February 1997

Dinner with Jesus

In a recent Bible class, we were discussing one of the many times Luke tells of Jesus sitting down to a meal with someone. In almost every case, Jesus winds up offending some, if not all of the guests and their host. Mark made the comment that whenever you see someone in the newspaper asked about their fantasy dinner party, it often will include Jesus, and he suggested that maybe we wouldn't be too excited with what Jesus might say at our dinner. more...

Preaching Them Into Heaven

Perhaps you have been at the funeral service for an avowed, unabashed pagan who is then preached deep into heaven by a fervent clergymen. Such services must be repulsive, it seems to me, to all religious people of any stripe. Here is an individual who had nothing to do with religion, did not care for worship services of any kind, and did his best to live in opposition to even the most basic understanding of the principles of Christianity. Yet now we are told that he or she is blessed with all the rewards of heaven because as a child they went to church every now and then? Who can believe it? Surely the New Testament does not teach such a perverse doctrine (see Galatians 5:4; John 15:10). more...

Real Men

A recent newspaper article tackled the subject of why it is so difficult to get men to attend a worship service. Although looked at from a purely denominational point of view, the writer hit on what troubles many Christian families when she wrote, "It is somehow connected to why some men won't touch cinnamon apples in a restaurant, even when they come with the meal. For some reason, a lot of men seem to feel that certain things like showing spirituality or eating something sweet with their steaks threatens their testosterone level" ("Trying to put the spouse's bod in the house of God," by Kathy Swindle, Dallas Morning News, January 4, 1997). more...

Romans 14

Romans 14 continues to be an area of intense interest and study to brethren. Is it the chapter that holds the "cure all" for every difficult issue that arises between brethren? Can brethren disagree over fundamental matters of faith and doctrine but still have fellowship based on the principles of Romans 14? Let me give three thoughts from this chapter that I believe will help us make proper application of Romans 14. more...

The Preacher's Pen

Do you really understand what it means to be in a denominational church? Giving the textbook answer that a denomination is an alliance or network of congregations tied together under central oversight usually causes people to kind of nod like they sort of understand, but keep a blank look firmly fixed on their face. What we need is a picture, an illustration, that would quickly and easily clarify what denominationalism is all about. Look no further than the Muskegon Classis of the Reformed Church in America (RCA). After several months of rather acrimonious debate between Christ Community Church (in Spring Lake, Michigan) and the denomination's leadership Christ Community Church voted to leave the RCA denomination. That action was met two weeks later by a vote of the leadership that declared that what Spring Lake did was "in violation of the RCA Book of Church Order and therefore an illegal church action." more...