Never give up! Perseverance! Patience!

Never give up! Perseverance! Patience! Being a Tampa Bay Bucs fan takes all three of those characteristics sometimes. All one has to do is go back to when the franchise began in 1976 - goodness, I don't want to go back to all those loses (0-26) and blunders (not to mention the old Buccaneer orange jerseys). Growing up in the Tampa Bay area, I remember those years well!

But today, in their 32nd season and on the 1,865 try, Tampa finally returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Never giving up! Perseverance! Patience! It was bound to happen one day. The 1,865 attempts over the 32 years were made by 141 players. Before today, Tampa Bay's kickoff returns had covered 37,395 yards, or more than 21 miles. Michael Spurlock returned the kickoff back 90 yards in the first quarter for the touchdown!

And to top everything off, with the 37-3 win over the Falcons, the Bucs clinched the NFC South division title.

The Bible talks about never giving up - God never gave up on us, but while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The Bible talks about perseverance - mankind should be faithful to God unto death. And yes, the Bible talks about patience - patience on the part of God to us and mankind to one another.

OK, I know that the Scriptures are not applying it to a football team! But sometimes events that happen today help remind us of Biblical characteristics. Even during a football game!

Global Warming?

I am always confused come winter time in Illinois about our friends who believe in global warming. Instead of thinking that man is going to destroy the seasons of the earth, I will go along with God's promise - the one He gave at the same time as He promised not to have a global flood again: While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22)

Deer and Snow

My son spotted a deer in our backyard this morning before we left for our men's breakfast. There is no water up there (other than the frozen snow), but seeing a deer always reminds me of Psalm 42:1 - As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.

And of course the snow reminds me of Psalm 51:7 - Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Or even Isaiah 1:18 - Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

Flipping Houses

Over the past several months we have been involved in “flipping” a house. We still have a long way to go. Flipping houses is a very lucrative adventure if you have the vision, money, time and patience to see it through. We watch several shows on TV where houses are purchased and then remodeled for big profit. The difference between us and the ones who do it on the television shows is that they make lots of money! We are not planning on selling our home for profit, but to live in it. The TV flippers take houses that most of us would not even consider buying and fix them up for great profit.

Many people have probably already flipped their normal everyday living quarters into a holiday festive atmosphere. Of course they did this in the stores months ago, I believe!
As an evangelist, working with the elders here at South Side, I consider our leadership as a “flipper” team. No, it is not our job to flip houses, but rather to flip lives. And if need be, to flip the church back to the “one Lord, one faith, one immersion” when she gets off track!

That is what restoration is all about. When a person responds in faith, repentance, confession and immersion, we are part of the process of restoring a broken relationship with our God. Enmity was between the seed of woman (people of God) and the seed of the serpent (people of the world) since the very first sin (Genesis 3:15). Paul said that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

What a great ministry—flipping a life that is outside of Christ to a life in Christ! Offering someone the free gift of God—the only hope for mankind—Jesus Christ is exciting (Romans 6:23)! What a great joy it is to witness someone who is not living for God turn their life around. Paul described some in the Corinthian church who had done some major flipping in their lives. After listing out several things that would keep people out of the Kingdom (the church), he writes, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (I Corinthians 6:11).
And what a great ministry to assist a church in restoring back to the New Testament pattern!

Sometimes after years of renovations, flipping the church back to the New Testament can be difficult—not impossible, but difficult. For instance, we would love to find the original floor plan for our home. Having been renovated very early on into three apartments has made that a rather challenging task—not impossible, just challenging. I believe the church is easier—we have the New Testament as our source of authority!

As we settle in for Christmas, may we look for lives that need flipped. We may need to look first at ourselves. But after being redeemed, we can share the Prince of Peace with our family and friends so that they too can have their lives flipped!

And if you want some hands on experience flipping a house, come talk with me! I even know about a $2000 house! But more importantly, lets work together flipping lives here at South Side!

Baptism and Salvation?

Ok – here I go again talking about words! Words are so important. The order of words is critical! When we are presenting the Gospel, we must only use ideas and concepts that are Scriptural. Paul wrote to the evangelist Timothy: Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you (I Timothy 4:16).

It used to be that the only place where you would find words like the following were in a “faith only” denominational tract. I copied the following from a denominational church: Baptism doesn’t make you a believer — it shows that you already believe. Baptism does not “save” you, only your faith in Christ does that. Baptism is like a wedding ring — it’s the outward symbol of the commitment you made in your heart.

When I was in college studying Sotieriology (Doctrine of Salvation) this doctrine was the ol’ “outward sign of an inward grace” false teaching. But now it seems these words, or ones like them, appear on the web pages and tracts that we “Bible believing” churches are putting out.
Here is how one Church of Christ/Christian Church words it: Baptism isn’t what makes you a believer or a Christian. It just shows that you already believe! Baptism does not “save” you. You are “saved” by your faith in Jesus . . . In a way it is like a wedding ring. Just as a wedding ring is a visual symbol of the commitment you make to your husband or wife, baptism is a visual symbol of the commitment you make to God.

Sounds very similar to denominational tract, doesn’t it? Quite honestly, it was difficult to read those words from a Church of Christ/Christian Church. It was even harder to type them in light of I Peter 3:21 : Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now I understand that baptism without belief (or faith) does not save a person – but I also understand, belief (or faith) without baptism does not save either (according to I Peter 3:21 and other Scriptures). Jesus connected belief, baptism and our salvation in one breath in Mark 16:16: He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. Notice the order of words by Jesus. Do you think the order of words is important? Believes . . . has been baptized . . . shall be saved. The two quotes from tracts seem to change the order just a bit . . . believes . . . is saved . . . later baptized – because the tracts make baptism simply a “symbol” of what already took place on the inside – “outward sign of an inward grace”.
Baptism is a symbol of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, but it is so much more than that.

Consider the following Scriptures which connect baptism with salvation:

• Acts 2:38 – Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins
• Acts 22:16 – Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins
• Romans 6:3 – do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death
• Galatians 3:27 – For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
• Colossians 2:12 – having been buried with Him in baptism
• Also Mark 16:16 & I Peter 3:21 (quoted above in article).
  

If we are a Christian, we are “in Christ”. And if we are a Christian BEFORE we are baptized, into whom are we baptized into, seeing we are already “in Christ”? I am not sure how anyone can disconnect baptism and salvation.

As for me and my house, we will stick with the Scriptures. God has plainly outlined that one must believe, repent, confess and be immersed for the forgiveness of sins. Then we live the faithful life the rest of our lives! If my sins are unforgiven, I am lost. If my sins are forgiven, I am saved! Unforgiven sin is what will keep me out of heaven. Thanks be to God who gave us the plan by which we might be saved! Preach it! Teach it! And when you do – you ensure salvation for yourself and for those who hear you (I Timothy 4:16).

"Nit Picking" or Biblical?

To “nit pick” or not to “nit pick” - that is the question. Actually, maybe a better way to state it is: To “be Biblical” or not to “be Biblical”? Why is it that church members and preachers have started to call those of us who insist on being Biblical “nit picking”? I would expect that from the world. They are not as educated in the Scriptures as we are (or at least as we should be)!

I have heard preachers say “words don’t matter”. If you insist on calling something by a Biblical term, it is just nit picking. If this is the case, lets just throw out the entire Bible—it is made of words! And I would add, not just words, but specific words with specific meanings!

If “words don’t matter”, what difference does it make that every New Testament author used the word for immerse when talking about our baptism? “Words don’t matter”. If words don’t matter, what difference does it make that the New Testament authors chose the Greek word “agape” for God’s love for us? Maybe their intent was one of the other Greek words for love? Or maybe the authors used very specific words, as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit?

Sometimes when I try to use a “Bible word” for a “Bible thing”, I get accused of nit picking. So sometimes I have to wonder if I am simply being too nit picky or not.

If someone comes to me and wants to be sprinkled and I insist on them being immersed, am I being too nit picky, or am I being Biblical?

If someone asks why we don’t serve communion on Saturday night and I insist on partaking on the first day of the week (Sunday), am I being too nit picky, or am I being Biblical?

If a person comes to me claiming to be a Christian by repeating the “sinner’s prayer” and I insist that they show me in Scripture where that teaching is found, am I being too nit picky, or am I being Biblical?

If a person comes to me and asks where the “altar call” is in our assembly and I insist that there is not altar in the New Testament church, am I being too nit picky, or am I being Biblical?

If a person asks me what denomination is the Church of Christ and I insist that we are anti-denominational, am I being too nit picky, or am I being Biblical?

If a Christian refers to the Lord’s Supper as a “sacrament” and I insist that the Lord’s Supper is a remembrance, not a means of grace, am I being too nit picky, or am I being Biblical?

If a person comes to me and says that they were saved and later immersed and I insist that they be immersed for the forgiveness of sins, am I being too nit picky, or am I being Biblical?

If a church member calls me “pastor” and I insist that the elders are the pastors of the church and I am an evangelist, am I being too nit picky, or am I being Biblical?

I could go on, but I want to allow myself a couple of lines for closing thoughts. I often wonder where we have failed. Are our new preachers not being taught right or are they simply reading the wrong book? Or maybe we have elders who have given in to the religious world jargon and don’t care anymore? But instead of dwelling where we have gone astray in our language, let me encourage you to grow in your faith and knowledge. My prayer is that our goal would return to the original goal: that is to restore the church back to the New Testament pattern And part of that restoration should be the words we use. But if you do, be ready. You can join the “nit picking” club like me, because people will be quick to call you that, instead of what you really are, and that is Biblical.

Jesus believed even the individual letters of the Bible were important: “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). And some think words are not important?

Words convey our thoughts and meanings. Words are so vital to communicate the correct message. I pray we use the right words to share with the world. Jesus said very plainly, “everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).

Being the Church

Ok—you should know by now I am not referring to the building, a service or a time slot on our Sunday schedule. I am writing about the people! We, who are in Christ, are the church of Christ! Jesus, referring to Peter’s confession that He is the Christ, said in Matthew 16: 18, “Upon this rock I will build My church”. Paul would later greet the Roman Christians by writing in Romans 16:16, “All the churches of Christ greet you”. I am honored to be part of the church of Christ! It is His church!
But what does it take to be the church? Let me suggest a few characteristics of the church as taught in the New Testament. This is not an exhaustive list, but hopefully will be enough to help us identify the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Right Lord
If we want to be the church that Christ built, we must have the right Lord. When Peter made the good confession in Matthew 16:16, he identified the right Lord. When Jesus asked who do you think I am, Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Later in Peter’s first Gospel message he said, “God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified” (Acts 2:36). Later Paul would plainly write that there is only “one Lord” (Ephesians 4:5). In the New Testament church we must only have one Lord. It is not the eldership as a group. It is certainly not me, your evangelist. It is Jesus! He is the Christ! He is Lord! He is the Savior! He purchased the church with His own blood. That is why we insist on identifying ourselves as His church—namely the church of Christ!

Right Faith
If we want to be the church that Christ built, we must also have the right faith. Biblical faith does not have varieties or flavors. Don’t you love going to a nice buffet restaurant? At the buffet we pick and chose what we want to eat. Many would have you believe that biblical faith is like that. Pick a little doctrine of the New Testament here, and a little there, maybe throw in a small dash of the Old Testament and load on the opinions!

That is not what Paul taught when he wrote to the Ephesian Christians that there is only “one faith” (Ephesians 4:5). The Apostle Peter would word it this way in his third recorded gospel message: "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Peter was referring to the one Lord and the one faith needed for our salvation and to be identified as His church! He of course was referring to Jesus and His way. The right faith involves both our trust in the message of the Gospel (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus) and our obedience to that message (repentance, confession of our faith, immersion into Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, and faithfully living with Jesus as Lord). When we have the right faith, and we teach the right faith and we live the right faith, we can be the church of Christ!

Right Remembrance
If we want to be the church that Christ built, we must have the right remembrance, and may I add, on the right day! Each and every Lord’s Day, the church gathers for at least four reasons. Luke wrote about the early church devoting themselves to “1. the apostles’ teaching and to 2. fellowship, to 3. the breaking of bread and to 4. prayer” (Acts 2:42). Luke would later write about the apostolic practice of “breaking bread” on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Besides the Gospel accounts of the institution of the Lord’s Supper, we have Paul’s teaching in I Corinthians 11. The breaking of bread is a great weekly reminder of what saves us—the death of Jesus on the cross. This is why when you visit South Side, we have the Lord’s Supper every Sunday. It is His church and we certainly want to be the church!

Right Attitude
If we want to be the church that Christ built, let me suggest one last thing: we need to have the right attitude! The church exists for two main purposes. We exist to seek and save the lost (not the unchurched, but the LOST). That is why we insist on bringing the lost (churched or unchurched) to the New Testament position. We also exist to encourage and build up each other. In meeting both of these purposes, we must have the right attitude. Paul wrote to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). We must believe that we have the truth (the faith), but be willing to present the truth in a loving, humble way. The Apostle Paul knew the importance of love as he was dealing with the problems in the Corinthian church (I Corinthians 13). If we want others to know that we are the church of Christ, we need to show love toward one another (John 13:35). As the church, we need each other. I never quite understand the person who thinks they can be the church without being part of the assembly.

Jesus built His church! He died for His church! One day He is going to present His church (his bride) “in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Ephesians 5:27).
Joshua made the commitment to serve Yahweh. I pray that we will make the same commitment. And in doing so, we will be committed to being His church, the church of Christ! I am thankful to God to be the church along with you here at South Side. Let us be His church to the best of our abilities!

2007 Hillsboro Family Camp

The camper and a tent were our humble abode this last week. We attended the 2007 Hillsboro Family Camp in Hillsboro, OH. The preaching was great! The singing was wonderful! The fellowship was fantastic! The family time was great! The camp looked really good! Person to Person Ministries always plans a program that is top notch. Five immersions (that I know of) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins; one man went forward to go into ministry and another man went forward to rededicate his life! It is always a blessing to be on Restoration Acres! The temperatures were hot - and we drank a lot of water!
I have been blessed to be able to attend most of the Family Camps at Hillsboro since 1988! If you love great, Bible based, straight down the line preaching - you will love Hillsboro! Plan to go next year if you can - July 28-31, 2008 - If the Lord tarries, and Lord willing, my family plans to be there next year! My daughter asked, "Daddy are we coming next year?" I asked her, "Why, do you want to come back?" Her quick, excited response, was "YES!" Maybe I will see you there!

Who Are You To Judge?

To judge or not to judge? That is the question. At least the question I will attempt to answer. Several years ago I heard Mike Breidenbaugh, former preacher at Macon Church of Christ, speak on judging. It was a great outline! It was the best sermon on judging I had ever heard. Mike is a powerful evangelist and has a ministry called “Open Your Heart”. His web address is: http://www.openyourheartministries.com/

But before you go out and surf the web, lets run back through that outline on judging! In the New Testament, there are three types of judging that God condemns:

Do NOT judge according to appearance.
In John 7:24, Jesus says, ”Do not judge according to appearance”.
Don’t jump to conclusions. In order to make a proper judgment about something, we must not simply guess. Know the facts! Make sure you know things that were said or done! And never make a mountain out of a molehill. It is easy to do—just add dirt! We are not to judge a person’s motive or intention. So if we are going to make a judgment call on something—know the facts, not just what it looks like.

Do NOT judge lest you be judged.
In Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus says, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you”.
What Jesus condemns here is judging hypocritically. We are not to judge in another what we are guilty of doing ourselves. This is the same thing that the Apostle Paul is referring to in Romans 2. We must clean up our own act before we try to clean up someone else's act. Jesus implies that after we remove our sin, there is a proper way to judge. He says, “then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). How can we take the speck out of our brother’s eye without some sort of judging? God's people must determine the difference between 'holy' and 'dogs', 'pearl' and 'swine' in this Matthew passage. This involves judging.

Do NOT judge in the realm of opinion.
In Romans 14:1, the Apostle Paul writes, “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”
What Paul is referring to is disputing over doubtful matters or matters of opinion. This is what the Apostle is referring to when he says, “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore” in Romans 14:13. Our opinions are not law. A person should not make their opinion Scripture. A lot of church problems could be avoided if church members would keep quiet in the area of opinion.

There is one judgment which God commands:

Judge righteous judgment.
John 7:24—”Judge with righteous judgment.”
How? By using the righteous standard - the Bible. II Timothy 3:16-17 says that the Scriptures are to be used for instruction in righteousness. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work”.

When you use the Bible to make a judgment—that is righteous judging. If we, as Christians are not to make a “righteous judgment”, what did the Apostle Paul mean by “reproof, correction and training in righteousness”? All of those take a judgment call by someone. But the standard MUST be the Scriptures!

When people do that, don’t get mad at them. Jesus Christ commanded Christians to judge a righteous judgment. So please don’t hate or blame the messenger. They are there to help bring you back in line with the Scriptures. In fact, if someone comes to you and suggests that, according to the Bible, you should be doing things differently in your life, thank them for loving you enough to confront you. Maybe that person is like the person James was referring to when he wrote, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).

Two more thoughts—all things are to be done in love and with the purpose of bringing someone back to the Lord. Personally, I am thankful to all the righteous judges in my life who have helped keep me on the straight and narrow. And I didn’t have to go to a courtroom! All I needed was a Christian brother or sister who loved me enough in Christ to judge my actions, according to the Bible.

Thankless Jobs

Many people work where they never hear "thank you" for all their labors. It happens in ministry and it happens in the secular world. Today I have one big thank you to the Public Works - Solid Waste Management Department here in town.

We scheduled a BIG pickup. And when we said big, we meant BIG!!! This morning about 11:00 they stopped here at our home and took everything we put out! Now we worked hard getting it ready and making it where it would be the right size and weight - but there was a lot of stuff out there. They cleared it all out and only left the trash cans! Thank you for your thankless job. Your role in the city is very important and essential.

It reminds me in the church of just how essential each ministry is. We often think that our role is not important - but the Apostle Paul writes about how the whole body (the local church) works together as the human body does. And each role is important!

(Romans 12, I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4)

Great Lord's Day!

Preached on the Holiness of God! Challenged congregation to be holy as He is holy! Followed by an immersion of a young lady into Christ for the forgiveness of sins! Partook the Lord's Supper (as we do every week)! Shared in fellowship and prayer! Evening service with Ask the Preacher! God is great! He is awesome!

Catching up!

I am finally catching up on some computer hobbies, including this blog. Most of what you read here is what is published in the South Side Side Lites (the church's newsletter). We are dedicated to promoting the New Testament! Back to the Bible! Where the Scriptures speak . . . these are our themes!

Enjoy the blog!

Devoted to the Apostles' Doctrine

Somewhere in my teaching or preaching I am confident that most people have heard me refer to the Apostles’ doctrine or teaching (probably several times). You may have asked yourself: why do we focus so much on the teachings of the Apostles? I think I can answer that question by observing what Jesus promised the Apostles. For about three years Jesus taught the Apostles what they were to teach, preach and write. And if they ever forgot anything about the ministry of Jesus, He gave them a promise about that also. Let’s examine the Scriptures which teach the importance of the Apostle’s Doctrine:

The Apostles given Guidance in Speaking and Teaching
Matthew 10:19-20—But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Luke 10:16—The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.
John 14:26—But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Matthew 28:19-20—Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
John 16:13—But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

Apostolic Message as Foundational
The Apostles claimed that these promises came true in their ministries. Their message, as it was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was foundational to what the church believed and practiced.

This concept was not foreign to the Apostles. Notice that they claimed it for themselves:
Ephesians 2:20—having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.
Acts 2:42—They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Apostolic Message as the Authority
I Timothy 4:11—Prescribe and teach these things.
Titus 2:15—These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
II Thessalonians 3:14—If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.
II Peter 3:1-2—This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

The Apostles also claimed that their messages were prophetic. They claimed their writing were Scripture. And they claimed that their messages were from God.

Practice of the First Century Christians
Simply put, they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching or doctrine. That is one reason why I, personally, am committed to restoration—that is, the restoration of the foundational message of the church—the Apostles’ doctrine!

I believe that the church today needs to constantly contend for the faith once delivered by the Apostles! It is not the elders’ doctrine or the deacons’ doctrine or the evangelist’s doctrine or the ladies’ fellowship doctrine! It is the Apostles’ doctrine that the early church devoted themselves to. At South Side, lets do the same!

Once Saved - Always Saved?

When a person is immersed into Christ to have their sins forgiven, is it possible for them to “fall away”? This doctrine of “Once Saved—Always Saved” comes in many packages. Sometimes it is called “Once in Grace—Always in Grace”. Other times you will hear the phrase “Eternal Security” used to describe this doctrine. But is this doctrine manmade or is it biblical? I propose to you that it is manmade and the Bible teaches that a person can “fall away”. Here are some Scriptures to back up my proposal.

Galatians 5:4—”You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace”. The Apostle Paul is writing to the Jewish Christians who are trying to make the Greeks follow the Old Testament Law.
I John 5:16—”If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this”. The Apostle John is referring to a brother who has changed and is now denying the incarnation—or a sin leading to death.
Hebrews 3:6—”but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end”. How do we know that we are the house of Christ? We know IF we hold fast our confidence! IF assumes we could not hold fast our confidence! The late Edgar Harris, the preacher who immersed me, taught that every promise has a string attached to it. This one does with the little word IF.
Hebrews 6:4-6—”For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame”. This text teaches very plainly that a Christian (one who has tasted the heavenly gift and has been made partakers of the Holy Spirit) can fall away.
I Corinthians 9:27—”but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified”. The Apostle Paul thought that he could be disqualified from the Christian “race” if he did not follow the Gospel he was preaching!
I Timothy 4:1—”But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” The Apostle Paul warns that some will fall away from the faith!
II Peter 1:10-11—”Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you”. Christians will never stumble AS LONG AS they practice these things! That is the string attached to the promise.
II Peter 2:20-22—”For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire’”. We must continue faithfully in the way of righteousness.

Church—we need to remain faithful to Christ. We need to continue to be steadfast—and the good news is that God will be faithful. And because of our faithfulness to God and His faithfulness to us, we can have confidence in Him!

The Need for Revival

It is that time of the year again! I am not referring to the Spring time—although I sure welcome the warmer temperatures! I am not talking about school almost being out—although I love my summer time with my family! What I am referring to is the time for our revival meeting! Now I don’t mean that in a negative sense. You see, I love revival meetings! Over the course of my years of ministry, I have had the privilege to be the host evangelist for many great evangelists. Here is a short list:

· Raymond Bennett
· John Butler Book
· Jack Cottrell
· Larry Pierson
· Dean Mills
· Jim Newman
· Tom Napier
· Tom Claibourne
· Tom Thurman
· Dr. David Grubbs
· Keith Wooley
· Ronnie Abshire

Some of these names you may recognize. But a common thread that runs through all the preaching of the evangelists listed above is strong biblical preaching and teaching! Men who are true to old Jerusalem Gospel! Men who believe in the restoration of the New Testament Church.
Of course there are other elements, besides great biblical preaching, that help to make a revival meeting great! Let me suggest a few here.

Your attendance—How can revival ever really take place in your life if you are not here for the meeting? I wish sometimes that I lived in the day when revival meetings were packed. Stories are told of how the church had to bring chairs into the assembly just to have space for people. Even before those days, which many of you may remember, there were times when people would stand outside in open windows just to hear the Gospel proclaimed. And most of those people were not concerned if the preacher ran a few minutes over! In fact, who was keeping the clock? People just seem to be so busy today, including church members for their own revival. I encourage you to be here every night that you can be here! You know, Lord willing, I will be here—and not simply because I am the preacher!

Attitude—A good one I hope! Our attitude coming into the assembly makes a HUGE difference, not only during a revival meeting, but also every first day of the week. It all goes back to the “get to” or “got to” sermon series I preached last year. The proper attitude is “I get to assemble with church for a revival meeting.” It is not: “Do I got to go to another night of revival?” I personally, consider it a privilege to be here each evening, and, again, not just because I am the preacher. I “get to”!

Open hearts and minds—The Gospel doesn't change, but often times during a revival meeting, things are presented in a way that we may be challenged to make a difference. Revival often calls for changes in our lives. For those who have not followed the biblical plan of salvation, it is taking that initial step. For those of us who have been obedient to the Gospel, it may be some lifestyle changes. It may even be an attitude adjustment. But if we come in with closed hearts and minds to the preaching of the Gospel, these changes will never take place! Pray for those who attend our meeting to open their hearts and minds. And while you are at it, pray that you would also.

There are so many other elements, but I am coming to the end of my space. But here is a list of a few more:

· Great music
· Great fellowship
· Attendance from local churches
· And many other things!

The Art of Preaching

At Florida Christian College I learned the “Art of Preaching”. I may not be the greatest at it—but I had some great teachers. Many of you met Richard Marshall (and his wife Betty) when he attended an evening service here at South Side last summer. Mr. Marshall was not just my teacher, but for two years he was my preacher. He could bring great powerful sermons, without notes! He always impressed us future preachers with that ability. He has a local tie, as he preached at Lone Oak while attending Lincoln.

Then there was Glenn Bourne. Professor Bourne is a fantastic preacher of the Word. He was my practical ministry professor. I also had him for the Ecclesiology (Doctrine of the Church) and the book of Revelation. Professor Bourne is a great mentor to me.

I couldn’t talk about great preaching and leave out Dr. James Smith. Wow! He preached to us future preachers every day in his classes. When you left Doc Smith’s class you weren’t sure whether to repent or study for an exam (or both). I would love to be able to teach and preach like Doc Smith.

Oh, and yes, Dr. Roger Chambers. I think I have listened to everything ever recorded that he taught. Dr. Chambers was such a logical thinker. When I would listen to him preach or teach, it was always the meat, but yet so simple—most of the time!

Throughout my years of being a Christian, there have been many others who have had an influence on me and my “art of preaching”. I often would travel to sister churches holding revivals, especially when any of these men were preaching. Here is a short list:

* Ed Harris
* Dr. Wilke Winter
* Raymond Bennett
* Ed Bousman
* Dean Mills
* Dr. James Strauss
* Clearance Greenleaf
* John Butler Book
* George Faull
* Don DeWelt
* Lee Mason
* Marshall Leggett
* Ben Merold
* Dr. Lewis Foster
* Robert Hodshire

There is one thread that runs through all of these great preachers of the faith. All these preachers preached the old stuff! They preached the old Jerusalem Gospel with such a great passion. I never had to wonder where any of these great preachers stood. They simply preached the Word. Their goal was to promote New Testament Christianity. Their passion was the restoration of New Testament Church. They would never apologize for preaching the basics, frankly because that is what the church so desperately needs.

Why is it that in the church we often think we need something other than that? Many want pop psychology. Others are looking for quick fixes to life’s problems. Still others are looking for “feel good” sermons. Then there are those who don’t think they have heard a good sermon until they heard a good story or joke. Oh, and yes, there are those who think that a good sermon must beat them up spiritually (even though it is just a good sermon to listen to, with no intentions to change).

Let me list some elements that, in my opinion, make a good sermon:
Biblically based—I am not interested in a cute illustration, but rather a sermon! I am also not interested in listening to someone who can’t even get the basics of the faith right. If they miss it there, where else will they miss it?
A lesson to be learned—Many of our non-instrumental brethren have it right. They do not call their messages “sermons” but rather “lessons”.
Well outlined—something easy to remember. Sometimes you hear preachers and wonder what their point was. Well outlined lessons help to give focus and direction.
Preach Jesus—The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and how to apply that so that I can be saved!
An invitation—As Philip ‘preached Jesus’ unto the Ethiopian, they came to some water . . . Philip’s preaching of Jesus included the invitation to be immersed into Christ for the forgiveness of sins! Wow! So simple!

Great preaching takes lots of preparation, not simply the week before the lesson, but years of study.

One other note about the preachers I have learned to love over the years: Several of them have died and gone on to be with the Lord. That is glory to them, but a great loss to us. I pray that I could be half the evangelist of anyone on that list.

The Lord's Supper Every Lord's Day!

As I read through the New Testament, it seems very clear to me that the first century church met on the first day of every week. For those who don’t know, the first day of the week is Sunday (not Saturday). This is taught very clearly in the New Testament. The focal point of the assembly was to partake of the Lord’s Supper. It saddens me when I hear of our sister churches that deemphasize Communion, or stop partaking all together. That is why at South Side, the table of our Lord sits at the front and center of our facility. The table alone is a constant reminder of the event that saved us—the death of Jesus on the cross.

Churches often change the way they do things for the sake of convenience. When it comes to communion, some churches have cut out the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis. Many argue if you take it every week, it will get old and simply ritualistic. Some churches have placed communion in a side room and tell the congregation that it is there if you desire to take it. Others, because the first day of the week is too full, offer communion when it is more convenient, on a Saturday evening. And this list goes on of what the church does in the name of convenience!

Obviously, we at South Side insist on “Doing Bible things in Bible ways”. This principle forces me to take the Lord’s Supper in the way that it was commanded in the New Testament.
Let me offer these suggestions in partaking:

1. The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance for the Christian of the death of Jesus, that which saves us! That is one reason it has no meaning to the non-Christian. They have not come into contact with the death of Jesus yet. And it is just a remembrance! I do not have my sins forgiven when I partake of the Lord’s Supper. I have my sins forgiven at immersion! After my immersion He continues to forgive me as I confess my sins to Him (I John 1:9). I am glad that I do not have to wait until Sunday to have my sins forgiven. Communion is a remembrance of the death of Jesus, which saves us! To not partake is to say to God that it is not important.

Acts 20:7 says, “And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.” One of the reasons the early Christians even met on the first day of the week was to partake of the breaking of the bread. Some would say that is only one verse that says they partook on the first day of the week. Let me ask you: how many times does someone have to tell you something before you do it? If we only have one verse, does that make it any less important?

2. Partake of the emblems SERIOUSLY! It is NOT just a ritual! Communion is something that God, in His infinite wisdom, has told us to do every first day of the week. He knew we would forget! He offered the Hebrews of the Old Testament the Sabbath to remind them of their salvation from bondage (passing through the Red Sea). It was a weekly reminder to keep their minds always in tune that God had saved them. In a similar way, celebrating the Lord’s Supper on the first day of every week keeps in our minds ALWAYS that God has saved us! I Corinthians 11: 27-30 – Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.

Isn’t it great how God put together Sunday (the day Jesus came out of the tomb) and the Lord’s Supper (reminding us of the event that saved us)? I can’t wait for the next Lord’s Day when we meet to share in the Apostles’ Doctrine, to the breaking of the bread, to prayers and to fellowship!

I am glad to commune with our Lord weekly on Sunday. And I am honored that I get to do it with you, South Side, each and every Lord’s Day.

Valentine's Day Snow

Valentine's Day Snow! WOW! 12-17 inches, with huge drifts, like this one in front of our home! It took the kids and I a couple of hours to dig out the driveway! Resting now - that was a lot of work! Kids got some good sledding time in, though.

Reflecting on Valentine's Day, I am honored to be married to a great Christian woman! She is kind and sweet! God has truly blessed our home very much!

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (I John 4:7-8)

SNOW!

It's beginning to look a lot like . . . wait . . . it's February! Cold and Snowy (5-6 inches).

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7).

Reminds me of my immersion. Just as Ananias told Saul, "Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name" (Acts 22:16).

Groundhog Day

My wife and I traveled through Punxsutawney, PA, during our summer vacation last year. All over this town, were statues, like the one above. We enjoyed lunch at "Punxy Phil's". We enjoyed our trip. It was in this area where I used to preach the Gospel - at the Bolivar Church of Christ. By the way, here is the today's news from Punxsutawney, just in case you missed it:

Phil Says Spring is Right Around the Corner!
Phil's official forecast as read 2/2/07 at 7:28 a.m. at Gobbler's Knob:
El Nino has caused high winds, heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures in the west.
Here in the East with much mild winter weather we have been blessed.
Global warming has caused a great debate. This mild winter makes it seem just great.
On this Groundhog Day we think of one thing. Will we have winter or will we have spring?
On Gobbler's Knob I see no shadow today. I predict that early spring is on the way.

Weather always reminds me of the promise from the days of Noah. God promised that He would never flood the earth again in the manner that He did then. He also made another promise that many Christians forget about.

"While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease." (Genesis 6:22) - What does that do with "Global Warming"? Springtime is coming . . . and soon, according to Phil! Sitting here at 12 degrees above zero . . . I am with Phil!

Old Jerusalem Gospel

One hundred years from now, if I could look back from glory and do an internet search on myself, I would love to read this statement about myself: “He believes the old Jerusalem gospel with all his heart, and greatly delights to preach it”.1 That was said of L.L. Carpenter, an evangelist of the New Testament Church from the 1800’s.

Or maybe I could read about myself what was written about another evangelist of the New Testament Church. Before James Creel died in 1923, it was written: “He loves the old Jerusalem gospel, and hopes yet to spend many years in faithfully preaching the same”.2 In fact, I can relate to James Creel’s religious life in other ways. Read what was written about him in 1902:

James' parents were pious and devoted Baptists, and at the early age of thirteen he joined the Baptist Church; and when eighteen years old, having learned the way of the Lord more accurately, he gave up all denominationalism and became a Christian only, belonging to the Church of Christ only; and by this act he became identified with that religious body who, as individuals, are simply disciples of Christ or Christians, and, as congregations, are simply churches of Christ, no more nor less. In other words, he ceased to be a Baptist, and ceased to belong to the Baptist Church by becoming a Christian only, and belonging to the Church of Christ only.2

How do I relate to someone who died in 1923? The same way some of you relate to him. You, like me, may have come out of denominationalism and simply wanted to be Christians. That, in a nutshell, is the “Restoration Plea”. It is a plea to drop all denominational teachings and practices and follow the Bible, and the Bible only. The “Old Jerusalem Gospel” that both of these men loved so dearly, is still the only Gospel that saves today!

I hope that you have learned by now that I have a passion to preach the “Old Jerusalem Gospel”. My passion is to take people back to the Bible as our sole source of authority. I may not always have the excitement of a Raymond Bennett (our “heaven-high, world-wide, shot gun barrel straight revival speaker). I may not always be as well outlined as an Ed Bousman or James Smith. I may not always have the depth of knowledge of a George Faull or the late Roger Chambers. But I believe in the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” of the Scriptures! That “Old Jerusalem Gospel” is what I live for—and what I would die for!

Why do some call it the “Old Jerusalem Gospel” though? You may have heard the church described as “Old Ship Zion”. Where do these ideas come from?

First, these ideas go back to the second chapter of Acts. As we open up the Bible and read about the beginning of the church (Acts 2) we see the Gospel first proclaimed in Jerusalem. In fact, Jesus told the apostles in chapter one (Acts 1:8) that they would be His “witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth”. Notice that world evangelism would begin in Jerusalem.

On the day of Pentecost, still in Acts 2, we read where Peter preached the Gospel (the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus). He continued preaching Jesus unto them as he told them how to apply this Gospel to their lives. He preached, “Repent and be immersed everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). This first Gospel message was preached in Jerusalem.

Second, these ideas of the “Old Jerusalem Gospel” and the church as the “Old Ship Zion”, goes back to Micah’s prophecy. Notice what Micah wrote as he prophesied the preaching of the Gospel: “For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem”. (Micah 4:2). I would encourage you to read the entire third and fourth chapters in Micah to get the context. But the Gospel would be first proclaimed from Jerusalem—from Mt. Zion!

The old revival song proclaimed:
Give me that old time religion;
It was good enough for Paul and Silas;
It is good enough for me!

I give a hearty “AMEN”. Give me that Old Jerusalem Gospel, it was good enough for Paul, Silas, Peter, Timothy, James, Stephen, Phillip and the first century church, it is good enough for me!

Get excited with me, as we together, share the Old Jerusalem Gospel and help guide this Old Ship Zion to Danville and the surrounding area!

Your evangelist,
Kevin

References about above evangelists:
1. http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/jtbrown/coc/COC1343.HTM
2. http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/lwilson/tcsab/CREELJC.HTM

Audio now on Blog

This evening I added a new feature on the blog. I posted on the right hand side of this blog one of my sermons. If you click on the play button, you can hear the sermon. If you click on the "Posts" button, you can see other sermons that I have preached and uploaded to the podcast website.
You can also listen to any of my sermons by going to the South Side Church of Christ website and clicking on sermons. Enjoy!

James A. Garfield

James A. Garfield
20th United States President
(1831-1881)

Listen to what his biographers included in his life story:
1. We call ourselves Christians or Disciples
2. We believe in God the Father
3. We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and our only Savior. We regard the divinity of Christ as the fundamental truth in the Christian System
4. We believe in the Holy Spirit, both as to it agency in conversion and as an indweller in the heart of the Christian
5. We accept both the Old and New Testament Scriptures as the inspired Word of God
6. We believe in the future punishment of the wicked and the future reward of the righteous
7. We believe that Deity is a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God
8. We observe the institution of the Lord’s Supper on every Lord’s Day. To this table it is our practice neither to invite nor debar. We say it is the Lord’s Supper for all the Lord’s children.
9. We plead for the union of all God’s people on the Bible, and the Bible alone.
10. The Bible is our only creed.
11. We maintain that all the ordinances of the Gospel should be observed as they were in the days of the Apostles.

Sounds very . . . biblical!

Relating to the Prophet

When I was in Hebrew class at Florida Christian College we had to adopt a Hebrew name. The name I chose was the name of my favorite prophet - Yir-meh-yaw-hoo. OK, you are thinking that you have never heard of that prophet before, right? That is the way you pronounce the name of Jeremiah in the Hebrew.

Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. But before you hold that against Jeremiah, realize that he lived during one of the worst time periods of Hebrew history. As he preached, it seemed that no one was listening. And it was during his ministry, that the city of Jerusalem and the temple of God were destroyed. Out of this terrible event, Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations - a lament about the destruction of the city and temple.

Now Jeremiah had his tough times. And at one point he even wondered if he could go on preaching. All he felt like he was sharing was "violence and destruction". It got to the point where he was even thinking, "I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name". But even then, listen to the words of the great prophet: "Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it" (Jeremiah 20:8-9).

What does all that have to do with me? I have a passion to share New Testament Christianity! I have a passion to teach the "ol' Jerusalem Gospel"! It is like a fire that keeps burning in my bones to preach the "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" of the Scriptures. I am weary of holding it in!

My prayer is that this love which I have for the restoration of New Testament Christianity will spread! My prayer is that we can use the Bible only to make Christians only - the way they did in the New Testament, with the preaching of the Apostle's message. May we as Christians (not just evangelists) have the desire and passion to contend and share the faith once delivered! May it be a fire that keeps burning in our bones! May we share our faith so that we can honor the simplicity of the Great Commission: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16).

Today I was invited to share the message with a men's group at the Leroy Christian Church on March 6. I consider it an honor to break open God's Word and sharing the message on the Uniqueness of the Churches of Christ/Christian Churches with the churches just west of here! Pray that I can be bold as I share. You don't have to worry about the passion - I certainly have that!

County Meeting

I am excited! This Tuesday, the South Side Church of Christ is hosting the Vermilion County Churches of Christ/Christian Churches. Each month a different church hosts the meeting. Of course, the churches are not a denomination, so that is not the nature of the meeting. The meeting is simply a time of singing and fellowship and preaching! Isn't it great that people of like faith can meet as one - as the church? Of course, with us being the host, I get to preach! My sermon will be on the Uniqueness of the Churches of Christ/Christian Churches. Basically, I will be speaking on why I attend the Church of Christ. I am really looking forward to sharing this with the churches.

To help fire me up (as if I needed to get anymore fired up for the meeting) I have been reading a forum this past week where many are trying to say that we are a denomination. I have not posted anything in the forum because it seems that several in the group are in there to simply be divisive. But I firmly believe that we are NOT a denomination. In fact, I don't describe myself as non-denominational, and definitely not inter-denominational. I consider myself anti-denominational. I came from denominationalism, and I never intend on going back!

If you are interested, the sermon will be posted on the web site for South Side later this week. Pray for boldness! Pray that we can be gracious hosts. Pray that we can continue to contend for the "one faith" and the "one church" that Jesus Christ said He built!