This question has often been a subject of contention in families.  While this writer firmly believes that the child’s duty of honoring his/her parents knows no age limitation, it is also my belief that certain Scriptures are wrested from their context in order justify a course of action.

The heart of the matter is. . .The point is a child is no longer bound by parental dictates.  To understand this issue, we must examine the biblical text in Numbers 30:1-5Numbers 30:1-5
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30 ¹ Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded. ² When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. ³ Also when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father’s house, in her youth, ⁴ and her father hears her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father holds his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. ⁵ But if her father disallow her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand: and Yahweh will forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

WP-Bible plugin.  This text is often used to support the belief that children, especially daughters, are bound by the parent until that daughter is married. The text is rendered in the following:

Numbers 30:1-5Numbers 30:1-5
English: World English Bible - WEB
30 ¹ Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded. ² When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. ³ Also when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father’s house, in her youth, ⁴ and her father hears her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father holds his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. ⁵ But if her father disallow her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand: and Yahweh will forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

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(1)  And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.

(2)  If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

(3)  If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father’s house in her youth;

(4)  And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.

(5)  But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

This text has often been the target of unbiblical eisegesis.  Through the misrepresentation of this text, many parents have sought to maintain unbiblical control over their children that are of adult age and stature.  Using verses three and four, the father often maintains that as long as his daughter is single, she is under his God-given authority and is, therefore, bound to follow his explicit will.  However, it only takes a brief and accurate examination of the text to reveal the inaccuracy of such a position.  The Scriptures do not indicate such authority Read the rest of this entry »

“We don’t support single missionaries, so please call me back when you are married.”  That is the statement often heard by those whom God has called to the mission field and, yet, are still unmarried.

It is not the purpose of this article to cause offense concerning this issue.  Rather, after several days of contemplation, I believe it would be good to biblically examine such a position.  For those men who hold the position of not supporting a single missionary, please note that your position is between you and the Lord.  It is not my desire to attack your position.  However, it is my belief that it is always correct to reexamine one’s position in light of God’s Word, for the purpose of either validating the position or modifying it to fit within biblical parameters.

Our convictions, standards, positions, etc., must be firmly fixed in the Word of God.  While the Bible does not address every issue of life with a “Thou shalt” or a “Thou shalt not,”  there are biblical principles that govern all issues.  That is the reason Moses was instructed to teach the “commandments, the statutes, and the judgments” (Deuteronomy 6:1Deuteronomy 6:1
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6 ¹ Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Yahweh your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it;

WP-Bible plugin).  The “commandments” are the Law of God (i.e., the “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots”).  The “statutes” are the principles of God’s Word.  The “judgments” are the consequences from God (i.e., for violating the commandments and statutes).  Thus, I would ask. . .Where is either the commandment or the statute for omitting single missionaries from mission support?  How is this position biblically justified?

Concerning this issue, it would be best to examine the Scriptures to see what God’s thoughts are on this matter.  The first example that comes to my mind is the Apostle Paul.  He was a single missionary.  It should also be noted that Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote “For I would that all men were even as I myself” (1 Corinthians 7:71 Corinthians 7:7
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7 Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.

WP-Bible plugina).  He also wrote, “But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband” (I Corinthians 7:32-34, emphasis added).  In other words, the unmarried can serve the Lord with less difficulty, Read the rest of this entry »

This article was received in an e-mail from a friend of mine.  He is a man that is committed to the faithful exposition of the Word of God.

The dearth of biblically sound, expositional preaching is a sad indictment of the pulpits of our day.  It seems that too many men have too busy schedules that allow too little time in the study of God’s Word.   The results of the reduced study time are sermons that are more lung power than God’s power.

Some of the signs of needing more study are listed in the following e-mail article.  Of course, they are somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but they do present a sad truth about many pulpits.

18 Signs that You’re a Fundamentalist Preacher That Might Need to Study More for Your Sermons

1. You consider studying for sermons something that lib’rals do instead of soul winning.
2. You prepare your sermons on the way to church, which explains why you recently preached against tan lines, energy drinks, and men wearing short sleeve shirts.
3. You actually make fun of preachers who use Greek and Hebrew in their sermons.
4. You consider volume a fine substitute for substance.
5. To you, “exegete the Greek” is a funny rhyme.
6. You decide on what sins to preach against based on who’s in the congregation.
7. You consider a pulpit more of a punching bag rather than a place to rest your Bible.
8. You have 35 sermon outlines prepared and ready to preach – as soon as you find text verses for them.
9. In a 117 minute sermon, you spent 53 minutes telling stories from your childhood, 47 minutes telling stories from your early ministerial days, 15 minutes denigrating men who wear pleated pants, and 2 minutes explaining your text verse.
10. You have actually spent an entire sermon preaching against the evils of Barney the purple dinosaur.
11. Your favorite illustrations are Darwin’s deathbed conversion, the “microphone in hell” bit, and Spurgeon giving up his cigars.
12. You quote John Gill as supporting your position against Calvinism.
13. You think people who know what “supralapsarianism” means need to get saved.
14. You think it’s okay to preach a verse out of context, as long as you tell your people that you’re doing it on purpose.
15. You love to apply Messianic prophecies to yourself.
16. When you preach, you can’t help but say “evangelical” effeminately.
17. You think “expositional” is someone who doesn’t take a position on anything.
18. You’re not sure what TULIP stands for, but you know you’re against it.

The following is a copy of a letter that a good friend of mine sent to his congressional representative.  It is with his permission that I post this letter.  He makes a very valid and poignant point!

An Open Letter to Congress

The U. S. Postal Service was established in 1775 – you have had 234 years to get it right; it is broke.

Social Security was established in 1935 – you have had 74 years to get it right; it is broke.

Fannie Mae was established in 1938 – you have had 71 years to get it right: it is broke.

The “War on Poverty” started in 1964 – you have had 45 years to get it right: $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to “the poor’; it hasn’t worked and our entire country is broke.

Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 – you have had 44 years to get it right; it is broke.

Freddie Mac was established in 1970 – you have had 39 years to get it right; it is broke.

Trillions of dollars were spent in the massive political payoffs called TARP, the “Stimulus” the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009…none show any signs of working, although ACORN appears to have a new source; the American taxpayer.

Finally, to set a new record: “Cash for Clunkers” was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009! It took cars (that were the best some people could afford) and replaced them with high-priced and less-affordable cars, mostly Japanese. A good percentage of the profits went out of the country. And the American taxpayers take the hit for Congress’ generosity in burning three billion more of our dollars on failed experiments.

So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that the “services” you shove down our throats are failing faster and faster, you want Americans to believe you can be trusted with a government-run health care system?  (That is) 20% of our entire economy?

With all due respect, are you crazy?

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Please feel free to post your comments by clicking on the green “+” in the  ”Comments” section.

It is Christmas time again!  What a joy it is to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.   Although the world has lost the wonder of Christmas, believers must never get over the wonder of that first Christmas night so long ago.

John tells the world that, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14John 1:14
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14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

WP-Bible plugin).  What a wondrous thought!  The Word (i.e., Jesus, God) was made flesh.  That means that the God, who created all that is, became like mortal man.  For thirty-three-and-a-half years, God Almighty clothed Himself in a robe of human flesh.  He endured the sufferings, trials and temptations of a mortal man, yet He sinned not (Hebrew 4:15w 4:15
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Izbrana zbirka WEB ne vsebuje vpisane knjigeMesto:

WP-Bible pluginb).  This means that Christmas offers hope for mankind.  God was not “made flesh,” but He “dwelt among us.”  This is another astounding thought!  Why would the God, whose habitation is the boundless eternity, be willing to confine Himself to the spatial limitations of time?  Yet, that is what He did. . .He “dwelt among us.”  The sinless Lamb of God chose to live among sinful men.  He did this so that you and I could know the forgiveness of Christmas.   John concludes the verse with “and we beheld his glory. . .”  Yes, those who saw Him during His public ministry saw One like they had never seen before.  They saw Him heal the blind, raise the dead, cause the dumb to speak and the deaf to hear.  Yes, they beheld His glory.  However, we too can still behold His glory.  Every time we witness the work of salvation in a believing heart, we witness the greatest of all His glorious works.  What a joy it is to know that Christmas brings the miracle of salvation.

As we celebrate the wonder of Christmas together, it is my prayer and hope that you and your family have a wonderful and joyous Christmas celebration.  I pray that you will have the opportunity to introduce your unsaved family and friends to the Wonder of Christmas through salvation this year.  In the words of the old carol. . .”Oh, Come Let Us Adore Him!”

I have added a “Book Review” section to this site.  The link is located under the “Books” tab on the menu bar.  I will adding a review of books read, as time permits to write the review.  No review should be construed as an endorsement of any book, unless specifically stated. Neither is it my desire to be a critic of any author.  Any review of a book will simply be my opinion.  Of course, my opinion and two bucks will buy you a cup of coffee at Waffle House.

If you have a special request, please feel free to ask.  If you have comments or opinions to add, please feel free to do so.

The first book to be reviewed is a book by Dr. Louis Arnold entitled, “When Will the Tribulation Begin?” Brother Arnold’s thesis is that there is a period of at least forty years between the rapture of the church and the beginning of the Tribulation.  My review is meant to be a kind, but pointed critique of his deductions.

Here is a YouTube video that seemed like far-fetched fantasy in 1948.  Yet, its message is very relevant for Americans today.

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”  (Eccl 9:10Eccl 9:10
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10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

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In his book, Tallyho, the Fox!, author Herb Hodges quotes Myles Munroe in a comment on potential.  This is a great and a must read for all who would succeed. . .

“The wealthiest spot on this planet is not the old fields of Kuwait, Iraq or Saudi Arabia.  Neither is it the gold and diamond mines  of South Africa, the uranium mines of the Soviet Union or the silver mines of Africa.  Though it may surprise you, the richest deposits on our planet lie just a few blocks from your house.  They rest in your local cemetery or graveyard.  Buried beneath the soil there are dreams that never came to pass, songs that were never sung, books that were never written, paintings that never filled a canvas, ideas that were never shared, visions that never became reality, inventions that were never designed, plans that never went beyond the drawing board of the mind and purposes that were never fulfilled.  Our graveyards are filled with massive volumes of potential that remained potential.”

“Potential demands that you never settle for what you have accomplished.  One of the great enemies of your potential is success.  Small successes destroy great possibilities!  In order to realize your full potential, you must never be satisfied with your last accomplishment.  It is also important that you never let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.  The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life that never realized its full potential.”

Let’s ALL live up to our potential!

A. W. Tozer

Back in the 1970’s I can remember many preachers thundering in their pulpits about the dangers of the “Deeper Life” movement.  They declared it to be at odds with the spirit of soul-winning and evangelism.  Yet, the preponderance of the lack of any depth of modern-day believers has become the present strangler of soul-winning.  As with any theological point, it is easy to “go to seed” and miss other important issues.

In his book The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer addresses the problem that is produced by those who fail to have depth in their walk with the Lord.  He writes. . .

“We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God.  We read our chapter, have our short devotions and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar.  The tragic results of this spirit are all about us.  Shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the preponderance of the element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit: These and such as these are the symptoms of an evil disease, a deep and serious malady of the soul.”  [A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Harrisburg, PA:  Christian Publications, 1948) pp. 69-70]

Since this classic book was written in 1948, and what Tozer saw the church of his day, what would Tozer think of much of the church of our day?  Although Tozer has passed away, what about the One who will never pass away?  How does God view His church today?  He yearns for intimate fellowship with His people.  Do we have the same yearning for Him?

Martin Luther

Although there would be a great number of points with which we would disagree with Martin Luther, the 16th century reformer, his observation concerning education is accurate.  In the book, “One Nation Under God,”* author David Gibbs quotes Luther as stating, “I am much afraid that schools will prove to be great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount” (emphasis added).

How true it is that no education is complete, when that education leaves the Word of God outside of the classroom.  Since God Himself is Truth, then it stands to reason, that educational truth must include Him.  Any student that has been awarded a diploma, and that diploma does not represent any biblical teaching, is woefully ill-equipped to face the world.  That student may well have skills that allow for corporate success and financial prowess.  However, that student’s worldview is skewed in favor of the world and he will not examine each decision under the light of God’s Word.

There will be come who argue that the church and home are the place for religious instruction.  Yet, such philosophy reveals the misconception that one’s life should be divided into two parts. . .the secular and the sacred.  A.W. Tozer, in his book The Pursuit of God stated that such philosophy is one of the most dangerous concepts in modern Christianity.  Bob Jones, Sr. stated that, for the Christian, nothing is secular but everything is sacred.  This is consistent with the biblical teaching that, at salvation, God bought the believer (cf. I Corinthians 6:19-20).  The believer has no life outside that of living for Christ.  Anything less is sin.

Let us pray for a return of biblical principles to our nations government and educational systems.

*David Gibbs, Jr. & Jerry Newcombe,  One Nation Under God (Seminole, FL: CLA, 2003), p.145.