​The world itself is about 6,000-10,000 years old.  Anything that old would have to be highly valuable, preserved over time, and most likely on display and highly guarded in a museum somewhere.  No one could actually possess it, but millions would want to see it.  So, it is astounding that there is something even older than the world that anyone can have.  It is better than silver, gold, and rubies (Pro. 8:10,11).  It is something that kings, princes, nobles, and anyone in authority all need and use (Pro. 8:15,16).  It is something that the Lord possessed in the beginning and was “set up from everlasting” (Pro. 8:22,23).  Solomon declared that this ancient thing was around before there were seas, springs, mountains, hills, fields, or even dust (Pro. 8:24-26).  This extremely aged and valuable thing was with God “When he prepared the heavens” (Pro. 8:27) and “when he appointed the foundations of the earth” (Pro. 8:29).  In fact, it was beside God as “a master craftsman” (Pro. 8:30; NKJV).  It calls out to every man and woman today (Pro. 8:1-4).  It is wisdom!  James said, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).  Since God possessed wisdom before the world was created, then He knows best how to give it.  Everyone will face various trials in life and we need to ask God for valuable wisdom to handle them.  We don’t have to worry about God “upbraiding” or criticizing us because He understands our weaknesses and inadequacies and truly desires to help us obtain wisdom.  Through His providence, His Word, and the various experiences of our daily lives, wisdom is granted to the faithful who ask God for it.  We all need to be “wise unto salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15) and God alone can provide the age-old wisdom we need to find life and favor from Him (Pro. 8:35)

Derrick Coble

​     The opening words of the Scriptures directly from the Holy Spirit state, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:1,2).  This sounds easy enough to understand, but some have suggested there was a “gap” of time between these verses.  The idea is that there lived successive generations of plants, animals, and perhaps even pre-Adamic men.  Some even say that God destroyed this original creation because of a Satanic rebellion and the wording of Genesis 1:2 would be better rendered as, "the earth became waste and void."  Here are two simple reasons why this theory is false:
     First, the gap theory is false because no biblical scholars have ever translated "was" as "became" in Genesis 1:2.  Henry Morris, in his book Scientific Creationism, observed that in only six of its 264 occurrences in the Pentateuch is it rendered "became."  He further stated that another Hebrew word (haphak) would have been better used here if the idea of a change from some previously different state was to be conveyed.
     Second, the gap theory is false because it implies that death was in the world before Adam.  The theorists believe there was a race of people who were completely wiped out before the creation of Adam and Eve.  Yet, this is a direct contradiction of New Testament teaching which reveals that sin and death entered the earth as a result of Adam's sin (1 Cor. 15:21; Rom. 8:20-22; Rom. 5:12).  Furthermore, the apostle Paul stated, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45).  Thus, there was no man before Adam—he was first. 
     God created all things at the beginning of time on earth.  There was no gap.  It is harder to disbelieve God’s Word than to believe it!

Derrick Coble

Oftentimes, when something is broken or flawed in some way, we don’t see the usefulness in it.  It might get put up on a shelf, stored somewhere, tossed out with the garbage, or returned.  However, it may be that value is still seen in the object and is made useful once again.  It might just be a simple repair with new parts, or a little glue and a patch.  It could even be that the object is torn apart and made into something completely different and unique—USEFUL! 

If flawed objects can be made useful again, what about people?  It may be that we see certain people as hopeless when it comes to being useful as a servant of the Lord—those whose lives have been horribly scarred by sin or those who seem to be uninterested in the Lord’s church.  Yet, there is a man in the Scriptures who gives anyone hope.  In fact, his name (Onesimus) means, “useful” but he was not living a “useful” life when Paul met him.  He was a runaway slave of Philemon who had apparently robbed his master and met the apostle Paul in jail.  It was there that Onesimus became useful as his broken life was mended by obeying the Gospel (Phile. 10).  After having been wronged, it would have been easy for Philemon to deny that Onesimus could truly be useful to him or to the Lord.  Yet, Paul believed in Onesimus and his newfound usefulness—perhaps, remembering his own conversion (cf. 1 Tim. 1:13; Acts 9).  So, Paul urged Philemon to receive Onesimus back in full fellowship as a faithful child of God (Phile. 15-17). 

Is there someone in your life whose life seems broken beyond repair?  It could even be you.  Remember that Christ came into the world to heal, deliver, and recover those in sin (Luke 4:18).  Onesimus could be useful in giving his life to the Lord.  Anyone today can do the same (2 Cor. 5:17). 

Derrick Coble

A new year is always exciting and refreshing!  It is filled with new hope, new ideas, new opportunities, new adventures, and a new outlook.  It gives us all a new way to look on the future with clearer eyes and a renewed zeal to what lies ahead.  The opportunities always seem limitless, and the resolutions are sometimes higher than we can reach, but the newness outweighs it all.  Even though we live in a time when vintage items, antiques, and rustic creations are popular, we still like things that are new.  But, ultimately greater than the newness of a year is newness of life.  So many people are burdened with sin to the point that they get in the rut or habit of living in them without even thinking that life doesn’t have to be this way.  Settling for a life of drug and alcohol use because that is the “norm” or settling for a lifestyle of lying, greed, covetousness, profanity or even hatred, envy and jealousy will never allow for true happiness.  Life can only be new in Christ and His church.  When we are baptized into Christ, the “old man” is buried, and we put on the “new man” (Eph. 4:22-24).  It is only then that we walk in “newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).  The new man is not burdened anymore because he is like a newborn baby (John 3:3-5).  A baby has no cares or concerns and no need for sin—he simply needs loving parents to take care of him and give him the nourishment he needs to grow.  When you see a happy baby, you know he has what he needs. That is all that Christians need too!  We have a father to take care of us and He gives us all we need to grow thru His Word (Eph. 4:6; 1 Pet. 2:2).  That should give us a reason to smile!  But, the world still surrounds us wickedness, sin and defeat.  Even though a new life has been given, it is not perfect.  But, one day life will be entirely new!  John heard the Words of the Lord in Heaven when He said, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).  Not just a new year, not just a new life, but all things new—refreshed and better than anything we know now.  When life is new in Heaven, there will be no days of depression, no days of crying because of grief or hurt, no days of anxiety, no days of fear, no days of crime, no days of temptation, no days of loneliness, no days of emotional torment, no days of darkness, no days of pain, no days of frustration—because everything old will be gone (Rev. 21:1-5).  Everything old that tends to still haunt even the most faithful Christian will not be able to bother us anymore—not even death (Rev. 21:4). It is a promise that is “true and faithful” (Rev. 21:5) that each child of God desires more every day. So, rejoice in the new year, make the most of each new day, but the best rejoicing is done in a new life in Christ with the promise of all things new in eternity.

~Derrick Coble

During the Christmas season, perhaps one of the most popular icons is the nativity scene. It is seen at residential homes, church buildings, and even government buildings as a life-like reminder that Jesus came into this world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).  Most of the scenes are the same including: a stable, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, three wise men, flocks, a star, and an angel.  Every Christian definitely appreciates the fact that many thoughts are turned to the Lord at this time of year, but at the same time, it can’t be forgotten that whatever is done has to be done by the authority of God (Col. 3:17) in accordance with His Word.  So, there are three things that never really happened at the manger that everyone needs to know.  
            First, there was no angel at the manger of Jesus.  The angel Gabriel announced Jesus’ birth to Mary (Luke 1:26-35), angels ministered to Jesus after His temptation (Mat. 4:1-11), and an angel strengthened him in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43).  But, no angel appeared at the actual manger.  It is true that an angel of the Lord did appear to announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night (Luke 2:8-12).  It was this angel, along with a host of other angels, who praised God saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). But, it wasn’t until “the angels were gone away from them into Heaven” (Luke 2:15) that the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger (Luke 2:16) without any angels.         
            Second, there was no star shining over the manger.  The Scriptures show that the wise men saw the star in the east (Mat. 2:2) and they came to Jerusalem asking where Jesus was so they could worship Him.  Herod then sent them to Bethlehem (Mat. 2:8) while the star went before them and stood over the place where the young child (not baby) was (Mat. 2:9).  The star stood over a house (not manger) where the young child was with His mother, Mary (Mat. 2:11).  So, the bright shining star was not guiding anyone to the manger but did serve to guide the wise men to the house where the young child Jesus was.      
            Finally, not only were the wise men not at the manger, but the Bible never indicates there were only three wise men.  It simply says, “There came wise men from the east” (Mat. 2:2). But, around the eighth century, the names Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar were given to these men.  It is important to note that the wise men entered the house where Jesus was (Mat. 2:11) and presented unto him three distinct gifts.  Were there ten men bearing these three gifts?  Were there only two men bearing these gifts?  The point is that the Bible is silent on this matter and if the Bible is silent on this matter we ought to respect the Scriptures and observe that same silence.
            It is strange how the plain and simple facts surrounding the birth of Jesus are conveniently overlooked?  For years, many have accepted the nativity scene as a Biblically true icon accepted without question.  It is sad that so many are deceived by this and other doctrines that are never questioned in various religions. For this reason, everyone ought to search the Scriptures (Acts 17:11) for the real truth and “try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).  

Derrick Coble

​The most important task that the church has been given is to take the Gospel to all the world (Mark 16:15). It is easy to donate money, pass out a tract, or mail a note to some stranger to accomplish this goal personally.  However, it can be much more difficult to take the Gospel to family members or close friends.  Out of our love and compassion for those we are close to, we want to see them saved.  Knowing the only way is through obedience to the Gospel (2 The. 1:8,9), how do we ever get those we love to see the importance of obeying God’s plan?

First, we should always be gentle in dealing with those we love (1 The. 2:7,8).  The apostle Paul gave the Gospel to the Thessalonians as gently as a nursing mother who cherishes her children.  Think of all the time, attention, and care that is given to a child.  This is how we must deal with family members and friends who need the truth.  We can feed them the “milk of the word” (1 Pet. 2:2) slowly and deliberately. We then nurture them gently by showing them that “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23) and all need a Savior (Mat. 11:29)—including us! 

Second, we must confront the issue of Gospel obedience in a humble way.  Paul loved the Corinthian congregation dearly including those who needed correcting.  He asked them a pointed question, “Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that you might be exalted?” (2 Cor. 11:7). Paul preached the Gospel to the Corinthians without taking any funds from them so that they could obey and be exalted in the sight of God.  There may be certain sacrifices we can make for those we love in order for them to follow God as well.  That may mean simply choosing to read our Bibles in front of them instead of a best-selling novel, choosing to attend a Gospel Meeting instead of watching a movie, choosing to give money to a mission work instead of buying the latest gadgets, or even buying someone a good Bible and study tools and offering to guide them in using them.  Any of these examples could open a door to the heart of others. Jesus said, “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Mat. 23:12).

Third, we must show them our sincerity (2 Tim. 3:10).  People who knew Paul knew his doctrine and manner of life and it was consistent with the Gospel.  The way we live matters (Phi. 1:27).  Talking to family members and friends about the importance of Bible class, worship, morality, etc. is necessary but if we are not consistent in living it,  it won't work.  When we let others see Christ living in us, (Gal 2:20) it will go a long way in leading them into the church.  

So, who is on your list of people to talk to?  It's not as difficult as you might think, especially if we show them how much we care for them and want them to be saved.  If you haven't made the effort yet, the time is now (John 4:35). 

Derrick Coble

 . . .you have missed an opportunity to grow . . . We are commanded to grow in our knowledge and there is no better way to do that than taking advantage of extra opportunities in hearing God’s Word (2 Pet. 3:18)

 . . .you have missed a command to assemble . . . We are commanded to assemble and not neglect it for any reason if we can help it because God wants our hearts (Heb. 10:25; Psa. 119:2)

. . . you have missed worshipping God . . . Worship should be something we all desire to do as our soul longs for God (Psa. 42:1).  If you find yourself dreading worship, it might be a sign that the world has distracted you too much (Luke 21:34).

. . . you have missed a shelter from the world . . . There are pressures and temptations we face everyday that we just need to escape sometimes to recharge ourselves.  God is the greatest shelter there is (Psa. 61:3).  

. . . you have missed the fellowship of the saints . . . Christian fellowship motivates and encourages us to live faithfully every day.  It is encouraging to know there are others with same goal (Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:24).

. . . you have missed building your faith . . . Faith comes by hearing God’s Word (Rom. 10:17).  So, if you haven’t been here for each service, your faith may be lacking.

. . . you have missed setting a good example . . . Attending every service of a meeting shows others you want to put God and the church first (Mat. 6:33).  Friends, family members, children, neighbors, co-workers, and others are all watching.  Have they seen your commitment to the Lord?
​
. . . you have missed a preview of Heaven . . . Heaven is a place of service, worship, and supreme love for God as is the church (Eph. 3:21).  If attending a Gospel meeting is too much trouble for you, then Heaven will be too.  Don’t miss it (Rev. 20:15). 

Derrick Coble

Have you ever received an offer that seemed too good to refuse?  Perhaps, at a department store the clerk entices with 25% off your purchase if you sign up for a credit card.  Or, you watch a demonstration of a fantastic new product but the catch is you must buy it right away if you want the best value.  Maybe you have even been lured into one of those “free kitten” or “free puppy” deals in the dollar store parking lot.  Sometimes we are quick to say, “Sign me up” and don’t think about living with our decision on a daily basis—whether it is good or bad.  Not only does this happen in worldly decisions, but also in spiritual decisions.  When Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all called to follow Jesus, they “straightway” and “immediately” followed him (Mat. 4:18-22).  Did they realize the kind of commitment they were making?  Did they understand the sufferings they would have to endure?  Jesus would later speak of the great commitment and sacrifice in following Him.  He said that He had no place to lay His head (Mat. 8:20) and a man must forsake all that he has to be His disciple (Luke 14:33).  Furthermore, Jesus would speak of the suffering that His followers must endure by being persecuted (Mat. 5:11) and hated because of Him (Mark 13:13).  We are not much different today.  Following after Christ is a big decision and there are persecutions and sacrifices involved (2 Tim. 3:12).  Yet, it is wonderful when people make that decision very quickly and show themselves to be dedicated every step of the way—no matter what.  Such was the case with Peter, Andrew, James, and John.  In spite of human weaknesses, they proved to be valuable servants of the Lord until the end of their lives.  They said, “Sign me up” and they meant it!  There were no gimmicks, presents, or accolades; but, there was they promise of something greater to come.  We have the same promise of an eternal inheritance (Col. 3:23,24).  So, what do you say?  “Sign me up!”