Christian Worker (Page 5)
Radical Obedience – Stephen Wiggins
In Luke 16:18 the Bible records Jesus saying, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Here is an intriguing passage uttered by the Son of God. Anyone interested in spiritual matters will want to explore the meaning of this statement. They will want to know what the verse means in order to avoid the immoral consequences of adultery. The sin of adultery is horrible. It is…
How to Live without Regret
The poet John Greenleaf Whittier said, “For of all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been.” Regret is a bitter fruit which we all taste at some point in life. It’s only natural for us to look back at some time or event in the past and wish we had said or done something different. Some regret is good because it motivates us to be better (cf. 2 Cor. 7:8-10). Some, however,…
The Deity of Christ – Guy N. Woods
The word God is one of the Spirit’s designations for the divine nature. Under the figure of the synecdoche, where a part is made to stand for the whole, or the whole for a part, the word God is used to designate each of the divine Persons constituting deity; and, while there is but one God—one divine nature—the Scriptures clearly teach that there are three distinct personalities possessing this nature. The Father is called God (John 3:16), the Son is called…
Keep the Church Pure – Johnny Ramsey
I once heard an aged brother pray these words: “Lord, help us to keep the spiritual body of Christ as pure as he kept his physical body.” This statement, coming from a grand old soldier of the cross, has lingered in my memory for many years now. It is challenging and thought-provoking to every member of the body of Christ. We should all pray: “Lord, help us to keep the church pure.” The very fact that the New Testament depicts…
Speaking the Truth in Love – Thomas B. Warren
Each of us must strive to be loyal to Jesus Christ, and it is certainly clear that no man can be loyal to Him if he does not love Him and his fellowman (Matt. 22:37-38). However, it is very easy for any one of us to become unbalanced in our response to His teaching. It may be that one observes others who, it seems, in giving too much emphasis to doctrine, give too little ‘emphasis to love and, in reaction…
None of These Things Move Me – Joey Davis
If you ever needed an example of what it looks like to maintain Christian commitment and focus, Paul certainly fits the bill. In the face of adversity, Paul said, “but none of these things move me” (Acts 20:24a). More on that later. For now, think about how often things happen that make you second-guess your commitment. Think about times when you have felt like throwing your hands in the air and saying, “that’s enough, I quit!” Have you been there?…
A Great Debt – Ronnie Scherffius
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged” (Luke 7:41-43). The book of Luke has many unique characteristics. For example, Luke writes on the subject…
A Good Look in the Mirror
Many years ago the founding fathers of this nation envisioned a society unparalleled and unrivaled by any in the annals history. They saw a country in which people of varying cultural backgrounds and religious faiths could live together harmoniously, united under one American ideal–freedom. Thus the motto emblazoned on The Great Seal of the United States, E Pluribus Unum–out of many, one. Sadly, we have learned throughout our short history that maintaining that sense of national unity is extremely difficult.…
A Change in SWSBS Directorship
As elders, we realize that the fields are “white unto harvest” and that many good, honest people are seeking to be taught God’s Word. Therefore, faithful men and women who are well prepared with a deep knowledge of the Biblical text are urgently needed to sow the seed of God’s Kingdom (Luke 8:11). The Southwest church of Christ, aware of this need and understanding our responsibility to help meet it, inaugurated a full-time school of Bible studies on September 4,…
Does the First Century Church Exist? – Johnie Scaggs
The world we live in is very different from the 1st century. On every side, we are plagued with numerous denominations of every brand. These denominations have significantly impacted the minds of many members of the body of Christ. Through printed pages, television, media, Facebook, etc., they preach their sermons and pollute the minds of the innocent. “The number of denominations varies depending on how they are defined and counted. Some sources estimate more than 200 in the U.S. and…
Does Organized Religion Matter? – John Haffner
The term “organized religion” leaves a bad taste in the mouth for many people today. Perhaps this stems from the abuses and controversies which have recently plagued many religious groups. More and more people are utilizing the description “spiritual but not religious,” also sometimes known as “spiritual but not affiliated,” to denote their detachment. I believe this rejection of responsibility and accountability goes too far in many respects. More than just getting out from under manmade labels, conventions, and mother…
What About the Community Church? – Bryan Hodge
The community church movement is popular and growing. Community churches or “non-denominational” churches refers to independent local congregations which have no affiliation with the major denominations. Determining exact numbers is difficult. A study released in 2010 by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research reported that there were more than 12 million adherents in the U.S.A. to nondenominational churches. Some trace the community church to nineteenth century America. “The earliest origins of the community church movement are likely from the nineteenth…