread. On the other hand we might say that a man was put in jail for stealing, or because he had stolen.
  2. The Greek language is more exact. There are different prepositions for each of these words.
    1. "because of"
    2. on account of
    3. In order to obtain
    4. Baptism because of the remission of sins was never at say time authorized by God.
    5. In Acts 2:38 both repentance and baptism are for the same thing. "In order to obtain the remission of sins.
  3. There are many good people who believe that baptism plays no part in one’s salvation from sin. They believe a person is saved before he is baptized.
    1. But if so he is saved before his sins are remitted.
    2. Acts 22:16--If so he is saved before his sins are washed away.
  4. It is just as wrong to be baptized the wrong way by sprinkling, etc., as it is to be baptized for the wrong reason. (Acts 19:1-5) There is a biblical example of people who were immersed a second time after they had found out the true reason for baptism.
5. Baptism will save a person from his past sins (1 Pet. 3:20-21) "by or through water."
  1. If you have never been baptized in order to be saved, then you have never become a Christian in the Bible way.
  2. If you were taught that you were saved before you were baptized, then you were saved before you were in Christ; because baptism puts you into Christ (Rom. 6:3; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:27). Salvation is only in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:10).
6. Baptism is to fulfill all righteousness.
  1. Mt. 3:15--But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.
  2. In the New Testament sinners never ate, slept, or drank until they were baptized into Christ. The Philippian jailer was baptized even at midnight (Acts 16:25). If baptism were optional, non-essential, and if there were no danger to the soul, then surely he would have waited until morning.
  3. Baptism is not a mere ceremony because you are already saved. It is not a church ordinance. But it is a solemn act of obedience to God. To reject the command to be baptized for the remission of your sins is to reject the gospel of Christ and the council of God (Lk. 7:30)

CONCLUSION

The Bible mentions baptism, defines it, gives examples of it; tells you what it’s for, its purpose; it even tells you when to be baptized.
1. A person should be baptized when:
  1. He heard the word with any open heart (Acts 16:14f)
  2. He believes with all his heart (Acts 8:12)
  3. He repents after being cut to his heart (Acts 2:37f)
  4. He confesses with a sincere heart (Rom. 10:10)
2. If you have not been scripturally baptized, please consider what baptism will do for you.

A New Leaf

2011-08-12T09:16:00.001-05:00

Redeeming the Time

Written by Hannah Burleson

At the end of every semester (be it Fall, Spring, or Summer), when it gets to the final two weeks, I always realize how quickly it flew by and what a massive amount I need to get done, even though I kept thinking "I have plenty of time to do it." Then I always spend those two weeks stressed to the the max as I eat, breath, and live papers, projects, and exams. At the beginning of every new semester, remembering how miserable it was the previous semester as a result of my own procrastination, I get really excited about how I am going to do things differently this time. I am going to have a schedule and get everything done early. And I am going to be on top of every assignment. And I am NOT going to procrastinate. And I am going to do all that and still have extra time for God, my husband, my family, my friends, and myself. And I am going to be the most well-rounded, organized, get-it-done college girl on the planet. And then that never actually happens. I always fall into the same rut that I always fell into.

BUT NOT THIS SEMESTER!

This is it. I'm turning over a new leaf. This Fall, I am going to TRULY be that well-rounded, organized, get-it-done college girl. I am going to be the model Christian, wife, student, and friend. And I am NOT going to procrastinate or waste valuable time.

Oh, really? How, you ask? I have a plan this time. I have created a schedule which, if followed carefully, will allow me to fly through the semester (hopefully) stress-free. Here's what the schedule is going to be like:

SUNDAY: Sunday will be entirely devoted to Eva and the going's on at Eva.

MONDAY: Monday will be dedicated to the home. I will spend Monday's cleaning, buying groceries, doing laundry, and other various household chores.

TUESDAY: Tuesday, I will be in Florence at HCU. I have The Gospels with Cory Collins at 8:00 am. I have Timothy and Titus with Ted Burleson at 1:00 pm. Before heading home, we will have supper with my grandmother.

WEDNESDAY: Wednesday, I will have two online classes to spend time on. At 8:00, I have Daniel and Ezekiel with Nathan Daily. At 1:00, I have Ethics with Kerry Williams. Then, of course, Wednesday night Bible Study.

THURSDAY: Thursday morning, I will be in Florence at HCU. At 8:00, I have Introduction to Christian Theology with Cory Collins. Thursday afternoons will be spent getting a head-start on assignments for school.

FRIDAY: The entire day is dedicated to reading, homework, and assignments. If I'm good, maybe I'll get a date night with my husband every now and then. ;)

SATURDAY: Everyone deserves a day off, right? After all, it IS football season. (ROLL TIDE!)

I think I can do it. :)

If I have inspired anyone to join me in the quest to be the best you can be, click on the link below which will direct you to a helpful website which provides some helpful time-management tools:

Master Your Time. :)

Listening to a Sermon

2011-08-11T09:38:00.000-05:00

How to Listen to a Sermon

We’re blessed to listen with our Bibles open.
1. Dt. 4:2, "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."
2. Ps. 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." It is if it’s open, known, believed, and lived.
3. Acts 17:11, "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."
4. If it was right to check behind the Apostle Paul, it’s right to check behind every preacher. I don’t think I’d lie to our or mislead you, but I have been wrong many times about many things. Only God is always right.
We’re blessed to listen with our minds open.
1. READ Acts 17:30-34. Some listened only to the point when they heard something that disagreed with them. Once Paul spoke of the resurrection of the dead, they shut down.
2. If we hear something new, something different, something said in a different way that we’re accustomed to, we don’t shut down our hearing. Rather, we turn up our thinking. It could be that the Lord is using this new phrasing to open our hearts and minds to new understanding. It could be that we’re being given opportunity to grow, to correct a misunderstanding, or to acquire deeper understanding of God’s word.
3. I’ll admit that it could be that the preacher is misstating or misapplying God’s truth. That does happen. If it does, Acts 18:24-26 comes into play.
We’re blessed to listen to the message more than the messenger.
1. I love an excellent biblical lesson that’s skillfully presented. But, as a guy who tries to preach, I know that we’re not always at our best in presentation.
2. We have every right to expect every sermon to be sound, practical, thoughtful, and organized. I’m not trying to make any excuses for bad preaching.
3. At the same time, you know what Moses said about his own speech, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."
4. You know what some of the brethren said about Paul’s preaching. 2 Corinthians 10:10, "For his letters, they say, are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible."
  1. In the verses that follow, Paul warns brethren against doing the wrong kind of comparing.
  2. God gives different strengths to different people.
  3. Whatever gift we have, we are to use to the glory of God (1 Peter 4:10-11).
  4. Whatever good we do, we do it by the power of God and to the glory of God. 2 Cor. 10:17, "But he who glories, let him glory in the Lord."
5. You know what Paul said about his own preaching. READ 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.
  1. Paul wasn’t making excuse for bad preaching.
  2. He wasn’t making a case for lack of preparation and organization.
  3. Rather, he was reminding us that that the power is in the message, not the messenger.
    1. Never would I say that the messenger doesn’t matter. We rightly expect every teacher and preacher to live consistently with the word he preaches.
    2. Modern proverb, "What you live speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say."
    3. We remember Paul’s word to Timothy, Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
    4. Also, "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." 1 Tim. 4:16
  4. We know the biblical truth:
    1. "…It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." 1 Cor. 1:21b
    2. Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
We’re blessed to listen for God’s truth rather than for man’s mistakes.
1. Every sermon is going to have some less-than-perfect aspect.
  1. Preacher may say 2 Corinthians when he means 1 Corinthians.
  2. He may say Moses when he means Noah.
  3. He may dangle a participle, split an infinitive, or pronounce a silent letter.
  4. At times, we even mess up subject-verb agreement.
2. I’m not saying that it’s wrong to notice such things. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with a friendly reminder for the sake of improvement.
3. But, I am saying that it’s possible for you to listen better than I speak.
  1. We can refuse to let little mistakes prevent our hearing of God’s truth.
  2. We can remember that, "We have this treasure in earth vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."
4. Listen for the truth, not for the flaws of presentation. Listen for the power of God, not for the frailty of man.
We’re blessed to listen for God’s truth, even when the preacher’s style is not the best match with us.
1. I have sorely disappointed some people with my preaching.
  1. Too "teachy", too calm, too positive, too much like a Bible class. Too many stories and too many illustrations.
  2. "I want a sermon with fire and brimstone. I what a sermon that gets on my toes. I want a sermon that moves me."
2. We must be careful here. 2 Corinthians 4:5 still reads, "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves as our bondservants for Jesus’ sake."
  1. We don’t preach ourselves.
  2. Stories, poems, and illustrations never saved anyone.
3. At the same time, Jesus was the master storyteller.
  1. Matthew 13:3, Then He spoke many things to them in parables…"
  2. Matthew 13:34, "All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them."
  3. Paul used examples from sports (a boxer who fights the air, a runner who wants to win the prize runs according to the rules), from the military (put on the whole armor of God), from home and family (Eph. 5:32, "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church."), and from the farm ( "he who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly"; "you shall not muzzle the ox who treads out the grain").
4. You know what I’m saying.
  1. Styles vary. Approaches vary. Techniques of communication vary.
  2. The best question is not, "How do I like his style of preaching?"
  3. The best question is, "Is the word of God being faithfully preached?"
  4. And we welcome any style, approach, or technique so long as the truth of God is preached in purity and faith.

Conclusion

One final thing to say about how we should listen to a preacher:

We should listen from the inside. We should listen as one who has believed the gospel, turned from sin, confessed Christ as the Son of God, and has been baptized into Christ for remissions of sins.
We should all listen to every sermon as a happy, faithful Christian who is on his way to heaven.

Biblically-Based Education

2011-08-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

Biblically-Based Education
Why are We Here?

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

Why are we here? Why are we investing thousands of dollars and thousands of hours in biblically-based education? Why not just close the doors, forget all books except the good book, and march out into the world full-time right now?

We are here because we recognize the importance of preparation. Some have called it “the ministry of preparation.” We see ourselves following the example of Joshua as he apprenticed with Moses, of Elisha as he served with Elijah, of the twelve as they followed our Lord, and of Timothy and Titus as they learned from Paul. These men did not lack commitment or conviction. They did not lack faith or fervor. They knew something of the awesomeness of God. I believe they knew that God deserved their best. They chose to prepare in order to give their best to God.

We who teach and preach have an awesome responsibility. We work with God in helping people understand the riches and wonders of His word. We know that Holy Scripture is God’s word. It is our guide and our standard in doctrine and in life. We also know that most people need all the help they can get in understanding and applying God’s word. I hope you don’t hear that as an insult to God or His word. I mean no insult. I don’t believe for a moment that God makes things difficult for us. In truth, I think we make things difficult for God. We’re so limited, so finite. That’s why we need all the help we can get in understanding God’s truth.

I love Ezra and Nehemiah. Nehemiah 8:8 reads, “So they read distinctly from the book, in the law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.” I have no trouble at all identifying with the Ethiopian of Acts 8. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” You know the reply, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” The more I study the Bible the more I appreciate Peter’s words in 2 Peter 3:16. He mentions the epistles of our beloved brother Paul. He says of them, “...in which are some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” There may be a thousand ways to misunderstand Scripture, but there’s only one way to get it right.

Why are we here? Why are we investing thousands of dollars and thousands of hours in the ministry of preparation? I want to share a short list of answers with you.

First, we are here because we have an awesome responsibility. The God of heaven and earth has revealed Himself to us through Scripture. His word reaches across cultures, continents, and centuries to engender obedient, saving faith in our hearts. His word shows us His Son. It shows us His love. And we have been charged to preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in a way that people can understand. 2 Timothy 4:1-5, Deuteronomy 4:2, Proverbs 30:6, and 1 Peter 4:11 all document this charge.

Second, we are here because we want to teach God’s truth with confidence, competence, and conviction. In 1Timothy 6:20, Paul told Timothy, “Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and vain babblings and the contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge...” He warned the Christians in Colosse, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8).

The devil is good at what he does. He knows the value of confusion and doubt. He knows the danger of Christians who are absolutely convinced that the Bible is God’s Holy Word; that its truth can be understood, believed, lived, and taught. He doesn’t even mind us teaching that word, so long as we don’t teach it with confidence, competence, and conviction. The devil has so much well-packaged, sophisticated, and appealing misinformation in place. Only those who teach the truth of God with confidence, competence, and conviction can offer him any real competition. I know that the power is in the word and not in the preacher. Jonah shows us that in the Old Testament. Paul makes that clear in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2. But, we could never read Romans 10 and rightly conclude that the preacher doesn’t matter. We’re here because God deserves our best and because we know something of the strength of our adversary.

Finally, we are here because God’s word has more to tell us than we have as yet understood. I love that old statement, “The Bible is a pool of truth in which a child can wade and an elephant can swim.” So many fundamental truths are beautifully simple and crystal clear. At the same time, there are wondrous concepts which we may never fully grasp.

You remember 2 Timothy 4:13. Paul is near the end of his life. He’s virtually alone and under arrest in Rome. Only Luke is with him. He writes to Timothy, “Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come -- and the books, especially the parchments.” Paul who trained at the feet of Gamaliel, who received direct, personal revelation from the Lord, who had visions more wondrous than he could describe still wanted the books and the parchments. He wasn’t through learning. He wasn’t through teaching. My prayer for us is that we never get through, either. That’s why we are here.

Mental Health for Ministers

2011-08-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

Mental Health for Ministers

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Written by Bill Bagents, D.Min.

2:1-2. Reject false shame and false guilt. What is is. What’s bad is bad. We can’t polish it enough to make it good. We’re blessed if we don’t even try to shine it up. We’re blessed if we reject the temptation to try to hide the truth. [You know why I say “try to hide the truth.” Truth doesn’t hide well]. I some people think it’s embarrassing to admit that we’ve taken lumps in ministry. Some quality people have been kicked around at one time or another. Even some topflight leaders have been kicked around on occasion. Moses. David (his own men wanted to kill him on occasion.) Paul. Jesus.
2:3. Keep your motives clean. What you can’t do from a good motive, don’t do. It’s OK to put motives on the table. Often it’s wise. It can preempt/prevent trouble. There’s only one person you have to face in the mirror each morning and only one ultimate judge of every man’s heart. If your own heart smites you …
2:4. Work for God and not for the brethren. God’s the better boss. He’s consistent. He’s gracious. He communicates well. He stands with those who stand with Him. “What did I do for God today? Was I God’s man today?”
2:4. Forget about trying to please everybody. You can please most of the people most of the time – if you’re gifted. Might please most of the people some of the time. But, we can never please all of the people. Some just won’t allow it.
2:5. Don’t go consequentialist. You know those guys: the end justifies the means, the results justify the methods. There will be times when there’s an easy path to an important goal, but that path is less than Christian. Don’t take it. It’ll bite you. That’s what the devil offered Jesus in Matthew 4.
2:6. Don’t base your self-worth on your approval rating. Remember John 6. Jesus fed the 5,000 and they loved Him. On the next day, they followed Him across the lake. When Jesus questioned their motives and taught them about the true bread of life, “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him.” (6:66)
2:6. Don’t focus on your rights. i.e. “we might have made the demands of an apostle.” If you’re what you ought to be as a minister, they can’t pay you enough. If you’re not, you’re lucky that they’re paying you at all.
2:7-8. Minister from the heart. Love deeply. Get close to people. Show them that you care. It’s a myth that preachers get into trouble because they get too close to the brethren. I know we can get the wrong kind of close. I know we can “clique out” i.e. get close to some and keep our distance from others.
2:9. Work hard. Colossians 3:23.
2:10-12. Stay moral. 1 Peter 1:13-16. Otherwise, it’s just a sham. It can’t have heart, it can’t last. Not of Christ.

Love Builds Up

2011-08-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

Blown Away by Love

Written by Cory Collins

… love builds up. 1 Cor 8:1

What the National Weather Service calls the “Hackleburg Tornado” traveled 132 miles, with winds surpassing 210 mph, leaving a nonstop scar in the earth from Hackleburg to Huntsville. Of a dozen deadly twisters across Alabama on April 27, 2011, this one alone was given the strongest rating of EF-5. This one tornado is thought to have claimed 70 lives, by far the deadliest single twister in state history. At least 3,838 businesses in Alabama applied for federal assistance because of storm damage; another 37 applied due to loss of business. At least 16,345 homeowners across Alabama registered with FEMA.

Such a tragedy reminded members of the Bellevue Church of Christ in Nashville of the devastating floods that had struck their own community almost a year earlier. Over 13 inches of rain fell there May 1-2, 2010. As a result, more than forty families in the congregation lost their homes. However, even a flood is no match for the love of God.

In order to communicate that love, two creative members at Bellevue had a brilliant idea. With others they designed, built and painted small houses, like birdhouses, one for each displaced family. Various members then repeatedly stuffed the houses with notes of love and encouragement. The houses were placed in the foyer of the church building, where the flood victims would eagerly check them at every service. People loved the experience, whether they were on the giving end or on the receiving end. One sister says, “The houses were an overwhelming hit -- both with our members who placed notes in them, and with the victims who would go to their ‘houses’ as soon as they entered our lobby.”

So, when the Bellevue folks heard about the tornado, they knew what to do! They built 17 more houses, one for each Hackleburg church family whose home was destroyed. They painted each one by hand and placed the family’s name on the outside. They filled the little houses with Scripture, expressions of faith, and words of loving support. They had never met these victims, but they knew something of their pain. They knew how to comfort.

Then on July 17 a church busload of Bellevue members traveled several hours roundtrip to worship with the saints in Hackleburg. Mike Lane, the local preacher, spoke about the power of God’s love. After the service a Bellevue elder stood and explained why they had done what they did. Then the name of each homeless family was called, and the house built for that family was handed to them, while others watched. Tears were shed. Hugs were shared. Friendships were formed. All because love built and filled those houses.

These Bellevue friends had invited Tanya and me to meet them along the way and ride to and from Hackleburg. We’re so glad we did. God’s love in action touched our hearts, boosted our faith, and changed our lives. We were blown away … by love.

Evangelistic Seminar

2011-08-05T13:27:00.001-05:00

A Secret to congregational growth: meet the needs of the community in which you serve.

Written by Michael Farris,
Heritage Christian University Alumnus

Every Christian has a special place in the body.
The congregation's work at South Haleyville on July 29th serves as a great example of what can be accomplished when every member does their part!

Many in Haleyville, Alabama have had a difficult economic year. After a season of disastrous weather & rising unemployment, many parents struggle to make ends meet, even more so to budget for extra expenses such as backpacks & school supplies for their children. Being aware of this financial need, allows an opportunity to meet even a greater need in this society: the training of parents to train their children. After admitting the less-than-desirable results from the typical VBS, this congregation decided 3 years ago to incorporate their normal VBS into an ANNUAL PARENTING SEMINAR. (Classes for all age groups with the focused age-appropriate topics for everyone in the home, including godly principles for the family.)

What gets all the locals to step foot into a church building to enjoy listening to an hour presentation? Simple: SCHOOL SUPPLIES for their children. In an atmosphere of love and concern for all, the knowledge of the church's desire to help makes everything go very smoothly. With the advertisements making it clear that this event is not merely a 'handout' (which usually includes some wordy tract about the church that most may toss in the trash) all who registered for the Seminar were aware their only payment for all supplies is cooperation and appreciation.

But while all the members spent countless hours preparing the classrooms, running errands, packing the bags, organizing the papers, cooking the meals, etc., a few more were needed to fill key-teaching roles to provide as much helpful, engaging, enlightening, fun, and meaty content during that short 1.5 hours the visitors time there. Along with the teachers within the South Haleyville congregation for the younger ages, Heritage Christian University alumni Kyle Mashburn & Michael Farris enjoyed the honor having Dr. Bill Bagents, Vice President of Academic Affairs at HCU, on board for a special benevolent & evangelistic evening- which met a variety of particular needs relating to the nurturing of the family.

Each speaker was given the class-group appropriate for their specialized field of expertise. Kyle, whose zealous emphasis in youth ministry suited him perfectly to both entertain and teach a full class of young junior high kids about what their roles are as children to their parents. Michael, whose joy for helping others find and develop their talents, not to mention love for magic tricks, helped appeal and relate to the high school group who are on the brink of serious decisions that will chart the rest of their lives. But no one other than Dr. Bagents was asked to accept the offer to conduct the interactive discussion with an auditorium class filled with the children's parents, grandparents, and guardians. His invaluable material and experience, along with his great ability to bond with strangers made the time fly while helping each one better deal with the situations that every parent needs advice for handling.

At the end of the program, every student present got a new backpack filled with the supplies needed for their school year. Members unite for a cause, different talents are needed & used, community is helped, the Lord's name is lifted up, God's will is taught, lives are changed. Such effective works must continue.

Teaching Your Children to Pray

2011-08-04T09:51:00.000-05:00

"Lord, Teach Us to Pray"

Written by Dr. Justin Imel

This week, we've explored ways to lead our children in drawing closer to God. Prayer plays a huge role in spiritual formation. Jude clearly connects spiritual growth and prayer: "You, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life" (Jude 20-21, ESV). If we wish our children to grow in the faith, we need to teach them to pray.

How to we teach our children to pray?

We can model proper prayer. One of Jesus' disciples came to Jesus and made a request: "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples" (Lk 11:1, ESV). Jesus then took the time to model prayer. Take the time to model prayer before your children.

As we model prayer before our children, the possibilities are endless:

We teach them to praise God's glory (Matt 5:9).

We teach them to pray for God's will to be carried out throughout Creation (Matt 5:10).

We teach them to request ever so humbly the material blessings we need (Matt 5:11).

We teach them to beseech divine forgiveness (Matt 5:12).

We teach them to take the church bulletin and to pray for the sick by name (Js 5:16).

We teach them to ask God's blessings on our national leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2).

We teach them to pray that God send forth workers to share the Gospel (Matt 9:38).

We teach them to pray for a future mate, for they will pray together one day (1 Pet 3:7).

We teach them to pray for the bully who constantly harasses them (Matt 5:44).

We teach them to be thankful for every blessing God gives (Phil 4:6).

These are some of the instructions God has given for prayer. Will you teach these truths to your children? In what other ways can you teach your children to pray?

Ten Topics for Family Devotions

2011-08-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

The Family that Prays Together Stays Together

Written by Cory Collins

“How can a young man keep his way pure?
          By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
          let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
          that I might not sin against you” (Ps 119:9-11, ESV).

Young people have an increasingly difficult time keeping their way pure in this crooked and perverse generation. Yet, the Psalmist provides the answer to pure hearts – a knowledge of Scripture. As we have mentioned this week, you as a parent have a huge role to play in your children’s spiritual formation.

As a godly parent, you undoubtedly desire to see your children grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Here are ten ideas for family devotions.

Each family member’s favorite Bible character: His/her choices and consequences
Heroes of the Faith (Heb 11)
Fruit of the Spirit
Explain to your children why you became a Christian
What are some ways that you want to grow to become more like Jesus?
Proverbs: God’s wisdom for daily living
A sermon from last Sunday
A helpful bulletin article
Why the church is vital
How would Jesus handle current events?

These are ten suggestions you should feel free to use. But, the possibilities are endless! The important thing is the teaching of Scripture. What topic will you share with your family this week?

Tips for Starting a Family Devotional

2011-08-02T10:45:00.000-05:00

Nearer My God To Thee!

Written by Cory Collins

Yesterday, we introduced the need to train children in righteousness. While the Scriptures are abundantly clear, you may be pondering how you begin such a process. Today, we wish to provide tips that will help you begin drawing your family closer to God.

Start with the decision to start! Fathers, take the initiative (Eph 6:4). But, if there is no godly man in the family, mothers need to remember Timothy, Lois and Eunice (2 Tim 1). Decide today that you will guide your family in righteousness.

Start small. Even if you begin once a week or even once a month, start! Doing a little is far better than doing nothing. And, the fact that you have done something is significant.

Prepare your family early. Let the idea soak in, especially with older children. You may find that you kids are much more agreeable than you expect.

Set a time and a day. A good time is right after dinner while the family is still together and before evening activities begin.

Decide to draw nearer to God today! Take the time to lead your family in proper paths. Your rewards will be reaped in eternity.

Tomorrow we’ll provide suggestions for choosing a text or topic to help you start.

One A Day Vitamins

2011-08-01T13:51:00.000-05:00

Family Devotionals

Written by Cory Collins

We are all acutely aware of the need for proper nutrition. We wish our children to maintain a healthy diet, and we often purchase vitamins of their choosing to encourage a balanced diet. As we age, proper nutrition becomes no less important, and several companies produce vitamins aimed at the aging population.

As important as physical health is, what if there were a daily vitamin that would strengthen your marriage? What if a properly balanced diet were able to help keep your children active in the church? What if some pill could increase your motivation or your assurance of salvation? What if your diet were able to help you accept and deal with illness, aging and loss?

There is such a vitamin – the family devotional. “The family that prays together, stays together.” “A family altar can alter a family.” Those statements are far more than clichés; they’re truth. Studies have repeatedly shown that the children of parents who actively and personally express their own faith are many times more likely to become happy, faithful and strong Christians.

Throughout this week, we’re going to be offering solidly biblical counsel on beginning a family devotional. But, before we begin to offer tips and strategies, we want to lay the biblical foundation. The prayer is that as we see the biblical rationale our spirits will be motivated to follow the biblical teaching.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut 6:4-7, ESV).

“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom” (Lk 2:41-42, ESV).

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4).

Scripture clearly teaches the importance of training children in righteousness. We wish to move in the direction God desires we move. Come with us this week and let’s together move closer to our Creator.

Speaking Engagements

2011-07-29T10:31:00.000-05:00

Preaching the Word

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim 4:1-2, ESV). At Heritage Christian University, we take these words seriously, for we know the gospel of Jesus is the power God uses to save (Rom 1:16). Therefore, our staff and faculty are heavily involved in sharing the gospel of Jesus. On Sunday and Wednesday, you will find the HCU family filling pulpits and classrooms, not just in North Alabama, but wherever opportunity arises. During the summer, many faculty and staff members assist with several summer camps. We, like Jeremiah before us, have a fire in our bones for proclaiming God’s truth (Jer 20:9).

We know that you can’t be with us everywhere we speak, but we would love to see you. We also know that you would bless these fine churches with your presence. We hope to see you soon!

Dr. Bill Bagents, Vice Presidence of Academic Affairs, will be speaking for a Parenting Seminar at the South Haleyville (AL) Church of Christ on Friday evening July 29.

Dr. Ted Burleson, Associate Professor of Ministry and Biblical Studies, will speak Saturday, July 30 at the Brock Church of Christ for their Vacation Bible School. On Sunday, August 14, Dr. Burleson begins a gospel meeting with the Piney Grove Church of Christ that runs through August 18. On August 21, Dr. Burleson will join four other gospel preachers for a gospel meeting at the Hackleburg Church of Christ. On September 11, he will begin a seminar on the family at the Mars Hill Church of Christ in Florence, Alabama.

President Dennis Jones will be speaking at the Leighton Church of Christ on Sunday morning July 31.

Philip Goad, Director of University Advancement, will be speaking at the Allen Park Church of Christ in Allen Park, Michigan Sunday morning July 31. That evening, he will be speaking for the Flat Rock Church of Christ in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Cory Collins, Dean of Students and Assistant Professor of Ministry and Biblical Studies, will be speaking at the Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ in Florence, Alabama on Wednesday, August 24 at 6 pm. His topic will be: “The Cross: Our Only Claim to Fame.”

Dolly Leighton , adjunct instructor in English, has the following speaking engagements: on September 10, she will speak at the ladies day for the Church of Christ in Oliver Springs, Tennessee. From September 30 to October 1, she will be speaking at the ladies retreat for the Woodbury (TN) Church of Christ at Short Mountain Bible Camp. On October 8, Dolly will be speaking for the ladies day at the Lois Church of Christ in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

We pray that we can bless each congregation we’re blessed to serve. Stop by and be with us. Your presence will be a great blessing.

Balance

2011-07-28T09:20:00.000-05:00

HCU and Balance

Written by HCU Alumnus Matthew Morine

As most people know, I been to a lot of churches of Chirst schools. I have even attended Denver Seminary for a Doctorate level class. So this around the block is true about me. This has caused problems, as people have written to me (and up) about how liberal I am and also how conservative I am. And some people just do not have a clue how to label me, which is just great in my mind. It is sad that we judge people totally by the school that one attended. I can totally say that there have been totally liberal people at the conservative schools and conservative people at the most progressive schools. Some people will cast you off just because you attended a certain school. At this point in my education, and from the wide range of schools I have attended, this is misjudging of people. The best thing to do is call, instead of assume. All of this, what I call balance was mostly modeled and taught at Heritage Christian University. I really have followed the lessons of this school throughout my ministry. The school is generally conservative in theology or doctrine, but is willing to do what it takes to reach out into the world. It is balanced in its approach to the issues in the church. It taught me that no matter what your view is on an issue, responding to the issue is just as important. Being right is never a reason to act wrong. People during my time there, Dennis Jones the president, Bill Bagents, and Coy Roper really modeled this approach. These guys were sound in the scriptures, but loving in the interactions with the brotherhood. I believe this spirit of the school lives on as I am friends with some of the new teachers. I believe this school and the professors really formed the way that I operate in the church. Sometimes I might take fire for this approach, but I believe that no matter how people treat me, no matter my personal understanding of certain doctrines, it never gives me the right or the excuse to mistreat my follow man. At Castle Rock, we have a saying, “You can be right, and still wrong.” HCU taught this to me. I taught a deep love for the Churches of Christ, and this spirit continues during my studies at Harding School of Theology (Mark Parker will be happy I used the new name). So sometimes I have friends on the progressive side of the church, I have friends on the conservative side of the church, and I love them all. It does not always mean I agree with everything that is happening, but it means that I will continue to be presence for good wherever the Lord leads me. People sometimes wonder where I stand, I must state clearly and yes, pridefully, hopefully in a good way, I am a Church of Christ man (no I do not understand the big “C” and little “c” debate, so I just use it anyway I feel fit to). I love my fellowship, the doctrine and teachings of my fellowship, and the love that it has given me. As someone who has not grown up in the south or in the history of the churches of Christ, I still feel a total loyalty to it. I know some will say, you should be loyal to Christ, and I feel being loyal to the Church does not mean that I am not loyal to the Lord, it is just part of the faith journey. In all that I do in the church and for the Lord, I do with the spirit that HCU taught me, of being balanced, and treating people right, no matter on the stand on the issue is.

Media and the Christian

2011-07-27T10:27:00.000-05:00

Media and the Christian

Written by HCU Alumnus Rusty Pettus

Recent studies suggest that the average student will digest 7 hours of media a day (Center for Parent/Youth Understanding). Much of this is done while multi-tasking (homework and music). This would include, TV, movies, the internet, music, talking/texting on your phone, etc.

When we think about a Biblical approach to talking about Media I like to use Walt Mueller’s 3D’s: Discover, Discern, and Decide.

DISCOVER

The first thing we have to help our students and parents to discover what is inside our media. When I look back at the music I listened to as a kid I am amazed at lyrics. I had no idea what many of the songs were talking about because I was just singing the hook. This is true for many of our students. We need to discover what is inside any music, TV, magazine, movies, etc. In the age of the internet we can do this by a simple Google search.

The reality is that most every form of media has something objectionable in it. But I like to think of objectionable media like sugar to a diabetic. A little won’t hurt you but a lot can kill you. We can usually handle a little objectionable material but too much will make us numb and acceptable to Satan’s messages.

DISCERN

Discerning is the art of identifying and understanding and then practicing good judgment. When it comes to media it is the art of paying attention to the message and understanding if it is profitable for godliness. In Ephesians 5, Paul encourages us to put away our old way of living and to embrace the life God has called us to. He tells us to “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord" (Eph 5:10 NLT). This is the heart of discernment. It is like a diabetic who can quickly determine if the food in front of them is good for them or dangerous. How much can they consume before it impacts them. It is the ability to identify the message and understand its impact on our ability to think godly thoughts.

DECIDE

We are now at the most difficult point, deciding what we need to do. At the end of Romans 7, Paul shares his struggle between wanting to do right and doing wrong. At the beginning of chapter 8 he continues this thought with a discussion on our thoughts. Paul says that those who are dominated by sin think about sinful things while those whose minds are controlled by the Spirit think on ways to please God (Romans 8:5). This is the heart of the media discussion. If I digest 7 hours of media a day and an hour of it is filled with objectionable material how will it impact my thought life that controls my actions? How many profane words, sexual suggestions, body images, etc. can I digest before they seep into my actions and worldview? We must decide what we allow into our heart.

For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander (Matthew 15:19). Jesus says that what we put into our heart will be lived out in our life. Our media consumption is a spiritual issue as it will impact our hearts, our minds, and our actions.

Peru Mission Trip

2011-07-26T09:15:00.000-05:00

Caring for Cusco

Written by Josh Looney

Student at Heritage Christian University

From July 9th through July 17th, 2011, I had the privilege of serving in Cusco, Peru on a medical mission. This campaign was led by Ramon Gonzales, a Peruvian native and 2010 graduate of Heritage Christian University. I was blessed with support from the Fairview Church of Christ, the congregations at Florence Boulevard and Cox Boulevard, and many individuals.

While there, we gave: free medical care, haircuts, children’s classes, clothing, Gospel literature, and Bible studies with those wanting to learn more. We saw around 600 people with the medical care, 200 children in the children’s classes, and around 120 free hair cuts.

Our team was made up of many people of many professions who wanted to contribute their time and talent to the glory of God. The campaign was held at the building of the Wanchaq Church of Christ in Cusco. The congregation was more than generous in their love and support in the effort.

Aside from work, we were also able to see many of the awesome sights of Peru. We explored the city of Cusco, toured the Macchu Picchu, and spent some time on the Pacific coast of Lima. Some of us even went parasailing! Peru is a beautiful country and I got to see some of the best of God’s creation. The Andes mountains lined up like a mighty choir to sing to the Lord and the Pacific coast echoed the praise!

I have been involved with many stateside campaigns since coming to Heritage Christian University in the Fall of 2008, but this was my first international campaign. My soul was thrilled to be able to interact with people of a different culture and to be with the Christians in Peru. The congregation was so warm and welcoming and it was so awesome to see how universal the Church really is. We pray that, through this effort, we have generated interest in the faith in the community and hope to see more souls added to the Church in the future.

Coil on the Scriptures

2011-07-25T13:54:00.000-05:00

The Authority of the Scriptures

Charles Coil firmly believed in the truthfulness of the Scriptures. The command of Jesus at the end of Matthew is a large part of the reason he established International Bible College (now Heritage Christian University).

In this sermon, delivered on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University, Coil speaks plainly and forcibly about “The Authority of the Scriptures.” Coil makes an important point throughout this lesson: “Our view of the authority of the Scriptures makes a great deal of difference in our lives.”

The Authority of the Scriptures -- Charles Coil

Charles Coil Lesson

2011-07-22T09:26:00.000-05:00

How to Recruit and Train Workers for World Evangelism

Charles Coil was a leading evangelist among churches of Christ. In 1967, Coil preached a gospel meeting with the Golf Course Road Church of Christ in Midland, Texas. At the meeting in Midland, 339 responded to the invitation, including 86 who were baptized. Many believe this is the largest number of responses in history at a gospel meeting associated with the churches of Christ in the United States.

Four years later, in 1971, Coil established International Bible College (now Heritage Christian University) with a singular focus: to train effective communicators of the gospel. HCU remains committed to that singular focus. In the lesson linked below, Charles Coil tackles the importance of that focus and discusses “How to Recruit and Train Workers for World Evangelism.”

Take a listen. This lesson will bless your life in much the same way that Chares Coil blessed so many.

"How to Recruit and Train Workers for World Evangelism" -- Charles Coil

TITUS Camp

2011-07-21T10:13:00.000-05:00

T.I.T.U.S. Camp

Ray Reynolds
Founder & Director of TITUS Camp

T.I.T.U.S. Camp stands for Teens In Training for Useful Service. The camp was founded in 2005 after the model I found assisting the Bear Valley School of Preaching with their Future Preachers Training Camp as an Advanced Homiletics professor. Our training camp takes place on the campus of Heritage Christian University in Florence, Alabama.

TITUS Camp exists for the purpose of training seventy young people (13-19 years of age) to be better equipped for Christian service. All campers are put into a spiritually enriched environment where they are given the tools and training they need to serve God more effectively. They are assigned a topic to research the first day and encouraged to prepare a lesson to be delivered on the final day of camp. Several local churches sponsor these young people and allow them to use their talents before graduation.

Over the years, our voluntary staff has included many HCU professors and HCU alumni (Ray & Sarah Reynolds, Travis & Stacy Harmon, Jess & Lori Eastep, Travis & Whitney Creasy, Dr. Bill Bagents, Cory Collins, Dr. Ted Burleson, President Dennis Jones, Sonny Owens, Tim Spivy, Gary Marshall, Larry Davenport, Philip Goad, Mechelle Thompson, Wayne Kilpartick, Chris Moran, Micheal Jackson, Dr. Jeremy Barrier, and many others).

We each want to help these young people to grow spiritually, strengthen their ministry skills, and be equipped for Christian service. This camp is unlike other camps that just train young people in that we will find local churches where they can actually serve! We want them to use their talents immediately!

All students who attend TITUS Camp will have daily Bible classes, training classes, Homiletics, library research, lesson preparation, Christian service, "Give a Defense" (which is a challenging class to test your Bible knowledge), and team building. Two favorite events are “Manna in the Morning” (which is a devotional to get you started each morning), and “POWER HOUR” (which is our final devotional each night)! Some years we offer classes in personal evangelism, song leading, spiritual maturity, spiritual leadership, counseling, youth ministry, and other ministerial fields.

This year we allowed the kids to make bulletin boards and pillows for kids who lost everything in the tornadoes that ripped through North Alabama. We helped box up shoes for Haitian disaster relief, and we spent a day in Hackelburg cleaning up the site where they are rebuilding the church there. The kids washed and cleaned out all the church vans and counselor's vehicles. They also cleaned up the entire campus and grounds.

Also, we ask the kids for a $25 non-refundable application fee to start the application process. All other funds needed to conduct this camp comes from congregations and members of the churches of Christ. It is the greatest work that I have ever been a part of in my life. If you cut me, I will bleed TITUS Camp!

Peru

2011-07-21T08:41:00.000-05:00

Mission Work in Peru

Mission work lies very close to the heart of the Heritage Christian University family. In this video, Travis Harmon, HCU's Director of Church and Alumni Relations, details a recent trip he took to Peru.

Heritage Christian University Educating Students on Personal Finance

2011-07-20T08:31:00.000-05:00

CashCourse® Now Available

Heritage Christian University – with help from CashCourse®, an online resource from the National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) – is taking a proactive approach to improving our students’ financial well-being. We recently joined the more than 550 colleges and universities across the U.S. that are using CashCourse, a free, unbiased and noncommercial financial education solution for students and recent graduates.

Meeting a Critical Need

Living away from the guidance of their parents during college is often a time when many students make unwise financial decisions due to a lack of knowledge. Students are confronted with easy access to credit cards, and difficult spending decisions. Students need financial tools for their transition to adulthood, including saving, investing, filing taxes, paying off student loans and evaluating the financial aspects of job offers. Increasing concern over these issues has led to the joint effort between NEFE and higher education institutions to fill the gaps in financial knowledge that many college students have.

“CashCourse offers a reliable resource to help young adults develop financial know-how,” says Ted Beck, president and CEO of Denver-based NEFE. “Through attention to the needs of today’s college students, this program will help young adults gain the financial savvy they need to succeed in life at college and beyond.”

Tools for Financial Capability

CashCourse features unbiased content with no advertising and no connections to commercial entities. The information is written in a way college students can understand and appreciate, because NEFE received input directly from college students to determine what information they would find useful.

In addition to articles, the online resource features:

Worksheeets, calculators and quizzes for students to use in the classroom or at home
A “Budget Wizard” tool to help students manage their spending
An online dictionary of financial terms to help students understand the basics
A credit module to educate students on the importance of managing credit cards and protecting their credit
Many resources for college and university professionals to promote and use CashCourse with their students

For information on Heritage Christian University’s CashCourse site, please visit here.

What's Right with the Church? (2)

2011-07-19T09:48:00.000-05:00

In today's blog posting, Dale Jenkins, a member of the Board of Directors at Heritage Christian University, a gospel preacher, and a writer of an excellent blog, answers the question: "What's Right with the Church?"

What’s Good About the Church

Written by Dale Jenkins

Any article dealing with what’s good about the church should be gazed at through the lens of:

The reality that in the mind of God, the gift of Christ, the Pen of the Spirit and the design of the Godhead everything about the church is good, not just good, but great! There are no flaws in the heavenly design of this present bound rocket-ship to eternity (Matthew 16:16-18; Ephesians 3:10-12; Daniel 2:44-45; Acts 2:15-21, 41-47).

But to acknowledge that reality without being continually cognizant of the constant actuality that the church is flawed from the earthbound human side is nothing more than creating a Pollyanna outlook that will lead to a disappointment severe enough to sink your faith. I have personally been a part of eight wonderful but very real congregations from the time I became a Christian 40 years ago. Each of them blessed my life more than cursing it, and each nurtured my faith while challenging me with differing issues within them. Each at times have been remarkably encouraging causing me to soar, and each at times has disappointed me causing me to question my place in that congregation.

One of the real weaknesses I see in many in our brotherhood is an over-analysis syndrome that often leads to self-hatred. About a year ago, I attended a program on church plantings put on by one of the more progressive para-church organizations out there (Karios, I think they would agree with my adjective). It was a useful time but the highlight was one of the speakers who was not a member of the churches of Christ. He spoke of traditional strengths of the church which was rich because the things he cited as our strengths were the things that many in the room have been running away from. He talked about autonomy, about church governess (i.e. elders, deacons), about a’cappella singing, about the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper. Then he said one of “your” real weaknesses seems to be a “self-hatred of your rich history.” I had lunch about 10 years ago with one of the leaders of the progressive movement in our fellowship. He asked how things were going in my work and as I talked about how much I loved it he said: “That’s refreshing. So many of the preachers I spend time with are unhappy with their work and hopeless about the future.” I remember thinking: “I’ve heard you speak, it is not surprising you attract those who are malcontent.” Why is it that those who seem most progressive in our fellowship are also the most malcontent? I think it begins with a desire to change to make things better - but then it doesn’t know how to stop - so it feeds itself. I get most bashed when I talk good about the church by those at either extreme. Randell Matheny said it well about ten years ago: “From their bashing of the brotherhood, some seem to hate their spiritual inheritance, preferring instead to laud religious departures from the Word” (http://forthright.antville.org/stories/1001252/).

So with a sense of reality I want to write about what is good about the church.

Several years ago, Joe Barnett first put out a tract with the title “Churches of Christ, Who Are These People?” It was always one of my favorites and to this day is a relevant classic. I've been around members of the churches of Christ for over nearly 50 years now. I've watched them across our country and in over twenty other countries and I've noticed a few things.

The churches of Christ, who are these people? They are caring, loving, compassionate people of Christ who respond to any real need whether it be spiritual or physical (They have taken the lead in low maintenance relief efforts. Whether through the local church or para-church organizations like Disaster Relief or Healing Hands, by far the greatest amount of dollars given go to the individuals it was meant to help, not to pay marketers and for marketing plans). Witness the millions given to places like Ethiopia, Poland, Africa, India, Japan, Haiti: Find any disaster and nearby you'll find members of the churches of Christ standing with loving and meaningful support. They give sacrificially and spontaneously. They give from the oldest to the youngest. They don't like to see others hurt or oppressed because they genuinely love people like God does. Is it surprising? While we are not a “social gospel folk” our fervor for the Word has made us leaders in social relief!

The churches of Christ, who are these people? They love young people. Their biggest events in the local church and in the larger brotherhood are youth events (Lads to Leaders, Winterfest, CYC, VBS, Bible Camp, etc). We care about our children going to heaven and their faith.

The churches of Christ, who are these people? They are people who want to do right. My experience has been that members of the church of Christ want to do right. They make mistakes, sometimes gross and glaring and hard-to-forget ones, but not because the desire to do right is not there. I've never heard a single one of them say they were the only ones going to heaven or claim perfection. I have heard them say over and over that anyone who obeys God will be saved by His grace. Now, they strive for perfection, but isn't that what we all ought to do?

The churches of Christ, who are these people? They are people who are forgiving. I've seen it time and again. Just when a situation looks out of hand, repentance occurs and God's people rush to the aid and defense of the penitent one. They forgive and accept back people whom others would not. It's not just a second chance, but a third and fourth and...

The churches of Christ, who are these people? They are people who sometimes argue. They argue because they are passionate about Truth. Seldom are the arguments that I've seen engaged in the result of either side not wishing to follow God's Word, but on how to best follow the Divine Instructions. And they are patient: They may not like where someone lands but they are so slow to cut people off.

The churches of Christ, who are these people? They are not credal. Sometimes people will talk about the church being strict or narrow-minded. My experience is that since we have no creed but the Bible we offer greater freedom than most religious groups. Prove it by the Bible, and there will be no creed to keep your congregation from practicing it.

The churches of Christ, who are these people? They are people who wish to hear the Word of God held up as their authority. They get low marks sometimes in tact, an area where most are sincerely working on improving, but what they lose in tact is often made up for in sheer desire to be true to God's Word. They want to hear preachers give Biblical evidence to support what they are saying. They are sincere and simple in their pure attempt to remain true to God's teaching. Most of them are not condemning, or cruel, or judgmental; but patient and kind and searching for God's truths.

The churches of Christ, who are these people? They are people who wish to see God's Word preached around the world and will make sacrifices to see that it is done. They will give of their money, time, talent and energy to take that Word to the poorest, remotest village in the world. And they'll wear a big smile as they go.

The churches of Christ, who are these people? They are my brothers and sisters scattered across the globe. They make mistakes, but they are only human and God knows that. He also knows their intentions and their hearts. I am thankful to be a part of such a people.

The churches of Christ. Why don't you investigate further? Let me close with a few things I love about the church:

I love the church local. I love church autonomy. Willard Collins once said that “anything that God wants done can be done through the local church” and he was correct.

I love the struggling church. I love that we are aware that we are fellow strugglers.

I love the healthy church - that even when we struggle we still serve.

I love the commitment to the Bible - something worth leaning on.

Meet Michael Jackson

2011-07-18T15:56:00.000-05:00

Distance Learning at HCU

Michael Jackson serves as the director of Distance Learning at Heritage Christian University. In this video, Michael explains his role and how he can help you fulfill your educational goals.

For more information, explore Distance Learning at HCU!

My Hero's Hands

2011-07-15T08:53:00.000-05:00

My Hero's Hands

Written by Cory Collins

I asked the Lord, “How much do you love me?” He stretched out His hands and answered, “This much.”

Last Tuesday Army Ranger Sgt. First Class Leroy Petry became only the second living soldier to receive the Medal of Honor, the military's highest decoration, for his actions in Afghanistan. The award is given for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." Petry, originally from New Mexico, now age 31, threw away an enemy grenade that endangered two of his fellow Rangers while he was serving in Paktya, Afghanistan, on May 26, 2008. He saved their lives, but the force of the blast destroyed his right hand. His body was also riddled with shrapnel.

In spite of his grievous wounds he remained calm. He put on his own tourniquet, and he continued to lead, directing his team, giving orders, and even telling medics how to treat his wounds. He’s still shaking hands, thanks to a robotic prosthesis which he is thankful to have. He said he expected to have a hook. Instead of complaining about his own loss or becoming bitter over his circumstances, Petry is just happy that he could serve his country. He humbly honors his other teammates that perished, the ones he was unable to save.

Such sacrifice, courage, and love reflect my hero, whose hands delivered me from sin.

My hero’s hands blessed the children. He received them, embraced them, and loved them, even when those nearby rebuked them. (Matt 19:13-15)

My hero’s hands fed the hungry. As He handled the loaves and fishes, they became more than enough to satisfy thousands. (Matt 14:13-21; 15:32-39)

My hero’s hands contacted the lepers, the blind, the crippled, and even the dead. He healed and restored each one to fullness of life. (Matt 8:3, 15; 9:25; 12:13; 20:34)

My hero’s hands rescued the sinking. When Simon Peter cried, “Lord, save me!” He reached out and took hold of him. (Matt 14:22-33)

My hero’s hands carried the cross and accepted the nails. (John 19:17; 20:25)

My hero’s hands reassured the doubting. When Thomas the Twin could not believe without touching, Jesus offered His hands. Thomas was convinced. (John 20:24-29)

My hero’s hands uplifted His followers. Jesus blessed His disciples as He ascended, so that they were filled with joy and continually praised God. (Luke 24:50-53)

My hero’s hands hold me tightly and securely, so that no outside force can snatch me away. (John 10:28-30)

As the Gaither song says, “He touched me and made me whole.” Thank you, Lord!

Heritage Christian University

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