Ironworks

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish.”  Luke 13:3            Some men asked Jesus about two situations where some particular individuals faced a particularly heinous death. First mentioned are men of Galilee whose blood Pilate had mixed with sacrifices after their death (cf. Lk. 13:1-2). In another instance, they mentioned the eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them. The men asked in regards to the former, “Were these Galileans worse than other Galileans?” (cf. Lk. 13:4) They asked Jesus if He thought the latter were sinners above all the others living in Jerusalem. These are good questions, but notice the perfect answer that Jesus gives in both circumstances. “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish.”  We may think of heinous deaths and say, “Wow! That's a horrible way to go.” We may think of drug addicts and see how risky behavior leads to physical dea...

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.” John 5:24 Basis of Belief      What do you do when you hear some form of information? You may accept it as factual, or you might not believe it at all. When we are young, we may not believe the stove is hot. In fact, possibly the orange glow of the burner or open flame is appealing to the eye and the warmth is a nice feeling on a cold day. However, if you chose to touch it, you will certainly be burnt and certainly believe what your mother may have warned you about. Belief is established when one is presented with truth and when we hear truth, we have the option to believe it or not.  Continuation of Belief      In matters of faith, belief is an integral part of God's plan for saving man. Last week I wrote about the fact that we must hear the good news. We must hear, but ...

“So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”  Romans 10:17 God’s Revealed Word Reveals Salvation     Over the next five weeks, I want to write about each of the steps of the Gospel Plan of Salvation. I will contend that the Bible teaches not a single man will be saved outside obedience to the Gospel. Additionally, I will address some questions regarding such.           The first thing one must do is hear the word. We often reference Romans 10:17 as I did above for this. For the origin of faith has no other source than hearing or reading the Word of God. How did Cain and Abel know what to offer? How did Noah know how to construct the boat? How did Naaman know how to be cleansed? The Word of God is the answer. This is the only place where we come in contact with the God-breathed, inspired Word (cf. 2 Tim 3:16). Our God is a gracious God who has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness (cf. 2 Pet 1:3). When we...

          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 ...

               Most Christians know that there were several sacrifices in the Old Testament. They also realize that the Old Testament sacrificial system pointed to Christ, and that those sacrifices are not needed today because Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice (Heb. 10:10). This is not the problem we have in our understanding of sacrifices. The problem with the sacrificial system for the New Testament Christian is not that we haven’t heard of it, but that we never had to do it. Therefore, we get confused as to what the purpose of each one was, how it worked, and when a person (under the old covenant) was supposed to offer that sacrifice. Let’s look at the different types of sacrifices to help us better understand the scriptures. The 5 Types of Sacrifices/Offerings           In the first 7 chapters of Leviticus the parameters are given for 5 different types of sacrifices. They are: burnt offerings, grain offerings,...

Marriage, divorce, and remarriage, or MDR, is one of the topics of the utmost importance. We all know someone that has been married, divorced, and/or remarried. So there is great interest in our marriages for the overall good of the church and the world in general. Stronger marriages help to make the church stronger. Stronger marriages make the world a better place and help to prevent some of the lasciviousness we see presently. When it comes to marriage, divorce, and remarriage, we must look to God’s Word to find the answers concerning these very personal and often emotionally charged subjects.            Last year at Polishing the Pulpit, bro. Rob Whitacre brought out a very good way to describe what the Bible says with regard to DMR. I have adapted these points in my own words and I hope they will help you understand what God has said concerning the subject. God is the Only One that Can Authorize Marriage  God created marriage in the Garden...

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...

In many cases, we have a good amount of Christian women in the Lord’s church. Sometimes it is due to life expectancy, and, at other times, it is due to a lower percentage of faithful men. Regardless of the reasons, the church needs men. We are called to lead our families, and congregations to heaven. Just as men cannot do what women can do, women cannot do what men can. There must be both for proper balance. So what kind of men are needed in the Lord’s church? Righteous We need righteous men like Noah. Righteous men have always been the minority, aside from the creation and immediately after the flood. We must be comfortable standing out from the crowd that chases immorality. Peter recorded, “For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ung...

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. ...