Ironworks

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 ...

                  Have you stopped to consider what Christ offers to all who will accept Him? One of the greatest ways we can learn to be grateful is to remember the benefits of being in Christ. Consider God’s ability to provide the essentials we need and even more (cf. John 14:1-4).  Jesus saves! He does so according to the plan that was established before the foundation of the world, it began to be enacted when Adam and Eve willfully chose to transgress the law of Jehovah. Jesus made the way possible for all to be saved. It is a way that is linked to His plan to be born again (cf. John 3:3-5; Mark 16:15-16).  Jesus gives us life! We who were dead in sin are now alive in Christ (cf. Eph. 2:5). Jesus is the source of our life. It is written,  “The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly” (John 10:10). He is the only source of that l...

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another;” Romans 12:9-10            Love is commanded. Do you want real love?  Then it cannot be counterfeit. The world is full of pretend love. People who are infatuated with the idea of someone often mistake this for love. People who tolerate all kinds of evil claim they are loving an individual and thus become an accessory to that evil. The love God commands cannot be counterfeit; it must be authenticated by the only source of true love, Jehovah.  “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also." 1 John 4:20-21           Our love for one an...

And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah. And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book: and all the people stood to the covenant. 2 Kings 23:1-3 King Josiah of Judah was an encouragement to all who serve the Lord. His heart and actions are those which push us to love the Lord our God, both in word and deed. 2 Kings 22:8-13 details the circumstances that led to the restoration of Old Testament Judaism in the land of Judah. ...

“And it came to pass, that he was sitting at meat in his house, and many publicans and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? And when Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:15-17 “They're going to hell, and you’re glad they’re going there.” I have mentioned this comment made to me by a brother from a liberal congregation once before, but I have to tell you, it bothers me. It should bother you, too, because this is a common tactic used against New Testament Christians who still ask for the old paths (cf.Jer. 6:16-17). If you teach the exclusivity of the church, people assume that you absolutely hate the lost among the r...

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...