Convicting Evidence

By David Bragg

    Fingerprints. We leave them everywhere. They are evidence of where we have been and what we have been doing. The first person convicted on fingerprint evidence in the United States was Thomas Jennings in 1911. In 1902 fingerprints were used to convict a British man of stealing billiard balls (Health and Science Research Blog). But the earliest case using fingerprint evidence was in 1892. Two children were murdered in Argentina. Their mother, Francesca Rojas, reported seeing a neighbor running from her house just before she discovered their bodies. While conducting his investigation an alert detective found a bloody thumbprint on the house's door. The print proved to be a match, not of the neighbor but of the children's mother! She confessed and was sentenced to life in prison.
    The very first chapter in the Bible relates the account of God creating the world. But many in the scientific world counter that life started with a bang and evolved over millions of years from a primeval splat to, well, us! Which is true? Look at the evidence. Our complex world could never in billions of years be the result of a cosmic accident. Every design required a designer.
    While it is true that God cannot be subjected to scientific evaluation, we do have a dependable record as evidence. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20). God, the builder and architect of the world, has His “fingerprints” all over creation, if only we have the faith to open our eyes and see it.
    Is it so surprising that much of the scientific world is at odds with God over the origin of the heavens and the earth? Only one of them was there!

- David Bragg serves as one of the ministers at the Northwest Church of Christ in Greensboro, NC and is co-editor of BulletinGold. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.nwchurchofchrist.com/ or his blog: http://davidbragg.blogspot.com/

Satan’s Success and Loss

By Ron Thomas

     The forces of Satan are in denial. Those who serve the “god of this world” deny they are serving the “god of this world” because the very idea is repugnant. Yet, they are doing so, though they do so unknowingly. It is unknowingly (or ignorantly) because they do not know the Lord’s will (John 12:48) and they do not know the powerful force of the “god of this world.” “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time" (Revelation 12:10, NKJV). The Scripture also speaks of the devouring force of man’s adversary. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
     When people look and consider Satan, the very idea of serving such evil is out of the question; people do not want to be associated with anything like this recognized evil – and they will tell you in strong language. They are unaware, however, that Satan knows this better than they do, so he disguises himself as an angel of light, “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15, ESV). By so disguising himself, people in every community think they are standing for the right when they stand for a fluid morality and a fluid Christianity. What was considered wrong in yesteryear is no longer wrong this year. Such ways of thinking, such a way to approach life makes Satan smile.
     It was once considered proper to discipline children with corporal punishment, but now it is considered abuse. It was once wrong to have an adulteress affair, now it is not nearly as wrong as it once was (people still subscribe to it being wrong, but they can’t tell you why it is). It was once wrong to lie, but now it is more accepted (especially if one is in the business world). It was once wrong to have two people of the same gender engage in intimacy, but now in many parts of the community it is not wrong at all. It was once wrong to confuse your identity (transgender), but now all one needs to do is claim he is a she and demand acceptance. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9). When one leans on his own understanding – Satan will win.
     Try as we might – the Christian must stand and fight. He knows that his battle is up-hill, but to fail to exert herself in this engagement is not an option. Each Christian is to contend earnestly for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. The manner is which this is done is, first, by the life of holiness lived and, second, by telling others about Jesus and the judgment to come. He does this because it is the bedrock of morality; she does this because the bedrock of morality for the community is the only moral compass that eliminates moral confusion. They do this because without the Lord’s guidance, numerically, the forces of Satan will win the battle of numbers. Right now, the evil force of the “god of this world” clearly has numerical superiority.
     It is this way because the Scripture tells as much. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). It is worth the time for each Christian to stand opposed to the forces of evil as seen in the “god of this world,” but our success won’t be in numerical superiority, it will be in the hope that is laid up for us when this life is over. A huge proportion of humanity walks the wide road that leads to destruction, but while you have life there is opportunity for you to turn someone away from that wide/broad path that leads to destruction.
We do this because, in the end, Satan already lost; be sure he does not take you with him in his descent!

- Ron Thomas preacher for the Sunrush Church of Christ, Chillicothe, OH. He may be contacted through the congregation's website. http://sunrushchurchofchrist.com/                        

What If You Had Two Wishes?

By Steve Higginbotham

     What would you wish for if you had a “genie in a bottle?” Surely all of us at one point or another have day-dreamed about that question. Just how would we use our “three wishes?” If we were to poll people on the street, I would guess that almost universally, the wishes would go something like this. Wish #1 - Good Health. Wish #2 - Inexhaustible Riches. Wish #3 - An Infinite Number of Additional Wishes. It’s amazing how much we all think alike.
     However, I know of one man who was quite different than most of us. He wasn’t given “three wishes,” and he didn’t have a genie in a bottle, but he did ask God to grant just two wishes for him before he died. Here’s what he wished for, “Two things I request of you (deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches – feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny you, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:7-9).
     Did you see that? “Give me neither poverty nor riches!” Amazing!  It’s almost unbelievable that one would wish for such a thing. But how incredibly wise and insightful this man was. He understood the power that money could wield over one’s life, and thus sought to avoid the pitfalls of both riches and poverty.
     May God help us to have a proper relationship with money. We can’t avoid it. It’s necessary to function in our society. It need not harm us, but if we don’t stay on guard, keeping our attitudes in check, it will harm us. Money is powerful! Therefore, I pray that we may all develop the contentment to be able to truly say, “Lord, grant me neither riches nor poverty.”

- Steve Higginbotham preaches for the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at http://www.karnschurch.org Copyright © 2017 MercEmail

The Church is God’s Idea

By Joe Chesser

     Dysfunctional churches abound. They are in every city and in nearly every community throughout America and around the world. Dysfunctional churches come in all sizes and cultures, and are comprised of people who are liberal in their thinking, radically conservative in their thinking, and who consider themselves mainstream. Ray Hollenbach wrote that “it is difficult to stand in defense of the church when there are so many dysfunctional churches around us.”
     It’s sad, but for many people, thinking of church gives them an ill feeling. Hollenbach further said that “nearly everyone has gruesome tales of hypocrites, self-righteous blowhards, and sexual predators.” No wonder so many people are having coffee and croissants at Starbucks and calling it church (or wish they could). It’s less demanding and abrasive, and offers a more relaxed atmosphere for social interaction, and occasionally, even some spiritual discussion. No wonder so many churches are competing with each other with their programs and services. No wonder so many churches have become entertainment centers hoping to attract huge crowds with their music and productions.
     This raises some serious questions: Whose idea is all of this? Is what we see in churches today what God had in mind when he began the church? If not, what is God’s idea of church?
     If we go back to the basics, if we go back to the time when the idea of church originated, if we go back to what the Bible says about church, we will learn that the idea of church came directly from God. In a time when the idea of church was non-existent to anyone on earth except for Jesus himself, Jesus revealed His plan to build a church that even Satan couldn’t destroy (Matt. 16:18). Oh yes, the people had expected a Messiah, but their greatest hope was that the Messiah would re-establish the political kingdom to Israel. This was true even on the day Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 1:6). It was just a few days after that (on Pentecost) when the Holy Spirit revealed the concept of church to the Apostles. That day God’s idea of church first began to be understood (Acts 2:38-47).
     My point is that the idea of church was God’s. Since that is true, I suggest that our concept of what the church should be today should come from God, not us. Our ideas have created dysfunctional churches. Our ways are not working. Let’s look in the Bible for what He had in mind for the church – and follow that.

- Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland Church of Christ, Fruitland, MO.  He may be contacted at joeandareva@yahoo.com

An Inadvertent Denial

By Jim Faughn

     The scene is familiar to most of us. It is one of many sad scenes that are connected to the crucifixion of our Lord.
     According to Matthew 26:69, Peter was “…sitting outside in the court-yard…” while Jesus was being put on trial. That phrase, put on trial, is used very loosely. If the term “kangaroo court” had been invented at that time, it would most assuredly have qualified.
     We probably remember how a servant girl recognized and identified Peter. We also remember and are saddened to read how the one who had earlier proclaimed Jesus to be “…the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16) now was denying that he was ever with Jesus. Further, he denied that he even knew Jesus (cf. Matt. 26:70-72).
     Most of us probably remember that the girl informed Peter that he was being betrayed by his speech. We are informed by those who know the Greek language that she could have been talking about his dialect or his accent.
     At this point, Peter “upped the ante” and began to curse and swear. Those words may not be used in exactly the same way in which we use them when we talk about somebody cursing and/or swearing. We usually use those words to describe the language of somebody who is “talking dirty.” There is evidence to support the idea that Peter was suggesting that he should be under a curse if he was not telling the truth and was swearing as one might do in court-room.
     Even though that could be the case, let us not miss the point that Peter was using his language to try to deny that he knew Jesus. I’m wondering if the same thing is not being done by some today who claim to believe that Jesus is “…the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
     When I curse and swear in the sense in which those words are used in our current day, could I inadvertently be denying that I know Jesus? When those around me hear a steady string of expletives and/or euphemisms (words like gosh, golly, jeez, darn, etc.), do they get the idea that I really know Jesus and am doing my best to serve Him? When they see things that we post or tweet and see those not-so-cute little expressions like omg and others that will not be used here, am I denying that I know Jesus? Again, when I “share” or “retweet” something that may be innocent enough, but comes from a source that has one of those words in it, what am I saying about my allegiance to Christ?
     I realize that I’ve raised a lot of questions. Maybe it is time to state something I know for a fact. The One from whom Peter was trying to distance himself by his speech said:

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matt 12:35-37).

- Jim Faughn, a retired preacher, serves as an elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org

Getting Away With Murder

By Gerald Cowan

     Each of us has a deadly weapon with which we are able to inflict great damage to those around us. This weapon is small in size, and so it is deceptively dangerous. Although it is potentially dangerous to others our tongues are most dangerous to ourselves. They get us into trouble we would rather not have. In our moments of anger we apply the tongue unmercifully, often to our own shame and regret when the fit of anger has passed. In our unguarded moments we allow unkind and uncalled-for statements to fall from our tongues, statements that damage lives and drive wedges between us and others. No one of us has enough friends that we can afford to lose even one. But even close friends can be alienated and driven away by unfriendly words.
     Our tongues bring judgment upon us (Matthew 7:1-4). They reveal what kind of persons we really are. The Lord said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). When our tongues get out of control they reveal to others what is in us.
     The most despicable and dishonorable use of this weapon of ours is gossip, and for some reason it is the most widespread. People who would not dare to speak their minds face to face with those they criticize often sneak around and lay traps for them by turning others against them – gossips are a cowardly lot! When someone says to another, concerning some absent third party, “Oh, he is a nice enough person, but...” or, “He does a lot of good things, but...” you can be sure that murder is about to be committed. Some defenseless character is going to be assassinated. Of course, the one who listens to it or allows it to happen, or just accepts it without proving anything is an accessory to the crime – an accessory to murder!
     What is your reaction to all of this? Do you let others get away with murder? All of us may do so, at one time or another. We allow  others – even the church, the scripture, and the Lord himself – to be defamed, maligned, and perhaps blasphemed. We are accessories, partly responsible for the sins of others’ tongues. But do you ever commit murder with your own tongue? Do others let you get away with it, without holding you accountable for it? We must remember that all things are done in the sight of God. He will see to it that nobody ever gets away with murder, or with any other sin of the tongue.

- Gerald Cowan, a longtime preacher and missionary, is retired from full-time pulpit preaching. Gerald publishes an e-mail newsletter entitled GERALD COWAN’S PERSONAL PERIODICAL WRITINGS. He is available for Gospel Meetings and he may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com

A Re-Created Masterpiece

By David A. Sargent

     “In the world of the ‘Oops!’ this is a masterpiece,” said Kevin Tibbles of NBC Nightly News.
     Recent video footage in a museum in Taiwan reveals a 12-year-old wearing a t-shirt and shorts with a drink in his hand touring the museum when suddenly he stumbles over a platform and reaches out his hands to brace his fall. Unfortunately, as he fell one of his hands punches a hole in a painting on display.
     "The child fell and pressed onto the painting, putting a fist-sized tear in it," said an employee at TST Art of Discovery, which organized the exhibition.
     The painting, an oil-on-canvas entitled “Flowers” by Italian artist Paolo Porpora, dates back to the 1600s and is part of a collection of 55 artworks on display in the country's capital, Taipei. The painting is worth $1.5 to $2 million.
     Fortunately, the organizers of the exhibition did not seek damages from the boy’s family. The painting was restored on site and is now back on exhibition. *
     God created a masterpiece that has also been marred … God “made the world and everything in it” (Acts 17:24), but His highest creation is mankind, for man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Man is one of God’s created masterpieces.
     But man has marred God’s masterpiece by sinning against the Creator. The problem is universal, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
     Our sins have “ruined” God’s masterpiece, and we deserve to be cast aside and destroyed, like a ruined painting.
     But the good news is: God is in the restoration business! He loves us so much that He wants to make us whole again, fully-restored to fellowship with Him and “on-display” to the world as His beautiful re-creation. He restores us “in Christ.”
     Because of His great love for us, God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Through His blood, we can be cleansed of sin and fully restored. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
     “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
     To be found “in Christ” and receive new, eternal life we must place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27). Then, as we “walk in the light” of His Word, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
     God wants to re-create YOU into one of His masterpieces! The Apostle Paul wrote to some people whose image had been marred by sin but cleansed by God’s grace in Christ Jesus: “You are His workmanship” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
     Won’t YOU allow God to re-create you in Christ through your trusting obedience?

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled "Living Water."  To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

* Information gleaned from NBC Nightly News and ABC News