Jesus was an innocent man slaughtered for a guilty world (Rom. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21).  Yet, He chose to give His life for the sheep (John 10:11).  For this reason, Jesus requires a willing sacrifice of all today who will hear His voice.  It is but a small price to pay in comparison to the pain and agony of the cross.  Paul wrote to the Galatians, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).  Again, he urged, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1).  Even Jesus Himself said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mat. 16:24). 
            No one said it would be easy following the Lord.  It takes effort and determination for one to sacrifice his hands in service being ready to every good work (Tit. 3:1).  It takes much commitment and zeal for one to sacrifice his feet in preaching the Gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15).  It takes time to give one’s mind over to the meditation of God’s Word and fervent prayer (Psa. 1:2; Psa. 119:164).  It takes courage to set one’s mouth to only speak the oracles of God (1 Pet. 4:11).  It takes motivation to sacrifice the ears and eyes in hearing and doing (Mat. 7:24), as well as, seeing and helping (Jam. 2:15,16).  It takes true love that seeks the ultimate good for everyone else to literally give one’s life.  “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18).
            It took Jesus, the one and only Savior of mankind, to give His life so that the world might be saved (John 3:16,17).  It takes Christians, the only partakers of the heavenly calling, to give their lives over to Him in humble submission so that all will be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).
My father’s house of light, my glory circled throne, I left for earthly night, for wanderings sad and lone; I left it all for thee, Hast thou left aught for me? I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell, of bitt’rest agony, to rescue thee from Hell; I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, What hast thou borne for me? And I have brought to thee, down from my home above, salvation full and free, my pardon and my love; I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, What hast thou brought for me? (Frances R. Havergal; P.P. Bliss)    
​~Derrick Coble

Most people who know anything about the church of Christ know this one thing—there are no mechanical instruments used in worship to God.  That means there is: no piano, organ, or band, but simply singing: "lifting up the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips" (Heb. 13:15).  The reason for the absence of mechanical instruments is simple—there is no Bible authority for their use in New Testament worship. The only kind of music the early Christians used was "singing" to teach and admonish one another (Col. 3:16) and the only kind of instrument was the "heart" (Eph. 5:19).  Since we follow the apostle's doctrine today, this is our pattern for Scriptural worship (Acts 2:42).  Unfortunately, that pattern has been abandoned by many today even in some churches of Christ and it all stems back to one small instrument found in Midway, KY. 
During the mid 1800's the church of Christ was flourishing, especially in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. But, the controversy over instrumental music was growing.  Denominations had already started using them in worship and many brethren thought that they were behind the denominations by not using them.  So, in 1851 J.B. Henshall (editor of the Ecclesiastical Reformer) printed an article (among others) showing the drift toward using instruments in worship.  When Alexander Campbell (who was interested in staying true to the Scriptures) heard about it, he replied with the following:  "So to those who have no real devotion or spirituality in them, and whose animal nature flags under the oppression of church service, I think that instrumental music would be not only a desideratum, but an essential prerequisite to fire up their souls to even animal devotion.  But I presume, to all spiritually-minded Christians such aids would be as a cow bell in a concert.” Campbell understood that God was not pleased with such and urged others to consider this fact. 
So, how was this “cow bell in a concert” added into worship? In 1860, L.L. Pinkerton (preacher for the church in Midway, KY) stated that he was the only preacher in Kentucky who had publicly advocated the use of instruments in worship.  Even though some were probably using instruments around 1851, the church at Midway has the distinction of being the first congregation on record to introduce mechanical instrumental music to their worship.  The instrument was a melodeon which the members used to practice their singing on Saturday nights.  Then, the melodeon was moved into the church building to get the right pitch before singing.  Finally, it was decided that it should be used to accompany their singing in worship on the Lord's Day. Today, the use of instrumental music in worship is becoming more and more popular.  However, we can never allow what God does not authorize (Col. 3:17).  Unfortunately, many souls will be lost for following the wide path of the majority (Mat. 7:13,14).  We must “hold fast the form of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:13). 
~Derrick Coble

God wants all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4); therefore, He has provided and preserved a collection of authoritative writings (the teachings of which are binding) breathed from Him (2 Pet. 1:3; 2 Tim. 3:16).  This collection is what Christians call, "canon" meaning, "reed."  It is an ancient word borrowed from the Sumerians indicating something by which one can measure.  The term is used five times within the New Testament where it is translated four times as "rule" and once as, "line" (Gal. 6:16; 2 Cor. 10:13,15,16; Phi. 3:16).  This means, the Holy Scriptures are a rule to follow by which one can measure his life.
Nonetheless, there are critics who believe that the Bible is not complete.  This is evident from the 14 or 15 (depending upon the source) added books to some translations called, "The Apocrypha" which means, doubtful, hidden, or secret. The evidence is clear that these books are not inspired. It is interesting that of the 263 direct Old Testament quotations and 370 allusions to it within the New Testament, it never references any of the apocryphal books. 
Further evidence to the lack of inspiration of these books is seen by testimonies of ancient writers against the works and from the errors that are contained within many of the works.  First, in A General Introduction to the Bible, Geisler and Nix recorded the following statements:  "Philo, Alexandrian Jewish philosopher (20 BC – AD 40) quoted the Old Testament prolifically and even recognized the threefold classification of books, but he never quoted from the Apocrypha as inspired . . . Josephus (AD 30-100), Jewish historian, explicitly excludes the Apocrypha . . . The Jewish scholars of Jamnia (AD 90) did not recognize the Apocrypha."  In fact, it was not until AD 1546 at the Council of Trent when the apocryphal books received full canonical status by the Roman Catholic Church.  Second, what about all the errors and contradictions that run through the Apocrypha?  Would God in all His perfect wisdom give man a collection of documents that contradict plain truth within the New Testament and even error?  Since all of God's commandments are righteousness (Psa. 119:172) one could hardly believe that these documents are inspired.  For instance, Tobit 5:15-19 teaches that angels have families in direct contradiction to Mark 12:25 which speaks of angels not being given in marriage.  In addition, Judith 8:5,6 teaches that it is more honorable to remain single than to marry.  If this is the case, why did God institute the holy union of marriage at the beginning of time (Gen. 2:22-24) and require the overseers of His church upon earth (elders) to be married (1 Tim. 3)?  Finally, Wisdom 3:1-4 teaches that souls in Hell can escape which contradicts the teaching of the "great gulf" that is fixed so that no one may cross over (Luke 16:26).  These are just a few of the false doctrines that are found within the Apocrypha. 
So, the internal evidence of the Scriptures and testimony of many men throughout time makes one sure that God has given unto us all His inspired Word and will preserve it for all ages (1 Pet. 1:25).  The Bible is complete the way It is and the Apocrypha is not inspired because Christ nor the apostles said those books were from God, many teachings are heresy, the stories are highly mythological and even immoral, there are historical errors, and they are never included in any canonical lists during the first six centuries.  God's Word is "true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever" (Psa. 119:160).
~Derrick Coble
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     Every church that exists today can be traced back to the founder, the place it began, and even the year.  For example, records show that the Baptist Church was founded by John Smyth in London, England (1607); Presbyterians were founded by John Calvin in Switzerland (1535); Jehovah's Witnesses were founded by Charles T. Russell in Pennsylvania (1874); the Methodist Church was founded by John Wesley in London, England (1729), etc. This can be done for every religious group that exists today.  The problem is, we want to be a part of the church that we read about in the Bible and no church that has come into existence after the Bible was completed is old enough to be that church.  Not only that, but we want to be a part of the church that was built by God and not by any man.  So, what is that church?
     The oldest church in the world is the one that was built by Christ Himself (Acts 2).  It is called the “church of Christ” because it belongs to Him (Rom. 16:16). He was the one who ensured that His church would be built no matter what (Mat. 16:18).  He is the head over His church and it will stand forever (Eph. 1:22; Luke 1:32,33).  The church that belongs to Christ first met in Jerusalem.  It was there that Jesus Himself declared that it would begin (Luke 24:47).  So, it is the first and oldest church in the history of the world.  It began in the year 33 AD, long before the establishment of the Catholic Church (606 AD) which claims to be the oldest religion today.  Thus, the Catholic Church is not the oldest religion, but it is the oldest group of apostates from the Lord’s church. 
     From the first century forward everyone who has obeyed the doctrine of Christ has been added to the church of Christ (Acts 2:47).  Consequently, Jesus’ terms of salvation (faith, repentance, confession, and baptism), worship, prayer, fellowship, and godly living have been passed down through God’s Word and His church from generation to generation producing a living body today (Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 4:16;2 Tim. 2:2; 4:2; 1 Pet. 2:5).  It is not a sect, a cult, or a denomination, but it is simply the church that Jesus came to build (Mat. 16:18), purchased with His blood (Acts 20:28), and will save everyone who obeys Him (Acts 2:47). 
Derrick Coble

Many religious discussions of disagreement have been sparked and fueled by the words, “That is just your interpretation.”  By stating this, one is saying that the Bible is subjective and the meaning of its contents may be taken differently by different people.  However, God speaks plainly enough so that there should be no confusion (1 Cor. 14:33).  Truth is truth no matter what and it is found in God’s Word (John 17:17).  There are no exceptions to God’s Rule because it is the standard by which we live (Gal. 6:16). 
So, why are there so many different interpretations?  Actually, there can only be one interpretation which means everything else is a misinterpretation.  When Spanish is interpreted into English, there is only one way for it to be done correctly.  When a father says to his teenager, “You can’t go out tonight,” there is only one way for this to be interpreted.  Therefore, when one reads the Bible, he must understand that God’s Word is the objective standard never to be misinterpreted. 
Notice how this applied in the lives of Joseph and Daniel.  The Pharaoh of Egypt dreamed a dream that troubled his spirit and he needed an interpretation of the dream.  Thus, he called for all the magicians of Egypt and all the wise men but there was none that could interpret the dream unto Pharaoh (Gen. 41:8).  In other words, if they had tried to interpret the dream it would have been a misinterpretation.  So, Joseph was the only one that had the correct interpretation from God (Gen. 41:39).  Furthermore, when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon received visions of his head that troubled him, “Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof” (Dan. 4:7).  Why could these men not interpret the dream?  Simply put, the interpretation came from God and Daniel was the only one that was capable of interpreting the dream correctly.
Consequently, who is capable of interpreting God’s Word today?  Since the Bible has come to man directly from God being of no “private interpretation” (2 Pet. 1:20) (nothing written was from the mind of any man) naturally, it follows that anyone who reads the Word of God can interpret (i.e. fully understand—Eph. 3:4) what He has said.  Just as God revealed His Will unto Joseph and Daniel, He has revealed His Will through the writings of “holy men of God” (2 Pet. 1:21) unto all the world today. 
~Derrick Coble    

Bible knowledge is something that every Christian wants, but we don’t always know the best way to get it.  Many times, people expect to sit through a Bible class or sermon from week to week and gain all the knowledge they need.  This is definitely a necessary and worthy way to learn more, but it should never be seen as the only way to learn the Bible.  Sermons and classes are designed for people in general where there will be different levels of knowledge and maturity.  Some subjects may seem easy to understand and other subjects may be a bit more challenging to understand, simply based on a person’s level of knowledge. Yet, all subjects must be covered to preach “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).  To learn the Bible better, there are some very easy and practical things that everyone can do.  Here are just five of them:

1. Read the Bible – One of the reasons why people find it hard to understand the Bible is just because they are not very familiar with it.  Using a good Bible reading plan to regularly read is a good way to learn more.  Just reading a chapter a day is a good practice for anyone. 
2. Take a Correspondence Course – There are several courses that are available that are short and easy to understand to help you gain a better knowledge of the Bible as a whole. We have many options in the church office.
3. Chapter and book overviews – There are books such as, “Know Your Bible” by Frank Dunn that help to give some insight on each book of the Bible.  You might even commit to read a chapter a week and write down your thoughts or questions on that chapter each day.  You will gain a good understanding of it and you can remember it better by giving it a title you can remember such as, “Acts 2 – Beginning of the Church.” 
4. Use study aids – There are workbooks available on various topics to help you learn more about the church, morality, God, etc.  Using the workbooks that are given each quarter in Bible class will also help in learning more. 
5. Ask for help – Any elder, preacher, deacon, or teacher would be glad to help anybody who is desiring to learn more about the Bible.  Personal Bible studies are always a good option and can be very helpful in answering questions that someone has. 

God has given us His Word in a way that everyone can understand (Eph. 3:4).  He wants us to know the doctrine and read His Word (John 7:17; 1 Tim. 4:13) to grow spiritually and be able to teach others also (Heb. 5:12-14; 2 Tim. 2:2). 
~Derrick Coble

Our country revolves around liberty.  The Liberty Bell is a symbol of the chiming of the bells at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA on July 8, 1776 summoning the citizens to come and hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.  The Statue of Liberty commemorates the alliance between the United States and France during the American Revolution.  It was given to the United States by France on July 4, 1884 as a symbol of freedom. Liberty is literally the state of being free.  Freedom is what we value and hold onto. It is what America has come to stand for and nobody wants it taken away.  More important that any liberty that we have in our country is the liberty that we have in Christ (Gal. 5:1).

Liberty in Christ involves freedom from sin (John 8:32; Rom. 6:18).  We are free from the guilt of sin because of the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf and our obedience to the “perfect law of liberty” (the Gospel; James 1:25).  We are free from spiritual death as “the law of the Spirit in life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).  We are not free to live a lifestyle of sin (Rom. 6:1) and no one can be free in any other church other than the Lord’s church (Acts 4:12; Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:25).

It is interesting that some are threatening our liberty now, even as they were the churches of Galatia.  That is why Paul said to “stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1).  The yoke of bondage is a symbol of the heavy burden of the Old Testament Law (cf. Acts 15:10).  There were some who thought it best to bind certain commandments of the Old Testament (like circumcision) on the Gentile Christians.  It was a dangerous situation going from liberty to slavery causing some to fall from grace (Gal. 5:4).  Even today, there are some who say that we are obligated to keep the Ten Commandments and bind the Sabbath Day on Christians as a day of worship rather than Sunday.  Paul would say, “Don’t take away my liberty.”  This was never in God’s commands for Christians.  The early church met every Sunday to worship and remember the Lord’s death in the memorial of the Lord’s Supper which He instituted (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:26).  Not only that, but Paul clearly stated that no man could judge Christians for not observing sabbath days (Col. 2:16).  The reason is because we have liberty in Christ and He released everyone from the Old Testament Law when He died on the cross (Rom. 7:1-6).  That is when freedom came in full to all the world and the Old Law with all its regulations and ordinances was replaced with the Law of Christ (Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14; Heb. 7:12).  We have a “better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Heb. 8:6).
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So, our liberty in Christ is what promises a future of eternal life (Gal. 1:8,9).  As men in our country have fought and died for our liberty, Jesus died for our spiritual liberty (Heb. 9:15). We have an obligation to Him to stand firm in that liberty and not let anyone take it away.  If we fall into Satan’s trap all liberty is gone and we will stand condemned (Rom. 8:1). Remember, we are “not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ . . . for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Gal. 2:16). 

​~Derrick Coble

     As God was giving Moses special instructions regarding sacrifices and diet, there is a statement that catches our attention:  "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood" (Lev. 17:11,12).  Thus, blood is special because in it is life.  In fact, the American Red Cross has listed 50 facts about blood.  Among those facts are the following:  (1) More than 4.5 million patients need blood transfusions each year in the U.S. and Canada.  (2) 43,000 pints is the amount of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada. (3) Someone needs blood every two seconds. (4) One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood.  (5) One pint of blood can save up to three lives.  (6) Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.  (7) The #1 reason blood donors say they give is because they "want to help others." (8) There is no substitute for human blood.
     Every human needs blood in order to live.  As the Red Cross says, "there is no substitute for human blood." Incidentally, every soul needs blood to live too and there is no substitute for the blood of Jesus.  Animal blood cannot give us physical life and it cannot give us eternal life (Heb. 10:11).  The blood of Jesus gives us life only when we are fully immersed in it through baptism (Rev. 1:5; Acts 22:16).  His lifeblood flowed freely on the tree of Calvary so our sins could be covered (Rom. 4:7).  Jesus truly "wanted to help others" by giving His blood and it can save as many souls as will receive it "by the washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5).  As John said,  "This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood" (1 John 5:6).  Our life is in His blood (Heb. 9:28).    
~Derrick Coble

God has given us a variety of emotions to fill our lives.  These emotions give us the ability to react to everything that happens to us—sometimes in a positive way and sometimes negative. However, we can’t let emotions control our lives and they can’t guide us in the right way.  It takes a knowledge of God’s Word and a positive response to His Word to truly “feel good.”  That is why when the Ethiopian eunuch learned and obeyed the Gospel, “he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39).  He had a positive response to hearing the Gospel and knew he was saved when he obeyed (Rom. 1:16).  Others, when hearing God’s Word respond negatively maybe because it makes them feel bad about their situation and they don’t want to change.  When Jesus preached in the synagogue at Nazareth they “were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city” (Luke 4:28,29). 

Emotions, in and of themselves, are not good or bad.  In fact, even emotions that are not the most pleasant can be helpful to us. Fear is not an emotion that we desire, but it can help us to stay faithful knowing the consequences of disobedience (Luke 12:5).  Feeling anxiety can be a problematic emotion when we are under pressure, but it can be used to help us stay alert and motivate us to solve problems (Rom. 13:11; 1 The. 5:6; 1 Pet. 5:8). But, if we allow anxiety to overwhelm us and control our lives in worry, we need to commit ourselves back to prayer and give those problems to God (Phi. 4:6,7).  Disappointments will come to our lives, especially if we when we put too much confidence in others. Our family members and friends are subject to sin just like us and we must be aware of that and be gracious and forgiving (Eph. 4:32).  “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Psa. 118:8).  There will even be moments of anger that we must face.  Anger can be a healthy emotion ultimately in cooperating with others. If it is justified and expressed in a controlled way, then conflicts can be resolved in the appropriate way.  This will allow for greater understanding from each person, allowing for less conflict in the future.  Paul was angry with Barnabas causing them to separate for a while (Acts 15:39); yet later he showed respect for Barnabas commending him (Col. 4:10). 

The best emotions of delight (Psa. 37:4), affection (Rom. 12:10), joy (Psa. 5:11), love (1 Cor. 13:13), peace (Gal. 5:22), and happiness (Psa. 144:15) will come and go throughout our lives.  Even the most faithful Christian will have difficult days and feel down at times.  It is in those times that we need to remind ourselves that bad experiences are really only “light affliction” and it is only happening “for a moment” (2 Cor. 4:17).  We can be strong in the Lord and know that He has promised the faithful a place with Him (Eph. 6:10; John 14:2,3).  That’s why He has said, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14).  
​~Derrick Coble