Jimmy Bracken, a successful missionary supported by the Stony Point church of Christ in Florence, Alabama is on his way to Lethem and the Guyana Christian University. Jimmy’s trip has already been fraught with challenges including last minute flight changes and a lengthy lay over in Georgetown.
Jimmy will be teaching leadership subjects as well as 1-2 Kings and 1-2 Chronicles during this visit. He will leave on December 19 and the students will enjoy a holiday break until January.
Tags: Guyana
Camels are big - really big. Standing over 7 feet tall these interesting creatures inhabit the dry desert regions of 
the Middle East. They have been used in combat for millenia and were even used experimentally in the American Civil War. The camel has an ability to frighten horses and so they have proven useful on the cavalry battlefield.
Jesus spoke of the camel in the synoptic Gospels just after speaking with the rich young ruler who was told to sell all that he had. Matthew records the words similar to Mark and Luke:
Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:24).
Such a comment was astonishing to the listeners who concluded that no one could be saved. Jesus corrects their misunderstanding in verse 26 when he says that “with men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.”
It is indeed an odd, even cryptic saying of our Lord. What exactly does he mean and what should present day hearers take from this passage?
An Attempt to Explain How A Camel Can Pass Through A Needle’s Eye
Some time ago, a teacher hit upon a way to explain this passage. The story is that the needle’s eye in the Gospels is not the same needle we think of today. Instead, the needle’s eye was a small passageway built into t he side of a walled city. The passage was so low that a camel would have to pass through by crawling and not walking. This would prove very difficult but possible.
An interesting suggestion but wholly unacceptable when one considers the facts.
A Camel Cannot Go Through the Eye of a Needle
Let us begin by taking the Scripture in their simplest interpretation. Using Occam’s Razor we make the fewest assumptions possible about what Jesus means and just take it at its face value. We know what a camle is and we know a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle.
- We observe that there are no other Bible passages which are contradicted or compromised by this interpretation.
- We observe the ease with which a hearer would have understood Jesus’ comment.
- We note the smooth flow of the text and context to verse 26 where Jesus offers a fuller explanation of his intention.
- We also mention that the idea of a gate called the Needle’s Eye was never even thought of until the 11th century by Theophylact. So far as we know such a gate was just a fabrication!
The Beauty of Jesus’ Words
What Jesus speaks of is impossible (Matthew 19:26). The word Jesus uses is a derivative of the dunamis in Romans 1:16 where Paul declares his faith in the Gospel as the power of God unto salvation. However in Matthew 19:26 the Greek word is prefixed by the letter alpha - a - which creates an opposite word. Instead of man have power to do something he has no power. Therefore, in this context of wealthy people, thy have no power to reach heaven within themselves. The power Jesus says, is with God!
While Jesus was speaking of the wealthy in these passages, the same idea - the impossibility of self salvation - is prevalent in other passages. Most notably Paul’s comment in Romans 3:28 and Galatians 2:16 that no man can be justified through works and Romans 5:23 that salvation is a free gift of God and not earned by men.
Jesus is saying that just as a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle and man cannot earn or pay his way into heaven.
We ought use care not to move too far in one direction. Jesus is not declaring that man does nothing. Man must be obedient and faithful to Christ. Just as the young ruler was instructed to do certain things, so too we have been commanded to do certain things. Jesus says in Luke 17:10 that when a servant has done what he has been told, then he has done nothing remarkable, just what he was supposed to do. Our actions and work are what we are supposed to do. Nothing more and nothing less.
Now when studying this passage, I hope you recall our discussion here. As always, this post is open for your comments.
An assembly line was created to pack the boxes
The Eastern Shore church prepared 36 Thanksgiving boxes for distribution in November. These were given to people in the commnity who were in need. Many were taken to our local schools where school counselors distributed to students in need.
Each package contained ingredients for a large Thanksgiving meal and a gift card for a Butterball Turkey. Stuffing, vegetables, macaroni and cheese, cornbread mixes, cranberry sauce and soft drinks made for a fine meal.
In addition, each box contained a variety of Bible study literature. We provided a letter of invitation for our guests to visit with us, a brochure to acquaint them with the churches of Christ, a calendar of events, contact information and a Bible study course. Each box was labeled to clearly show the package was a gift
We had plenty of help from our young people!
from the Eastern Shore church of Christ. Boxes were then sealed and stacked for pickup.
Our Thanksgiving project was not only good for those receiving the boxes but also for the Eastern Shore congregation. Participation came from every age group and saw great work especially from our youth. These young people helped to package the boxes but also helped to deliver them. This is an important teaching tool to remind our youth that there are people among us who truely struggle each day. The important Christian characteristics of generosity, compassion and giving are on display for all to see and learn from.
We are especially appreciative of James and Jenny Jessee who organized our Thanksgiving project. They have done this before in other locales and were willing to help us with our project here.
A similar project is in the works for Christmas so be listening for details.
The Preacher’s Study has been down for a few days. It is mostly restored except for images and a bit of fine tuning. The source of the problem is unknown but required a complete reinstall of the all the software and plugins that make the site function. Fortunatley, the site is backed up daily and so we did not loose any content.
If you come problems, please email us immediatly.
Thank you for your patience and readership.
Tags: Administrative
A rather interesting question don’t you think? After all, there are literally dozens and dozens of churches in our area and each preaches a fundamentally differing doctrine from the others. Can all of these be called churches?
Certainly society considers them churches as does the government. But our interest is in the Bible view. When is a church not a church according to Scripture?
A church is not a church when it is a man made organization.
Most all churches can point to a time when their denomination began. Most all of today’s denominations began in the last 500 years and can pinpoint the moment of their establishment. The 16th century reformers such as Luther, Calvin and Wycliffe were men of great courage you sought break away from the oppression of the Roman Catholic Church. They are to be commended for their efforts yet they did not return to the church first established by Jesus. Luther’s followers gave us the Lutheran church in 1580, the Baptists were preceded by a group known as the Anabaptists from the 16th century. Methodists arise from the 19th century and base their teachings upon the work of John Wesley. On and on we could go but in each case there was not a return to the fundamental doctrines of Scripture. Each of these churches and others often do not even bear the name of Christ in their congregational names.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that he would build his own church. That church was established on Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2) and people were moved into the church (kingdom) from spiritual darkness (Colossians 1:13). It was this church that the Bible says was purchased by Jesus (Acts 20:28) thus giving him complete ownership and control over (Ephesians 5:23). The church originated in the mind of God, was created, bought and paid for by Christ and thus belongs only to him. He established the church. It is shameful for a man to usurp that role.
A church is not a church when it teaches the doctrines of men.
Because Jesus paid for the true church with his blood, he alone is able to dictate its doctrines and commands. The Lord himself decried the substitution of men’s ideas for truth when he warned of the “doctrines of men” (Matthew 15:9).
Roman Catholics are often taught to leave the Bible study to their church leaders and doctrine will be taught and interpreted by the priests and cardinals. Within Protestantism, a very large majority adhere to the doctrines of the 16th century theologian John Calvin. Commonly known as Calvinism this system of doctrine cannot withstand careful Bible study and Scripture examination. Nevertheless, many follow its teachings with little thought that they could be horribly errant.
The church of Christ is different. It was established once almost 2,000 years ago in the city of Jerusalem as promised. Next week, we will demonstrate why it is not a denomination but the original.
Tags: Church, denominations
We are pleased to report that the Gospel meeting at the Century church of Christ in Century, Florida was a fine success. The brethren were well prepared for my arrival and had visitors present from the community. The lessons were were all very basic and I trust were useful to the guests as well as the members.
I enjoyed staying with Jerry and Ann Brantley. They were excellent hosts. Jerry and I began a Bible study with a young couple that I hope will bear fruit. They are kind and very conscientious. Both listened carefully and will continue to examine what we taught.
Tags: Gospel Meeting
I heard that our men did a fine job reporting on their work in Guyana last month. The work continues with great interest as 32 were baptized, 19 restored and 2 were joined in marriage.
Our Kent Purser in the field in Guyana
Our thanks to Kent Purser (far right), Mark Hocutt and John Langham for their travels.
At present, Mark Jamieson of the Eastside church of Christ in Columbia, Tennessee is in Lethem teaching two courses at the Guyana Christian University. In December, Jimmy Bracken a missionary with the Stony Point church of Christ near Florence, Alabama, will be teaching.
We appreciate all the great work these do to help develop and train church leaders in Guyana. Men and women are hungry for the truth of the gospel and we are honored to be able to assist in this work.
The good brethren at the Century church of Christ in Century, Floida have invited me to speak in their Gospel Meeting this week. I am deeply humbled to be invited and look forward to having a great week with them.
Brother Clifford Dixon preaches for them and does a wonderful job of feeding the congregation a steady diet of solid truth. Brother Jerry Brantley is one of the elders and also a regular missionary to Guyana. I first met Jerry in the Pensacola Airport as we prepared to travel to Guyana about two years ago. He and his good wife have invited me to stay with them this week. I look forward to sharing in their hospitality.
J.T. Harrison will be preaching in my place this morning. J.T. always does a good job and I appreciate his efforts. Kent Purser, Mark Hocutt and John Langham will speak tonight and report on their recent trip to Guyana.
Please remember that Monday Night for the Master is tomorrow night at 5:45.
Tags: Administrative
Six little letters that have become so prominent in our culture, C-H-A-N-G-E.
Years ago corporate managers began to teach their employees that change was a good thing. The employees understood that this probably meant layoffs and reassignments were just around the corner. Our recent presidential campaign featured the word from both candidates while the winner was seen by both supporters and opponents as the one to bring the most change to the national political scene. Even within the church we have some who preach change, change, change as the way toward better evangelism and church growth.
Change is almost always at least a little scary. We are not sure what lies ahead and whether some new system or new person will really perform the way we think they should. In spiritual matters change is doubly concerning because we also want to make sure God approves of any change that we create.
Change itself is neither good nor bad. It is the nature of the change that demands caution. As an example, the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo changed forever the prospect of cheap gasoline and forced us to rethink the design of our automobiles. That has re-design has proven to be useful. Change occurs in the Bible too for good and ill. One of the greatest changes for good came in the persecutor Saul (Acts 9:17-19; c.f. 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13, Philippians 3:6). Bad changes are noted too such as the shift from glorifying God the Creator to glorifying the creation (Romans 1:25); an attempt to change worship in the tabernacle (Leviticus 10:1, 2) and an attempt to change the Lord’s Supper into something not intended (1 Corinthians 11:17-22). Change can be good but is often sinful because it changes that which God has not changed.
The question that is most important to faithful Christians is whether change in the church is good or bad. The question is answered simply that it depends on the nature of the change. God has left certain things unstated in Scripture. For example, meeting locations, times of worship, number of services on the Lord’s day, order of worship, Bible translations and styles of preaching are left largely to local elderships within broad parameters. One might question the wisdom or expediency of having a single Sunday service at 5 AM each week but one could not declare it a breach of Scripture because it is never addressed. In these broad areas, and there are more, we ought display great love and liberty.
But there are brethren who have a single minded intent to change the fundamental aspects of worship which have been set by God. Some 25 years ago a faithful devout brother in Tennessee began to slowly change some items which most would consider in the realm of expediency. That brother never stopped and today the church where he worshipped bears little resemblance to the church of the first century. They have gone beyond (1 John 9) God’s authorized worship and introduced mechanical instruments into the worship, they have change the meeting times and times for communion to weeknights instead of the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Even now they practice “open fellowship” among the denominations accepting their members even though they were never baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-7). These are change agents and must be opposed with all of our strength.
What are Christians to do? We cannot oppose change agents apart from a knowledge of truth. Their greatest weapon is ignorance. By knowing the Scriptures we can withstand these traitorous people and defend truth. We must pray intently for elderships that they be strong enough to withstand the attacks of the change agents. They must be willing to mark those that cause divisions and who teach contrary to God’s revealed will (Romans 16:17).
The church of my Lord is perfect. Sometimes, problems arise with members in the church but the church itself, that is, in its design, purpose and intended worship, is pristine. As members of that church we must struggle against those who would destroy her beauty and exchange it for something of their own making.
Tags: change agents, change movement, Church
Every Lord’s Day, Christians assemble together to worship. The purpose of that worship is, first and foremost, to honor God through praise, devotion and thanksgiving and the joining together around the Lord’s table in commemoration of his death. It was, and is, God’s plan that his people join together weekly to worship him and encourage one another.
Sometimes a brother or sister will fail to assemble with the Christians. Perhaps they are tired from the evening before or maybe they are traveling and have not prepared by finding a church assembly near their vacation destination. When asked, they may respond thusly: “We just had church at the hotel. You know, where ‘two are three are gathered together’ the Lord is with them.”
Sadly, this is a misunderstanding of what Jesus was saying in Matthew 18:20. In fact, the passage actually argues for a regular assembly together of the body and not for a quickie method of worship.
This passage occurs in the context not of worship, but of church discipline. Two chapters earlier, Jesus foretold the coming of his church. These to whom he speaks will see the coming of the church very soon. Aware that problems arise among followers, Jesus has given a formula for retrieving the erring brother from sin (Matthew 18:5). He directs his followers to use a four-pronged method. First we approach directly involving no one else. If that fails, we take along one or two with us thus confirming what is said. Finally, the problem is discussed with the church generally in hope of regaining the lost soul. Fourth, the impenitent person is excluded from the assembly and treated as a “Gentile and a tax collector (Matthew 18:17).
It is this fourth and final task - the exclusion of the impenitent brother or sister - that Jesus is speaking of when he declares that “where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am in their midst” (Matthew 18:20). The text here is similar to that in Matthew 16:13-20 when Jesus promises that he will establish his church and promises that doctrine taught through the apostles and in the church will have already been made in heaven. In our text, Jesus is simply saying that when making the decision to withdraw from a member, he is present in their decisions - it is not simply a human decision. The passage is meaningless unless there is a regular assembly together of the saints and thus argues for the regular gathering together. If there is no regular assembly together there can be nothing to be withdrawn from and nowhere to make that decision.
What is more important from our perspective, Jesus is not discussing the gathering together of the church for worship. There is nothing here to suggest that Jesus desires anything other than attendance together with the body for worship.
Consider what normally happens when someone does not attend and uses Matthew 18:20 for justification:
1. The so-called worship is abbreviated - it is hasty and usually skimps on some aspect.
2. There is little or no preparation for worship from the one leading the “service.”
3. The gathering about the Lord’s table, if done at all, is very brief and with minimal meaning.
4. There is usually no attempt to lay by in store a contribution to the work of the church.
5. There is no spiritual oversight by elders who are the Lord’s appointed ones.
6. There is no allowance for an invitation, which, while not required, points to the lackadaisical attitude inherent in such a “worship service.”
Our intention is not to lambaste some brother or sister. In fact, we have no recollection of any specific member making this claim to us. Our goal is guide and teach and avoid the dangers of seeking to make worship soft and meaningless. Ample resources are available to locate and investigate churches before leaving town on vacation. Find and assemble with your brethren. You will encourage them and yourself.
Tags: attendance, worship