Author: Elders Desk

In one’s effort to correctly handle or rightly divide the word of God (2 Timothy 2:15), it is important to be able to understand when a passage is figurative or literal. It can result in a great difference in interpretation. For example, the Psalmist states, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalms 18:2). If taken literally, God would be a rock, a tower, and a horn. But understood figuratively, it speaks of the God in whom we can trust, who is steadfast and strong, and who can protect us.

How can one tell if a passage is literal or figurative? If the passage demands actions that are wrong, or prevent those that are good, it likely is figurative. For example, Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brother and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). If one takes this literally, he would have to hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters.

But a figurative understanding would teach us that we are to love the Lord more than even those of our own family (cf. Matthew 22:37). Sometimes there is difficulty in understanding something figuratively because the reader will fail to understand that something is spoken with sarcasm, with irony, or mockery. For example, the apostle Paul spoke harshly of Ananias the high priest, and in reply, “and they that stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

A literal interpretation would have one to believe that Paul did not know that he was the high priest. But likely it is spoken in sarcasm, as one author paraphrased what Paul was saying, “Pardon me, friends; I should not have known that he was high priest if you had not informed me; he has acted more like a leader of a mob than a high priest.”

The context will help you to determine the author’s intent. Let us feel secure in knowing that Jesus is truly our strength and our comfort!

If you have not done so, why not obey him today?

Zeal is a passion, a desire for things of God. Like Jesus, the Christian is to have this same zeal. It speaks about our heart and emotions that motivate us to live faithfully. It speaks about our determination and resolution. Sometimes in our zeal for a cause, we make mistakes. Therefore, it is important that our zeal for God be directed in the right manner. Jesus is our example.

It is Passover in Jerusalem. Jesus enters the court of the Gentiles at the temple. He is angry at what is happening in this court area. The priest and merchants have changed it into a marketplace. His zeal for God’s house is stirred. He makes a whip out of some cords and begins to open the gates and drive out the animals and turn over the tables. Jesus cried “Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise” (John 2:16).

God’s house was being desecrated. The house of God was and still is a place of prayer and worship. Even the Gentile court was to be a place of prayer. But the priests and merchants were making it a market. Wherever we assemble in the name of God to worship, we should do so in reverence to God. WE should show our respect for HIS great and holy name. Paul tells us Jesus died to “…purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.”

In Acts 4:18-20, Peter and John are brought before the Sanhedrin for healing a crippled beggar on the Sabbath. They had preached to the crowd about Jesus and HIS kingdom. The Sanhedrin rebukes them and tells them not to preach in Jesus’ name. But Peter and John reply “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)

They are full of zeal for the cause of Christ. They must speak about it. It is a Passion burning in their hearts. In every example, zeal is the key characteristic. God wants us to be zealous for HIM and HIS CAUSE. He wants us to be zealous about preaching the world (chapter 17). Doing all kind of good works (Titus 2:14) and worshipping him (2 Samuel 24:24). He expects us to have a passion for HIS cause. It is a witness of love.

In light of the recent death of the Pope, let us be clear on what the Bible teaches.

God did not authorize the papal office. It was a perversion created by men to serve their purpose of power. God put all things only under Christ’s “feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body” (Ephesians 1:22-23). The pope may be the head of the Catholic Church, but Christ is the only head of His church and no one can substitute for Him on earth in this position. Jesus says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Christ has all authority, not the pope. The pope falsely claims to be the “Vicar of God and Christ” on earth and in heaven and that all things are subject to him. “Vicar” means a substitute. How bold is their claim to be a substitute for God. “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

The Bible contradicts the fabricated doctrine of the papacy and exposes its invention in every way. Paul says “the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). The pope expects his subjects to fall down, kiss his ring, and worship him. During the temptation of Jesus, Satan told Jesus he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world if He would fall down and worship him. Jesus said, “Away with you Satan. For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:8-10). We can lose our home in heaven by worshipping an angel or the pope. “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels” (Colossians 2:18). The pope is referred to as the “Holy Father”. But Jesus commands us, “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for one is your Father, He who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). Christ is our only go-between to God, not the pope. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 5:2).

The claim of absolute infallibility of the pope is a fabrication to help support the “claims” of the Catholic Church. It is a false claim that if the Catholics are practicing something not in scripture, the pope can approve it and make it all right. But the Bible says “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

As we continue to see the divorce rate increasing, we strongly encourage and plead with individuals to seek Godly counsel BEFORE they marry. Marriage is a beautiful, yet serious institution created by God (Genesis 2:21-24).

The world and even peer pressure from others can cause people (young and old) to make a foolish decision. Here are some practical reasons NOT to get married:

1. “One should never marry for financial reasons.” Sound advice! It is a grave mistake to marry someone for money. Despite what our society may convey, money cannot buy happiness. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).
2. “Do not marry for fear of getting too old.” It is troubling to see people panic due to age and grab the first prospect that comes along. Then they find themselves “stuck” in an unhappy marriage.
3. “Don’t get married simply to get away from home.” Troubles between teenagers and their parents are certainly not uncommon. But to hastily marry just to get away from one’s parents can be like going “from the frying pan into the fire!”
4. “Never marry to punish someone.” Marrying to prove a point, or to spite someone will only lead to a miserable state of affairs. And might I add it can be very costly.
5. “Don’t marry because all your friends are doing it.” When friends and classmates start tying the knot, pressure is felt to do the same. Running off to get married as a neat thing to do may turn out to not be so neat as one may think.
6. “Don’t get married just to cover a mistake.” When a marriage is formed simply out of guilt, fear, or panic, it is off to a very shaky start.
7. “Do not marry solely on the basis of physical attraction.” If a marriage is based on nothing more than physical attraction and sexual desire, it is not founded upon a foundation that will endure.

There is nothing more beautiful than to see two children of God commit to God and each other (Ephesians 5:21). Marriage is not to be taken lightly.

Count the cost before you build….and remember, there is no better foundation to build upon than Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).

As we continue to study leadership here at Miami Gardens, we must teach our children and the single adults about God’s plan for marriage. Whether someone becomes an elder or deacon has become many people’s only reference to marriage. If we look to God’s Word about this sacred institution, we will see that it is not to be taken lightly, but reverently.

Marriage was the first institution, which God established in the beginning for all mankind. Since God is its author, God has given the regulations to govern it. Concerning marriage, Jesus said in Matthew 19:5-6, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So then they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Marriage is a lifelong commitment. Marriage is one man, for one wife, for life.

A proper observance of the principle of “shall be one flesh” will solve most every problem in the marriage relationship. Each will treat their spouse, as they would treat their own flesh. When a man and woman marry the union is spoken of as “what God has joined together.” Marriage is a covenant made with both one’s spouse and with God. What should the husband and wife relationship be? In Ephesians 5:24-25 we read, “Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” Love causes us to be kind. Love knows no limit to its endurance and no end in its trust.

When two people marry they are bound together by God for as long as the other shall live. As we read in 1 Corinthians 7:39, “A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” God placed strong protective laws around the home. Also notice that she is to marry only a Christian. Marriage is sacred and holy, because God instituted marriage, not man. In our permissive age, let us hold fast to the sacredness of marriage and the home. Our wedding vows must be “for better, for worse, till death us do part”. The Bible clearly spells out exactly what our Lord expects of us in marriage. Man cannot put marriage asunder except at the risk of his own soul.

Count the cost BEFORE you build…..

A sincere Christian posed this question: “Why don’t we use instruments of music in our worship?”

Tragically, so many members of the Lord’s church appear to be untaught as to exactly why churches of Christ refrain from instrumental accompaniment in their worship. The simplest, most concise answer is this: It is a matter of authority. There is no authority for the use of a mechanical instrument in Christian worship. We are not concerned with how the ancient pagan worshipped his gods. Nor is the Hebrew method of worship germane, since that system was abrogated by the death of Christ (Romans 7:4; Galatians 3:24-25; Colossians 2:14).

For this age, the crucial question is: How is the Christian authorized to worship? In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote: “And whatsoever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” (3:17). The expression “word or deed” encompasses two realms – teaching and practice. Our teaching and practice must be “in the name of the Lord.”

The Greek expression en onoma, signifies “in the power of” or “by the authority of” (J.T. Mueller, Wycliffe Dictionary of Theology, 371). Too, the designation “Lord” emphasizes the Savior’s authority (cf. Matthew 28:18) in matters of faith and practice. The child of God must operate only within the bounds of Christ’s authority (see John 4:24; 17:17; 1 Corinthians 4:6 ASV; 2 John 9).

If the auto mechanic is instructed to do a “tune-up,” that does not mean he is authorized to rebuild the transmission. If a physician authorizes a certain medication, the pharmacist is not at liberty to improvise otherwise. The “wheel chair” symbol authorizes a handicapped person to park in a certain place; there are heavy fines for ignoring this authority designation. Each day, in different ways, we are required to respect the limitations of authority.

So it is with worship; we are authorized to sing (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). We are not authorized to “play.” It is a matter of authority. Some folks respect the authority of the New Testament; others do not. They yield to the impulse of “will-worship” – the practice of which embraces both that which is “forbidden” and “unbidden” (W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary). Such disobedience brings only condemnation. This term “will-worship” condemns the use of mechanical instruments in Christian worship. The devout Christian, who wishes to respect the Lord’s authority, will worship in song (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16) – without the encumbrance of mechanical instruments.

Miami Gardens, let us be thankful to have the opportunity to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Keep the faith!

The Bible speaks of how women are to conduct themselves in worship. In 1 Timothy 2:11-13 we read, “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve.” God’s word says it is not permitted which means it is forbidden. When we do things that are forbidden by God it is sin. It is sin, which separates man from God and sin will cause people to be lost eternally. In Genesis 3 we see what happened when Eve took the spiritual leadership over her husband and what happened when Adam failed to exercise spiritual leadership over his wife. Because of this Satan was able to introduce sin into the world.

During the worship of the church, women are not permitted by the Lord to preach, lead prayer or lead singing. 1 Corinthians 14:34 says, “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but they are to be submissive.” This does not preclude women from singing in the worship service or teaching children or ladies in the Bible classes. But they are not to take a leading role over man in the worship service. Many people do not approve of what God has done, but this is still God’s business. Who are we to question God?

God intends for women to be subordinate to men in worship. When a woman gets up before the church with men present to teach, preach, lead prayer, or lead singing, she is in violation of what God has commanded. She is perverting the worship of God. As a result of this rebellion, God is not worshipped in spirit and in truth. Worship becomes vain or useless when we follow the desires of men instead of what God has specified (Mark 7:7). For us to ignore what God has said, on this matter or any other, is spiritual anarchy and will result in horrible consequences. God’s word is clear on the spiritual chain of command in 1 Corinthians 11:3.

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” God did not leave any aspect without a head or seat of authority. I find it interesting (and spiritually disturbing) that we live in a time where women are referred to as bishops in certain religious organizations-THIS IS FALSE DOCTRINE. Case and point, what qualifications does the Bible give regarding a Bishop or Pastor? (I’m glad you asked): 1 Timothy 3:-ff: “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife….” A woman is not a man, and certainly not a husband, and therefore, NOT a bishop or Pastor. Men must rise to the occasion and be faithful workers for the Lord.

God put man in the position of leadership, therefore, we MUST lead. Let’s always follow the Bible. Going to Heaven must be our number one priority in this life. God is still looking for a few Good Men.