​As Halloween approaches, some Christians struggle with the thought of participating in a holiday with pagan origins.  Halloween can be connected back to the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland who believed that the souls of the dead would come back and visit their homes.  It was then that people would sometimes wear disguises so the spirits would not recognize them (Britannica.com).  Throughout the centuries, as with other holidays with pagan roots, the concept has completely changed.  Christmas began as the celebration of the sun god, Easter was associated with the goddess Ostera as a symbol of fertility and rebirth, and even New Year’s Day was associated with a Roman god to represent new beginnings (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church).  Even so, most Christians do not have a problem celebrating any of these holidays because the purpose has changed.  Halloween is simply a day of dressing up for fun and getting candy, Christmas is a festive time of gift-giving and family, Easter often includes decorating and hunting eggs, and New Year’s Day is a time of celebration remembering the past year and looking forward to the new.
It is really all about our mindset and intent.  If the intent in celebrating Halloween is to glorify evil or evil spirits, then that would definitely be wrong (Isa. 5:20).  If the intent of celebrating other holidays with pagan roots is to honor false gods, that would be wrong (Isa. 44:6; Mat. 4:10). If our mindset and intent in celebrating any holiday goes against the Scriptures at all, where we have no authority, that would clearly be wrong (Col. 3:17; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 John 9).
Even with this knowledge, some may still have reservations about celebrating Halloween (or other holidays) in good conscience and that’s understandable. The apostle Paul used the example of eating meat offered to an idol.  It did not matter if a Christian ate the meat or did not eat the meat, but what mattered was their mindset behind eating the meat.  If the meat was eaten with the intent of honoring an idol that was wrong (1 Cor. 8:7).  Therefore, first century Christians who ate the meat in good conscience were encouraged not to pressure others to eat the meat when it would violate their conscience (1 Cor. 8:12). In the same way, no one should be forced to observe any holiday if it would cause them to violate their conscience and sin (1 Cor. 8:7-12).  Each person must make that decision for himself (Rom. 14:5).  With patience and understanding all Christians can get along with or without observing holidays simply as a matter of culture (Rom. 14:3).  Whatever we do, God’s Word must always be respected and honored. 
~Derrick Coble

All Christians have submitted themselves to Christ with the commitment to follow His example and seek those things that are heavenly and not worldly (1 Pet. 2:21; Col. 3:1,2).  That means when a question arises as to how a Christian should behave or what choice one should make in a difficult situation, all must be guided by Jesus and His Word and not what is acceptable in the world.  The requirement is to come out from among the world and be separate (2 Cor. 6:17).  In other words, if you examine the life of a Christian and a sinner side by side and you don’t see any difference between their choices, influence, speech, dress, etc, then there is a glaring problem because whoever “wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).  This is the situation when it comes to moderate drinking.
Most Christians have no problem with the fact that God condemns drunkenness (1 Cor. 6:10,11; Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21); however, there are some who believe that God approves simply drinking a beer or a glass of wine and “not getting drunk.”  The current legal limit in the U.S. for a DUI conviction is .08% blood alcohol concentration. This is the equivalent of 2 drinks (2 cans of beer or two 5 oz. glasses of wine). What is interesting is that according to an Alcohol Impairment Chart (penndot.pa.gov), the government recognizes that alcohol is a problem even after having 1 drink (.04% BAC).  The chart records that by simply drinking moderately, “impairment begins.” Impairment is defined as “loss of function or ability” (m-w.com). This is actually what the apostle Paul said too when he gave the command: “be not drunk with wine” (Eph. 5:18).  The term, “drunk” indicates the process of “being filled with” alcohol in the sense of becoming stupefied or excited by it.  According to the American Medical Association, “Alcohol use—and misuse—is common in society and can carry health risks” (ama-assn.org).
It is amazing that even those in the world recognize that alcohol as a beverage (even in a moderate form) is not a good thing.  That is why there are laws and limitations put into place so that people will not harm themselves or others because their mental faculties have been diminished by it. Christians must separate themselves from alcohol. God wants us to be sober-minded “keeping our head about us” (1 Pet. 4:7), to exhibit self-control (1 The. 5:6), to abstain from those things that are known to be evil (1 The. 5:22), and be a positive influence on others by letting our light shine leading them to glorify the Father (Mat. 5:16).  None of these principles can be accomplished by drinking alcohol as a beverage in any way.
~Derrick Coble

It is a fact that every person will be in eternity someday.  For the majority, it will happen through death (Heb. 9:27).  Yet, for some it will happen in the presence of the Lord at the last day, when the living will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:51,52).  For those who have prepared themselves in obedience to the Gospel, eternity brings the joys of Heaven in the very presence of God (Rev. 21:1-4).  On the other hand, for those who are not prepared, eternity brings unending sorrow in the fires of Hell (Rev. 14:11; Mat. 25:41).  Knowing that the spiritual side of man is immortal brings many questions concerning the nature of the soul beyond this life.  One of these questions deals with the knowledge that we will possess in that eternal realm.  The Scriptures reveal at least three things that we will know in eternity.
We will know what happened on the earth.  Many take comfort in their faithful loved ones looking down upon them and watching them from Heaven.  However, the Bible indicates that in eternity knowledge of the present time on the earth is no more (Ecc. 9:5,6).  That being said, it is clear that souls in eternity do remember what happened while they were living on the earth.  The rich man in Torments was told to “remember” the good things that happened in his lifetime (Luke 16:25).  Also, Jesus pictured the Judgment Day with many pointing out the good works they did while they were on earth (Mat. 7:22).
We will know where we are and why.  Would it not be strange for you to be in a world of Paradise and not know how you got there or why you were there?  In the same line of reasoning, would you not be shocked to find yourself in horrible pain not understanding why you were suffering?  The rich man who was tormented in the flame knew the pain associated with torment and his failure to repent in this life (Luke 16:24; 30).  Furthermore, when John saw the faithful souls in Heaven under the altar slain for the Word of God, they knew why they were there and were rewarded for their faithfulness (Rev. 6:9-11). 
We will know each other.  There is no comfort in being in a place filled with strangers.  So, even though we will have a spiritual body, God will make sure that we know one another.  The Thessalonians were concerned about their loved ones who had died, but Paul indicated they would be reunited with them and they could “comfort one another with these words” (1 The. 4:18).  David looked forward to being reunited with his baby (2 Sam. 12:23) and Paul longed to rejoice with the Corinthian brethren (2 Cor. 1:14).  There is always joy in being reunited.  This joy will be experienced by all the faithful in eternity.
So, are you ready for eternity?  God has a plan for all to obey now (2 Cor. 6:2).  If we neglect Him here, think of how tragic it will be for all eternity knowing and remembering how we denied Him (2 Tim. 2:11,12).  
​~Derrick Coble

​We all want to be better people!  We want to have better thoughts, attitudes, actions, and a better outlook on life.  Many times, Christians will say, “I want to be a better Christian.”  Even though we have this desire, we don’t always know how to accomplish this. Or, maybe we do know how to accomplish it, but we don’t put forth enough effort.  Here are six ways to be better:
1.  Make a Change:  Maybe you are stuck in a rut in your life, developed some bad habits, or see things in a totally negative way, it is time to make a change.  Commit yourself to truly recognize those areas to change and do whatever is necessary to be better (Rom. 12:2).
2. Practice Humility: Humility doesn’t come naturally, so we must take time to practice it.  Humbly serving others will take our minds away from selfish attitudes and what we desire, bringing a greater blessing of peace (Phi. 2:5-8).
3. Resist the Devil:  Temptations are all around us and the Devil wants us to believe that if we follow through with our lusts our lives will be better.  In reality, life will be miserable (James 4:7).
4.  Show Interest in Spiritual things:  Are you worshipping regularly with the church?  Are you adding faith, patience, godliness into your life (2 Pet. 1:5-8)? Is your priority in putting God and the church first in your life (Mat. 6:33)?
5. Be Sincere:  Sincerity involves honesty, purity, and genuineness.  Letting these thoughts rule our lives will build a good reputation and make us better (Phi. 4:8,9).
6. Be Thoughtful: Meditating on God’s Word is one way to be thoughtful (1 Tim. 4:15) but also anticipating the needs of others in thoughtfulness will prove to make life better (Phi. 2:3,4).
When you take into all of these traits together, you will notice life is better because you are following the traits of Christ Himself: C (change), H (humility), R (resist), I (interest), S (sincere), and T (thoughtful).  He brought us a better covenant with better promises (Heb. 8:6) and as we follow Him, life is truly better!
Derrick Coble

​We live in a world that is governed by laws.  When a law is broken, there will be consequences for breaking the law, whether it is a fine to be paid, service to perform, jail time, or even death.  In a very similar way, God has always had laws for those He created.  When His law is broken, there are consequences that follow.  For instance, when the angels chose to sin (breaking God’s heavenly law) they were cast down to Torments (2 Pet. 2:4).  When Adam and Eve chose to break God’s law in the garden, they brought death into the world and were driven out of the garden and away from the tree of life (Gen. 3:6,24).  Furthermore, when Nadab and Abihu broke God’s law in worship, they were punished with immediate death (Lev. 10:1,2).  All the wicked kings of Israel and even Judah who forgot God’s law came to ruin and even made God’s people to suffer the consequences of sin (1 Kings 16:19-31; 2 Chr. 28:2; 33:2-22).  Then, when Jesus came, He brought a new law (Heb. 7:12; 8:7-13).  As with all laws, the Law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) has consequences when it is broken—spiritual death (1 John 3:4; Rom. 6:23).
With this in mind, the church of Christ is sometimes called, “legalistic.” The idea is that there is too much of an emphasis on keeping God’s law rather than grace and love.  Some would say the church should focus more on “getting along” with other religions than emphasizing the importance of keeping God’s Law in worship, fellowship, and personal life.  But, how can anyone expect to receive God’s blessings without being loyal to His commands? It is clear that God only blesses His people when they are obedient (Deu. 28:2; Rev. 22:14).  It is also clear that the New Testament is a law (Rom. 8:2; Gal. 6:2; James 1:25).  Therefore, when a person obeys the commands of the New Testament Law, that is when he will be blessed.  If not, the eternal consequences of punishment will follow (John 12:48; Luke 12:43-48).
In the end, legalism is not looking to the Scriptures for authority and using the New Testament for doctrine and practice—that is simply “holding fast the faithful word” as God desires (Titus 1:9).  However, if a person is making laws for God and acting as a modern day “Pharisee” then a true legalistic mindset has taken over (Mat. 23:23).  A righteous person will see that God has a law to follow, under His grace, and carefully follow after Him in loving obedience (John 1:17; 14:15; Mat. 5:20; Rom. 6:14). 
~Derrick Coble

If you haven’t noticed by now, with the emphasis on Jesus’ name for Vacation Bible School, the name of Jesus is the most important name of all.  Isaiah foretold that a virgin would bear a son whose name would be “Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14) and this was fulfilled in Mary giving birth to Jesus (Mat. 1:21-23). Jesus came to save people from their sins and His name would prove to be powerful:

• We have life through his name (John 20:31)
• We are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38)
• We preach the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12)
• We can speak boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 9:29)
• We put our lives on the line for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 15:26)
• We give our thanks to God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:20)
• We will all bow at the name of Jesus one day (Phi. 2:10)
• We must do everything in religion by the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17)
• We glorify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 The. 1:12)

No wonder Jesus should be the center of our lives!  His name is “far above . . .every name that is named” (Eph. 1:21) as “God as highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Phi. 2:9). Jesus is our Savior and the only way to the Father (John 14:6).  Let us hold up His great name as we follow Him alone throughout life and into eternity! “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). 
​~Derrick Coble

​When a person has an open mind he is willing to consider new ideas.  He tries to eliminate prejudice or pre-conceived thoughts about something and honestly tries to evaluate the new concept in all fairness.  In other words, when a person with an open mind hears something new, his first answer is not, “No” and his first thought is not negative or suspicious of evil.  The open-minded person seeks to learn more about what is new with interest and challenges himself to give full consideration to the new idea before making a decision.  In the Lord’s church today it is sometimes difficult for members to truly have an open mind.  This challenge comes from those who say, “This is the way we have always done it” or, “I have never seen it done like that before.”  It comes from long standing traditions on optional matters that members may often believe are not optional but, “the way it should be.”  It is needful for each Christian to remember that there are God-given “traditions” that must be kept (2 The. 2:15); yet, there are other traditions such as: using song books, meeting twice on Sunday, or ending each service with a prayer that are not to be Scripturally bound.  From God’s vantage point, being open-minded is a good thing.  In fact, the Bereans were praised for this character trait: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).  According to Strong’s the term, “noble” literally means, “well-born.”  It was used by Greeks to refer to those of noble birth; yet, was also applied to those who are of noble character and open to evidence. Luke recorded a contrast between the Jews in Thessalonica and those in Berea.  Among those in Thessalonica, only “some of them believed” (Acts 17:4); however, in Berea “many of them believed” (Acts 17:5).  What was the reason for the difference?  Those in Berea were “more noble” or, it could be said, more “open-minded” to the Truth.  The result of this good character trait was that they received the word with eagerness and examined what he said with the Scriptures—not with their pre-conceived beliefs.  Let us all truly resolve to be like the noble minded Bereans investigating and using God’s Word as the only religious guide and authority (Col. 3:17; Titus 2:15).  ~Derrick Coble

"On one occasion Col. Robert G. Ingersoll, the agnostic lecturer of the last century, was announced to give an address on Hell. He declared he would prove conclusively that Hell was a wild dream of some scheming theologians who invented it to terrify credulous people. As he was launching into his subject, a half-drunken man arose in the audience and exclaimed, 'Make it strong, Bob. There's a lot of us poor fellows depending on you. If you are wrong, we are all lost. So be sure you prove it clear and plain.'" Too many people are going to be unpleasantly surprised when they find themselves in Hell for eternity.  It isn't for a lack of warning.  Jesus spoke of Hell as a place where the fire shall never be quenched (Mark 9:43; Matthew 25:41) and He warned everyone against the danger of being there (Matthew 5:22).  It is real and it is reserved for the unrighteous (Matthew 25:46), the disobedient (2 Thessalonians 1:8), and the wicked (Psalm 9:17).  But, an interesting question is at hand.  Will Hell be worse for some than others?  Let the Scriptures decide: 
(1)  Matthew 10:14,15 "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet:  Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."
 
(2)  Luke 12:47,48 "And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
 
(3)  Hebrews 10:29 "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"
 
(4)  2 Peter 2:20 "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."
 
Analyzing the verses above, it is easy to see that there are degrees of punishment in eternal Hell.  First, the sinful homosexual lifestyle of those in Sodom and Gomorrah caused them to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 7).  However, Jesus said it would be more tolerable for them in Hell than those lost sheep of the house of Israel who rejected their opportunity to receive the words of the apostles.  Second, Jesus made it clear that the servant who presumptuously disobeys (because of the Lord's delay in His return) will be beaten with many stripes as opposed to the few stripes for those who "knew not."  Third, there will be "sorer" (literally, more evil or aggravated) punishment for those who cast aside the better message of the better covenant for anything else (Hebrews 8:6).  Fourth, once a person escapes the condemnation of sin by accepting the Gospel of Christ, then turns back into the sin they previously washed away, "the latter end is worse than the beginning."  In other words, there will be punishment in Hell for all the unbelievers for all time, but an even greater punishment reserved for the Christians who have gone astray, replacing the God of Heaven with the Devil of Hell (John 8:44).   
~Derrick Coble

The Easter holiday can be somewhat confusing because the word itself is found in the King James Version (Acts 12:4).  In this one verse, the Greek word, “pascha” is curiously translated as “Easter” when 28 out of 29 times in the New Testament it is correctly translated as, “Passover.”  So, technically Easter is not really in the Bible.  The Jews were accustomed to observing the Passover as it commemorated their deliverance out of Egypt and God commanded this feast to be kept under Old Testament law (Exo. 12; Lev. 23:4-8).  At the death of Jesus, the Old Law was no longer binding, and the observance of the Passover was not necessary for Christians (Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14).  However, it seems that since Jesus’ death and resurrection happened at the time of the Jewish Passover, the observance of the Passover eventually transformed into an observance of His death as “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7).  After this, other observances were added like, “Palm Sunday” (the day of His triumphant entry), “Good Friday” (the day He was crucified) and “Resurrection Sunday” (Easter).
The problem is that God has given no authority for the church to elevate this one Sunday over any other.  We cannot go beyond the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11) and elevate days, months, or season as religious holidays that God has not designated (Gal. 4:10,11).  There is only one true holy day that we must observe today and that is the first day of the week (every Sunday).  Every Sunday is the Lord’s day (Rev. 1:10).  The Lord Himself has designed that we remember His death and show it to the world through the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week (Mat. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).  There is no need for a special religious “Easter” observance, in fact, it is simply a vain tradition of men (Col. 2:8; 2 Tim. 4:3). 
~Derrick Coble

​It is a fact that every person who has ever lived will be judged according to his works upon this earth (2 Cor. 5:10).  But, do we ever think about the Judgment Day and the scenes that we will see?  As we are all standing and waiting to be judged, we will see scenes of joy but we will see some sad scenes as well.  Concerning that day, Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Mat. 7:21-23). From this passage, we can see three sad scenes:
First, notice the proclamation of the Son and Savior.  Jesus said that not everyone who professes to believe in Him will enter into Heaven.  Why is this the case? It is simply because belief alone is not enough to save, but each must do the will of the Father in Heaven. What is the will of the Father?  To obey all of His commands to salvation and life a faithful, obedient life so as not to fall away (Heb. 3:12).  Not only must one believe (John 8:24), but he must repent (2 Cor. 7:10), confess the Christ (Rom. 10:10), and be baptized in order to have forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  Then live faithfully (1 Cor. 15:58).  When a person obeys the Father in this way and continues to do His Will, he will be able to enter Heaven.  All those who profess to be Christian but have not obeyed all of God’s commands will be sadly rejected from Heaven in judgment.
Second, Jesus tell us of the pleading that many will do on that great day.  All those who profess to be Christians by merely naming His name will plead and tell the great things they have done.  These people think that are saved, but Jesus will tell them otherwise.  How sad it will be to hear all the pleading of those who have been deceived into thinking they are children of God on Judgment Day.
Third, we will hear the profession of the Great Shepherd.  After all the unrighteous have pleaded their case, Jesus will profess to them that all the works they did were in vain because they didn’t do the Father’s Will.  No matter how hard the pleading, no matter how long the cry, Jesus will say, “I never knew you.”  In essence, He never recognized them.  They will simply be told to depart from Him.  When one departs from the light of life (John 8:12), he can only go to the darkness of death.  This is final and the saddest scene of all.
The scene for us does not have to be sad if we will obey the Lord.  The only time we are promised on the earth is now—this is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2).  Are you prepared for the great day of judgment?  Don’t let it be sad for you.
~Derrick Coble