We are only 2 months, Lord willing, away from “New Year’s resolutions”! How many of us have made many in the past? How many have lasted more than the 21 days some experts say is necessary to form a “habit” (i.e. practice, routine, repeatable action)?WHY do we even wait until January 1 to make resolutions that are good for us???
“for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.’ (1 Timothy 4:8 NASB)
As we know, we all need exercise: physically, yes, but spiritually, YES!!!
With this short “introduction”, we will begin a series about things we can do that are beneficial spiritual exercises for our soul! Look for future posts in this series.
“Stay Well, Stay Strong in the Lord, and In the Power of His Might!” (Ephesians 6).
This is a sermon with outline preached at the Walnut Street church of Christ in Jesup, GA on Sunday, October 18,2020. Please enjoy studying along, searching the Scriptures as the lesson progresses, by listening to the audio and viewing the outline available below.
Word Study – “Honor” – Mark J Ward – Walnut St. church in Jesup, GA 10/18/2020
Who is “God”? Are there “three Gods”? Is the Holy Spirit God? Is Jesus Christ God? What about the “trinity”? What does the Bible teach about just what type of God is revealed in the Bible? This is a sermon with charts preached at the Walnut Street church of Christ in Jesup, GA on Sunday, September 27,2020. Please enjoy studying along, searching the Scriptures as the lesson progresses, by listening to the audio and viewing the charts available below.
An Overview of the Godhead – Mark J Ward – Jesup, GA
This is lesson two in a two-part series preached at the Beavercreek church of Christ in the Dayton, Ohio area on Sunday, September 20, 2020. Did you know that some activities for people under the law of Moses that were mandatory then, are forbidden now under the law of Christ? And, that other activities, that were mandatory under the law of Moses are now optional (i.e. liberties/freedoms) today? How can we tell? How do know what is right and wrong for the individual and the local church today? Please listen to the audio and follow along with the charts used, if you like! Thanks! – mjw
What is Sin? – Part 2 – Beavercreek church of Christ – 9/20/2020
This website is “an individual work” in response to biblical instruction for us to carry out the great commission (Mt. 28:18-20), to teach others God’s Word (2 Tim. 2:2) and to contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 3). God desires that all of His children stand for and spread the gospel of Christ (which is His power to save all those who will obey) [Rom. 1:16; Eph. 6:10ff].
The initial Religious Instructor website found currently at: www.religiousinstructor.com was started in January of 1998 as primarily a monthly web-zine, with a few other articles, links, and debates for the same purposes as stated above. It still exists and may be merged with this website more fully in the future, but at the present time, you can either link to it from this site (in the area entitled “Other Websites of Interest”, or simply use the links provided in this post (above and below) and save it in your favorites on all your digital devices.
The Religious Instructor at this site is a continuation of the former site. It will begin as a blog, with posts, articles, charts, audio files, ebooks, and links to other authors’ material. Also, there will be ebooks, pdfs of sermon outlines, articles, church bulletins, special studies, as well as other files from the past, by my late father, Dick Ward (audio of sermons and question and answer radio programs). As we had printing and publishing equipment for several years, there is a lot of printed material that I hope to be able to convert and post to this site over time (pdf).
I will also ask others to submit material (audio, articles and/or video) for the purposes of teaching what they understand God’s Word to instruct on various topics and passages of Scripture.
I solicit your prayers that God will be pleased with this effort. If I accomplish that, I know the site is what it should be. I welcome your questions, comments, constructive criticism, dialogue (including opportunities for discussion in the proper spirit on areas of disagreement). I will try my best to to teach the truth in love, pointing to Scripture to document the positions advanced, with clarity and love for the audience (Eph. 4:11-15).
My desire is to teach only God’s Truth, and in so doing help as many people as I can in this world have a better understanding of the Bible. We are especially interested in all things that pertain to the salvation of our souls. Jesus Christ came to this earth to seek and save the lost. He lived a perfect life and was offered as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus shed His blood “for the remission of sins” that washes away our sins if we obey God’s instruction on coming to Christ. (Mt. 16:21; Mt. 26:28; Jn. 3:16; Heb. 9:27,28; I Jn. 2:2; Gal. 1:4; I Tim. 2:6; 2 Tim. 2:4).
I hope to hear from many of you, Lord willing. May God continue to richly bless us with His love, patience, mercy, and grace. May we continue to grow spiritually as God has outlined in His Word (2 Peter 1:2-11; 3:18). Thanks, in advance, for taking the time to read, study, and consider the teachings put forth for your consideration at these websites.
In the love of Christ Jesus our Lord,
Mark J Ward __________________________________________
This is lesson one in a two-part series preached at the Beavercreek church of Christ in the Dayton, Ohio area on Sunday, September 13, 2020. Who determines what sin is? How are we to understand what sin is? What are the various ways in which a person can sin? Please listen to the audio and follow along with the charts used, if you like! Thanks! – mjw
What is Sin? Part 1 – Beavercreek, Ohio – 9/13/2020
Have you ever been to a funeral? If not, what about visiting a gravesite? It is quite sobering to just spend some time in a cemetery and wonder about the lives of all the people, small and great, from all walks of life, who have been buried in caskets in the earth, interred in a mausoleum, or otherwise memorialized by grave markers, choice sayings, Bible verses, and dates of birth and death.
AN APPOINTMENT WE MUST MEET The Bible clearly teaches us, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (NASB)
ARE WE PREPARED??? Many of us are unprepared for death. A great percentage of people have no will, or have an outdated will. According to a recent Forbes article online, nearly half of those who are over 55 do not have a will, not to mention any durable power of attorney or health care directive.(1) Such is a dramatic example of both “procrastination” and a tremendous “lack of preparedness” for a very significant event!
Sadly, and more importantly due to eternal consequences, an even greater percentage of people in the world are unprepared for the final judgment by God (being in a lost state now)! As our lead passage above teaches, it is an appointment for all to die physically (the exceptions being: those who will be alive when Jesus comes on the judgment day (I Corinthians 15:51-53), and it appears Enoch, Genesis 5:24, and Elijah, 2 Kings 2:11). We are responsible for our own will preparation and estate planning, along with any power(s) of attorney and/or health care directive(s)! Not God, not our children, not our neighbors, and not even our spouse per se! The same is true about planning for where we will be in eternity. There are only two choices: heaven and hell! There is no other place we can be! The Bible teaches that “all” will be separated into two groups….the sheep and the goats of Matthew 25. The sheep go into life eternal and the goats go into the everlasting place of punishment.
THE SOLUTION..TAKING PROPER ACTION NOW TO HAVE THE PROPER RESULT LATER If you or I have not completed properly planning for our physical departure from this life, we need to resolve and follow through with proper estate planning!
Most importantly, we need to accept the invitation of God to be His children, and properly plan where we will be in eternity immediately!
God has given us the plan, the Savior and His sacrifice, as well as ample opportunity to obey the gospel of Christ and live a life faithfully pleasing to God (according to the law age to which we are particularly amenable). He is more than fair, just and merciful, full of grace! HE desires that no one be lost eternally (2 Peter 3:9).
Our souls are too precious and the consequences of not preparing properly for our spiritual well-being are too severe not obey the gospel and live faithfully according to God’s Will that we might be saved! Thanks for reading! Share this with a friend and be a friend in so doing. – mjw
When a friend of mine (the editor only knows him too well) was moving, I assisted by loading and unloading the belongings. At one point in the move, it was necessary to turn in a rental car and I was driving behind Mark, I mean my friend who was driving the U-Haul moving truck, and saw that he was about to attempt to drive a vehicle that was 11′ 3″ through an overpass that only had a clearance marked as 10′ 6″! I began laying on the horn of the rental car and waved wildly to attempt to stop him before he had to pay for considerable damage!
Luckily, Mark stopped before crashing the truck’s top into the overpass. I got out of the vehicle I was in and walked up beside his vehicle. I noticed that the height of the truck was printed in about 2 locations (2 inside the truck and 1 placed strategically on the truck so you could read it in the rear view mirror) in LARGE, bright ORANGE letters. The clearance marking was also painted in large bold letters on the overpass. There was no mistake. You can’t drive a truck that is over 11 feet in height “under” an overpass that is only 10 feet 6 inches high! (I know Mark is from Alabama, but surely he was taught this in school down there!)
There are a few spiritual lessons from this earthly story. Let’s look at a few.
HEED THE WARNING
He was unaware of the danger that awaited him if he didn’t heed the warning. The bridge was too low for the truck to clear without incident. The horn sounded the alarm to help this brother who was in need of the warning. The accident had not happened …yet. There was still time NOT to crash.
Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
Would ignorance of this height difference have allowed him to be saved from this impending disaster?
Acts 17:30 “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,”
Ephesians 4:18 “..having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that it in them, because of the hardening of their heart;”
What is necessary to avoid the disaster? The warning is just preventive. The disaster still lies ahead. Let’s look at a few things that might help us avoid spiritual disasters.
1) Drive by the same rules (1′ for the truck = 1′ for the bridge/overpass)
Matthew 15:9 “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”
Philippians 3:16 “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”
Ephesians 4:1 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,”
2 Peter 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
2) Don’t deceive ourselves
2 Peter 3:17 “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.”
Mark 13:5-6 “And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”
Luke 21:8 “And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.”
Romans 16:18 “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
I Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: …”
I Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”
3) Realize that “it” DOES APPLY to “us”
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Mark 12:38 “And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,”
Acts 13:40 “Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;”
I Corinthians 8:9 “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.”
Galatians 5:15 “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”
4) Watch out for our brethren
Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
What are the results whenwarnings are sounded?
Do We Get Mad at the One “Blowing the Horn” at Us? I know a lot of so-called “Christians” that get extremely angry when being approached and warned that they might be about to engage in error (whether in their doctrine or their practice). These same people probably would be very happy if they were about to drive a rental truck into a low overpass and I laid on the horn to warn them to avoid the danger? Why is that? Can we see that we have our priorities reversed?
Accept and Correct
James 5:20 “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
or…Reject and Wreck
Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
Hebrews 3:12 “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
[EDITOR’s NOTE: Thanks to Jeff Fry for the article! I can’t personally thank him enough for the physical and spiritual warnings! If you would like to contact Jeff, he can be reached at 2019 Homesite Drive, Dayton, OH 45414, or e-mail him at FryJeff@aol.com .]
This lesson covers New Testament passages that illustrate the responsibility of Christians to “identify with” a local congregation. What is God’s will concerning placing membership in a local congregation?
Placing Membership in a Local Church – Part 2 – Jesup, GA
This is Part 4 of a 4 part e-book series on the Life of Christ.
The lessons and a printed study book were presented to the Oak Grove church of Christ in Jennings, FL. (I will continue to look for the audio and post it later, if found. – mjw)
