Ironworks

Starting today is the 56th annual Memphis School of Preaching Lectureship. This year's theme is, “Who Is Wise.” This is a time that my family and I greatly look forward to each year and this is no different. I thought about the theme and it made me contemplate that very valid question that composes it, who is wise?  In many cases, we might look at our modern era and consider all of our advances in education, technology, and medicine and say there might be more intelligence in today’s society than at any other time in history. However, it does not take much research to show there are not many wise individuals today regardless of their educational acumen. So if we lack wisdom in this world today, what is the reliable source to find it?  The prophet Hosea wrote, “Who is wise, that he may understand these things? prudent, that he may know them? for the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them, but transgressors shall fall therein” (Hosea 14:9). If we want t...

Friedreich Nietzsche, the 19th-century German philosopher wondered what the world would be like if Jesus had never been born. This man greatly opposed “Christianity” because of all the horrors that have been committed under the guise of Christianity. He cited things like the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades. As we know, those heinous acts were committed by men who did not know Christ, but he brings up an interesting thought. What if Jesus had never been born?  If Jesus had never been born, first and foremost, there would be no reason to assemble on the Lord’s Day. We would not be Christians if not for Christ. Perhaps we would still be under Moses as Jews, if we are really optimistic. However, the reality is that most of us, being Gentiles, would likely worship some idols. Jesus made it possible for all to live eternally (John 3:16). Jesus is the way that those who were far off are made near by His blood (cf. Eph 2:13). He made peace between those driven apart, reconciling the...

          A United States senator recently started a book tour that was titled, “It’s Okay To Be Angry at Capitalism.” That is fine. Everyone can have their own political views. The first amendment of the United States allows for such beliefs. It even allows such a senator to sell tickets to the aforementioned tickets for $35 to $95 each. It should be evident that there is a great deal of hypocrisy with Marxism.            Inconsistency is to be expected with broken systems in a broken world. However, when one acts like a system is so bad and writes a book about how the system is so evil, you would expect that individual to avoid the great evils of that system that he alleges anger with. Can you imagine a brother in Christ writing about how evil Satan is and then using Satan’s tools to further his own name and personal riches?           It’s okay to be angry with Satan! I, for one, am very ang...

  “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers in a pure conscience, how unceasing is my remembrance of thee in my supplications, night and day longing to see thee, remembering thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in thee; which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and, I am persuaded, in thee also.”  2 Timothy 1:3-5             What do you think about when you think of the term legacy? You may think of historical figures in this nation. You may think about different organizations that have stood the test of time. What do you think of when you think about yourself? Do you associate this word with your life? This is certainly a struggle for many as they go through life and make decisions. Sometimes this struggle is more often associated with failure than success. This can lead us to question just what kind of legacy we might leave.  ...

                       Occasionally when I preach or teach regarding Ephesians 5:21-33 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, I get questions about other passages. My commitment as a Christian is to provide Bible answers to Bible questions. This surely includes questions concerning the role of women. In light of the subject material we are going to cover in both the morning and evening sermons, let us examine some commonly misapplied passages that are often used to get around direct commands given by the Holy Spirit. But Phoebe was a deaconess           Some have suggested that Phoebe, a sister in Cenchreae, served as a deaconess in the New Testament church. This is not the case. Why would someone suggest this? Romans 16:1-2 reads, “I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchrea: that ye receive her in the Lord, worthily of the saints, and that ye assist her...

          Where do you begin when starting a study of any book of the Bible? The average person is just going to jump right into the text of that book and start looking at it verse by verse. Maybe you grab a trusted commentary and start reading through the text. Another option might be to find someone who has recorded a class about that book (why not glean from someone else’s teaching). You might even read the book through a few times before really studying. Obviously, there are several ways that a person could begin a study, and you can’t really be dogmatic about how to begin a study. We all learn in different ways, but I would like to share with you another way. How to Read a Book           Years ago a friend introduced me to a book. It was written by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren and the title was simply, “How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading.” How to read a book? Really?! Aren’t you suppose...

                   As we near the end of our study of the book of Leviticus in our Sunday morning class, I found myself wondering what more is there to say concerning this book. As I studied the penultimate chapter, I read this. “But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall reject my statutes, and if your soul abhor mine ordinances, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant;” (Leviticus 26:14-15). This is a warning that immediately follows the conditional blessings of keeping the Law, and proceeds the conditional curses of not keeping the Law.  After these two verses, the Lord lays down the explanation of what terrors will follow Israel if they will not keep the law. God would not allow for them to go unwarned because He wanted to bless them. Let's explore the initial warnings given and make an application for our life under the law of Christ.  You Will...

          When we worship by singing (Ephesians 5:19) we are also teaching each other (Colossians 3:16). By engaging in this act of worship, we are singing our commitment. Our commitment to God, to the church, and to the work. Why do we sing? Because we love the Lord and we are committed to the thing we sing. In recent weeks we have dwelt on being happy, the perfect law of the Lord, and trusting God to make things beautiful in His time. So how can we commit further? Let’s consider a few songs that we sing.  More About Jesus  “More about Jesus would I know, More of His Grace to others show, More of His saving fullness see, More of His love who died for me.” Singing more about Jesus is an amazing song. The words are rich with reminders of how our songs, sermons, prayers, and lives could benefit from more Jesus. Can we have too much Jesus? I know I cannot. John wrote about how great Jesus was. Many other signs, therefore, did Jesus in the presenc...

We sing when we are happy. We sing the truth. Can we sing and be at peace? When we consider when we are happy, yes we can sing and be at peace with contentment in Christ. If we sing in truth, we certainly receive peace with God and enjoy His righteousness. It begins to be more difficult when we are melancholy. There will be times when we are sad. A lost loved one. A broken relationship. Sin and the lasting consequences of sin can break our hearts, and stifle our desire to sing. I am reminded of a Psalm written in Babylon when the children of the southern kingdom were taken into captivity because of their sin. “By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept, When we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps. For there they that led us captive required of us songs, And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing Jehovah’s song in a foreign land” (Psalm 137:1-3)?     ...

I don’t know who said it first. All that I do know is that I did not come up with it. Sometime within the past couple of years I was listening to a preacher who commented that someone he knew concluded his letters with the phrase, “His servant and yours,”. As soon as I heard that I knew that’s the way I wanted to end my correspondence. The phrase denotes two things in particular. First, it indicates that we are in service to the Master. Second, it shows the need to follow our Lord in service to others as well (John 13; Luke 10:29ff). What does serving the Lord and serving others look like? How to Serve Your Master When someone is in charge of your wellbeing, you tend to do what you can to ensure their happiness with your performance. At work you look to your boss. At school you follow your teacher’s guidelines. In life you should obey the law. As a Christian how do we make God happy? We please Him by serving Him. Consider two options. You can marry someone who loves you and would do an...

Folklore is not true, though it may have a passing resemblance to true things. This does not make it accurate. Recently, I wrote about the idea of putting away myths in the new year. The only way to put away myths is to know the truth. Truth must be exhibited when we pray to the Father in Jesus' name. Truth must be proved when we give on the first day of the week. Truth must be observed as we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes again. Truth must be boldly proclaimed from the pulpit. Yes, truth must be observed in every song that we sing in praise of Jehovah. Certainly, this preacher would not remain in his position if he were to preach premillennial doctrine, Calvinism, or any other heresy. Each Christian must be sure that the words we sing are first true and suitable for the worship of God.            Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and tr...

          The Pride of the Southland Band from the University of Tennessee plays “Rocky Top”, the unofficial fight song, gratuitously at all football games. The song is played so often that opposing coaches have been known to blast it over loudspeakers at practice the week before playing Tennessee. At every game you will hear it: After the extra point, Rocky Top, after a turnover, Rocky Top, after a big gain on offense, Rocky Top. When Rocky Top is played, Tennessee fans are happy. Regardless of which team you like in sports or even if you do not like sports, we can agree a cheerful song can change our attitude, mood, yes our entire disposition. When we sing we are reminded of why we have a reason to be happy. If you are a Christian, you know that there is plenty to be happy about. Let's examine a few of those reasons.  Jesus Saves “We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!”             First, we ...