I held a Bible class this week with one of the viewers of our TV program. They were shocked to hear that the Bible does not teach anything about the “Rapture”, “Christ reigning on earth for 1000 years” or “the future battle of Armageddon.” You can guess the subjects they wanted to study in the next class.

This article is not about those topics per se. (I wrote a bulletin article several months back about 40 things people think are found in the Bible but are not – contact us if you want a copy of that). Rather, this article is about the fact that people are convinced certain things are in the Bible that are not.

How do religious people become convinced that the Bible contains ideas that it truthfully does not? These people own Bibles, after all! In some cases, they simply have not studied. What about those who truly want to please God though? What else could derail their efforts?

1. Allowing teachers to be general with their teaching. Much of the false doctrine taught today sounds Biblical. For example, many religious leaders have been known to say that “Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace.” That sounds like it is scriptural, but it is not a phrase found in the Bible! We must demand a “thus saith the Lord” (Col. 3:17).
    
2. Allowing doubts to rest on the confidence of their teachers. I realize people have different levels of knowledge and familiarity with the Bible. However, this does not mean that we should simply accept anything a religious teacher says. I was once told the following in a Bible class: “My preacher spoke on that topic. I don’t remember what he said, but I am certain he spoke the truth on that.” It is our duty to search the scriptures to verify the things we are being taught (Acts 17:11).
    
3. Allowing ourselves to believe that teachers will be accountable for inaccurate teaching but not students. If the blind lead the blind, both fall (Matt. 15:14). Yes, those who teach error with be punished. This does not let those who believe lies off the hook either those. We are all accountable to God.

                                                                                             Chuck 

I enjoy talking with the people who contact us after watching our TV program or listening to our radio broadcast. However, there are times when they say things that are hard to believe. One such statement came last week. During our conversation, I was told that we cannot stay just with the Bible to know if we are saved. Really? Let’s think this through.

We recently finished a gospel meeting that focused on the importance of the word of God.  Establishing its inspiration was vital (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21; Gal. 1:12). Because we know that God communicated with mankind and preserved these messages for our learning, the impetus is on us to read and respect what He said (Rom. 15:4; John 20:31; John 16:13). What would be the ramifications of relying on any other source to establish one’s salvation?

First, by going beyond the written word of God, you have destroyed the standard. Some may not immediately recognize this as an issue, but we can use an example to help explain this. I received a call from a man who was convinced that having a religious experience is what would determine if we are saved, not just having the word of God. Is there a problem with this? There are several!

How can a person prove that what they experienced was from God? This is important because we have an adversary, and he uses many wiles to deceive (I Pet. 5:9; Eph. 6:11; II Tim. 3:13). Therefore, if a person had a religious experience that convinced them they were saved, there would be no way to prove or disprove it – even if it contradicted God’s written word! Without a standard of authority, no one will have the ability to determine what is objectively right or wrong since all experiences are personal.

When a person rejects the Bible as our sole source of authority, it is common to hear religious people talk about what they “feel” to be right. They may question whether God really meant what He said in the scriptures or whether certain verses are still relevant today. They are also convinced that they are right the Lord and do not have to prove anything to anyone. This is absurd because Christians are told to give an answer for the hope that is within them (I Pet. 3:15). We have come full circle because, without a standard, we cannot give an answer if someone believes there is not right or wrong answer.

This also creates problems regarding evangelism. Even though Christ gave the commission to teach the gospel (Mark 16:15), using more than the scriptures to accomplish this work will create followers of men, not followers of Christ. If someone tries to convince others by using feelings or offering testimony of a personal experience, they are implicitly wanting their listeners to put their trust in them. If you tell someone that you feel your religious experience was by the hand of God and they ask you to prove it, what would you say? The only thing you can say is, “I just know it!” There is no way to independently verify this, thus the person is putting their trust in you rather than in the Lord.

By staying just with the inspired word of God, we are encouraging people to trust in the Lord and not in man (Eph. 6:10). A religion that is based upon anything more than the Bible is a religion build upon man. True children of God build their foundations upon the apostles and prophets, with Jesus being the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). If you want to speak to someone about salvation or any other spiritual subject, listen to the words of Peter: “If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.” (I Pet. 4:11).

                                                                                               Chuck

Many people in this world have concluded that life begins at birth. Is this true? Let’s see what our Creator has to say about it. Remember, the purpose of this article is to only focus on what the word of God says. If you want to know what I personally think about the subject, my answer is simple – I believe what God says!

In Luke 1:39-31, John (prior to his birth) leaped in his mother’s womb. The text actually states that the “babe leaped”. Is it correct to call an unborn child a babe? Yes. Why? Because “John was John” before he was born and after he was born. This proves that life begins before birth, but we still need to specifically determine when life begins.

Another text to consider is found in Job 10. In verses 8-12, this man of God speaks about God making him like clay and that God poured him out like milk and curdled him like cheese. He also clothed Job with skin and flesh, knit together with bones and sinews. In this he credited God with giving him life and preserving his spirit. This is telling us that life begins at conception.

To expand on this even more, James pointed out that the body without the spirit is dead (2:26). Our body needs our spirit to live but our spirit does not need our body to live. Thus, our body goes back to ash upon death and the spirit goes back to God who gave it (Eccl. 12:7). All of this points to the fact that the soul is present at conception because there is life. When we go back to Luke 1, the fact that John leaped in the womb revealed he was indeed alive and thus had a soul/spirit.

As difficult as it is when we lose a babe, we know they have not lost their identity. The unborn is not an “it” but a human that possessed a soul that will reign with the Lord forever. It may be true that a husband and wife can come together had have a child, but let us always remember that it is God that gives life. Let us value life and never think that it only starts at birth. Such thinking is simply wrong.

                                                                                             Chuck

We all know people who are always negative. They never have anything good to say. They complain all the time. They rarely smile, and life is generally a downer for them.  Is such behavior approved of by our God? No! I am not implying that it is wrong to express disappointments. Jesus did, and He lived a sinless life (Matt. 26:38-39). What we are talking about is a constant, negative disposition.

Consider Christ’s admonition in Matthew 5:13-16. He speaks about letting our light shine. The goal is to get people to glorify our Father in heaven. Why would anyone see a constantly-negative Christian and conclude, “Wow, I want to be like them, they have such a peace that passes all understanding.” Rather, this attitude will turn people away.

Bad attitudes discourages brethren. It divides husbands and wives and their children. It builds walls and prevents friendships from being created. Consider this wisdom from Proverbs: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother,” (18:24). If we think that no one notices our grumpy disposition covered up by a small grin, we are sadly mistaken.

A proper attitude is essential for Christian living because we need to speak to others. Words that edify cannot come from one who is always negative (Eph. 4:25-32). This means that what we say matters to the Lord, but the way we say it also matters. The Proverb writer mentioned that a soft answer turns away wrath (Prov. 15:1). It is hard to imagine a negative person being an effective, influential speaker. This is true in both earthly and spiritual matters.

Picture two negative people being around each other. Each person could easily blame the other for making their life seem worse. Now imagine a whole church of negative people – who would want to be in the middle of that group? It is hard to imagine a congregation like that lasting, much less being successful working for the Lord’s work.

Brethren, we need to be mindful of our example and do the best we can to demonstrate the joy we have in being a Christian.

                                                                                             Chuck 

Jesus, during His sermon on the mount stated, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled,” (Matt. 5:6). Which Christian does not want to be righteous? But this begs the question – how does a child of God satisfy the hunger pains? Let’s explore this to help our spiritual growth.

We need to start by knowing how the hunger and thirst for righteousness is created. Our fleshly appetites create cravings when we have not eaten for a period of time. Spiritual food is a bit different though. Some people can go without righteousness and not miss it. How can this hunger for righteousness be stirred up.

Faithful Christians make it their goal to goal to have eternal life (Heb. 12:1-2). This can only be achieved by being spiritually healthy, meaning one must be righteous (I Pet. 3:12). Because the righteous are scarcely saved, we can conclude where that leaves the one who is not righteous (I Pet. 4:18).  Let us now list the ways God’s people can be filled by satisfying their hunger and thirst for righteousness.

1. Know that all acts of righteousness are good. Obviously, things that are right cannot also be wrong. Saints who question the teachings of our Lord will not desire to eat and drink of His righteousness (Rom. 9:20-21).
2. Have a desire to be filled. This is not meant to be funny, but some people seem to think they can go on a diet when it comes to feeding on righteousness. They partake of some good, spiritual activities but not all of them. We can only become filled when we walk fully in the light (I John 1:5-6).
3. Lose your taste for unrighteousness. When I do not like something, I do not eat it. A person can learn to dislike healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, etc.) or truly unhealthy things like poison, broken glass, pins, etc. The same thing can happen spiritually. We can learn to dislike spiritually beneficial things, or we can learn to dislike unrighteousness (Psa. 119:104).
4. Find the joy is being righteous. Eating and drinking without enjoying the food will prevent one from being a good eater. Christians, from the beginning of their journey, receive the gospel with gladness and rejoice upon their conversion (Acts 2:42; 8:39). Notice how often Jesus said “Blessed are those…” The Lord was saying that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who enjoy both having the meal of righteousness as well as the satisfaction afterward.
5. Have a desire to learn what righteousness is. Our hunger is not satisfied physically just because we want a meal. A hungry person knows they need to eat. Similarly, children of God must study His word when they hunger and thirst for righteousness (Rom. 1:16-17). Notice how Paul, in Romans 1, clarifies where the righteousness of God is found. Simply having that spiritual hunger will not suffice.
6. Apply the things you learned. No one goes to a restaurant and is filled by just reading the menu. Rather, reading about food options invigorates my appetite. The same is true when godly people read the Bible. They will want to immediately make changes in their lives or share the gospel with others (James 1:22; II Tim. 2:2).

Do you have a hunger and thirst for righteousness? If you do, two things are certain. You will be blessed, and you will be filled!

                                                                                               Chuck