Seven Wonders Of the Word

Most have heard of the “seven wonders of the ancient world." However, many have never heard of the following seven wonders of the Word of God. The Psalmist prayed: “Oren thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18). Again, the Psalmist declares: “Thy testimonies are wonderful; therefore doth my soul keep them” (Psalm119:129).

1. The wonder of its INSPIRATION! Not just part of it – not just the thoughts of it – but “all scripture is given by inspiration of God” (II Timothy 3:16). To the very jot (the very smallest letter) and tittle (the smallest projection that distinguishes one letter from another), is inspired (Matthew 5:18).
2. The wonder of its FORMATION! It didn’t all come at once but over a period of about 1600 years. “….precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little” (Isaiah 28:10).
3. The wonder of its UNIFICATION! It is a library of 66 books, yet it is ONE BOOK. Written by some 40 different writers over about 1600 years, yet ONE MESSAGE (Revelation 19:10).
4. The wonder of its REVELATION! The Bible is the complete, final revelation of “the things of God” (I Corinthians 2:10-12) which came not by “the will of man” but as holy men of God were “moved by the holy ghost” (II Peter 1:20-21).
5. The wonder of its INFORMATION! It is the greatest literature in the world, but it is more than that – it contains “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (II Peter 1:3). No additional information is needed for enables us to “thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:17).
6. The wonder of its PROPAGATION! Read by all nations, classes, and races. It is the world’s best seller.
7. The wonder of its PRESERVATION! The most hated of all books, yet it continues. “The word of the Lord endureth forever” (I Peter 1:25).

“….my heart stands in awe at thy word” (Psalm 119:161).

-via Belvedere Beacon (Belvedere, SC)

The Basis of Acceptable Worship

“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:22–24)

Truth is essential for all acceptable worship. God said is the basis of the Truth that must direct all acceptable worship (John 17:17). If one cannot know God without revelation (and he cannot), then it also follows that one cannot worship God acceptably without the Truth that comes by revelation. The Samaritans worshiped God, but it was not acceptable, because it was based on partial revelation. One’s worship must be spiritual, from man’s own spirit, and it must be as the Truth of the Gospel directs. God said is the basis of all acceptable worship. Some brethren today need to reconsider this fundamental Truth. This will stop some of the foolish and hurtful things that are taking place in worship today.

The Basis of All Acceptable Religious Experience

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)

Jude speaks of “contending for the faith”—that is, objective faith,written revelation, upon which one’s faith must rest. Any “religious experience” not based upon what God has said is false. One’s religious experience must be tested by what “God said,” not by what one thinks God says through a religious experience. Testing what God says by one’s religious experience today is the basis of false religion. Abraham had a religious experience, but it was based upon what “God said” (Genesis 22:1–13). Salvation is a religious experience, but it must be based upon what “God said.” Worship is a religious experience, but it must be based upon what “God said” (Acts 17). The Athenians were having a religious experience, but it was not acceptable unto God, because it was not based upon revelation. One can find people gathered everywhere in worship going through some kind of experience, but this does not mean that that experience is acceptable to God. Every religious experience one has must be in harmony with what the Bible teaches and must rest upon what “God said.”

When one has some kind of experience unknown to the Bible, that experience is false and deceptive and not accepted by God. It is time for men to turn back to the Bible and to find out what it teaches and then act upon it. The action then will be an experience, which harmonizes with what “God said.” This will be acceptable unto God. Nothing else is or can be.

Franklin Camp

What Can We Do to Prevent Apostacy?

1. We need to appoint and support faithful elders who will properly oversee the flock (Acts 20:28-32).
2. We need to be busy now training other leader to take their place. Consider Joshua’s training and the influence he wielded (Joshua 24:31).
3. We need to learn again proper respect for the Word of God (Psalm 119:9-16). We must teach this to our children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
4. We must vaccinate against the errors of our day by exposing all false teachers – even if this means being negative (Acts 20:29-32; II Timothy4:1-5).
5. We must indoctrinate each generation. It is right to teach doctrine (I Timothy 4:16; II John 9-11).
6. We need to pray fervently for elders and preachers (James 5:16).
7. We must be set for the defense of the gospel (Philippians 1:17).

B. C. Carr

What We Hear Today

From the same pulpits where brave and faithful men stood we are hearing:

1. Salvation is by grace alone. There is nothing man can do toward his own salvation.
2. Others are saying we are saved by faith alone.
3. We are told that instrumental music is a matter of tradition or opinion.
4. Pattern theology is to be rejected. We should be less rigid in our beliefs.
5. The “old paths” mentality should be rejected.
6. We should not believe we are the only true church.
7. The Scriptures should not be used as proof texts.
8. We need to give women a more prominent role in the church.
9. Preachers are swapping pulpits with denominational pastors.
10. Fellowship among all who believe in Christ should be practiced.

B.C. Carr

Work of the Church

The Lord's church is His spiritual body (Ephesians 1:22–23). It would seem to be unarguable that Jesus wants His spiritual body to engage in the same work He came to do in His physical body. Most would not argue otherwise verbally, but many strongly so argue practically.

Some years ago a few “promoter-type” brethren began spreading a spiritual “virus” in the church that has infected many congregations. Its practical effect is to “provide all things for all men” (not to be confused with our personally “becoming all things to all men” in optional matters [I Corinthians 9:22]). Some call this approach “ministering to the whole man” or “meeting felt needs.” It spawned a troupe of church growth “experts” who began compassing sea and land with their weekend How to Grow a Church “seminars.”

My first preaching work out of college (1959) was as one of the preachers with a large church in Wichita Falls, Texas. A Methodist Church building a few blocks away had a gymnasium in its basement. You could have tortured our elders and they would not have built such a building. They knew there was no authority for such use of the Lord's money. Twenty years later, with a new set of elders, that congregation had its own gymnasium. Oh, they call it their “Family Life Center” (but when I see an expansive room with basketball goals, net poles for volleyball and lines on the floor for boundaries, pardon me for calling it a “gymnasium”).

When one starts down the minister-to-the-whole-man road it is difficult to find a stopping place. Accordingly, another symptom of this viral disease is the pleasure jaunts of senior citizen and teenage groups in the church (pity the “middle-aged” folk—almost always left out). I enjoy travel, fellowship, and pretty scenery as much as the next person. However, I have never figured out why the Lord's church should pay for it or employ someone who spends much of his time planning such activities and excursions, often on a bus or van owned, operated, and fueled out of the church’s bank account.

Can you imagine apostolic consent for a three-day sightseeing trip to Tyre and Sidon for the Jerusalem church’s “39ers” or the “Autumn Leaves” group? Try to picture Timothy's planning a ski retreat on Mt. Olympus for the “keen teens” of Ephesus. I somehow doubt that Paul ever considered taking a contribution from the Gentile churches to build a “Family Life Center” for the church in Jerusalem.

Such suggestions are ludicrous, bordering on blasphemy. But only liberals among us have jumped on this meeting-the-felt-needs bandwagon, right? The September 2013 “Polishing the Pulpit” extravaganza, planned, overseen by, and participated in by brethren who consider themselves (as we once considered them) to be “men of the Book, included classes in conflict management, weight loss, the risk of dating, sibling rivalry, budget shopping for clothes, nutrition, preparing for SAT, and such like. Somehow they overlooked small engine repair and basic auto maintenance.

Such activities and emphases are no more the work of the blood-bought church of Christ in the twenty-first century than they were in the first. The kingdom is a spiritual entity by definition (John 18:36). Its work and mission are tied innately to its nature. Its work, as was that of its Builder/Head, is spiritual—to bring the saving Gospel to lost humanity (Matthew 28:19–20; Mark 16:15–16; Romans 1:16). All else we do as His church is peripheral to this one grand task.

Faithful saints desire congregational growth as much as any of the “church growth experts” do, but that end will never justify the sacrifice of Scripturally authorized means. “We must work the works of him that sent me…” (John 9:4a).

Dub McClish

FOR WHAT WILL THIS CONGREGATION BE KNOWN?

1. Will we be known for our love for lost souls? “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
2. Will we be known for having strong elders who watch for souls? “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
3. Will we be known for having deacons who serve? “For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 3:13).
4. Will we be known for our generous giving? “God loveth a cheerful giver” (II Corinthians 9:7).
5. Will we be known for our brotherly love? “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).
6. Will we be known for our friendliness and hospitality? “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts” (Psalm 119:63).
7. Will we be known for speaking the truth boldly but lovingly? “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,...they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
8. Will we be known for defending the truth when it is under attack? “I am set for the defence of the gospel” (Philippians 1:17).
9. Will we be known for Christian living on the part of every member? “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27).
10. Will we be known for helping the needy? “Let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

While our primary desire is to glorify God, others will see us and be brought nearer to Him through our efforts (Matthew 5:13-16). If we fail to exhibit the qualities just mentioned, the very real possibility exists that God will not “know” us on the day of judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).

 Author Unknown

A Spiritual Self-Examination as Suggested by Paul

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (II Corinthians 13:5)

There are times when a spirit of discontent, unrest, unhappiness, disinterest, even boredom, may overtake the heart of some Christians. In such times, we may be wise to follow the above injunction of the apostle to see just who has changed or moved—us or God. In view of these considerations, let each one do some honest personal soul-searching and self-evaluation. There are many other areas of thought than those below.

 TRUE OR FALSE?

• I see to it that the Lord always comes first in my life and in my family’s life—always (Matthew 6:33).
• I and my family are faithful in assembling to worship God at all worship services, including Sunday night and Wednesday night worship (Hebrews 10:25; 13:17).
• I am very involved every week in some aspect of the mission/evangelism work of the church (Mark 16:15).
• Whenever I learn of a need for some kind of work or help needed in the church, I always volunteer to cooperate according to my ability (Matthew 25:14-30).
• I see to it that I and my family are fed a full and steady diet of God’s Word that we may grow thereby as we worship faithfully in the public gatherings and take time at home to study His Word (I Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:12-14; II Timothy 2:15).
• I spend time visiting those who are mentioned at church as being in the hospitals (Matthew 25:31-46).
• I can honestly say that I am doing more now for the cause of Christ than I was a year ago. I am more involved than ever in the Lord’s work and in bringing glory to God (I Corinthians 15:57; II Corinthians 11:23; Revelation 3:1, 16).
• The example that I am now setting is a source of encouragement to others to serve God, and if others followed my example of Christianity, they would assuredly go to heaven (Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 1:27; 2:14-16; I Timothy 4:12).
• When I become unhappy with something or someone in the church, rather than run away, I find that my unhappiness disappears when I start doing something for others, speaking positively for the Lord, and devoting more time to prayer (Ephesians 6:18).
• When I disagree with a brother or sister, or when one has sinned against me, rather than tell everyone else about it, I go first, in a humble manner, to the other party in order to solve the problem, disagreement, or misunderstanding (Matthew 18:16-18; 5:21-26).

Author Unknown