We often wonder what the world is coming to; just how long will evil progress in our world? The Bible ought to be at the forefront of our focus when we have such questions. That God wrote the Bible is evident from many of its characteristics, one of which is its controlled way of describing evil in the world. There is no shocked helplessness at the evil acts of men, but rather a reminder that God is in control over the kingdom of men and works according to His own timetable (Daniel 4:25).

Just as farmers wait as long it takes for their crops to mature before they harvest them, God waits until the time is ripe to punish wicked nations. Often we can become anxious and impatient about evil, wondering when God will deal with it. Men in the Bible did this as well. Jeremiah questioned how long God would allow the wicked to prosper (Jeremiah 12:1-4). Habakkuk knew that God was of purer eyes than to behold evil (Hab. 1:13), but was troubled because to him it seemed that God was idly looking at wrongdoing (Hab. 1:2-4). John saw the souls of them who were slain under the altar crying out, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10); an evident representation of God’s sense of justice being so sensitive that innocent blood screams out to Him (cf. Genesis 6:4).

God will punish when the time is ripe. In Genesis 15:16, God promised Abraham that his descendants (Israel) would inherit the land where Abraham was sojourning (Canaan), when the iniquity of the present inhabitants (the Amorites) was full. However, before that time Israel would be a servant in the land of Egypt until the time was right for God to judge them (Genesis 15:13-14). God had plans to bless Israel and to punish Egypt and the people of Canaan, but it was all according to His time. When will the iniquity of our nation be full? God alone knows. He sent His Son to save the world “when the fullness of time was come” (Galatians 4:4).

Revelation 14:13-20 portrays an angel being sent forth with instructions to reap the earth with a sharp sickle gathering God’s people for deliverance and the wicked for punishment. The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 came when the time was ripe. Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13:24-43 gives a glimpse of the harvest that will take place at the end of time. God harvests when the time is ripe for individuals and nations. He will issue His last and great harvest at the end of time. It is up to us to make sure we are prepared for the reaping when the time is ripe.

–Mark Day

An open letter to the congregation of Israel from your humble servants and priests, Nadab and Abihu.

Brethren:
It is with the utmost humility that we inform you of a change of worship practices. Be assured that we bring about this change only after much prayer and study. We have recently concluded an in-depth study of the Law, and have decided to bring about a change in the type of fire used in worship.
We are aware that there is a standing tradition of using only one source of fire, but we as priests, do not feel obligated to blindly follow tradition. Numerous polls indicate the overwhelming opinion that worshipers do not care where we get the fire. We are in agreement with the majority, as we cannot see how a change in fire will affect anything in the least about our sacrifices.

Besides all this, nowhere in the Law does the Lord forbid the use of what some detractors have referred to as “strange fire.” We feel that the lack of such a restriction was meant to give us freedom. Is there any place in the Law that tells us we cannot do something the Lord has not seen fit to condemn? Where are other fires explicitly condemned?

Also, Israel is the only religious group that limits itself to one kind of fire. We have become a laughingstock, and have been ridiculed openly by many groups. We are in great danger of appearing distinctive. This self-righteous, “only-one-fire” policy has alienated us from everyone else. We believe this change will open up many fellowship opportunities.

Now, to set the minds of some of you at ease, we will continue to offer a traditional service using the old-fashioned fire as well as a progressive service with the new fire. This approach will also make it possible to appeal to a younger audience as we discover more entertaining ways to “light the fire” of our assemblies.

For those who still oppose the use of new fire, we ask you not to be judgmental. We also hope you will not use this change as an excuse to divide our people or stir up trouble. We remind you that this has been well thought out and the majority of priests have signed on with us.
We are all very much looking forward to our first new fire service. God will be watching and we anticipate that His joy over seeing His people take a great step toward throwing off the burden of binding tradition will be an electrifying experience. Our new contemporary worship service will no doubt make it easier for us to really be on fire for the Lord!

See you there… we think this new practice is going to spread like wildfire. Please come and enjoy what we know will be an illuminating experience for all of us.

For freedom’s sake!
Your faithful priests,
Nadab & Abihu

(Please read Leviticus 10:1-3)

— submitted by Jerry Sturgill

How did our Lord view the written oracles of God? How did He use God’s word while He lived among men for a third of a century? Since Jesus is our example (1 Pet. 2:21), we should allow His approach to Scripture to influence our approach.

Jesus recognized the true Old Testament canon. The word canon refers to a measuring rod; those books that are considered canonical are those which “measure up” to the characteristics of inspired writing. Our English Old Testaments today are comprised of 39 books. While several other books were circulated among the Jews, most frequently referred to as today as “the Apocrypha,” Jesus only recognized the material that comprises our 39 books as part of the canon. In Matthew 23:35, He said, in essence, from the beginning to end of the Old Testament, all the blood of the righteous would be required of that generation; thus, he delineated the ends of the Old Testament referring to Abel, the first martyr recorded in Genesis, to Zechariah son of Barachias, the last martyr mentioned in 2 Chronicles (the last book in the Jewish order of the Old Testament).

Jesus viewed the Old Testament as inspired and historically accurate. Instead of considering the first eleven chapters of Genesis as a fable, or reinterpreting the creation account in order to fit billions of years between creation and the coming of man, Jesus spoke of Adam and Eve in Mark 10:6 saying, “from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.” He considered the devil to be real, referring to him as “murderer from the beginning” and a “liar” (Jn. 8:44). The account of the days of Noah in Genesis 6 was a reality that he likened to the time when He would come (Lk. 17:26-27). Abraham (Jn. 8:56), Isaac and Jacob (Mt. 8:11) were historical figures in His mind. The demise of Lot’s wife, while laughed at by some today, was considered a real story with a sobering lesson by our Lord (Luke 17:32); moreover, that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed was an historical fact that Jesus used to show the reality of God’s final judgment (Matthew 10:15). Jesus believed that God really spoke to Moses through a burning bush (Mk. 12:26), that Moses made the bronze serpent and lifted it up for Israel to be cured (Jn. 3:14), and that Moses received God’s commands and wrote the law (Mt. 8:4; Mk. 10:3;Lk. 24:44; Jn. 5:46; et. al.); should we not believe the same?

Christ not only believed in the inspiration of the law, but the other portions of the Old Testament as well. Jesus used David’s actions recorded in 1 Samuel 21 as inspired proof in His argument with the Pharisees over the Sabbath (Mt. 12:4). On another occasion, He quoted David’s words from Psalm 110, saying “David himself said by the Holy Ghost” (Mk. 12:36); thus, Jesus believed David was inspired. Jesus often referred to the prophets as part of God’s inspired word (Mt. 5:17; 7:12; 11:13; 22:40). He recognized God’s prophets of the Old Testament were persecuted because they spoke the truth (Mt. 5:12; 23:34) while the false prophets were lauded (Lk. 6:26). Jesus even considered the preaching of Jonah and his sojourn in the belly of a great fish to be just as historically accurate as His own death and resurrection; He even placed it aside the historical account of the Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon (Mt. 12:39-42). While legendary materials can be used as illustrations, it is hard to interpret Jesus’ use of Jonah as anything other than the use of historical material to make His point.
On and on we could go. Suffice it to say that those portions of the Old Testament that have been questioned or dismissed by some today as mythical or composed by uninspired men, Jesus considers historical and inspired. Jesus is the truth (Jn. 14:6), and we should side with Him.

–Mark Day

By: Batsell Barrett Baxter

What Is The Distinctive Plea Of The Church Of Christ?
It is primarily a plea for religious unity based upon the Bible. In a divided religious world it is believed that the Bible is the only possible common denominator upon which most, if not all, of the God-fearing people of the land can unite. This is an appeal to go back to the Bible. It is a plea to speak where the Bible speaks and to remain silent where the Bible is silent in all matters that pertain to religion. It further emphasizes that in everything religious there must be a “Thus saith the Lord” for all that is done. The objective is religious unity of all believers in Christ. The basis is the New Testament. The method is the restoration of New Testament Christianity.

What Does The Church Of Christ Believe About The Bible?
The original autographs of the sixty six books which make up the Bible are considered to have been divinely inspired, by which it is meant that they are infallible and authoritative. Reference to the scriptures is made in settling every religious question. A pronouncement from the scripture is considered the final word. The basic textbook of the church and the basis for all preaching is the Bible.

How Does One Become A Member Of The Church Of Christ?
In the salvation of man’s soul there are 2 necessary parts: God’s part and man’s part. God’s part is the big part, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The love which God felt for man led him to send Christ into the world to redeem man. The life and teaching of Jesus, the sacrifice on the cross, and the proclaiming of the gospel to men constitute God’s part in salvation.

Though God’s part is the big part, man’s part is also necessary if man is to reach heaven. Man must comply with the conditions of pardon which the Lord has announced. Man’s part can clearly set forth in the following steps:

Hear the Gospel. “How shall they call on him whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14).

Believe. “And without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Repent Of Past Sins. “The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent” (Acts 17:30).

Confess Jesus as Lord. “Behold here is water; What doth hinder me to be baptized ? And Philip said, if thou believeth with all thy heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:36-37).

Be Baptized For The Remission Of Sins. “And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Live A Christian Life. “Ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

(Adapted) –submitted by Jerry Sturgill