Ironworks

          This last Tuesday evening it was getting to be about supper time, I had been working outside for a while, and the sun was beating down on me. I was thirsty and very hungry. I was so hungry that when my daughter came to call me for supper, I stopped what I was doing and I went inside immediately. I had a need, and I knew a short walk would fill that need and I would have the energy to continue on with the task with which I was busy. What if I would have just stayed outside and kept working? We all have done it before I am sure. Worked through lunch, worked through dinner. Whatever we were working on became our main focus. Yet, at some point, we had to eat and drink for our survival.            Jesus said, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is the natural result of some of the things you would find leading up ...

Perhaps one of the most confusing studies that many New Testament Christians have is about the Holy Spirit. There is great disagreement over the work of the Holy Spirit even among our brethren, so what must we make of this? First and foremost, we must understand that the Holy Spirit is God. He is an equal part of the one Godhead comprised of the Father, Son, and Him (cf. Acts 17:29, Colossians 2:9, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:1). Thus we would conclude that the Holy Spirt is both personal and coeternal.  Part of the confusion that arises over the Holy Spirit is how He works in redemption and sanctification. I hold the position that the Holy Spirit works exclusively through the means of the Word today in redemption and sanctification. Because I hold this teaching, some have misunderstood the position. I have been accused of teaching the Holy Spirit became the Bible. I have been accused of teaching the Holy Spirit is retired and other accusations. This normally is due to the ...

                    When we hear the word “church”, several things may come to mind.  What do you think that the religious world thinks about that word? What do you think that those who do not follow any type of religious group think about it? It is evident in conversations with people that for the most part people think of a building and not what the church actually is. Often times you will hear people say they are “going to church.” What do they mean by this simple statement? They mean that they are going to worship, but they use the word church interchangeably with the thought of going to a building. Is the church a building? Or is it something more? Can we go to church? Is the church really the building of Christ? Do we need the church?           First, let’s consider the word that we get our word “church.” In the original text (Greek), the word is ekklesia. It means “called out.” The chur...

          It has been said by many young people that they do not think they should have kids because of the state of the world. In the Lord’s church, we have done a pretty good job of making our brethren aware of the condition of the world. I think we all could do better in assuring our young people that raising godly kids is possible and it's God’s intention for His people.  God commanded it.            In the garden after God created a woman from the flesh of Adam, he said, “And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Gen 1:28). God said this knowing that He created man with free will, which means man could choose to sin. God still told Adam and Eve to have kids. The world was not simply created to be uninhabited. ...

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:16-18 Are you ever afraid? I think we all have answered yes during certain seasons of our lives. Fear is certainly one of the most effective tools of Satan. He uses fear to control men. He uses fear to propagandize men. He uses fear to keep Christians from being faithful. Fear realistically disables our ability to love God, and we find ourselves in a vicious cycle of living in fear rather than living in Christ’s love.  Fear is the antithesis of love. The ideas stand over and against each other like David and Goliath facing off before battle (1 Sam. 17). David was a young man stan...

“Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:  whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.  But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil.  To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”  James 4:13-17      What is your life? The answer may be scarier than the question itself. Yet, the Holy Spirit asked, “What is your life?” It is a vapor, something that is seen briefly. It appears and it is gone. So why do we try and hoard the time that we have on this earth instead of willingly giving it up for God? When we plan in such a way that we leave God out of our lives, we hold onto the temporary brevity of life rather than the eternal desire God has...

“Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.” Proverbs 30:5      They said the Titanic was “practically unsinkable” in 1912, but we all know what happened. It was untested, but it was a spectacular ship, unlike any other in history. “One of the largest and most luxurious passenger liners at the time, the Titanic, was also equipped with watertight compartments, which led many to consider the ship unsinkable; an anonymous deckhand famously claimed that “God himself could not sink this ship.” On April 14, however, the ship struck an iceberg, and early the next day it sank. Some 1,500 people perished.” . Gone are the lives of many on that maiden voyage, all lost on the account of the unseen. If they would have know the fate of this great ship, do you think anyone would have gone aboard?  They had every reason to believe they would have a safe voyage.       Many go through life feeling unstoppable, unbeatable, and sure...

  “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?  And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12  Two are better than one. This is easy to understand when you are working on a job that you just cannot do on your own. We must also remember this in our marriages daily for this is the very example Paul utilizes in the Scriptures (Ephesians 5:22-33; Col. 3:18-19). We fulfill Godly marriages when husbands love their wives as Christ loved His church and when wives submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ.   There is nothing demeaning about this. The helper that God designed for Adam was the perfect complement to him. ...

“And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And Jehovah smelled the sweet savor; and Jehovah said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, for that the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:20-22      Imagine you were lost at sea. The ship you were sailing on had sprung a leak and you found yourself adrift, clinging to whatever debris you could find as the daylight faded into dark. Then out of the dark lights appear and a helicopter belonging to the US Coast Guard and a man is lowered down and plucks you out of the waves to safety. You would be delivered. How would you react? I imagine you might hug your rescuer; you might thank t...

      One of the most crucial parts of your car is your headlights. Without them, you simply cannot see at night. Without lights, you put yourself and others in danger.  However, lights do not have to be out to be ineffective. Lights, over time, become dim as the plastic that houses the light degrades. When a headlight dims, it becomes harder to see, and others on the road are in danger because they need to see your lights at night.  Can Anyone See You Coming      As a Christian, your light can fade over time. Jobs, sickness, hurt, and brokenness all can endanger yourself and others. The world needs to see the Christian because the world is exceedingly dark. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house”  Matthew 5:14-15. Routine Maintenance      The Lord’s church is not dar...

     When we look at the story of the call of Nathanael (the Apostle believed to be Bartholomew). We see the importance of the invitation. “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). Jesus found Philip (1:43) and Philip found Nathanael. Notice what Philip said to Nathanael: we have found the one of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote. It is Jesus. His invitation came with a proclamation and a reference. All the Jews looked forward to the Messiah that was to come. Philip did not keep it to himself. He went and found Nathanael and told him the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the one foretold.       Nathanael’s response was one of skepticism. “And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see ( John 1:44). He had his own biases that Jesus might not be the One because o...

Have you ever seen someone give up before they have even tried? I have seen it happen over and over again. There is a temptation to give up when things get really tough. What we say during those times can cause even greater damage to not just the one saying it but those who hear it.  Wicked Witnesses The children of Israel murmured/whispered against Moses often in the period of wilderness wandering. Their lack of trust in the Lord predated even their going out of the land of bondage. They said,  “Is not this the word that we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness (Ex 14:12).  How will we respond when the elders say we have great work to do or when the sermon always involves a call to action? The children of Israel were witnesses of all the signs and wonders that God worked as He liberated them. Even after all that, they still went back ...

    We all face the temptation to believe that we know it all. We have our minds made up that we are right and we understand all things. Yet, when we look under the surface, it’s not always like that. When we look under the surface, often what is revealed is our own desired outcome is what we think is right. This is prevalent with the lifestyles of those in the world and sadly, at times, within the body of Christ.  The Scripture gives us a good example of this in the life of Job.  "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it? Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with doors, When it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb; When I made clouds the garment thereof, And th...

“Is this man Coniah a despised, broken vessel? Is he a vessel wherein none delighteth? Wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into the land which they know not? O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith Jehovah, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no more shall a man of his seed prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling in Judah.” Jeremiah 22:28-30 Jehoiachin of Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and he was taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzr to Babylon (cf. 2 Kings 24:10-12). While there is little account of this wicked king, we do have some insight regarding him in the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s prophecy is of great value in answering a popular but false doctrine. The theory of premillennialism has long contended that based on Revelation 20:1-6 Christ would literally reign on earth for 1000 years. Moreover, the view is that this reign will be from the city of Jerusalem, which the...

  This is an older post that never was published from last October.    I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:3  Fifteen years ago next month a young man named Shannon Hoon died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 28. If the name is not familiar to you, then perhaps you know the name of the band he fronted, Blind Melon. The band was most famous for the song "No Rain,” which blew up in 1993 and led to much success for their freshman self-titled album. However, as his band enjoyed this success, Mr. Hoon fought addiction of both alcohol and harder drugs, namely cocaine. One morning his band mates found him unresponsive on their tour bus. This story is so very sad but is often repeated, especially among the young, rich, and famous. What is even more telling is that Mr. Hoon desired to change, one of the less known songs he wrote is entitled as such. He wanted to stop and so he went to rehab. He wanted to be a better fath...

        He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath unto the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of Jehovah, the God of Israel, which he spake by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher.  For Jehovah saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel. 2 Kings 14:25-26                    Jeroboam II was much like his namesake because he did evil in the sight of the Lord (cf. 2 Kings 14:24) . However, we learn something from his short story: sometimes God will bless his people in spite of their ruler. The Lord saw the affliction of the people. The citizens of the northern kingdom were subject to poor rulers, and because of their evil acts, the people suffered at the hands of foreign invaders. The Lord still saw fit not t...

          And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.  2 Kings 11:14      Athaliah obviously was not a king of Israel, however, she wielded the power and certainly the bloodthirst of some of those who came before. The Scripture tells us that Athaliah was mother of Ahaziah of Judah. After seeing that he was dead, she worked to kill all of his children (cf. 2 Kings 11:1). This type of evil was not new for a people whose hearts were often in opposition to God, but this is truly audacious that a grandmother would seek to kill all of her grandsons.      Fortunately, Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash and protected him (cf. 2 Kings 11:2). The boy’s aunt protected him from her mother, the child’s grandmo...

          Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.       2 Ch 21:5-6       Regional accents are quite interesting when you consider all their quirks and differences from each other. However, as one who has lived in varying locations and cultures in the United States, my accent is sort of all over the place. When I was visiting some family in Eastern Arkansas, my cousin correctly introduced me as my cousin Ryan from Texas. However, the young lady to whom he introduced me said, "You're from Texas?" I affirmed yes. To which she replied, “You don't sound like you're from Texas.” Maybe it was the fact that I grew up right on the Rio Grande or maybe this girl just e...