Helpful Aids For Bible Study (#1)

By Joe Slater       We frequently speak of the importance of individual Bible study. Sermons and group Bible classes ought to be seen as supplements to personal study, not substitutes for it. And remember the difference between casual reading and study. Reading alone will benefit you, but study can open doors that casual reading leaves closed.     Obviously, Bible study requires that you have a Bible to study! Obtain one with a font size that makes it easy to read. Center column or side column cross references can be helpful, but be advised that just because a cross reference takes you to a certain passage, that passage isn’t necessarily talking about the same thing. You have to study and think! In that same vein, be extremely cautious with “study Bibles.” Most have some good material, but also contain abundant false teaching. Here again, study and think!     I recommend studying from multiple English translations. Not every translation is reliable, but often something can be gained even by reading a translation that may not be the best and shouldn’t be your “go to” Bible. For example, I don’t recommend the NIV as one’s primary Bible, but on occasion it does a respectable job of clearing up the meaning of a passage. My personal practice is to read a passage from my primary version (NKJV), but also from the KJV, ASV, NASB, ESV, and NIV.     A good concordance can make Bible study easier. A concordance is a listing of words (such as “faith” or “baptism”) showing the passages where those words are used. I prefer Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, but some like Young’s Analytical Concordance or some other. If you are computer or internet savvy, many concordances are available online or in computer programs. Once more, just because two passages use the same word doesn’t necessarily mean they deal with the same thing. Study and think!

- Joe Slater serves as minister of the Church of Christ in Justin, TX. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://justinchurchofchrist.com

Helpful Aids For Bible Study (#2)

By Joe Slater       Once you have a suitable Bible to study and a good concordance to use, consider acquiring a Bible Dictionary. Many are available, some being better than others. Smith’s is an old standby, as is Peloubet’s. Just because it says “dictionary” doesn’t mean everything it says is true. Here’s the old refrain: Study and think!     Bible Encyclopedias are basically the same as Bible Dictionaries, but more detailed. These works contain valuable background information to help you understand the Biblical text. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia is an old standard, but there are many others. Like any uninspired book, read with your eyes wide open and your brain fully engaged!     A Bible Atlas will help you locate countries, cities, rivers and seas, giving you a better grasp of what is happening in the Biblical records you read. It reminds you that the Bible deals with real people who lived in real places.     I purposely saved Commentaries for last. Far too many people run to the commentary first. Commentaries can be valuable resources, but you should first read the text from multiple translations and then study it carefully by running cross references and using your concordance. Then make use of your Bible Dictionary and/or Bible Encyclopedia along with your Bible Atlas. The final resource you should consult is the commentary. You should already have a fair grasp of what the text is teaching before you reach for the commentary. It may provide some details and other points that you didn’t see before. Be aware of the religious background of the commentator. Expect to encounter some erroneous ideas from denominational authors, and sometimes even from members of the Lord’s church.     I hope these suggestions will encourage you to be diligent and careful in your reading and study of the Bible!

- Joe Slater serves as minister of the Church of Christ in Justin, TX. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://justinchurchofchrist.com

Do We Live Under The 10 Commandments Today?

By Wes Garland       People in the world today believe that we are to live under the 10 commandments today. Is this true or is this a false statement? The way that we are going to evaluate this question is by looking at where the 10 commandments are stated, who was the spokesman of these commandments, and to whom it was stated. In evaluating this question in this way, it should clear up any question if we are under these commandments or not.     Let’s begin by looking at where these 10 commandments are stated. These 10 commandments are found in Exodus 20:3-17. Moses is the spokesman when writing these statements and is on Mt. Sinai receiving these laws. The uniqueness of these commandments is that these laws were instituted 1500 years before the coming of Christ. This is important to notice because if we notice that he wrote and commanded this before Christ came then it was present BEFORE Christ. This is important because we know that Moses stated in Deuteronomy 18:15 and also verses 18-19, “15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,…18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.” All of this refers to Christ. We also see in Matthew 17:1-5 where Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration and we see Moses, Elijah, and Jesus present. During this, the Lord overshadowed Moses and Elijah and revealed Jesus only and said “…This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” God was telling Peter, James, and John that they needed to listen to Jesus and not to Moses, or the prophets. We have to realize that when Jesus came on the scene, the focus was now on JESUS and NOT MOSES.     Now let’s look at another thing: to whom it was stated. In Deuteronomy 5:1-5, we see that Moses states that the Law that was given on the Mountain was for Israel and Israel only. Now we know that throughout the Bible, you see 2 different statuses of people: Jews and Gentiles. The Jews were the people of Israel while the Gentiles were anyone else NOT Jewish. So, we can all simply understand that if we are not of the descent of Israel, WE WERE NEVER UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES, TO BEGIN WITH! But, let’s say that they are of that lineage, does it still mean that we are under that law today? NO. Because again, the Lord Jesus Christ, came and OVERTOOK and ESTABLISHED the NEW law. When Jesus died on the cross, He nailed the OLD TESTAMENT (Law of Moses included) to it. We see this in Ephesians 2:15, “having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,”. We also see this in Romans 7:4, “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.” Now how do we know that this is the law that he is speaking of? Romans 7:7 quotes the law “You shall not covet.” So that law was put to death through the body of Christ and therefore is not governing us today.     But I notice that there are 9 out of the 10 commandments found in the New Testament. Christ has every right to bring over and instruct us in whatever way He desires. He brings these 9 over for the fact that they are eternal principles. No matter what law you lived under, these would govern God’s people. By the way, when Christ stated these to be followed in the New Testament, was it enforced from the mouth of Moses or Christ? Christ! It is not the Law of Moses, but yet NOW the Law of Christ. Nothing in the Old Testament is binding on us today, but we are to learn from it and take heed to its warnings and exhortation (Rom. 15:4).

- Wesley Garland preaches for Warners Chapel church of Christ in Clemmons, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://warnerschapelchurchofchrist.org/

There Is No Victory Without a Battle

By Joe Chesser       I love the song Faith Is the Victory! We like to talk about faith. We love to sing songs and hear sermons about faith. We dream of having a faith that is so strong and vibrant that it will never fail, a faith that will conquer every obstacle. Faith is a popular topic among Christians.     But why do we need such a faith? For victory, of course! Faith Is the Victory! But victory over what? Well, I'm afraid that’s what we don’t enjoy thinking about. As A.W. Tozer wrote, “We must keep in mind that before we can have a victory, we must have a battle” (A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night, page 114).     We don’t like battles. Why would we? Battles are dangerous. Battles are costly. Battles cause pain and suffering. Battles are not fun. Battles prevent us from enjoying the good life.     However, as much as we dislike battles, they are actually one of God’s plans for our progress. When battles are overcome by faith in God’s power, they make us stronger and help us move forward. Battles open our eyes to see the deliverance of God. They help us recognize how much we depend upon God and not ourselves to be victorious in this life. Before we can have a victory we must have a battle.     Israel enjoyed God’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage. It was an exciting day when they marched away from slavery under Pharoah. They also enjoyed the thought of going to the Promised Land. What they didn’t enjoy were the numerous battles they would have to fight along the way as they journeyed from Egypt to Canaan. They didn’t get it that the battles they encountered were designed to increase their faith in the God of victory. They (and we) needed to learn to trust God to lead them to victory, and to learn that God’s victory had to be accomplished according to His unique plans and in His time. Like us, they all too often wanted to either fight their battles with their own strength and cunning, or try to avoid the battles all together.     For example, when the Israelites arrived in the wilderness of Paran they sent in 12 men to spy out the land God had promised them (Numbers 12.16-13.24). They came back with glowing reports. It was a land flowing with milk and honey (13.27). However, the people were strong, the cities fortified, and there were giants in the land. 10 of the spies reported that it was a land that devours its enemies (13.32) and we are like grasshoppers (13.33). Not a word of faith in God. Not a word of seeking God’s help or wisdom. In fact, not a word about God at all except questions why God led them into such a disastrous situation (14.1-4). To the majority of people it was an unwinnable battle. They would rather go back to slavery in Egypt than do battle with the people of Canaan! There was no victory for that generation of Israelites because they refused to follow God into battle. Instead of being forward looking people of faith, they retreated back into the wilderness.     I fear that Israel’s example describes many of us today. God’s vast promises of deep spiritual riches are within our reach. They are within sight. But they won’t be ours without a fight. Unlike Israel, our battle is not flesh and blood. No, we must do battle with the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6.12). Sadly, our culture has yielded to their evil influences. And Satan has convinced many Christians, especially our young people, to identify with this evil culture. The good news is that with faith in God (and not ourselves) victory is assured. But we must be willing to fight the good fight (2 Timothy 4.7).     Remember, there is no victory without a battle. Faith Is the Victory!

- Joe Chesser worked for years with the Fruitland Church of Christ, Fruitland, MO. Now retired from full time preaching, he may be contacted at joeandareva@yahoo.com

Jesus Christ Personified

By Edd Sterchi   Inspired men prophesied. He came to earth and complied, and on God’s will totally relied. But by men He was denied, unjustly tried, and horribly crucified. He cried, and died. Blood poured from His side. But death could not preside, and was nullified. Now in heaven glorified, He is our eternal guide, through whom we are sanctified, forever with Him identified, our eternal salvation completely supplied, and our blessings multiplied. And now you must decide – Do you want His blood applied?

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/

Stuck in My Head

By Bob Prichard       A tune was stuck in my head. It was a jazzy clarinet tune.  I was racking my brain trying to figure out what it was, and where it came from, when I happened to see a Land Rover TV commercial playing the tune. I had picked up the tune without paying attention.     Without even trying, our minds scoop up what we see, hear, smell, and feel. God has created us in such a way that we can remember an event from twenty-five years ago like it happened yesterday.     Knowing it is possible for us to absorb so many things without even thinking about it, shouldn’t we be extra cautious about where we go, what we do, and what we expose our minds to? The more we fill our minds with good things, the more good things there will be to well up into our conscious or unconscious minds. We need David’s attitude: “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:17).     The song was “Baby Elephant Walk,” written by Henry Mancini for the 1962 movie Hatari. Listen to it, and it will probably get stuck in your head, too! Why not spend some time this week putting good things from God in your head!

- Bob Prichard serves as an elder and evangelist for the Hillview Church of Christ in Birmingham, Alabama, since 2016. In his forty-five years of preaching he has served churches in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama.

Learning to Think about Our Money In God’s Way

By Brian Mitchell       “God lets men have their playthings like little children that they may learn to distinguish them from true and valuable possessions. If they are not learning that lesson, then He takes them away; that through the lack of them and misery thereof they may finally learn what is most valuable.” “The more things men seek, the more varied the things they imagine they need, the more they are subject to vanity—all the forms of which may be summed up with one word, that being disappointment. He who would not be overwhelmed with this disappointment must seek for that which is truly valuable and not merely temporal.”     The point of these quotations is to demonstrate the folly of seeking after, with one’s whole heart, that which will not endure and in the end will not bring any lasting fulfillment. Possessions and wealth are not inherently evil, the inordinate all-consuming pursuit of them is. It is fine to have material possessions, the problem is when we are never satisfied with the possessions we have and so we continually want more and more and more. When we don’t find ultimate fulfillment in these possessions we wonder why.     The problem is when our things possess us instead of us possessing our things and using them for God’s glory. “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Lk.12:15). Covetousness—the strong desire for that which others have, characterized by greed. The problem for many Americans is that they are never satisfied with what they have, they are as we shall discuss later, addicted to the pursuit of material possessions.     Constantly we are bombarded with images from T.V., magazines, movies and books that encourage us to desire more. Often with the sense of entitlement that says in effect that “you deserve everything you want.” One of the greatest causes of the current economic crisis is the financial overextension of many American families who simply used credit to afford lifestyles that in essence they simply could not afford. Thus, when the credit dried up and the housing market crashed, people finally woke up to the reality that they were in dire financial straits.     What was the root cause—materialistic greed and covetousness which is the closest biblical word to materialism. Sadly, the church has not gone unaffected by this dilemma and thus materialism in all its ugly forms is one of Satan’s greatest weapons against the people of God. We want and do not have and so instead of learning to be content with what we have, we simply want for more and do whatever we can to get it.     One of the greatest ironies of covetousness and materialism, especially in relation to how dangerous it is, is the difficulty of detecting or admitting the sin in our own lives. That is why it is one of Satan’s most deceptive weapons. In an article written by Paul Keller, a Catholic priest was reported as saying that “in all of his years of hearing confession, he had heard people admit to every sin imaginable—except the sin of covetousness.”     This is because when it comes to materialism and the covetous attitudes which lead to it, it is extremely hard for any of us to admit that our own materialistic desires have become either selfish or excessive. That is why it is time for us to be honest about this problem and if guilty of it we need to repent and start putting first things first again.

- Brian Mitchell serves as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net