Christmas?

Every year around Christmas time, the newspaper calls and asks if our congregation has scheduled any kind of special service or religious observance for Christmas. I always tell them “No. We have nothing planned.” As Christians, we love to embrace the “Christmas spirit” but not as any kind of religious observance. The “Christian world” at large, though,  embraces this holiday as the most sacred and holy day of the year. Yet , members of the church of Christ do not observe it as such.

Why is that? Because, as Christians, everything we do in the name of religion must be in accordance with the teachings and doctrines of Christ. Col. 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” All religious practices, especially worship, must be according to truth. Jn.4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” Truth derives itself from the Word of God. Jn.17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Christ denounces any religious practice that does not originate with the Father as vain religion. Mat. 15:9 “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

If “Christmas” did not originate with God, then what is the origin of the religious observance of “Christmas”? Before we begin, we need to notice that there is no mention of observing the birthday of Jesus as a religious holiday in the New Testament. Neither is there a record of it being observed by the early church during the first three Christian centuries. It was not ordained by Christ, not taught as doctrine by His apostles and not observed by the early Christians. If authorization to observe the birthday of Jesus did not come from God, from Jesus, or from the teachings of the Holy Spirit, given by inspiration through the apostles, then it can only be of men. There is no other conclusion that can be drawn – the religious observance of “Christmas” must originate with men and therefore it is a vain religious practice. The Word “Christmas” comes from “Christ Mass” or the “Mass of Christ”. A “mass” is a Catholic observance of the Eucharist, or “Lord’s Supper.” The “Christ Mass” is the religious observance of the Eucharist to honor the birth of Jesus. The “Christ Mass” is observed by the Catholic church on December 25th, regardless of what day of the week it falls upon. The “Christmas Holiday” originated with the Catholic church centuries after the apostolic era.

World Book Encyclopedia: “Bishop Liberious of Rome in 354 A.D. ordered that December 25th be adopted as the birth date of Christ.”

Encyclopedia Britannica: “Liberius gave this reason for having “Christmas”: ‘We have a Mass for every Saint, but there is no Mass for Christ’.”

The New Chaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: “The pagan festival (Brumalia, Dec. 25) with its riot and merrymaking was so popular that Christians were glad of an excuse to continue its celebration with little change in spirit or in manner. Christian preachers of the West and the nearer East protested against the unseemly frivolity with which Christ’s birthday was celebrated, while Christians of Mesopotamia accused their Western brethren of idolatry and sun worship for adopting as Christian this pagan festival.  Yet the festival rapidly gained acceptance and became at last so firmly established that even the Protestant revolution of the sixteenth century was not able to dislodge it.”

Our denominational friends say, with the best of intentions, “Let’s put Christ back into Christmas!” However, they need to realize that Christ was never in Christmas. And so it is that at this time of the year we must ask ourselves, “Do we want to be the church that one reads of in the New Testament? Do we want to be like that God-fearing, Bible believing, Bible teaching, speaking where the Bible speaks – silent where the Bible is silent – church that Jesus died to save? Or do we want to be like the rest of the world around us and celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday?” I believe that if we were to observe “Christmas” as a religious holiday, we would then be guilty of the same kind of vain religion that the Jesus spoke of in Mat. 15:7-9.

We must also ask ourselves, “Which is more important? Christ’s birth? Or, Christ’s Death?” His birth is mentioned in the gospel accounts; therefore, we ought to study those scriptures. However, we must also realize that Jesus was not simply born to live on this earth – perpetually the “Babe-in-the-Manger”. Jesus was born to die for our sins. 1Cor. 15:3-4 “…Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” Jesus was born to live and set an example that we are to follow. 1Pet. 2:21 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” His virgin birth fulfilled prophecy, provided proof that He is the Messiah, and began the final stage of the God’s plan to redeem man, which culminated with His death.

People love the “Babe-in-the-Manger” because He condemns no one, judges no one and teaches us only that God loved us enough to send His Only-Begotten Son. The man that the “Babe-in-the-Manger” grew into is not so popular because He condemns and judges all those who do not keep His commandments and all those who practice vain religion. Jn.12:48 “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” Today, the rest of the religious world is focused solely upon the “Babe-in-the-Manger”. Yet today let us focus on the teachings, doctrines and commandments of the “Man-on-the-Cross” And let us be especially mindful of the horrible death He suffered to redeem us, as we partake of the Lord’s Supper – that divinely appointed religious observance we recognize every first day-of-the-week, even when it falls on December 25th.

Homosexuality Sin? Part 1

Homosexuality Part 1 – Introduction

For many years now the debate has raged between those in favor of homosexual relationships and those opposed to them.  Those in favor of same-sex relationships accuse their opposition of being bigoted, prejudiced, “homophobic” (etc.), but is that really true? Oh, I’m certain that there are those opposed to a “gay” lifestyle just because it bothers them personally, however, not everyone who is opposed to homosexuality is opposed to it merely for personal reasons; rather, they are opposed to it because of what they believe the Bible says about such relationships.

What does the Bible Teach about Homosexuality?

So what is the answer regarding homosexuality?  Is it simply misunderstood?  Is “homosexuality” the victim of unfair bias, or is it an abominable sin?  What has God said on the subject?  This article is the first in a series of articles that I plan to write addressing the question: “Is homosexuality really a sin?”  That is a fair question – and it needs to be answered from God’s inspired Word (for it makes no difference what man personally thinks about it).  We will not stand before the judgment seat of man in the judgment, but we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).  Therefore, we better be sure we understand what He says about homosexuality, not what man says about it.

As it would be impossible to address every important point on this subject in one small writing, I felt it best to address this in specific parts (I ask for your patience with this effort).  I realize that this topic is a very sensitive one with many people, and I will do my very best to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15), for inasmuch as God loves you, friends, so do I. Therefore, I encourage you to look for the upcoming articles in this series, and may we together come to understand what the will of God is on this very important subject (Eph. 5:17).

http://churchofchristarticles.com/blog/category/aaron-veyon/

MYP Updates

MYP Updates

Religious or Spiritual?

Are you Spiritual, Religious, or Both?

Religious or Spiritual?

There is in the popular mindset today, the idea that an individual can be spiritual without being religious. I’ve seen this concept presented in some recently read articles. I’ve also heard such touted in some television programs on the subject. And, there are many people today who have bought into this idea that one can be spiritual without being religious. The mindset basically is this: everything that is associated with organized religion is “religious,” whereas, everything that is associated with the individual person’s heart is spiritual. Hence, as long as I am taking care of my “inner self” by being “spiritual” then I don’t need to be religious (by practicing some form of organized religion). I want to ask two questions regarding these presuppositions. First, is this a distinction that ought to be made? Second, is God happy with such a distinction?

Perhaps we should begin looking at this subject by defining these two terms. The American Heritage dictionary offers several definitions of the word “spiritual”:

1. Of, relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material.
2. Of, concerned with, or affecting the soul.
3. Of, from, or relating to God; deific.
4. Of or belonging to a church or religion; sacred.
5. Relating to or having the nature of spirits or a spirit; supernatural.

On the other hand, the word “religious” has the following definitions:

1. Having or showing belief in and reverence for God or a deity.
2. Of, concerned with, or teaching religion: a religious text.
3. Extremely scrupulous or conscientious: religious devotion to duty.

It should be noticed that there are similarities in both definitions. Some things that are spiritual are religious and some things that are religious are also spiritual. However, those who set up such a contrast between the spiritual and the religious have a special definition of each in mind. By “spiritual” they mean specifically, religious behavior related to the mind (such as meditation, prayer, devotion, etc.). By “religious” they mean behavior that is associated with the activities of religion (such as the forms of worship, church attendance, participation in church activities, etc.). It’s not that these individuals are opposed to what they consider to be “religious.” It is just that they don’t feel as if they need to engage in “religious” activities.

Is there a real distinction between the “spiritual” and the “religious?” There is a distinction inasmuch as there is a difference between the inward person (spirit) and the activities of the outward person (body). We see this in passages such as 2 Corinthians 4:16 “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.” And in our worship to God, there is such a distinction as well. Jesus talked about worship being in spirit and worship being in truth in John 4:24. This would roughly correspond to that which is “spiritual” (in spirit) versus that which is “religious” (in truth). So, yes, there is a distinction between the two words. However, the Biblical distinction between these two concepts isn’t nearly as great as what some are making it out to be. In fact, instead of promoting the idea that you can have one without the other, the Bible teaches that being religious is dependent upon spirituality and that being spiritual is dependent upon being religious as well.

Take for example what James writes in James 1:26, 27: “If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” One might think that controlling our speech would be a “spiritual” thing. But here, James speaks about it as being “religious.” Visiting orphans and widows is also an activity that we would consider “spiritual.” But again, we are told that this is “pure religion.” The point here is that one cannot be religious without being spiritual.

The opposite is true as well. One cannot be spiritual without being religious. Galatians 6:1 states: “Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Those who are “spiritual” are to be involved in “religious” activities, such as helping those who have gone astray to return to the church. Peter describes the church as a spiritual institution in 1 Peter 2:5. He says, “ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” The worship that the church offers up to God is supposed to be “spiritual” in nature. Worshipping God entails that we involve ourselves in certain religious activities. Hence, one cannot be spiritual without being religious as well.

Returning to John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” There is no doubt that God expects Christians to be spiritual. This is the basic idea of what it means to worship God “in spirit.” However, Jesus didn’t stop there. He also said that we must worship God “in truth.” We must have both the right attitude and the right actions, the right internals and the right externals. God wants us to be both “spiritual” AND “religious.”

Really, when one starts examining the truth on this subject, one finds out very quickly the codependent nature of these two things. The bottom line is that a person cannot be spiritual without being religious and a person can’t be religious without being spiritual. The problem today is that there are so many “religious” people who aren’t spiritual, that this has driven many away from true religion. They have been turned off by the extravagant measures to which modern day “churches” go in order to attract the masses and have given up on practicing religion altogether. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. We can be both spiritual and religious. In fact, we must be if we are going to please God! Let’s resolve to be both spiritual and religious in the way that God would have it by following His word, the Bible. Here is the true standard for that which is both spiritual and religious.

http://churchofchristarticles.com/blog/category/kevin-cauley/

Competition in the Church

Church, We Have to Stop Competing

Selecting a sound gospel preacher doesn’t have to be a popularity competition.

My generation never received participation trophies. If you wanted a trophy to put on your dresser then the team had to perform well. And yes, we kept score at our minor league games! There were winners and losers—and each week young people would strive to be in the winner category. I grew up being taught that competition was a good thing. And I stand by that—as it causes individuals to strive to do better.

But there is an area that has grown competitive and I believe it is doing great harm. I don’t believe God ever intended preachers or the church to be competitive. We’ve become obsessed with how many “followers” a preacher has on social media, or how many hits they get on their blog page. Many congregations are building new and fancier auditoriums, adding new-fangled programs, and making worship more entertaining simply to increase numbers and be the “bigger” congregation in town. But friend, this isn’t how it should be! Paul wrote, “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:3-4)

Some of this competition has originated from things like lectureships, where preachers vie for keynote speaking slots. What used to be a practice of finding a man who was well qualified to speak in a particular area has grown into a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” practice of preachers selecting their buddies, who in turn put them on their lectureship.

The competition was bred in things like commentary books, articles in brotherhood journals, and website articles. It became almost a “sport” for many get their name in various brotherhood publications. This increased visibility conveyed the notion that these individuals were experts or highly knowledgeable—and thus these men were sought out by others to write or speak for them. The competitive nature began feeding on itself.

Additionally, a great deal of the competition has developed from social media and having an major online prescience. How many Facebook friends does this speaker have? How many likes can we get with this article? How many Twitter followers do they have?

All of this competition has taken the focus away from God and focused it firmly on men. In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul said, “Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” All of this competition has caused division and strife within the body of Christ. Ask yourself a question: how many today would spend hours writing something if their name was not attached to it?

Friends, it’s time we take the focus off fallible men and focus on the only One that has contributed to our salvation—Jesus Christ.

http://churchofchristarticles.com/blog/category/brad-harrub/

Understanding Atonement

There are many words which describe our salvation. Each one emphasizes a particular aspect of that salvation. We talk about forgiveness, regeneration, justification, redemption and sanctification. The word we least understand is the word atonement. We know about the Jewish Day of Atonement and believe in our atonement, but we have little understanding of the meaning of this word.

Atonement - Do you really understand it?

Illustrations of Atonement

Numbers chapter sixteen tells of the rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. This resulted in the death of these men and about 250 others who followed them. The next day, the Jews slandered Moses and accused him of killing the people of God. God was so angry. His wrath was manifested in a plague which killed nearly 15,000 Jews. What stopped the plague? What appeased His wrath? Aaron took a censer and stood between the Jews and the advancing plague. This action is described as making atonement for the nation (16:46-47). Wrath was appeased, and this is described as atonement.

In Numbers 25, the Jews were committing fornication with the Midianite women. God’s anger again sent a plague and killed 24,000 Jews. What stopped the plague? Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, took a javelin and thrust it through the bodies of a Jewish man and a Midianite women who publically were fornicating. God said, “Phinehas…has turned back my wrath from the children of Israel because He was zealous with My zeal among them…because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel” (25:11-13).  If you want to understand atonement, read this story and the previous one to see what atonement means.

Atonement Always Connected with God’s Anger

Atonement always involves sin which results in God’s wrath against sin and actions being done to assuage His wrath. If there is no atonement, His wrath will surely come.

Sins Not “Rolled Forward” in the Old Testament

The concept that sins were “rolled forward” (think of a giant snowball getting larger every year) on the Day of Atonement does not portray what actually happened. Every year on that day God remembered the sins of Israel, and if atonement was not made His wrath was sent. Nations came against Israel when atonement was not made. When it was made, His anger was appeased, and God blessed that nation. God remembered their sins every year.

Because of Christ’s sacrifice atonement is ours. He does not remember our sins. “Their sins will I remember no more” (Jer. 31:34). Thank God for our atonement!

http://churchofchristarticles.com/blog/category/dan-jenkins/

Self Examination

Everyone needs to undergo a self examination.


The apostle Paul admonished, “.” (2 Cor. 13:5) The self examination is for our own spiritual benefit. It is good for us! If I don’t quite measure up to what the Lord expects of me or if I have begun to slip, I need to know about it. Sometimes this slipping or drifting (Heb. 2:1) is so gradual that the individual barely notices it, if at all. This is why it is so important and necessary that this self examination be conducted on a regular basis. It must be done with honesty and with a desire to change where changes need to be made. We must be careful not to compare ourselves with others. (2 Cor. 10:12) We must measure our lives by the word of Truth. Please take a few moments to measure your life by the Divine Standard.

Everyone needs to undergo a self examination.

• Do I ever deliberately miss a service (Sunday, and/or Wednesday)?
• Do I visit and/or show concern for the sick?
• Do I visit and/or send a note of encouragement to a weak brother or sister?
• Do I make an effort to check on my brothers or sisters who were absent from the assembly to let them know that I missed them?
• When going on vacation, do I inquire concerning places to worship? Do I skip Bible classes and Sunday night services while away on vacation?
• Do I allow my children to attend dances or go to other places of sin, leave the house immodestly dressed and thus, put my stamp of approval on such sin?
• Do I check my children’s lessons to make sure they completed them and do I question them to make sure they are learning Divine Truth?
• Do I miss church services with some physical ailment and then go to work on Monday or engage in some other activity with that same ailment?
• Do I speak words of encouragement to the elders and let them know that I appreciate them?
• Do I find myself regularly complaining about what is “wrong” with the congregation, or instead of complaining, am I looking for a way to improve the situation?
• Am I regularly looking for ways to serve God and others?
• Do I pray, daily?
• Do I study God’s word daily or do I use as an excuse that I am too tired after working all day?
• Now, read Hebrews 10:25, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 5:16, Matthew 22:37, Hebrews 3:13, Galatians 6:1, and Galatians 2:20. Then, go through this self–examination again. How do you measure up?

What do you need to change? Remember, the Lord knows!

Posted by: Robert Notgrass