DISCIPLE

Donald Norbie   Text: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 The general condition of mankind will make life difficult for Christians and the Gospel. Paul gives a lengthy description of men in those days. It is not that each person will reveal all of these characteristics, but these will characterize the world’s culture in the end times. Evil and selfishness will be rampant. There are nineteen descriptive terms that Paul uses. There does not seem to be a formal or logical progression in the list, although there are certain groupings. It is a passionate description of evil, rather than a methodical analysis. The first two go together, “self-lovers” and “money-lovers.” An obsession with self characterizes many today. There is worship of the human body, a probing of one’s thought processes, psychoanalysis, concern about self-esteem, self-realization, self-fulfillment. Commitment in marriage is marginal; self-realization must not be jeopardized. And love of money goes hand-in-hand with this self-wor...

If you think universities are centers of truth you are in for a surprise. It's really amazing the number of lies and fables that university students hear today. Professors use their classrooms as pulpits to push their spiritual and social theories and opinions, most of which are openly anti-Bible and anti-Christian.  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fable #1: In order to believe the Bible one must commit intellectual suicide. It is a myth of modern education that a truly intelligent person will not believe the Bible. Actually, a truly intelligent person cannot help but believe the Bible. Most of the early colleges in America were founded on this principle. William and Mary, Yale, and Princeton to name a few, had the Bible at the center of their curriculum. As the first Harvard laws stated in 1642, "Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which ...

By now you're probably aware of the latest in spiritual growth tools - the Christian cruise.  At one time, trips to the Holy Land or Reformation sites were the rage. Today it's not where you go, it's how you get there. Cruise boats, complete with on-board lecturers and concert artists, don't go anywhere in particular. Cruise directors downplay geography. Ads bill them as an Alaskan Getaway, Mexican Riviera Retreat, or Caribbean Odyssey, and the closest they get to a site of theological import is the Bermuda Triangle, which has vague Trinitarian imagery.  Cruises aren't new - several seafarers are mentioned in the Bible. But now we know they did it all wrong. Noah's cruise could have been a romantic retreat with his wife; instead, the who le family came along (not to mention their animal friends). Jonah let himself get pushed around by the ship's crew, his cruise ended prematurely, and he never got a refund. All he got was great sermon material. Paul endured ...

  Philippians 1:20-21  "... so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.  21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." What is the purpose of a magnifying glass? To be seen itself? Just the opposite. It is to make some object more visible. And that was exactly Paul’s expectation, not to be seen or noticed himself, but to help make the Savior more visible to men and women. Sadly, today, many Christians appear to have lost sight of this noble ambition of Paul's. They dress and behave so as to be seen and noticed and liked. They call attention to themselves, not to Christ.   "My life touched yours for a very brief space, And what, oh, what did you see? A hurried, a worried and anxious face, Or the beauty of Jesus in me? Was I steeped so deep in the ways of the world That you couldn’t detect one thing That would set me apart and show that my heart Belonged to the Heavenly King?"          ...

1. I was made to wash as a child. 2. People who wash are hypocrites – they reckon they’re cleaner than other people. 3. There are so many different kinds of soap, I could never decide which one is right. 4. I used to wash, but it got boring so I stopped. 5. I still wash on special occasions like Christmas and Easter. 6. None of my friends wash. 7. I’m still young. When I’m older and have gotten a bit dirtier I might start washing. 8. I really don’t have time. 9. The bathroom’s never warm enough. 10. People who make soap are only after your money. Don’t be daft! We all need to wash, and we know it. There’s no argument! And we all need to be washed, cleansed from our sins, because, face it, our hearts and lives are contaminated with it. Christ said in Mark 7:20-23, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pri...

Due to restrictions associated with the pandemic, many who were unable to meet physically have found encouragement through telephone and video conferences (Zoom, etc). We need to be reminded that in most cases such measures are temporary, exceptional, and should not take the place of meeting together. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name", said the Lord. Online video conferences are not New Testament gatherings, and cannot replace the functions of the church.     We now face the danger of indolence and complacency regarding assembly meetings. Are we reluctant to leave the comforts of home where we can watch and listen to a meeting in our pajamas? Is it too much trouble to get dressed and go out to meet with the saints? The following article written by brother Steve Hulshizer in 1991 is a good review and reminder.    Forsake Not The Assembling of Yourselves Together by Steve Hulshizer Poor attendance at assembly gatherings is a very comm...

by Steve Hulshizer “They shall not know, neither see, till we come amongst them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease”   (Neh. 4:11). Many are concerned about the conditions and the trends in the "assemblies" today. Many assemblies are in poor spiritual condition, while others are departing from New Testament principles in an attempt to grow larger. In both cases the enemy has slipped in unawares. The spiritual condition of some assemblies has slowly deteriorated to where they are about to close their doors. Other assemblies in their desire to grow are slipping away from Biblical principles, perhaps only to wonder at a later date how they departed so far from the Scriptural principles of gathering (Matt. 13:31-32).     Today, as in Nehemiah's day, there is a need for both workers and watchers (Neh. 4:16). There is a great need for workers; not only full-time workers, but saints who are willing to work in their local assembly.  There is also a great need fo...

 This poem was written by Charles Thomas Studd, a renowned cricketer from a wealthy family in England. When he was saved, he gave up his position and fame in England and became a missionary, first to China, then to India, and finally to Africa where he died in 1931. While serving in India, he became engaged to Priscilla. Due to the demands of missionary service they were often separated, and he taught her to repeat daily these words: "Jesus, I love thee, thou art to me, dearer than Charlie ever could be." He expected Christ to occupy first place in every area of life.      C. T. Studd, like ourselves, was not perfect, but he was different from many Christians in that he gave his all for Christ. His poem has motivated many a believer to make life count for the Lord. Perhaps it will be that way with you, dear reader. Two little lines I heard one day,  Traveling along life's busy way; Bringing conviction to my heart,  And from my mind would not depart; Only on...

  God's Word is under attack on every side and on every subject. Every time men or women speak of "millions of years" and evolution, they are calling God a liar.  Recently someone proposed on a science website their theory that perhaps the universe never had a beginning. This is in direct conflict with the clear fact stated in God's Word. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). These "science" sites have also proposed that a meteor impacted in the area of ancient Sodom and caused the "legend" of God's judgment. This is another ridiculous example of the endless theories and speculations, all based on distrust and disbelief in God's Word. Another attack on Scripture and a display of ignorant arrogance and foolishness is the transgender theory that people everywhere are hearing and believing. It is basically an excuse to justify wicked behavior. And of course, their general strategy is to silence or r...