Judas Iscariot was the treasurer among the disciples of the Lord, and he often stole money out of the bag which was there to sustain Jesus and His traveling companions (John 12:6; 13:29). Judas loved money, so he went to the enemies of the Lord and asked them, “how much will you give me if I turn him over to you?” (Matthew 26:14-16). The price agreed on was thirty pieces of silver; though not a lot of money, it was still equal to about a week’s wages (Acts 1:15-18). Judas sold his soul for money, and the Bible teaches men not to love money because there are things far more valuable (1 Timothy 6:10; Acts 8:18-23; Mark 8:36-37).
When Judas realized he made a bad choice, he went back to his fellow conspirators thinking they would also see the light, but they didn’t. Angered by their refusal to acknowledge what was right, he threw the money down and went out and killed himself (Matt. 27:3-5). This tragic account proves that we shouldn’t sell our righteousness for money, and we should not to be so depressed over our mistakes that we kill ourselves. In life there is hope for those of a contrite heart (Proverbs 28:13; Ecclesiastes 9:4; Ezekiel 14:6; Psalm 51:17). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. Why do the courts allow people to swear on the Bible? Don’t they understand that the very Bible they are swearing upon condemns making oaths (Matthew 5:33-37; James 5:12). The teachings of the Bible are there for the safety of man. God is trying to save man from himself by telling him not to swear an oath, because if man swears an oath he will be held accountable even if things turn bad (Judges 11:30-40; Ecclesiastes 5:1-6; Acts 23:12-13).
One’s reputation should be credible if he says “yes I will” or “no I won’t” that should be enough (Colossians 4:6; Matt. 5:37). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. A denomination is an organized group of congregations under headquarters which governs each church and divides the area into dioceses, parishes, etc. But according to the Bible there is no such thing as a denomination (2 John 9-11; Matthew 15:13-14; Galatians 1:6-9; Matthew 7:15-29; Mark 7:6-9; 2 Peter 2:1-3).
Jesus built one church, and it was established on the first Pentecost after his resurrection (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2;1; Acts 2:40-47). This church is called the body of Christ with Jesus as its head (Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22, 4:4, 5:23; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 16:16). Denominational churches don't follow this example. They set up cities to serve as headquarters, and men to serve as head of the church. The Bible also teaches that each church is autonomous under the oversight of its bishops, who are Pastors or Elders (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4; 1 Timothy 3). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. When studying the Bible, one must realize that there are two sections. The Old Testament is an account of God's dealings with the Jews and the Law that Moses brought to them from Mt. Sinai (Nehemiah 9:13). This part of the Bible is history, and we should read it to be informed about things of that time (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11).
The New Testament is to be our authority in all things pertaining to salvation, the church, worship, etc. For example, if one is going to prove that instrumental music is not to be used in the worship service, that person would have to prove such by the New Testament. If one were going to prove that Sunday, not Saturday, is the day of worship, he should do so by the authority of the New Testament. The reason for this is because the Old Testament has been taken away by Christ's death, for his blood brought about the new covenant (Mark 14:23-24). The author of the book of Hebrews said that a covenant cannot be in force as long as one who made it is alive, but it takes effect after the creator dies (Hebrews 9:11-28). The Old Testament is history, and the New Testament is for us to pattern our lives. Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. |