"YOU ARE A GOD MAN, HAS GOD EVER GIVEN YOU A GUARANTEE?"

My Cardiologist had finished examining me during my annual checkup. He then said, “I will see you next year.” I was thankful that my heart seemed to be in good shape. When I entered the hall, I saw several of the ladies who worked in the building and I said to them, “He said that he would see me next year, but he did not give me a guarantee.” It was then that my doctor walked up behind me, placed his arm around me, looked me in the eyes and said, “You are a God man, has God ever given you a guarantee?” Though my Cardiologist is very religious, he is not a Christian; but, since 2001, when he put a stent in a 95 percent blocked artery, he has known that I am a gospel preacher.That is why he called me a “God man”. I replied that God has not promised me another year to live (James 4:13, 14): however, God has given to me, as well to all Christians who endeavor to live faithfully, several ‘guarantees’. I have chosen only a few ‘guarantees’ from God that are mentioned in the inspired writings of the apostle John. John 10:27-29: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” As long as we listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd and follow Him, there is no power on earth that can remove us from the hands and care of our Heavenly Father. John 11:25, 26: “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” These words of Jesus Christ give comfort to children of God who trust in Him who died for our sins, and was resurrected from the tomb. 1 John 5:11-13: “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life....” Eternal life for the believer is to be found in the Son of God, and what He did for us on the cross of Calvary when He shed His precious blood. If we “walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.” “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7, 9). Revelation 14:13: “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” These are God given ‘guarantees’ for Christians who “die in the Lord”. “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God; Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.”

THE LORD’S SUPPER: “BLESSED”, “GAVE THANKS”

I have for many years been concerned about what is said in the prayers just before we partake of the bread and the fruit of the vine during the Lord’s Supper when Chistians assemble together on the first day of the week. So, I set out to study more diligently on this very important subject and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ when He instituted the Lord’s Supper. In Matthew 26:26, we read, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body” (NKJV). The New American Standard renders this verse as follows: “Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” So, what does it mean to say a “blessing”, or, having “blessed” the bread? The greek word for “blessed” is εὐλογήσας (eulogesas). Let us now read Matthew 26:27, “Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.” Please observe the similarity of the greek word for “thanks'', εὐχαριστήσας (eucharistesas), in verse 27 with the greek word εὐλογήσας (eulogeas)for “blessed” in verse 26. In Luke 22:19, we read, “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:23,24: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” We must consider the fact that as Jesus gave thanks for the fruit of the vine, He also gave thanks for the bread. Of course, this would not exclude blessings of praise to God for His grace and love; and blessings on those who partake of the Lord’s Supper. We must remember that we do not know what all Jesus said when He spoke a blessing, however, it did include the giving of thanks for the bread. . Though the following statement is from an uninspired person, please observe the comments from Albert Barnes in his commentary on Matthew 26:26: “And blessed it” - Or sought a blessing on it; or "gave thanks" to God for it. The word rendered "blessed" not unfrequently means "to give thanks." Compare Luke 9:16 and John 6:11. It is also to be remarked that some manuscripts have the word rendered "gave thanks," instead of the one translated "blessed." It appears from the writings of Philo and the Rabbis that the Jews were never accustomed to eat without giving thanks to God and seeking his blessing. This was especially the case in both the bread and the wine used at the Passover.” If we could go back in time and enter the room where Jesus and the disciples were gathered and listen to the words of Jesus as He gave thanks for the “bread”, and said, “this is my body.”; and “gave thanks for the cup” and said, “This is my blood of the new covenant which was shed for many” (Mark 14:2, it would not be possible for us to know the thoughts and deep emotions in the heart of our precious savior as He spoke a blessing and gave thanks for these elements of the Supper, knowing that His suffering and death on the cross were imminent when His body would be nailed to the cross and His body would be pierced and His blood would be shed. As a good friend and brother said, “To me this is one of the most awesome statements in all of history. That Jesus, the night before the crucifixion, would thank the Father for the bread and cup, the emblems of His own tormented death and ultimate sacrifice, is beyond comprehension.” On the first day of the week when we assemble to “break bread”,our hearts should burst forth with praise, adoration and love for our blessed Lord Jesus Christ who gave His life for us on Calvary; and to God the Father who gave His precious Son to die for the sins of mankind that by His grace we could be saved.

“HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A BROTHER OFFERING ONE PRAYER FOR BOTH THE BREAD AND FRUIT OF THE VINE DURING THE LORD’S SUPPER?”

This was the basic question asked to me sometime ago by a brother in Christ. I told him yes and that I was greatly disturbed and surprised that a brother in Christ would offer only one prayer for both the bread and the fruit of the vine that are symbolic of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. My wife and I, along with family members, attended a small church of Christ while on vacation. When it came time for the brother presiding at the ‘Lord’s Table’, our brother offered only one prayer for both the bread and fruit of the vine. This was the first time in all of my years to hear a brother do this. When it came time for the ‘offering’ the brother thanked God for His blessings and the opportunity for all to give their monetary gifts to the Lord. I thought to myself, here is a brother who chose to offer one prayer for the bread and fruit of the vine, yet he offered a prayer for the offering when there is no specific example of this being done in the New Testament during the assembly of the church to worship God. We understand that we can pray anytime we choose because we are taught in the word of God to be “steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:12), and we are taught to give thanks to God. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16,17, we read, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Thus, it is acceptable for a brother to give thanks for our blessings and for brothers and sisters in Christ to give cheerfully and according to one’s ability to the Lord. But, let us consider the occasion when Jesus Christ gave thanks for the bread and fruit of the vine. In Matthew’s account (Mt. 26:26-29, NKJV), we read the following, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said “Take, eat; this is my body.” In Luke 22:19, we read, “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” So, when Jesus said a blessing he also gave thanks for the bread. In Matthew 26:27, Jesus “took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.” The best commentary on the actions of Jesus when He instituted the Lord’s Supper is found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” The question should be raised, was the action of Jesus giving thanks separately for the bread and fruit done unintentionally or deliberately? Can we not understand the action of Jesus was intended and on purpose? After all, the Lord’s Supper is the center of our corporate worship! Why then, would a brother change the pattern that Jesus set when He gave thanks for each the bread and fruit of the vine? Man’s wisdom is not God’s wisdom! Why can’t we just follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ when he gave thanks for both the bread and fruit of the vine separately; knowing He was going to suffer shortly on the cross and shed His blood for our redemption and forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 1:7).

"WHEN YOU COME TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE"

“When you come together in one place”, it is imperative “ all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 11:18;14:40). It is the opportunity when we come together to worship God and the Lamb “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23,24; Revelation 4 & 5). It is wonderful that brothers and sisters in Christ enjoy the company of one another; but, when the set time has come, our hearts should be centered on worshiping God. This is a deliberate action on our part. Worship begins with the first song. God is spirit and our spirits should be attuned with God’s spirit (John 4:24) The ‘acts of worship’ can sound too legalistic and formal for some; but if we use the term ‘avenues’, it can be understood that singing, praying, teaching, the Lord’s Supper and giving are avenues through which we express our our love, praise and homage to our God. The order in our assemblies when we are worshiping together can be and oft is a tradition. This can contribute to our worship being done “decently and in order”. However, when the same ‘order of things’ is done for decades it can easily become law and that is when tradition becomes wrong. Several years ago an elder told me that when he went off to a Christian College located in a different state, he knew that the church where he began worshiping was unscriptural. The reason being, the church was having the Lord’s Supper before preaching and not afterwards! If a change should be made in the order of worship it would be best for it to be announced before it was time to begin. ‘The Order of Worship’ could be printed and would be available to those in attendance. By doing this, there would be less confusion for everyone. Several years ago while working with a congregation in a small town, I mentioned to the song leader that I would like to make a change in the order of our worship. He was to lead the first song and then I would read from the Bible and make some remarks and we would do this more than once. My failure was that I did not inform the congregation of the changes that I had made! And this is the way things went in our worship that Sunday morning; the song leader led the first song and then I got up and read from the Scriptures and made some remarks that were appropriate and I sat down.. The song leader announced the number of the song that we were to sing and when he began singing, the congregation stood, thinking that this was the ‘invitation song’! Lesson learned! It would be good for a congregation to make changes occasionally so that the younger generations could know that a set ‘order’ was not a pattern as found in the New Testament. It is good that the song leader prepares his selections for the worship. Since we are to praise God, songs of praise would be excellent to lead to begin our worship. It is always appropriate for the congregation to stand when singing such songs. It would be good for the men who have been asked to lead prayers in the assembly to think beforehand what would be said in the prayer. Remember also it is to be a public prayer, that is, the prayer leader should lift his voice so all could hear. When there is a microphone, the prayer leader should speak directly into it. Remarks made when we are observing the Lord’s Supper should be brief and a source of encouragement for all to meditate on the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; and the love of God and His son manifested at Calvary. Remember also that prayers are offered up to God the Father (Matthew 6:9). It was the body of Jesus that hung on the cross and it was His blood that “was shed for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). God is spirit and “a spirit does not have flesh and bones…” (John 24:39). Preaching/teaching the word of God is a fearful responsibility (James 3:1)! Timothy received a charge from the apostle Paul to “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2-4). “The word” would consist of “All Scripture” because they were “given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). It is the duty of the preacher to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ for “it is the power of God to Salvation”! (Romans 1:16;Matthew 28:19,20;Mark 16:15,16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)! We have the example of the early church giving “On the first day of the week” (16:1,2). This contribution was for the “saints” in Judea who were in need of financial help. This is an example as to when we can give our monetary gifts to the Lord when we assemble on the first day of the week to worship God. Every Christian should read 2 Corinthians chapters eight and nine to learn more about the giving made by the churches in Macedonia. First of all, the Christians “gave of themselves to the Lord” (chapter 8:5). Paul also wrote that their giving was a matter of “grace” (chapter 8:7). My brothers and sisters, When we come together in one place, let us “worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” “Come, let us bow down in worship, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness” (Psalm 100:1,2; 95:6,7;145:3).

MANNA AND MIRACLES HAVE CEASED

The Lord God provided abundantly for His children while they were wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In Exodus chapter 16 we learn that God informed Moses of the manna that He intended to give the people. And for six days of every week while Israel journeyed in the wilderness God rained manna from heaven until they came into the promised land (Exodus 16:4, 35). After Israel crossed Jordan they encamped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month. The Holy Scriptures clearly state that “the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the produce of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year” (Joshua 5:10-12). Therefore we know definitely and beyond a shadow of a doubt that manna ceased. No need to speculate about the matter. That should be evident enough for all to understand. And yet, I can’t help but to wonder if years later while Israel dwelt in the land of Canaan that a group of young folk didn’t approach the elders of the people and make some inquiries about this miraculous matter of manna being supplied to the previous generation. You can just about hear them saying something like ‘Why, brother, the Lord is the same today as He was yesterday’. Or, ‘brother elder you are just too steeped in church traditions’. Some might have said, ‘You don’t believe in the Spirit of God strong enough.’ Or, ‘If you elders ‘felt’ the Spirit like we do you would know that manna will still come down out of heaven today.’ We read in the New Testament of the miracles of our Lord, the miraculous powers of the apostles and of the imparting of the spiritual gifts upon members of the first century church (I Corinthians 12:28-31). All Bible believing people accept the miracles, wonders and signs recorded in the New Testament. Basically speaking these miracles confirmed the divinity of Christ, the spoken word of God and guided the infant church in the absence of the complete written testament of Jesus Christ (John 10:30, 31; Hebrews 2:1-4; Ephesians 4:11-16). But in I Corinthians 13:8-10 we read that a time was coming when the miraculous would end. Paul declared that “love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish.” These three miraculous gifts stood for the whole of the nine mentioned in chapter twelve. Paul is simply saying that there was coming a time when miracles would “be done away” and would “cease”. Furthermore Paul tells us in no uncertain terms when the miracles would cease. He continued, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” The revelation of the New Testament was fragmentary. In the beginning of the church age the Word of God was in the inspired man (II Corinthians 4:7). Later as these inspired men began to write epistles to various congregations and individuals the word of God was partly in man and partly in written form. It was during this time that miracles continued, at least to some degree. However Paul said, “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” There is no doubt but Paul speaks of the cessation of the miraculous when he wrote “when that which is perfect has come.” The “perfect” is in contrast with “that which is in part”. That which was “in part” was the incomplete written word of the Lord. Therefore we must conclude that which is “perfect” has to be the complete written Word of God, that is, the New Testament of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:15-17; II timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:3; Jude 3). Also, the word “perfect” from the Greek word teleion means “to bring an end by completing or perfecting…of accomplishing…of bringing to completion.” Perfect “signifies having reached its end (telos) finished, complete, perfect” (Vine). The word “perfect” is an adjective that is here used as a noun. It is in the neuter gender and nothing in the context suggests that it refers to a person. And it does not in any way refer to the second coming of the Lord. Miracles ceased just as sure as manna ceased. And yet there are religionists who ‘feel’ that the miraculous still lingers today. There are brethren who have left us who have written books advocating the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit for us today. The most dangerous are those who have chosen not to leave the church but who influence the young, the unlearned and the ‘tired of the book only in religious matters’ folk that miracles still occur today and thus they are sowing seeds of unrest and discord among brethren. May God continue to bless elders, Bible teachers and preachers who labor diligently in the fight against such error and who teach sound doctrine for a healthy, spiritual growth in the church of Jesus Christ.

"A CHANCE" OR THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE?"

As we grow older we should always be learning, especially in regards to our understanding of the Word of God. I have for years spoken of and written about ‘The Scheme of Redemption”. A friend of mine and brother in Christ who has traveled to three different continents mentioned to me that in other cultures the word ‘scheme’ carries the meaning of trying to defraud or cheat someone. So I have begun to speak or write of the eternal purpose or plan of God to redeem mankind from sin. First of all, I would like to emphasize the reason Jesus Christ shed his precious blood and died on the cross as mentioned in the following scriptures. Matthew 26:26-28: “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” Ephesians 1:7: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…”. 1 Corinthians 15:3: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures…” And being a child of God and a member of the body (church) of the Lord and living a life of faithfulness (not perfection as one might understand), we possess the promise that is found in 2 Peter 1:11, “For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The word ‘chance’ carries a meaning of “a possibility of something happening; “the occurrence and development of events in the absence of any obvious design.” Thus, the word chance carries the idea that it might happen rather than the certainty of what is promised as found in the Word of God. The biblical meaning of the word ‘hope’ is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” “The Greek word for "hope" in the Bible is "elpis," which is often used to convey the idea of confident expectation and anticipation. It is used in various passages in the New Testament to describe the hope that believers have in God's promises and in the future.” In fact, the word hope is mentioned 50 times in the New Testament. Here are just a few passages that mention the hope we have in Jesus Christ: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit"(Romans 13:15); “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5); “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior” (Titus 1:1-3); “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it” (Romans 8:24,25). There is no uncertainty in the hope that is found in the word of God. It is not a matter of ‘chance’ but a promise from God who cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18). Many who have a desire to be saved eternally cannot really expect it because they have not had their sins washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 22:16; Ephesians 1:7). Believers in Jesus Christ should obey the commands given in the Word of God in order to receive remission of sins and to have the hope of eternal life when we come to the end of our days on this earth (Acts 17:30, Acts 2:37,38,41,47).