Ironworks

                          The book of Acts tells of the infancy of the church of Christ. In this record, we will find certain individuals who were not Christians that interact with members of the church. Gamaliel is one such character that we come across as we study Acts. He is in reality a very minor character who had an impact on Apostles as they stood before the Jewish council in Acts 5. Who Was Gamaliel? Gamaliel is described as a Pharisee and doctor of the law. He was a man with a good, and respected reputation (cf. Acts 5:34). We are told later that His influence and teaching helped to develop a young Saul of Tarsus. “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day” (Acts 22:3). What we can gather is that Gamaliel influenced many. Wha...

          One of my hobbies is watching sports, both collegiate and professional. On occasion, I enjoy watching an event in person. One thing that I have always noticed is that at times there are empty seats. If a team is not playing well their fans do not fill the stadium or arena. If their team is winning by a large margin they may leave early to try and beat the traffic. Regardless, empty seats teach us one thing, the person who should be occupying it is missing. An Empty Seat At Home This time of year when families gather, there might be an empty seat because a family member has died. We are comforted, if our loved one was in Christ, that we can see them again (cf. 2 Sam 12:22-23). When a loved one passes away, we can remember the assurance that Christ is victorious over death. Paul recorded, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).  An empty seat at home may persist throughout the year for good reas...

I have written about abortion in the past, and I will still write about it again for the rest of my physical life. However, this week I would like to draw your attention to the sanctity of life in a deeper focus. If a New Testament Christian will appreciate the sanctity of our lives they will consider how they live. Live Separately “Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you,” (2 Cor 6:17) If my life is sacred, then I must come out and be separate from the paths that lead to destruction. I must be separate. To do this we must consider the types of places we go, the things we practice, the words that come out of our mouths, and the things that we watch. What we tolerate in our homes, and friendships can have eternal consequences. The danger of not being separate is becoming like the world. If we are not separate from evildoers, we find ourselves to be desensitized to evil. This is not to say that we...

       “I am so busy,” I said. I have this habit of letting life push me around with the various things that have to be done. Then I remembered that God has called busy men throughout all of time. I remembered that busyness nor tasks are an excuse to the Lord God.  “Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb” (Ex. 3:1)      God called Moses, who was busy with the flocks of his father in law. It sure would have been easier to keep his eyes to the ground, keep his eyes on only the sheep and not the burning bush.  He could have said, “No, too busy.” However, he looked and listened and the children of Abraham received a great prophet.  “And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send a...